Financial Analyst - Accountant IV

Official Title: Accountant IV

Functional Title: Financial Analyst 

Primary Location: United States-Massachusetts-Boston-100 Cambridge Street

Job: Accounting and Finance

Agency: Department of Housing & Community Development

Schedule: Full-time

Shift: Day

Job Posting: Nov 15, 2019, 4:34:58 PM

Number of Openings: 2

Salary: $58,390.54 - $83,591.56 Yearly

Bargaining Unit: 06-NAGE - Professional Admin.

Confidential: No

The Division of Rental Assistance Fiscal Unit within the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) is charged with overseeing and processing all fiscal transactions related to state and federal housing programs. Currently, the federal program budget authority overseen by the Division of Rental Assistance totals $341 million, and the state program budget authority is $99 million.  Included in this are 21,137 federal vouchers and 12,115 state vouchers administered by programs in the Division.

State programs include Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP), Alternative Housing Voucher Program (AHVP), Housing Consumer Education Center (HCEC) & Department of Mental Health (DMH) programs.  Federal housing programs include Section 8 programs such as Moving to Work (MTW), Family Unification Program (FUP), Veteran’s Assistance Supported Housing (VASH)()/ Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCV), Mainstream 5, Mod Rehab, Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS), and the Section 811 Project-Based Rental Assistance Demonstration Program (PRAD).

The Financial Analyst supports the Fiscal Director by preparing reconciliations of program accounts; maintaining books of account; producing regular programmatic and financial reports; and, providing technical assistance to housing agency staff. Externally the position assists with fiscal reviews and audits of sub-recipients, reviews of correction action plans and verification that sub-grantees have resolved previously reported corrective action findings.  The incumbent provides fiscal support for both federal Section 8 and state rental assistance programs.

Customer Service is an essential function of this role and all communications, oral and/or written, are to be delivered in a professional and timely manner with a customer service focus according to all the established Department/Agency operating procedures.  The Division of Rental Assistance is a small contained operation with success dependent on all staff within the unit assuming individual responsibility and working together as a team in the delivery of services.

All financial records are maintained in accordance with federal regulations, established Agency practices and professional accounting standards.  Assignments are reviewed for accuracy, timeliness and conformance with standards.  Individual must be able to exercise independent judgment in compliance of assigned tasks.

This position also serves as a secondary/back-up person for other fiscal position(s) within the unit.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES (these duties are a general summary and not all inclusive):

