ACCOUNTING ASSISTANT

Job Description

ACCOUNTING ASSISTANT | City of Farmington Hills

The Tone:
This is a regular, full-time role at the City of Farmington Hills, located in Farmington, NM. This position contributes to the essential financial operations of the Administrative Services/Finance department within a municipal government that provides critical utility services. The Accounting Assistant ensures accurate accounting procedures, financial reporting, and compliance with various tax and regulatory standards. This role is vital for maintaining the financial integrity and operational efficiency of the city’s utility divisions.

The TL;DR
• Role: Early Career
• Type: Regular, Full-Time
• Location: In-person, Farmington, NM
• Pay: $21–$34 hourly
• Team: Reports to the Enterprise Accountant and is supervised by the Deputy Administrative Services Director; no supervisory duties.
• Mission: Manages diverse accounting procedures for the Finance division, focusing on utility billing, work orders, tax reporting, and general ledger reconciliation to ensure financial accuracy and compliance.
• Tech Stack: Central Square Public Sector, MS Excel, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, MS Access, Adobe Acrobat Professional, Google email software, IBM AS/400, Ten-key, Internet, Wells Fargo CEO (Commercial Electronic Office) Internet software, Personal Computer, Scanner, Shredder, Telephone system, Fax, Copier, Printers, Calculator

What You’ll Actually Do
• Maintain Utility Accounting Records: Manages the system of utility work orders for proper accounting and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) compliance, verifying account numbers and work orders on reports.
• Prepare Financial Reports and Spreadsheets: Creates daily spreadsheets for month-end balancing and reports, which includes utility billing revenue, construction work-in-progress, and customer utility deposit accounts.
• Handle Tax Preparation and Filing: Prepares various tax reports such as gross receipts sales tax, governmental sales tax, Navajo sales tax, water conservation fee, and annual Electric Utility Ad Valorem tax.
• Perform General Ledger Reconciliations: Balances work orders to construction work-in-progress and other general ledger accounts, including daily reconciliation of utility billing and pooled cash accounts.
• Manage Asset Accounting and Depreciation: Calculates asset retirement costs, unitizes closed work requests to capture asset costs in plant-in-service accounts, and computes monthly depreciation for all City assets.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Graduation from an accredited two-year college or university with a degree in accounting, finance, business or public administration, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Possesses knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) statements. Career level: Entry-Level.
• Experience: Comprehensive knowledge of computer applications and software packages including Central Square Public Sector, MS Excel, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, MS Access, Adobe Acrobat Professional, and Google email software.
• Skills: Excellent verbal communication, written communication, analytical and problem-solving, and customer service skills. Ability to establish priorities, work independently with minimal supervision, and meet deadlines.
• Bonus: Comprehensive knowledge of utility accounting, FERC regulations, State of New Mexico gross receipts sales tax regulations, and municipality accounting regulations. Ability to utilize an IBM AS/400 computer terminal.