Accounts Payable Technician

Department Information

Most State of Colorado employees are eligible for a great benefit package! Please see the Supplemental Information section below for details!

Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo is a tobacco free campus

About Us: The Financial Services Division of Accounting provides accountable and accurate financial information to support CDHS management and programs, as well as external stakeholders, including the State Controller's Office, the Federal government, and State and Federal Auditors.

Description of Job

• Financial Compliance & Reporting: Ensuring all business operations and financial reporting adhere to established CDHS policies, statutes, rules, regulations, GAAP, and applicable governmental accounting principles. This includes ensuring audit compliance and coordinating closely with State and Federal auditors.

• System and Data Management: Managing automated systems responsible for recording financial transactions, bills, payments, payroll, timekeeping, and generating required and ad hoc reports. All system data is reconciled to ensure completeness and accuracy.
• Internal Controls and Quality: Implementing quality improvement initiatives and maintaining adequate internal controls over all departmental financial activities.
• Advisory Role: Serving as a financial resource for management and program staff for policy, budget, and future planning, and representing CDHS in various fiscal and advisory groups.

• Accounts payable and inventory accounting
• Travel and Pcard accounting
• Program accounting

• Receive and process payment requests (for vendors, petty cash, travel, etc.) to create accurate payment transactions in CORE and meet expected timelines.
• Review payment requests to confirm they are accurate, include the required documentation, and have been approved in accordance with State and Department Fiscal Rules and policies.
• Determine whether there are issues with the paperwork or approvals for a payment request, and decide how to resolve them. This may involve requesting missing or corrected documents from the program, or deciding whether the issue needs to be escalated to a supervisor or program accountant.
• Search CORE vendor customer records to look up payments, fix processing errors, and find other solutions.
• Prepare and review upload documents (UPDOCS) to ensure payment documents load successfully into the CORE system by correctly filling out all fields in the spreadsheet, correcting fields with error messages, and verifying the CORE documents created after the upload.
• Reply to payment-related questions from programs or vendors, providing accurate information based on payment policies and procedures.
• Track rejected payment transactions and edit payment documents as requested by program accountants to ensure timely payment.
• Check monthly vendor statements, research unpaid invoices, and communicate problems with vendors and program staff.
• Decide on the best way to contact the program or vendor to resolve statement issues.

Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights

• Three (3) years of relevant experience in an occupation related to the work assigned to this position specifically, accounting or finance

OR

• A combination of related education and/or relevant experience in an occupation related to the work assigned equal to three (3) years

• Ability to collaboratively problem solve in a positive and constructive manner to minimize negative personal impact
• Ability to develop constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintain them over time

Preferred Qualifications:

• Two or more years of accounts payable experience processing payments and reconciling vendor statements

• Experience with a complex accounting software package such as CORE
• Customer service experience
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Experience with presenting information and training others to use a process or system
• Ability to discuss and explain accounts payable processes at all levels of the organization
• Ability to adapt behavior and work methods in response to new information, changing conditions, or unexpected obstacles
• Ability to work independently or as part of a team, including communicating with peers and other professionals within and outside the agency to ensure payments and completion of work projects
• Basic math skills
• Ten-key calculator proficiency
• Data entry proficiency
• Microsoft Office Suite proficiency, particularly Excel
• Organizational Skills
• Basic filing skills
• Familiarity with basic office duties, e-mail, using copier fax, and scanner

• A pre-employment standard criminal background check will be conducted as part of the selection process as this position is deemed to have direct contact with vulnerable persons. Felony convictions, conviction of crimes of moral turpitude, or convictions of misdemeanors related to job duties may disqualify you from being considered for this position. Should your background check reveal any charges or convictions, it is your responsibility to provide the CDHS Background Unit with an official disposition of any charges.
• TB (tuberculosis) Test and other State of Colorado required vaccinations.
• Former State employees who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination must:
  • Disclose that information on the application.
  • Explain why the prior termination or resignation should not disqualify you from the current position.
  • Provide your employee number from your prior State employment. Absent extraordinary circumstances, prior disciplinary termination or resignation in lieu of termination and failure to provide this information will disqualify the applicant from future State employment with CDHS.