1. Reviews and advises DHCD management on the Department’s Section 8 financial systems including budget preparation and analysis; reconciliation of funds.
2. Prepares financial analysis and projections from which management can design realistic plans and guidelines for the Section 8/Housing Choice Voucher program expenditures and initiatives.  Assists in the preparation of the annual MTW plan.
3. Uses state Massachusetts Management Accounting and Reporting System (MMARS) system to complete cash reconciliations for the Division of Rental Assistance and generate reports for management and internal control review.
4. Maintains information tracking systems to identify housing assistance payments by fiscal year allocation; identifies location of documents in the payment processing cycles; and monitors financial and program performance data of local housing agencies.
5. Serves as supporting back-up to fiscal staff supporting federal Section 8 programs and state rental assistance programs.
6. Reviews and reconciles financial requisitions and prepares/submits payment vouchers paying close attention to detail, minimizing the need for edits and/or payment corrections from supervisor allowing for payments to be processed in a timely manner and avoiding a delay in the payment process.
7. Reviews MMARS reports to ensure payments have been processed through the Treasurer's system and funds remitted as directed.  Reviews MMARS reports to track and project spending and other operational data to provide supervisors with necessary information for enhanced decision-making.
8. Year-to-date monthly expenditures for all accounts is reported and projections are updated by the 15th of the month, no later than the 17th of the month. Utilizes MMARS reports to confirm funding availability and tracking of monthly expenditures.
9. Confirms there are sufficient funds available in MMARS for all payment vouchers that are submitted to the Accounting Unit for processing.
10. Assists Internal Controls Officer in identifying, creating and/or pulling reports from the state MMARS system, including MMARS warehouse reports.
11. Designs, in consultation with superiors, various spreadsheets to track and forecast project spending and other operational data in order to provide superiors with enhanced decision-making capacity.
12. Provides copies of new federal grant award letters to the Budget Office and the Accounting Director within 1 to 2 business days of receipt. Submits the necessary Budgets - Reimbursement Grant Budget Document (BGRG) to the Budget Office and conducts the necessary analysis to determine if a Budgets - Central Expense Document (BGCN) is necessary.
13. Performs fiscal monitoring site reviews of Administering Agencies and Local Housing Authorities (LHAs) ensuring federal and state programs are being administered in accordance with program regulations.
14. Assists with all financial activities as they relate to annual submission of the agency’s FDS and YE reconciliation reports from all sub-recipients.
15. Works with Fiscal Director and Internal Controls Officer to ensure that the Division of Rental Assistance Fiscal Unit is in compliance with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requirements and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Uniform Grant Guidance (2 CFR 200) for the Moving to Work (MTW) and Section 8 programs.
16. Works with Fiscal Director and Internal Controls Officer to implement and communicate amendments to internal systems made in response to regulatory changes.
17. Works with Fiscal Director and Internal Controls Officer to implement system improvements as appropriate in areas of accounting, finance and sub-grantee/recipient reporting.
18. Works with Internal Controls Officer and program staff to conduct fiscal reviews of sub-grantee/sub-recipient agencies according to the requirements and standards of OMB Uniform Grant Guidance.
19. Works with Internal Controls Officer to review all audits submitted to the Department by sub-grantee/sub-recipient agencies and assists in resolving of any audit findings.
20. Works with Internal Controls Officer and all Department divisions to facilitate document production for the Statewide Single Audit.
21. Verifies sub-grantees/sub-recipients have resolved previously reported findings or have a sufficient corrective action plan in place to resolve prior findings.
22. Works with Internal Controls Officer to ensure DHCD compliance with state internal control plans and the requirements of Federal Programs.
23. Works with fiscal and program staff to review, finalize and submit contracts for the Division of Rental Assistance.
24. Prepares and reviews new and existing contracts and maintains all contract files for the Division of Rental Assistance files of executed contracts for BRA.
25. Acts as the Agency resource processing documents and answering questions in a timely, professional manner, and helps to resolve problems.  Responds to all phone calls and e-mails within 24-48 hours of receipt and completes and/or coordinates all requirements, etc.  Every week all outstanding filing shall be filed away in the proper location.  These are essential functions of the position.
26. All communications are delivered in a professional and courteous manner with the understanding that agency staff are our customers, along with the Regional Administering Agencies (RAAs) and Local Housing Authorities (LHAs) throughout the Commonwealth.  The incumbent will serve as a lead in resolving questions from our customers by simplifying administrative procedures as well as the presentation of rules and regulations whenever possible to ensure the customer understanding of the policy, rules, regulations, etc.
27. Ensures that the Fiscal Director is made aware of concerns, problems, issues that are unable to be resolved within 24 hour time period and escalates sensitive issues to DHCD management appropriately. Ensures that the Fiscal Director is made aware of all customer complaints.
28. It is essential to ensure the office is always covered and that at least one Division of Rental Assistance Finance staff is in the office and able to respond to customers, unless receiving prior approval from the Fiscal Director that coverage can be altered.  Communication within the team is key, as is prior planning and organization.  These are essential functions to be successful in this role.
29. All other duties as assigned including but not limited to; completing assignments in a timely, accurate, courteous, professional manner; being a team player and willing to pitch in and help out when needed and take on additional assignments as needed which are appropriate for the classification; recognizing critical accounting deadline dates and the importance of being in the office on those days, unless incumbent has sought and received prior approval to be absent; attends trainings and meetings as required and takes initiative to research other trainings and/or educational opportunities to better improve his/her skills and career growth.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Knowledge of accounting theory, principles and practices.
2. Ability to prepare and/or analyze financial data and reports, perform financial reconciliations and maintain books of account.
3. Ability to gather information, draw conclusions, make appropriate recommendations regarding federal Section 8 and state rental assistance programs.
4. Analyze regulation changes and its impact to reporting systems and make recommendations to management.
5. Knowledge of Federal Section 8 programs and reporting requirements.
6. Ability to interpret federal and state policies, statutes and regulations.
7. Strong attention to detail and analytical skills.
8. Must have customer-service orientation and have excellent organizational and interpersonal skills.
9. Ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing.
10. Must have good intuition and display sound judgment.
11. Ability to write concisely, to express thoughts clearly and develop ideas in logical sequence.
12. Ability to prepare reports in a clear and logical manner.
13. Ability to work collaboratively, independently and as part of a team.
14. Excellent time management skills, including the ability to prioritize work, adjust to changing priorities and meet required deadlines.
15. Individual must be able to exercise independent judgment in compliance of assigned tasks.
16. Discretion to recognize when consultation is needed to perform a task or project.
17. Knowledge of housing agency operations.
18. Bachelor's degree preferred and/or at least four years’ experience in accounting/financial-related field.
19. Advanced Excel experience required.  Intermediate proficiency using Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Access and Outlook.  Adept at learning new applications quickly.  Previous experience using computerized financial software.
20. Massachusetts Management Accounting and Reporting System (MMARS) - state accounting and budgetary accounting system and Commonwealth Information Warehouse (CIW) experience is preferred but not required.

MISSION STATEMENT

The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) is within the Housing and Economic Development Secretariat and its work touches the lives of all Massachusetts residents.  DHCD's mission is to strengthen cities, towns and neighborhoods to enhance the quality of life of Massachusetts residents by providing leadership, professional assistance and financial resources to promote safe, decent, affordable housing opportunities, economic vitality of communities and sound municipal management.

COMMENTS

Please upload resume and cover letter 

Salary placement is determined by years of experience and education directly related to the position and the Human Resources Division’s Recruiting Guidelines. 

Education, licensure and certifications will be verified in accordance with the Human Resources Division’s Hiring Guidelines. Education and license/certification information provided by the selected candidate(s) is subject to the Massachusetts Public Records Law and may be published on the Commonwealth’s website.

QUALIFICATIONS

First consideration will be given to those applicants that apply within the first 14 days (11/29/19).

Minimum Entrance Requirements: Applicants must have at least (A) four years of full-time, or equivalent part-time, professional experience in accounting or auditing, of which at least (B) two years must have been in a supervisory, administrative or managerial capacity, or (C) any equivalent combination of the required experience and the substitutions below. 

Substitutions: 

I. An Associate's degree with a major in accounting, business administration or business management may be substituted for a maximum of one year of the required (A) experience.* 

II. A Bachelor's degree with a major in accounting, business administration or business management may be substituted for a maximum of two years of the required (A) experience.* 

III. A Graduate degree with a major in accounting, business administration or business management may be substituted for a maximum of two years of the required (A) experience and one year of the required (B) experience.* 

*Education toward such a degree will be prorated on the basis of the proportion of the requirements actually completed. 

NOTE: Educational substitutions will only be permitted for a maximum of one year of the required (B) experience. 

An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer.  Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

If you have Diversity, Affirmative Action or Equal Employment Opportunity questions or need a Reasonable Accommodation, please contact Diversity Officer / ADA Coordinator: Marjorie Lalli - 617-573-1100