Fiscal Specialist II

Howard County:

Conveniently located in the heart of central Maryland between Baltimore and Washington. Howard County offers the charm of a historic past mixed with the excitement of a cosmopolitan community.

Howard County Government:

Howard County Government is a leader in innovation, sustainability, and consistently ranked as one of the best places to live and work in the country. In 2025, Howard County Government received a record-breaking 85 Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo) – the highest number of annual NACo awards achieved in the history of the State of Maryland, and the highest number of awards out of any county in the State of Maryland which received a collective 136 awards. NACo is the leading organization representing county-level government operations. These awards recognize innovative and transformative programs that provide new services for county residents, improve existing programs, upgrade working conditions, and enhance citizen participation and public policymaking.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for outstanding individuals to join our team and contribute to excellence in Howard County operations.

What you'll like most about working at Howard County Government:

• We are committed to workplace excellence in every area of County government.
• We have a highly talented, diverse, and inclusive workplace. Your input will not only be heard, but it will be encouraged
• We offer competitive compensation and great benefits including medical, retirement, and wellness programs.
• As a member of the Howard County Government team, you'll be helping drive our culture and directly impact what makes us an amazing place to work.

POSITION SUMMARY:

Performs professional accounting work. Responsible for applying generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and procedures to analyze financial data. Prepare accurate and timely financial reports and statements, the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR). Ensures appropriate accounting control procedures are in place to effectively prepare, analyze and reconcile financial statements. Assignments require evaluative thinking and are carried out in accordance with GAAP and relative County polices. The work includes responsible contacts with employees in other departments, other governmental agencies, and financial institutions. Develop and propose recommendation for improved departmental procedures based on GAAP and GASB regulations.

STARTING SALARY HIRING RANGE:

$ $41.17

$75,903 - $85,638

CLASS DESCRIPTION:

Performs intermediate professional level financial administrative work, which may include supervisory responsibility, under general supervision from an administrative or technical superior. Work includes examining and evaluating administrative and operational programs, financial reporting systems, and agency budgets; performing accounts and records audits; planning, developing, analyzing, and monitoring fiscal records and budgets; and preparing financial statements. Monitor's budgeting activities and records of major departments. Supervises cashiers and oversee County banking operations.

Include the following. Other related duties may be assigned.

Prepares notes and schedules for the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR). Prepares quarterly and annual financial statements for the Community Renewal, Environmental Services, Program Revenue, Forest, Plastics, and Opioid Special Revenue Funds.

Prepares quarterly and annual financial statements for the Broadband and Watershed Enterprise Funds.

Prepares annual report on disposition of marriage license fee collected.

Assists in the annual preparation and submission of Restricted Fund calculations (for assigned funds described above) to be provided to Office of Budget.

Assists in the preparation and submission of the state's Uniform Financial Report.

Crosstrain/backup support as needed for the preparation of quarterly and annual financial statements.

Prepares complex journal vouchers.

Provides recommendations for improving the office's operations.

Analyze and reconcile certain balance sheet accounts of assigned funds on a quarterly basis.

Perform year-over-year fluctuation analysis of general ledger accounts.

Stays abreast of new developments in Generally Accepted Accounting Standards, statements of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board and Generally Accepted Auditing Standards. Research accounting issues as required.

Ensures all financial reporting deadlines are met.

Assists in evaluating, testing, and implementing new systems within the division.

Learns and performs all essential job functions accurately.

Works and cooperates with co-workers and supervisors at all levels.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

This job has no supervisory responsibilities.

Bachelor's Degree and two (2) years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

PREFERRED EDUCATION, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

Bachelor's Degree with major course work in Accounting and experience in governmental accounting preferred.

Possess strong working knowledge of word processing, spreadsheet, and database software packages.

Certification as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or other related professional certification is preferred.

Detail oriented and must possess strong communication and analytical skills.

Ability to multi-task.

Ability to work independently.

Experience with SAP or other Enterprise Resource Planning systems a plus.

Bachelor's degree with major coursework in Accounting and experience in accounting and/or financial statements experience.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, and talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception.

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.

LANGUAGE SKILLS, MATHEMATICAL SKILLS AND REASONING ABILITY:

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents. Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community. Ability to write speeches and articles for publication that conform to prescribed style and format. Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups, and/or boards of directors.

Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference, and fundamentals of plane and solid geometry and trigonometry. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

TO APPLY: You must complete an employment application online to be considered for this recruitment. Resumes cannot be substituted for completion of the job application work history. No paper applications will be accepted.

Selected candidates may be subject to drug screening, background screening, and reference checks.

At time of application, please submit a copy of any college degree, coursework, licenses, or certifications that you have referenced on your application. Applicants who have education obtained outside of the U.S. may need to provide proof of the equivalent U.S. education as determined by a foreign credential evaluation service, such as the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services ) or World Education Services: International Credential Evaluation ).

Howard County Government is not sponsoring employees in application of the H-1B Visa or providing an extension of an existing H-1B Visa. All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.

Howard County is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, and we are committed to a workplace that values diversity, equity, and inclusion. The County prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, ancestry, creed, national origin, disability status, genetics, marital status, military service, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Applicants requiring accommodations during the hiring process should contact the Office of Human Resources directly at Requests for accommodations should not be attached to the application.