Job Description

Director of Accounting Services

SALARY:

Hire Rate - $50.51/hr / Work Rate - $53.17/hr



TYPE OF EMPLOYMENT: Full Time

ISSUE DATE:

10/17/25

THE FINAL DATE TO FILE APPLICATIONS:

11/01/25

DATE THAT THIS ANNOUNCEMENT SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM POSTING:

11/02/25

RESIDENCY:

Candidates must have been legal residents of Tompkins County or one of the six adjoining counties (Cayuga,

Chemung, Cortland, Schuyler, Seneca, Tioga) for at least one month immediately preceding the date of application and maintain

residency. For Examinations: The eligible list resulting from the examination will be established in accordance with the final

earned numerical ratings of passing candidates regardless of residence. A municipality or district may exercise its right under

section 23-4-a. of Civil Service Law to request a certification of eligible candidates who have been residents of that municipality

or district for at least one month prior to appointment. After the names of residents have been exhausted, Tompkins County must

then certify the names of non-residents on the list.



Tompkins County is excited to post an opportunity for a skilled accounting professional to join our team. We offer a dynamic

work environment where you'll have an opportunity to influence policy changes and procedural improvements. The position of

Director of Accounting services is a divisional leader under the guidance of the Director of Finance and the deputy directors. The

finance department seeks someone with a great personality, attention to detail, and experienced accounting skills to oversee our

accounting services and be a key player in oversight, audit preparation and policy/procedure updates. This is a unique opportunity

to contribute to a fiscally sound Tompkins County, where your commitment to DEI principles will play a vital role in shaping a

fair and inclusive environment. Join us in building a team that reflects the rich tapestry of our community.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: EITHER:

1. Graduation from a regionally accredited or New York State registered four-year college or university with a Masters

Degree in Accounting, Public Administration, Business Administration or a related field which must have included or

been supplemented by at least twenty credits in accounting

AND

two years of full time paid (or the part-time equivalent)

experience in preparing and maintaining, or auditing governmental, not-for-profit or school district financial accounts

and records;

OR

2. Graduation from a regionally accredited or New York State registered four-year college or university with a Bachelors

Degree in Accounting, Public Administration, Business Administration or a related field which must have included or

been supplemented by at least twenty credits in accounting

AND

four years of full time paid (or the part-time equivalent)

experience in preparing and maintaining or auditing governmental, not-for-profit or school district financial accounts and

records.

NOTE:

A minimum of 20 credits of accounting are required. No experience or other education may be substituted for any of

these required accounting credits.

NOTE:

A minimum of two years of full time (or the part-time equivalent) experience in preparing and maintaining, or auditing

governmental, not-for-profit, or school district financial accounts and records is required. Education or other training may not be

substituted for any of this experience.

NOTE:

Supervisory Experience is desired but not required.

Tompkins County is Committed to Equity and Inclusion. We encourage those with similar values to apply.

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS:

The work involves responsibility for managing and coordinating the financial accounting activities of a county government. The

position is involved in developing, implementing, and overseeing organization-wide financial reporting and the maintenance of

policies and procedures of internal control which safeguard public assets. Working with an outside auditing firm, the incumbent is

responsible for ensuring that financial reporting is maintained in accordance with GAAP and GASB promulgations and that all

activities are in compliance with federal and state regulations and policies governing local governments. The incumbent is

responsible for the production of financial statements and the compilation of the annual financial report. The incumbent is

responsible for the maintenance of financial ledgers. The work is performed under the general supervision of the Director of

Finance and Deputy Directors of Finance and involves technical oversight, coordination of accounting, accounts payable, and

payroll functions; and may include supervision of office staff.

TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES:

Performs a variety of journal entries on a weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly basis; Supervises the production and

maintenance of county financial system of accounts;



Supervises the maintenance of a system of internal controls necessary to safeguard public assets;



Coordinates within the Finance Department the functional activities of accounting and reporting, internal audit, payroll, and

accounts payable; and provides training and technical assistance on operational procedures;



Monitors the interface of financial information from payroll system and other financial systems to general ledger; Supervises and

trains the accounting and payroll staff and reviews their work product;



Responsible for the maintenance of financial accounts consistent with GAAP and applicable federal and state program

requirements;



Develops organization-wide accounting procedures and monitors compliance of departmental activity;



Communicates, educates, and intervenes as needed with a variety of staff levels with 27 departments across

the County; Oversees entries to

financial ledgers for legal authority, appropriateness, accuracy;



Responsible for the analysis, maintenance and balance of financial ledgers utilizing a computerized integrated financial

information system;



Oversees a system of accounts supporting federal and state grants;



Responsible for timely preparation and distribution of financial information on a monthly cycle;



Performs sophisticated drawdowns from the FTA and FAA on electronic systems sponsored by the Federal Government;

Coordinates the preparation of an annual financial report, including schedules for Fixed Assets, Cash, and others as required;


Coordinates annual audit of County financial records with auditors; such work includes preparation of worksheets for Single

Audit/SEFA reporting;



Coordinates other external audits of County financial records;



Develops and implements accounting procedures required to meet the needs of the Tompkins County Legislature as articulated by

fiscal policies;

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS:

Thorough knowledge of modern accounting practices and terminology;



Thorough knowledge of computerized accounting systems and the New York State Uniform System of Accounts; Thorough

knowledge of various computer programs such as Excel, Word, and data base management;



Thorough knowledge of general accounting principles as related to internal control procedures; Thorough knowledge of the

requirements of the Federal Single Audit Act;



Thorough knowledge of Federal and State payroll and 1099 reporting requirements;



Ability to develop, effectively implement and maintain accounting systems and procedures in conformance with all applicable

laws, rules, and regulations;



Strong ability to define priorities, establish good teamwork, and evaluate the work of others;



Ability to comprehend, analyze and develop procedures to deal with unusual or complex accounting problems; Ability to

understand and carry out complex oral and written instructions;



Ability to prepare accurate correspondence and reports; Ability to plan, assign and supervise the work of others;



Initiative, resourcefulness, accuracy, integrity, good judgment, courtesy, and tact are required; The employee's physical condition

shall be commensurate with the demands of the position.



Originally created 7/97



D29.doc

FURTHER INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS

Falsification of any part of the "Application for Employment" will result in disqualification.



Accepted candidates will be notified when and where to appear for the examination. If you do not receive your notice to appear at least three days before the

date of the written examination, call Tompkins County Department of Human Resources at 274-5526. If an application is disapproved, due notice will be

sent. This department does not make formal acknowledgment of the receipt of an application or take responsibility for non-delivery or postal delay.



Applicants must answer every question on the application form and make sure that the application is complete in all respects. Incomplete applications will

be disapproved.

ACTIVE MILITARY PERSONNEL, VETERANS OR DISABLED VETERANS

desiring to claim additional credit will request the Veterans Credits

application form, at any time between the date of application for examination(s) and the date of the establishment of the resulting eligible list. You must

meet the requirements set by NYS for these credits and they may be used only once.

YOU MAY NOT CLAIM ADDITIONAL CREDITS AFTER THE

ELIGIBLE LIST HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED. IT IS THE CANDIDATE'S RESPONSIBILITY TO REQUEST THE VETERANS CREDIT

APPLICATION FORMS AND TO SUBMIT THESE FORMS AND ANY SUPPORTING PAPERWORK BEFORE THE ELIGIBLE LIST IS

ESTABLISHED.

Tompkins County's written examinations are prepared and rated by the New York State Department of Civil Service in accordance with Section 23-2 of

Civil Service Law. The provisions of the New York State Civil Service Rules and Regulations, which deal with the rating and review of the examinations

apply.



