Posting number: FY2025-01489
Department: Public Utilities
Job classification: PUBLIC UTILITIES FISCAL TECHNICIAN
Posting type: Open
Categories: Administration, Administrative Assistant, Miscellaneous, Utilities, Customer Service, Office and Administrative Support
GENERAL STATEMENT OF JOB
Under general supervision, this position is responsible for assisting with the financial aspects of the department of Public Utilities. Reports to the Manager of Finance/Administration.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS
Performs administrative support work such as word processing, creating spreadsheets, data entry and retrieval, and functions that may require interpretation, judgment and determining appropriate processes to be used; reviews forms, data, and other information to ensure accuracy and conformance to established procedures and policies.
Examines and processes vouchers, purchase orders, and payments. Issues payments to vendors. Assigns vendor numbers and similar identifying data and confirms correct accounting codes.
Prepares journal entries and budget transfers as directed. Prepares inventory control and contract status reports.
Processes and documents customer refund requests. Creates requisitions, and processes invoices, change orders, and travel vouchers.
Communicates with employees and vendors to clarify information on policies and procedures.
Assists with providing documentation for CAFR.
Purchases supplies and monitors purchase order requests.
Provides backup assistance as needed to divisions during the absence of Fiscal Support staff.
Performs other related work as required. Individual assignments will be determined by supervisor based on current workload and department needs.
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
Knowledge of Job: Has considerable knowledge of modern office practices and procedures. Has considerable knowledge of arithmetic, spelling, grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary. Has considerable knowledge of the policies and procedures, organization, and function of the department. Is skilled in the operation of common office equipment, including popular computer-driven word processing, spreadsheet, and file maintenance programs. Is able to screen communications and based on content, manage independently or route to proper source. Is able to correct spelling, grammatical, punctuation and typing errors. Is able to use independent judgment in organizing and establishing format. Is able to gather information from a variety of sources and draft documents. Is able to establish and maintain moderately complex files. Is able to communicate effectively orally and in writing. Is able to exercise tact and courtesy in frequent contact with the general public. Is able to establish and maintain effective working relationships as necessitated by work assignments.
Quality of Work: Maintains high standards of accuracy in exercising duties and responsibilities. Exercises immediate remedial action to correct any quality deficiencies that occur in areas of responsibility. Maintains high quality communication and interacts within department and division, and with co- workers and the general public.
Quantity of Work: Maintains effective and efficient output of all duties and responsibilities as described under “Essential Job Functions”.
Dependability: Assumes responsibility for doing assigned work and meeting deadlines. Completes assigned work on or before deadlines in accordance with directives, city policy, standards and prescribed procedures. Accepts accountability for meeting assigned responsibilities in the technical, human, and conceptual areas.
Attendance: Attends work regularly and adheres to city policies and procedures regarding absences and tardiness. Provides adequate notice to higher management with respect to vacation time and time-off requests.
Initiative and Enthusiasm: Maintains an enthusiastic, self-reliant, and self-starting approach to meet job responsibilities and accountability. Strives to anticipate work to be done and initiates proper and acceptable direction for completion of work with a minimum of supervision and instruction.
Judgment: Exercises analytical judgment in areas of responsibility. Identifies problems or situations as they occur and specifies decision objectives. Identifies or assists in identifying alternative solutions to problems or situations. Implements decisions in accordance with prescribed and effective policies and procedures and with a minimum of errors. Seeks expert or experienced advice and researches problems, situations, and alternatives before exercising judgment.
Cooperation: Accepts supervisory instruction and direction and strives to meet the goals and objectives of same. Questions such instruction and direction when clarification of results or consequences are justified, i.e., poor communications, variance with city policy or procedures, etc. Offers suggestions and recommendations to encourage and improve cooperation between all staff persons within the department.
Relationships with Others: Shares knowledge with supervisors and staff for mutual and departmental benefit. Contributes to maintaining high morale among all department employees. Develops and maintains cooperative and courteous relationships with department employees, staffers and managers in other departments, representatives from organizations, and the general public to maintain good will toward the department and project a good departmental image. Tactfully and effectively handles requests, suggestions and complaints from other departments and persons in order to maintain good will within the city. Interacts effectively with fellow employees, supervisor, professionals, and the general public.
Coordination of Work: Plans and organizes daily work routine. Establishes priorities for the completion of work in accordance with sound time-management methodology. Avoids duplication of effort. Estimates expected time of completion of elements of work and establishes a personal schedule accordingly. Attends meetings, planning sessions and discussions on time. Implements work activity in accordance with priorities and estimated schedules. Maintains a calendar for meetings, deadlines and events.