• You or your representative must sign and submit the official appeal form for review.
• You can find the official appeal form here (Download PDF reader).
• You must be deliver the official appeal form to the State Personnel Board:
  • By email (dpa_state.personnelboard@state.co.us), or
  • Postmarked in US Mail to(1525 Sherman Street, 4th Floor, Denver CO 80203, or
  • Hand delivered (1525 Sherman Street, 4th Floor, Denver CO 80203), or
  • Faxed (303.866.5038) within ten (10) calendar days from your receipt of notice or acknowledgement of the department’s action.

• At (303) 866-3300, or
• Refer to the Colorado Code of Regulations (CCR) 801-1, State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Director's Administrative Procedures, Chapter 8, Resolution of Appeals and Disputes, within the Rules webpage.

Supplemental Information

• How to apply to the State of Colorado (Youtube Video, Runtime 3:59, Closed Captions Available)
• The Assessment Process

• Preferred Qualifications & Competencies
• Relevant years of state service experience

A Human Resources Analyst will review the work experience/job duties sections of the online job application to determine whether your experience meets the minimum qualifications for the position. You must complete the official State of Colorado online application. Cover letters and resumes WILL NOT be reviewed during the minimum qualifications screening process. You must specifically document your work experience and qualifications. Do not use "see resume" or "see attached."

After minimum qualification screening, the comparative analysis process will involve a review and rating of all the information you submit. The comparative analysis step may also include your results from an skills Test.

If listed, answer all supplemental questions as your answers to these questions will be evaluated during this phase. Provide at least 4-8 sentences for each supplemental question.

Answer the supplemental questions completely and thoughtfully. We will rate your answers based on the content of your response and your writing skills (spelling, grammar, and clarity of your writing).

• Strong, secure, yet flexible retirement benefits including a PERA Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined Contribution Plan plus 401(k) and 457 plans
• Medical and dental health plans
• Employer supplemented Health Savings Account
• Paid life insurance
• Short- and long-term disability coverage
• 11 paid holidays per year plus vacation and sick leave
• State of Colorado Employee BenefitHub Resource Center
• Employee Wellness program
• Excellent work-life programs, such as flexible schedules, training and more

• Remote work arrangements for eligible positions

• Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

• We believe in a people-first approach: We prioritize the needs, well-being, and dignity of the individuals, families and communities we serve. We commit to respect, fairness and access in every decision, policy and interaction. We engage client voices and experiences in the development and implementation of the services we provide.
• Balance creates quality of life: We want our team to be resilient through a supportive workplace that values flexibility, health and wellness, and employee engagement.
• We hold ourselves accountable: We take responsibility through our actions, programs, and results for the state of health and human services in Colorado.
• Transparency matters: We are open and honest with employees, our partners, the Coloradans we serve, and the public.
• We are ethical: We abide by what is best for those we serve by doing what is right, not what is easy.

• Collaboration helps us rise together: We work together with all partners, employees, and clients to achieve the best outcomes for Coloradans.

ADAA Accommodations:

CDHS is committed to a Colorado for ALL qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment.

The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer

We are committed to increasing a “Colorado for ALL" of our staff and providing culturally responsive programs and services. Therefore, we encourage responses from people of all backgrounds and abilities. The State of Colorado believes that a “Colorado for ALL” drives our success, and we encourage candidates from all identities, backgrounds, and abilities to apply. The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer committed to building inclusive, innovative work environments with employees who reflect our communities and enthusiastically serve them. Therefore, in all aspects of the employment process, we provide employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, creed, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, or military status (with preference given to military veterans), or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.

~THE STATE OF COLORADO IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER~