Senior Accountant

Salary: $79,805.00 - $102,073.00 Annually
Location : City Hall, 442 W. Washington Street, Suffolk, VA
Job Type: Full Time
Job Number: 4729
Department: FINANCE ADMINISTRATION
Opening Date: 11/12/2026
Closing Date: 12/3/2026 11:59 PM Eastern

Description
The City is recruiting for two positions through this posting. Both positions perform the essential job functions listed below. Each position will also have a distinct primary assignment such as capital projects, debt and/or other special revenue or proprietary funds. Fund assignments may change based on operational need.
Under limited supervision, performs complex fiscal control and accounting work. Work involves compliance monitoring, and recommendations on complex transactions. Work also involves ensuring compliance through analysis, compliance monitoring, enforcement of appropriate policies, procedures, governmental accounting principles, generally accepted accounting principles and state and federal statutes. Employee must exercise considerable initiative and independent judgment in completing assigned tasks. Reports to the Controller.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described. Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were actually written out in this job description.
Essential Job Functions

• Interprets, applies, and ensures compliance with established policies/procedures, governmental accounting standards, grant guidelines, and all other applicable laws, rules, regulations, and standards; initiates any actions necessary to correct deviations.
• Reviews, researches, reconciles, and prepares journal entries for appropriate general ledger account balances
• Prepares monthly or periodic accrual financial statements or reports, including normal monthly detail and transactions.
• Prepares year-end audit reports and/or schedules.
• Prepares and maintains supporting documentation and reconciliations sufficient to substantiate account balances, financial statement amounts, and disclosures.
• Prepares project-specific reports for use in project management.
• Prepares appropriate reports for monitoring and audit
• Reviews, analyzes, and makes recommendations on various complex accounting and budget issues as assigned.
• Analyzes project budgets to ensure compliance with funding availability, performance timelines, and any outside funding source goals and requirements.
• Analyzes payment vouchers and purchase orders to ensure compliance with City policies and project budget requirements in order to process payment requests, change order requests, and contract documents.
• Analyzes and processes contract documents and change orders related to projects for funding availability and compliance with policies/procedures.
• Prepares journal entries to appropriately record financial transactions.
• Prepares year-end journal entries, statements, notes and audit records.
• Prepares, analyzes and maintains quarterly status reports for internal or external use.
• Reconciles external reports or transactions to internal general ledgers.
• Prepares or completes various forms, reports, correspondence, financial statements, draw-down request forms, journal entries, project reports, year-end reports, project status reports, labor standards reports, operating budget proforma, schedules, grant monitoring/audit reports, or other documents for projects or funds managed.
• Reviews and explains variances in assigned account balances and transactions, and assists.
• Operates a personal computer, general office equipment, or other equipment as necessary to complete essential functions, to include the use of word processing, spreadsheet, database, financial, capital project monitoring, e mail, Internet, or other computer programs.
• Communicates with supervisor, employees, other departments, bond counsel, debt holders, auditors, government agencies, granting agencies, the public, outside agencies, and other individuals as needed to coordinate work activities, review status of work, exchange information, or resolve problems.
• Attends various meetings as needed; represents the City and the Finance Department at various meetings with federal, state, and local officials.
• Maintains a comprehensive, current knowledge of applicable laws/regulations; maintains an awareness of new trends and advances in the profession; reads professional literature; maintains professional affiliations; attends workshops and training sessions as appropriate.
• Provides assistance to other employees or departments as needed.
• Performs other related duties as required.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Accounting or closely related field; supplemented by 3 years previous experience and/or training that includes general accounting, governmental accounting, and personal computer operations; or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for this job.

Possession and maintenance of (or candidacy for) valid Certified Public Accountant certification preferred.

Supplemental Information

• Knowledge of the policies, procedures, and activities of the City and of departmental practices as they pertain to the performance of duties relating to the position of Senior Accountant.
• Knowledge of the principles and practices of general governmental and municipal accounting.
• Knowledge of federal, state, and local laws and policies concerning municipal fiscal operations, including Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), governmental accounting standards, governmental budgeting practices, and related state/federal regulations and requirements.
• Knowledge of federal and state grant regulations, procedures and reporting requirements.
• Knowledge of modern accounting and office procedures and equipment, including the application of electronic data processing to the maintenance and analysis of fiscal data.
• Knowledge of the terminology, principles, and methods utilized within the department.
• Knowledge of the current literature, trends and developments in the fields of governmental accounting, public finance administration, and fair labor, and enterprise fund accounting practices.
• Knowledge and proficiency of computers and software programs typically utilized in the position.
• Ability to keep abreast of any changes in policy, methods, computer operations, equipment needs, policies, etc., as they pertain to departmental operations and activities.
• Ability to comprehend, interpret, and apply regulations, procedures, and related information.
• Ability to maintain standard accounting and control measures for municipal government.
• Ability to effectively communicate and interact with supervisors, members of the general public, and all other groups involved in the activities of the department.
• Ability to prepare clear and concise reports, and to compile and analyze financial statements and reports.
• Ability to use independent judgment and work with little direct supervision as situations warrant.
• Ability to perform required calculations.
• Ability to read, understand, and interpret financial reports and related materials.
• Ability to evaluate, audit, deduce, and/or assess data using established criteria, includes exercising discretion in determining actual or probable consequences and in referencing such evaluation to identify and select alternatives.
• Ability to apply principles of persuasion and/or influence over others in coordinating activities of a project, program, or designated area of responsibility.
• Ability to read a variety of informational documentation, directions, instructions, and methods and procedures.
• Ability to write reports with proper format, punctuation, spelling and grammar, using all parts of speech.
• Ability to exercise judgment, decisiveness and creativity in situations involving the evaluation of information against sensory, judgmental, or subjective criteria, as opposed to that which is clearly measurable or verifiable.
• Ability to utilize a wide variety of reference, descriptive, advisory and/or design data and information.
• Ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication and division; ability to calculate decimals and percentages; may include ability to perform mathematical operations involving basic algebraic principles and formulas, and basic geometric principles and calculations.
• Ability to inspect items for proper length, width, and shape, visually with job-related equipment.

