Accounting Technician - Public Health

 Steele County

Job Description

Job Title: Accounting Technician

Department: Public Health

Immediate Supervisor: Public Health Director

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

DBM Rating: B23

Union: AFSCME – Courthouse Unit

Job Summary

The Accounting Technician provides high quality customer service through interactions with Steele County residents, internal departments and various external entities. The Accounting Technician processes payments on behalf of the County and ensures accuracy of disbursements and receipts as well as prepares department payroll for processing.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Assists in maintaining all departmental accounts receivable for patient and program health care services in conjunction with the Finance office:
• Determines information needed for invoice preparation of health care claims to multiple billing sources, coordinates with professional staff to obtain needed data, and prepares and submits monthly home and family health care bills in PHDOC.
• Invoices private pay billings for home care services.
• Monitors claims and researches billing related problems through coordination with professional staff, third party reimbursement sources and management staff, and resubmits claims accordingly and codes the receipts to the appropriate general ledger accounts.
• Prepares deposits.
• Responsible for departmental accounts payable in conjunction with the Finance Office:

• • Codes vouchers for vendor bills to coincide with specific program cost percentages.
  • Verifies calculations and codes vouchers for contracted services and staff mileage and reimbursements.
• Prepares department’s payroll information to upload to payroll office for payment.
• Provides computer and software (including PHDoc) troubleshooting for agency staff.
• Processes monthly home care OASIS submission.
• Participate in emergency preparedness activities or emergency events as appropriate and/or as assigned.
• Comply with the Safety Program Policies of the County.
• Comply with the Code of Ethics for employees of the County, the Minnesota Data Privacy Act and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA).
• Performs general office, customer service and/or clerical duties within the department such as:
• • Addresses customer questions over the phone or in person concerning department functions and operations.
  • Maintains office records, files and records retention schedules.
  • Provides backup support and assistance at information desk.
• Performs other duties of a comparable level or type, as required.

Minimum qualifications

• 2 year technical or associate degree with emphasis in: accounting, finance, business administration or related field
• 2 years directly related accounting experience
• Valid Driver’s License
• Ability to pass a standard background check 

Essential Knowledge

• Fundamentals of accounting and bookkeeping functions, procedures, and operations as it pertains to accounts receivables, accounts payable, payroll, and general ledger maintenance.
• Laws, rules, regulations and requirements pertaining to areas of accounting responsibility.
• Fundamentals of general office and general administrative procedures and operational requirements.
• Office equipment and typical productivity software, databases or customized systems/applications used within the county/department for accounting processing.
• Knowledge of basic record retention, record/file/database maintenance requirements.
• Basic understanding of data privacy requirements, provisions as it impacts the processing of accounting and financial records.

Essential Skills

• Oral and written communication skills.
• Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with employees, supervisors, department heads, and representatives of other agencies.
• Understanding, applying and following regulations, guidelines, statutes, reporting requirements/deadlines.
• Customer service and human relation skills in assisting, dealing with and applying proper phone etiquette and informational assistance in dealing with employees, agencies, the public and department staff concerning addressing payroll, accounts payable, account questions, etc.
• Time management and organizing work priorities to accomplish tasks in accordance with deadlines and established schedules.
• Performing duties that require attention to precision, detail and accuracy.
• Reviewing, proofing, reconciling, auditing and correcting coding and data entry of accounting records.
• Preparing accounting reports, summaries, balances and statutory reports and forms.
• Applying and following accounting and recordkeeping operations in the maintenance of and processing of financial records or reports.
• Performing general office and clerical functions required within the office of assignment.
• Basic math skills needed to add, subtract, multiple and divide units of measure using whole numbers, fractions and/or decimals.
• Using and operating computers and applying office productivity software such as word processing, spreadsheet, database and customized accounting software or applications utilized by the department/county.
• Performing work assignments requiring attention to detail, precision and accuracy and in accordance      with set deadlines.
• Performing assigned functions with minimal direction in accordance with established and set departmental operations.

Physical Job Requirements (Percentage of Time)

Category: Sedentary Work

• Stand: occasionally (1-33%)
• Walk: occasionally (1-33%)
• Sit: continuously (66-100%)
• Use of hands: frequently (34-66%)
• Reach with hands & arms: occasionally (1-33%)
• Stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl: occasionally (1-33%)
• Talk or hear: continuously (66-100%)
• Taste or smell: never
• Lift & carry: up to 10 pounds continuously (66-100%)

Working Conditions

Duties of the job are primarily administrative in nature performed in a typical County office. The physical and environmental hazards and risks associated with the job can be characterized as minimal for the classification.

This description is intended to describe the kinds of tasks and levels of work difficulty being performed by people assigned to this classification. The list of responsibilities is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified.