Senior Staff Accountant

Job Summary

This position will work with the Controller, Accounting Supervisors, and be responsible for a variety of accounting processes, reconciliations, analyses, and financial reports. This positions critical responsibility will be to ensure the quality and accuracy of the data and transactions that become a part of GPTLHB's financial systems. The leadership team depends on this position to manage the business. This position will also periodically join a team of problem solvers to help solve complex business and financial issues from strategy to execution. For example, some teams will analyze and decide financial or other system needs and process improvements while others may handle structuring and implementing approved technology or process improvement projects. Senior staff accountants are expected to be role models when adapting to changing processes and technologies.

Essentials Functions

• Demonstrate critical thinking. Add value to our organization by applying skills and experience to improve or streamline processes or functions.
• Show less experienced team members when and how to use the tools that are available for a given situation or problem.
• Possess the ability to quickly identify pertinent facts, questions or issues when working with a new situation or environment.
• Use straightforward communication, in a structured way when mentoring, influencing, and connecting with others.
• Possess the ability to read situations and change behavior to build quality relationships.
• Understand and have experience with multiple processes and responsibilities within the Finance organization; temporarily fill-in when a team member is absent or help train a new team member.
• A senior staff accountant will work in one or more of three areas: the Oyate Health Center (much like an ambulatory care clinic), the Health Board (a nonprofit organization that delivers public health, public health education and advocacy services), or corporate administration. Within your assigned area(s) responsibilities could include, but will not be limited to, preparing journal entries, increasingly complex analyses and account reconciliations; verifying the veracity of data and supporting documentation; organizing, developing or maintaining financial forms, transaction documents and receipts; identifying and correcting data or other errors; creating or maintaining more complex allocations; initiating disbursements to settle accruals or miscellaneous payables; preparing invoices; recording cash receipts and drawdowns; reviewing biweekly and special payroll reports for accuracy; assisting with the monthly and annual closings which requires meeting transaction processing and reporting deadlines; preparing more advanced financial reports, schedules or spreadsheets by collecting, analyzing and summarizing account information or trends; responding to questions after appropriately researching and interpreting data with minimal assistance; assisting with internal and external audits; and assisting with federal or state tax reporting.
• Uphold the GPTLHB’S code of ethics and business conduct.
• Must follow federal laws and regulations as required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Professional Behavior

• Effectively plan, organize workload and schedule time to meet the demands of the position.
• Work in a cooperative and professional manner with OHC and GPTLHB staff.
• Treat Great Plains tribes and collaborators with dignity and respect.
• Utilize effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Advance personal educational development by attending training sessions and seminars as appropriate.
• Exemplify excellent customer service with tribal stakeholders, health board colleagues, program partners, service recipients, visitors and guests.
• Foster a work environment of wellness, courtesy, friendliness, helpfulness and respect.
• Relate well and work collaboratively with coworkers and all levels of staff in a professional manner.
• Consistently demonstrate respect for and acceptance of differing capabilities, cultures, gender, age, sexual orientation and/or personalities.
• Maintain and ensure organizational privacy and confidentiality.
• Handle crisis and tolerate stress professionally.
• Be self-directed and take proactive initiative to assist others.
• Resolve issues with other departments and coworkers without direct supervision if needed.
• Exercise flexibility to alter plans/routines when situations require and continue to perform without projecting stress/frustration that would adversely affect the work environment.
• Promote an alcohol, tobacco and drug-free lifestyle.
• Embrace modes of appearance and attire that reflect a professional presence.
• Adhere to GPTLHB policies and procedures.
• Other duties as assigned by the Supervisor.