Seasonal Employees- No Benefits
Part-time Employees - Sick Leave (See below)
Full Time Employees are eligible for the following benefits;

Retirement (Virginia Retirement System employer) for employees hired on or after 1/1/14 - Hybrid Members
Hybrid plan members contribute 4 percent of creditable compensation to the defined benefit plan and 1 percent to the defined contribution plan each month. Members may voluntarily contribute up to an additional 4 percent in 0.5 percent increments to the defined contribution plan each month. Members can increase or decrease their voluntary contributions on a quarterly basis. With the mandatory and voluntary contributions to the defined contribution component of the plan, members can contribute a maximum of 5 percent with a 3.5 percent match from the employer. Members invest in various investment options that best fit their needs.
Vested after 5 years in the defined benefit part of the plan. Vested in phases based on years in the Defined Contribution part of the Plan. The retirement eligibility for a full or reduced retirement pension in the Hybrid Plan is very detailed. Please contact the Virginia Retirement System or the Human Resources Department for details.

Paid Time Off (PTO)Yearly earnings
120 Hours (1-59 months), 144 Hours (60-119 months), 168 Hours (120- 179 months), 192 Hours (180 and over)
Sick Leave
Part Time employees earn 4 hours per month Sick leave accrues at the end of the month and may be accrued with no ceiling.

Personal Leave
All regular full time employees are granted 24 hours of personal leave each calendar year. Personal leave must be preapproved and is not cumulative.
Health Insurance
Coverage available for you and your eligible dependents using pre-tax payroll deductions if elected.
Supplemental Insurances
Employees may purchase the following supplemental insurance policies: short term and long term disability, cancer, accident, supplemental hospitalization, and group universal life insurance.
Employer Sponsored Short Term and Long Term Disability
Provides disability coverage for employees work and non-work related disabilities. Work related disabilities are covered starting on day one (1). Non work related disabilities are covered starting on day eight (8), after you have been employed for one year.
Flexible Spending Accounts
Employees may participate in the Health Reimbursement, Dependent Care Reimbursement and Premium Reimbursement Accounts. All deductions are made on a pre-tax basis and will reduce your taxable income.
Life Insurance
The city pays the entire premium for life insurance coverage in the amount of 2 times annual salary for natural death and 4 times annual salary for accidental death.
Optional Life Insurance
Employees have the option of electing additional life insurance coverage in the amount of 1, 2, 3 or 4 times their annual salary. Employees may only purchase optional life insurance on spouses and children if they are enrolled in optional life insurance for themselves.

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
12 weeks of job protected leave for leaves approved in accordance with the Family Medical Leave Act. Employees receive continuation of health insurance, job protection and consideration for a comparable job when available, or an equivalent job, upon return to work.
Funeral Leave
24 hours of paid leave of absence in case of death in immediate family.
Holidays
Suffolk follows the Virginia State holiday calendar as set by the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Jury Duty
Time off with pay with difference between jury pay and regular pay or use annual leave and keep check.
457 Deferred Compensation, ROTH IRA, Traditional IRA
Offered through ICMA Retirement Corporation as a way to shelter a portion of your salary from income taxes and save for retirement.
Employee Assistance Program
Offers employees and immediate family members (3) free, confidential counseling sessions related to a broad range of issues such as marital or family conflict, job or personal stress, alcohol or drug abuse, financial or legal worries, etc.

Worker's Compensation
Should an employee have an on the job injury, he/she could be eligible for Workmen's Compensation Benefits, except in cases of willful neglect.

Pay Days
Employees will be paid on the 15th and last working day of each month.
Credit Union
A Suffolk Credit Union is available to employees.
Legal Services
Employees may prepay for access to legal assistance.
Notary Public Services
Services available in the Human Resources Department.

Alternative Work ScheduleFor some positions -Offers 4 Alternative Work Schedule options to provide employees with greater control over their personal and professional time, as well as reducing absences.
01

Which of the following reflects your highest level of education ?

• Associate's Degree
• Bachelor's Degree
• Master's Degree
• Doctorate Degree
• No Degree
• Some college
• High school diploma or GED

02

Do you have a Bachelor's degree or higher in Accountin