The duration of the eligible lists may be fixed for a minimum of one and a maximum of four years and may be extended beyond four years if there has been

a restriction against the filling of vacancies in that title.

The candidates must complete a separate "Application for Employment" for each open-competitive and/or promotional examination that the candidate is

eligible to take.



All experience required meeting the acceptable training and experience is full-time experience. (Part-time experience will be credited on a prorated basis).



Appointment from an eligible list must be made from the top three candidates willing to accept the appointment.



Tompkins County is an Equal Opportunity Employer. As part of its efforts to provide employment opportunities to the physically handicapped, Tompkins

County Civil Service has adopted a rule permitting the employment of qualified physically handicapped persons without competitive examination (pursuant

to Section 55 of Civil Service Law). If you meet the minimum qualifications for this position and wish to know more about this rule, please contact the

Tompkins County Department of Human Resources Office.



Unless otherwise notified, candidates are permitted to use quiet, hand-held, and solar or battery powered calculators. Devices with Typewriter Keyboards,

Spell Checkers, Personal Digital Assistants, Address Books, Language Translators, Dictionaries or any similar devices are prohibited. You may not bring

books or other reference materials.

CROSS-FILING - APPLYING FOR CIVIL SERVICE EXAMINATIONS IN MULTIPLE JURISDICTIONS WHEN EXAMINATIONS ARE

SCHEDULED ON THE SAME DATE:

When applying for examinations across multiple jurisdictions - all of which are scheduled on the same day - you

must submit a Tompkins County Cross-Filing Form. This form must be submitted no later than 4:30 PM on the final filing date of the examination. On this

form, list each examination that you are taking and then tell us where you would like to sit. The purpose is to ensure that all of the test materials for the

various examinations that you are taking will be available in one location. If you do not provide the cross-filing form to us by the final filing date, we cannot

ensure that we can accommodate your desire to cross-file. If any of the examinations are State level examinations, you must sit at the State test center. You

will still need to complete the Tompkins County cross-filing form. If sitting at the State site, the State will notify you of when and where to report for your

examination(s) and you should bring all admittance letters to the State site. If you are not taking a State examination, bring all admittance letters to your

chosen testing site. If you have any question please call Tompkins County Department of Human Resources Department (607) 274-5526. The Cross File

form is located at http://www.tompkins-co.org/personnel/CivilSrvForms/index.html

FOR RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION AND HANDICAPPED PERSONS:

If special arrangements for testing are required, please indicate this on

your application.

ALL CANDIDATES FOR EMPLOYMENT FOR POSITIONS IN SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND BOCES GOVERNED BY TOMPKINS COUNTY

CIVIL SERVICE MAY HAVE THE FOLLOWING SPECIAL REQUIREMENT. PER CHAPTER 180 OF THE LAWS OF 2000, AND BY

REGULATIONS OF THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION, TO BE EMPLOYED IN A POSITION DESIGNATED BY A SCHOOL

DISTRICT OR BOCES AS INVOLVING DIRECT CONTACT WITH STUDENTS, A CLEARANCE FOR EMPLOYMENT FROM THE

STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT IS REQUIRED.

In conformance with Section 85-a of the Civil Service Law, children of firefighters and police officers killed in the line of duties shall be entitled to receive

an additional ten points in a competitive examination for original appointment in the same municipality in which his or her parent has served. If you are

qualified to participate in this examination and are a child of firefighter or police officer killed in the line of duties in this municipality, please inform this

office of this matter when you submit your application for examination. A candidate claiming such credit has a minimum of two months from the

application deadline to provide the necessary documentation to verify additional credit eligibility. However, no credit may be added after the eligible list has

been established.a'

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION:

Applicants may be required to undergo a State and national criminal history background investigation, which will

include a fingerprint check, to determine suitability for appointment. Failure to meet the standards for the background investigation may result in

disqualification.



TOMPKINS COUNTY PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT, 125 EAST COURT STREET, ITHACA, NY 14850