Safety and Housekeeping: Adheres to all safety and housekeeping standards established by the city and various regulatory agencies. Sees that the standards are not violated. Maintains a clean and orderly workplace.
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE
Requires graduation from high school or the equivalent, supplemented by 1 to 2 years of experience in bookkeeping or accounting duties; or any equivalent combination of education and experience which provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities for this position.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
Requires a comprehensive background investigation to include a local, state criminal history check and a sex offender registry check.
All employees may be expected to work hours in excess of their normally scheduled hours in response to short-term department needs and/or city-wide emergencies.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS OR STANDARDS REQUIRED TO PERFORM ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS
Physical Requirements: Must be physically able to operate a variety of automated office machinery and equipment including computer, printer, typewriter, calculator, facsimile machine, copier, multi-line telephone systems, etc. Must be able to exert up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. Physical demand requirements are in excess of those for sedentary work. Light work usually requires walking or standing to a significant degree. However, if the use of arm and/or leg controls requires exertion of forces greater than that for sedentary work and the worker sits most of the time, the job is rated for light work.
Data Conception: Requires the ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable, functional, structural, or composite characteristics (whether similar to or divergent from obvious standards) of data, people, or things.
Interpersonal Communication: Requires the ability to speak and/or signal people to convey or exchange information. Includes receiving instructions, assignments and/or directions from superiors.
Language Ability: Requires the ability to read a variety of architectural, site and sub-division plans, timesheets, estimates and invoices, etc. Requires the ability to prepare financial reports, billings, invoices, requisitions, purchase orders, etc., using prescribed formats and conforming to all rules of punctuation, grammar, diction, and style. Requires the ability to speak to people with poise, voice control and confidence.
Intelligence: Requires the ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral or diagrammatic form; to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in or from standardized situations.
Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to record and deliver information, to explain procedures, to follow oral and written instructions. Must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in Standard English and possess a basic working knowledge of accounting, clerical and computer operation terminology.
Numerical Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize mathematical formulas; to add and subtract totals; to multiply and divide; to determine percentages and decimals, to interpret graphs and to compute discounts, interest, profit and loss, ratio and proportion, etc.
Form/Spatial Aptitude: Requires the ability to inspect items for proper length, width, and shape.
Motor Coordination: Requires the ability to coordinate hands and eyes rapidly and accurately in using automated office equipment.
Manual Dexterity: Requires the ability to handle a variety of items, automated office equipment, etc. Must have minimal levels of eye/hand/foot coordination.
Color Discrimination: Does not require the ability to differentiate between colors and shades of color.
Interpersonal Temperament: Requires the ability to deal with people beyond giving and receiving instructions. Must be adaptable to performing under stress and when confronted with persons acting under stress.
Physical Communication: Requires the ability to talk and/or hear: (talking: expressing or exchanging ideas by means of spoken words; hearing - perceiving nature of sounds by ear). Must be able to communicate via telephone.
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA) REQUIREMENTS
The City of Portsmouth is an Equal Opportunity Employer. ADA requires the City to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Prospective and current employees are invited to discuss accommodations.
This is a class description and not an individual position description. A class specification defines the general character and scope of duties and responsibilities of all positions in a job classification, but is not intended to describe and does not necessarily list the essential job functions for a given position in a classification.
The City of Portsmouth was founded in 1752 and incorporated by the Virginia General Assembly in 1858. Over 250 years old, the city is home to one of the world's greatest natural harbors, situated on the James and Elizabeth Rivers, which empties into the Chesapeake Bay. Portsmouth, with a land area of approximately 33 square miles and a population of 96,066, is located in the heart of the Hampton Roads Region. It is bordered by Chesapeake and Suffolk, respectively, to the south and west and the City of Norfolk to the east.
The City of Portsmouth boasts 75.8 miles of shoreline and is home to Mile Marker Zero of the Atlantic Intercoastal Waterway, which stretches from Maine to Florida. Part of one of the world’s largest natural harbors, Portsmouth is just 18 miles from the open sea. Portsmouth's location on navigable waterways has been a dominant force in the City’s rich maritime history and economy. Its location on the over 40-feet-deep Hampton Roads shipping channel and the presence of both the CSX and Norfolk Southern Railroads allows Portsmouth to support national and international port commerce activities and the military presence in the region.
Portsmouth derives its governing authority from a charter granted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The City's governing body is the City Council, which formulates policies for the administration of the City. The City's charter provides for a Council-Manager form of government.
