What are the responsibilities and job description for the Accounts Payable Administrative Aide - Recreation & Parks, Bureau of Administrative Services position at Howard County Government?
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 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 83 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:
Provide administrative and clerical support for all accounts payable aspects for the Department of Recreation & Parks.
STARTING SALARY HIRING RANGE:
$24.59 - $26.89
$51,139 - $55,938
*This is the anticipated starting salary range for this position. Please note that the final salary will be determined by the Office of Human Resources, commensurate with experience and aligned to ensure internal equity with similarly situated roles.*
CLASS DESCRIPTION: (Text from the Howard County Classification Plan)Performs advanced technical level administrative support work, which may include supervisory responsibility, under general supervision from an administrative or technical superior. Work typically involves administrative support work, technical tasks, and secretarial work assisting legal staff or an executive level government official. May apply bookkeeping, accounting and data processing principles to accounting and financial record keeping and reporting systems at the advanced technical level. Work at this level may also include independent responsibility for a significant administrative or clerical process.
*This is a Classified position, meaning that it is a part of the Howard County Classified Service upon completion of a probationary period of at least six (6) months*
*Please note that this position falls within a collective bargaining unit and is represented by AFSCME Local 3085, Local 3888, or Local 1810.*Accounts Payable and Financial Processing:
- Process department-wide payments in SAP, including parked documents and employee expense claims (Trips); track payment status and maintain accurate records.
- Review, analyze, and reconcile financial data, forms, and documents for completeness and accuracy.
- Respond to telephone and email inquiries from contractors, coordinators, and managers regarding payment status in SAP.
- Review and resolve complex discrepancies between invoices and service contract terms with department staff.
- Liaise with the Office of Finance, Purchasing, third-party payment vendors, and the SAP Team regarding payment status, contract specifications, and accounting updates.
Contracts and Vendor Management:
- Request and track required vendor documentation (e.g., W-9, Vendor Information Forms) for new and existing vendors in SAP.
- Manage department-wide service provider contracts, including reviewing agreements and amendments, assigning contract numbers, and ensuring alignment between contract terms and invoices.
- Create and maintain contract summary spreadsheets to track invoices and spending.
- Oversee contract compliance and provide guidance to coordinators on contract updates or amendments impacting Accounts Payable.
Procurement Cards:
- Perform monthly review and reconciliation of procurement (PDQ) cards, ensuring compliance with Department of Finance and Purchasing policies.
Cash Handling:
- Process fund requests; balance and maintain funds monthly.
- Support Department of Finance auditors during audits of fund accounts.
Training and Compliance:
- Assist the Accounts Payable Supervisor in the support and training of new employees on the PDQ User’s Guidelines, Service contract policies/procedures, and invoice submission procedures.
Administrative and Operational Support:
- Maintain organized files and documentation for all financial and contract-related activities.
- Assist with records retention and file storage in accordance with Records Management guidelines.
- Serve as primary backup to the Accounts Payable Supervisor, including monitoring the Accounts Payable email inbox.
- May be designated as an essential employee during emergencies based on operational needs with responsibility for maintaining critical Accounts Payable and procurement card (PDQ) functions and ensuring timely completion of required financial processing, reconciliation, and payment activities.
- Other related duties may be assigned.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:
This job has no supervisory responsibilities.
- SAP knowledge and Experience.
- Working knowledge of Excel and Word.
- Strong Organizational Skills and Attention to Detail.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:
PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
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.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
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.
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 talk or hear.
- The employee frequently is required to sit and use hands to touch, handle, or feel.
- The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms.
- The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.
- Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, and ability to adjust focus.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
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:
LANGUAGE SKILLS:
- Ability to read and comprehend simple instructions, short correspondence, and memos.
- Ability to write simple correspondence.
- Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to customers, clients, and other employees of the organization.
- Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.
- Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent, and to draw and interpret bar graphs.
REASONING ABILITY:
- Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed but uninvolved written or oral instructions.
- Ability to deal with problems involving a few concrete variables in standardized situations.
Salary : $51,139 - $98,572