Requirements

• Participates in Core Connections training and applies GPTLHB Core Connections concepts and practices in their work.
• Familiarity and/or experience working with American Indian populations and respect for and knowledge of traditional, cultural, and spiritual practices of diverse American Indian communities, as well as an ability to work with other culturally and ethnically diverse populations.
• Consistently show respect for and acceptance of differing capabilities, cultures, gender, age, sexual orientation and/or personalities.
• Develop your ability to resolve issues and conflicts with other departments and coworkers without direct supervision.
• Able to exercise flexibility to alter plans/routines when situations require and continue to perform without projecting stress/frustration that would adversely affect the work environment.
• Ability to maintain a flexible work schedule, including evenings, weekends and overnight or extended travel as necessary.
• Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and group situations to community members, consumers, and other employees of the organization.
• Proficiency with computer programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and other Internet technologies.
• Valid driver’s license must be kept current, and certificates, credentials or licenses must be kept current and consistent with regulations required by applicable federal, state and/or grant regulations.
• Ability to promote an alcohol-, tobacco- and drug-free lifestyle.
• Embrace modes of appearance and attire that reflect a professional presence.
• Adhere to GPTLHB policies and procedures.

Supervisory Controls

The supervisor makes assignments by defining objectives, priorities, and deadlines and assists the employee with unusual situations that do not have clear precedents.

The employee plans and carries out the successive steps and handles problems and deviations in the work assignments in accordance with instructions, policies, previous training, the scope of license/certification, or accepted practices in the occupation.

Completed work is usually evaluated for technical soundness, appropriateness, and conformity to policy and requirements. The methods used in arriving at the end results are not usually reviewed in detail.

Guidelines

Guidelines are available but are not completely applicable to the work or have gaps in specificity.

The employee must use judgment in interpreting and adapting guidelines, such as agency policies, regulations, precedents, accreditation requirements, advanced clinical protocols, and work directions for application to specific cases or problems. The employee analyzes results and recommends changes.

The employee uses initiative and resourcefulness in deviating from traditional methods or researching trends and patterns to develop new methods, criteria, or proposed new policies.

Complexity

The work typically includes varied duties that require many different and unrelated processes and methods, such as those relating to well established aspects of an administrative or professional field. Decisions regarding what needs to be done include the assessment of unusual circumstances, variations in approach, and incomplete or conflicting data.

The work requires making many decisions concerning such things as interpretation of considerable data, planning of the work, or refinement of the methods and techniques to be used.

Scope and Effect

The work involves treating a variety of conventional problems, questions, or situations in conformance with established criteria. The work product or service affects the design or operation of systems, programs, or equipment; the adequacy of such; the social, physical, and economic well-being of people; or the social or economic well-being of the organization.

Contacts

The personal contacts are with employees within the department, office, project, or work unit, and in related or support units. The contacts are with other employees, patients and other customers, and members of the general public in very highly structured situations. The purpose of the contact and the question of with whom to deal are relatively clear.

The purpose is to obtain, clarify, or give facts or information regardless of the nature of those faces; i.e., the facts or information may range from easily understood to highly technical.

Work Environment/Physical Demands

The environment involves everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions typical of such places as offices, meeting and training rooms, requiring use of safe work practices with office equipment, avoidance of trips and falls, observance of fire regulations and traffic signals. The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated.

The work is sedentary. Typically, the employees sits comfortably to do the work. However, there may be some walking; standing; bending; carrying of light items, such as papers, books, or small parts; or driving an automobile. The employee must be able to read, write, speak and hear.

Supervisory and Management Responsibility

This is a non-supervisory position that may provide functional direction, guidance and instruction to other employees when necessary. This position possess authority to assign, coordinate, and review quality and quantity of work of other employees. Instructs employees in specific techniques or technical methods for accomplishing work assignments. The employee may perform the same type of work as other employees, but may be responsible for performance of the more technically difficult, controversial, or sensitive work assigned to the unit or group.

Education/Experience/Certificates/Credentials

• Education/Relevant Experience: Associate's degree in accounting or business administration with an emphasis in accounting; and
• Ten (10) years of progressive experience with responsibilities in at least three accounting functions (e.g., accounts payable, accounts receivable, budgeting, general ledger, payroll, reporting and analysis, etc.).
• Competent with Microsoft Excel (including experience with pivot tables), Word, and PowerPoint.
• Knowledge of and experience with fund accounting.

The GPTLHB is a tribal organization which follows tribal preference laws. It is our policy to give preference to qualified Indian/Tribal candidates over qualified non-native candidates in hiring decisions, if all other qualifications are equal.

Employment is contingent upon the outcome of all required criminal background checks.