LEAD ACCOUNTANT

BID/JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

LEAD ACCOUNTANT

DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT

Bureau of Finance

Number of Positions: 1

(additional vacancies possible pending budget approval)

Starting Salary: $87,516.00

New hires are paid the starting rate. Current employees' pay rate is determined by their job title and years of service

Applications for this position will be accepted until 11:59pm CDT on 09/08/2025

This position is open to the public and all current City employees covered under the City's collective bargaining agreement with AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE, COUNTY, AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES (AFSCME) - BARGAINING UNITS 1, 3, 4 & 5. Only employees in City job titles in this bargaining unit are eligible to bid.

BID INSTRUCTIONS: To bid on this position, APPLY ON THE BID SITE and:

1. Check the box on your profile titled "Currently employed by the City of Chicago"

2. Enter your employee ID (located on your pay stub labeled 'payee/employee number')

3. Select your correct bargaining unit, upload your resume, and complete the application

FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS WILL RESULT IN A REJECTED BID APPLICATION

Under general supervision, performs management accounting work of the most complex nature, typically requiring the application of accounting and finance knowledge for the preparation of management reports, plans, and budgets, tracking and analysis of program performance and operations, and performs related duties as required.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

* Management Accounting and Report

o Prepares various reports (e.g., program and operating budgets with tiered funding structures, financial statements, balance sheets, financial reports) of a complex nature

o Tracks current and historical program revenues and expenditures and identifies trends

o Tracks monthly performance against budget, provides insights on variances, prepares charts and presentations, and holds reviews with program heads

o Coordinates with program heads to plan, program, and track resource needs and gaps over multiple years

o Analyzes and advises on operating, capital, and grant budget requests

o Compiles the annual budget, giving input to, aligning with, and implementing the overall planning process

o Develops and executes monthly rolling forecast process

o Seeks and incorporates feedback to continuously refine and improve planning processes

o Coordinates the analysis of historical records and anticipated economic trends to forecast future expenses and revenues

o Assists in designing and implementing computerized accounting systems and internal controls

o Monitors and reconciles accounts across multiple systems and ledgers

o Prepares semi-monthly payroll costing updates for any staff movement

o Prepares and reports both financial and program performance status internally and externally in federal systems

o Prepares other ad hoc reports and analysis as necessary

* Audit Support

o Supports financial and operational audits of grants as necessary, providing financial transparency and coordinating with internal and external stakeholders

o Monitoring, reporting, compliance, and reconciliation of grant/project expenditures within scope of audits

o Assists with the audit process and program audits, coordinates corrective action plans and audit responses, conducts site visits as needed

o Supports audit teams (i.e., private audit firms) to compile report findings, define follow up actions, and issue audit report

o Supports financial analysis of annual TIF annual report and audit

* Project Accounting

o Coordinates with program heads to identify and track program metrics (inputs, outputs, outcomes) to measure return on investment

o Conducts cost/benefit analyses of current and proposed programs and operations and recommends changes to improve cost efficiencies

o Elicits, maps, and evaluates business requirements and processes

o Prepares charts and presentations to communicate financial data and trends to department stakeholders and leadership to enable sound decision making

Additional duties may be required for this position

Location: 121 N LaSalle Street

Days: Monday - Friday

Hours: 8:30am - 4:30pm

THIS POSITION IS IN THE CAREER SERVICE

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

* Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree in Accounting, plus at least three (3) years of professional accounting experience, OR

* Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree in a directly related field including at least 15 semester hours in Accounting, plus at least three (3) years of professional accounting experience, OR

* Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Master's degree in Accounting, plus at least two (2) years of professional accounting experience, OR

* Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Master's degree in a directly related field including at least 15 semester hours in Accounting, plus at least two (2) years of professional accounting experience

SELECTION REQUIREMENTS

This position requires applicants to complete an interview which will include a skills assessment as part of the interview. The interviewed candidate(s) possessing the qualifications best suited to fulfill the responsibilities of the position, based on the oral and written parts of the interview will be selected.

For information about City of Chicago employee benefits, please click here

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APPLICATION EVALUATION: Initial evaluation will be based on the information provided on the application and the documents submitted. Department of Human Resources staff will review applications after the final posting date. Staff will follow all required employment/hiring plan provisions, federal, state, and local laws, and collective bargaining agreements when applicable. Staff will apply hiring preferences as required by the municipal code. Placement on an eligibility list is not an offer or guarantee of an interview nor employment with the City of Chicago

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY: To further our commitment to hiring applicants with diverse experience, the City of Chicago has adopted ordinances 2-74-020 and 2-74-075. The ordinances provide a preference to applicants who meet the minimum qualifications and who are veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States, residents of Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Areas (SEDA), and/or Chicago Public School (CPS) high school graduates. These hiring preferences do not apply to bidders. For positions covered by a collective bargaining agreement, bidders will be considered before external candidates. The learn more about our hiring processes, please click here.

ALL REFERENCES TO POLITICAL SPONSORSHIP OR RECOMMENDATION MUST BE OMITTED FROM ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS SUBMITTED FOR CITY EMPLOYMENT.

The City of Chicago in an Equal Employment Opportunity, Military Friendly, and Fair Chance Employer.

City of Chicago

Brandon Johnson, Mayor