Senior Payment Analyst I - Finance Department

at  Committee for Public Counsel

Overview:
The Finance Department is seeking a full-time Senior Payment Analyst I to assist in ensuring the timely and efficient process of legal and other payments of agency obligations.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The CPCS Finance Department is responsible for all financial functions within the agency. These include, but are not limited to: Budget, Accounting, Procurement, Accounts Payable, Payroll Data, Security, Internal Control Compliance, Audit & Oversight Conformity, Fixed Assets, Federal Grants, Records Management, and Facilities.
The Senior Payment Analyst I supports the Finance Department with responsibilities including the timely review, payment and reconciliations of agency obligations. The Senior Payment Analyst I follows Commonwealth and CPCS fiscal policies and procedures to support the agency, vendors and private attorneys. The Senior Payment Analyst I is expected to effectively communicate with all levels of the organization, external relationships and oversight agencies in this role.
Qualifications:

MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance or similar field or an equivalent combination of relevant education, training, and experience;
• Three years of experience in accounting and/or accounts payable experience; and,
• Access to a personal computer with home internet access sufficient to work remotely.

QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS

• Proficiency with the state accounting system (MMARS) including reconciling accounts and managing accounts payable or similar accounting systems;
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office 2007+ with a strong emphasis on Excel, Access, and Outlook;
• Ability to review and understand financial processes;
• Proactively identify solutions for process improvements and ability to implement effective solutions;
• Ability to create, analyze and interpret financial information and scenarios;
• Knowledge and understanding of state finance law as well as payment and procurement regulations;
• Good communication skills; and,
• Ability to work independently and in a group.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The duties of the Senior Payment Analyst I include, but are not limited to:

• Processing the timely payments for over 3,000 attorneys and 2,000 expert vendors and performing transmission of payment files to the Office of the State Comptroller;
• Processing payments for all other agency goods and services, including discounts as backup and/or as needed;
• Ensuring the appropriate billing mechanisms for payments exist (e.g. NACs, Encumbrance) to ensure timely and appropriate payments.
• Providing technical expertise to V-bill/E-bill systems as well as other Finance systems as needed;
• Providing customer support to V-bill/E-bill systems users as needed and communicating billing information to private attorneys and vendors using Constant Contact and Ebill/Vbill Notice;
• Developing standard and custom queries using the Commonwealth Information Warehouse (CIW) for accurate payment, case spending analyses, and other ad hoc reporting as required;
• Giving input to accounts payable policies and procedures.
• Researching and resolving billing issues that may require input from Senior Management, Director of Audit & Oversight, and IT;
• Assisting the Accounts Payable Manager or Finance Director with accounts payable activities as needed;.
• Supporting ongoing department initiatives which include moving paperless where possible, cross training/cross pollination, standardized/routine reporting and performance management;
• Providing excellent customer service internally and externally; and,
• Other duties as assigned.

EEO Statement
The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, sex, disability, religion, age, veteran or military status, genetic information, gender identity, or sexual orientation as required by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other applicable federal and state statutes and organizational policies. Applicants who have questions about equal employment opportunity or who need reasonable accommodations can contact the Chief Human Resources Officer, Sandra DeBow-Huang, at sdebow@publiccounsel.ne

The individual who will succeed in this role can best be described as:

• motivated; you thrive in feeling accomplished without gloating or getting an ego;
• a stickler for accuracy; your attention to detail is critical for success and the success of the agency mission;
• a believer in customer service; you understand that even difficult conversations should end with a smile and/or pleasantries and that responsiveness is a key component of great customer service;
• consistent across many communication mediums; whether it be over the phone, text or email…you provide superior support for whomever needs it;
• a tech enthusiast; you recognize that technology can improve process and love to learn how technology can improve existing processes;
• a team player; no matter your peers’ education or experience, you treat them as your equal;
• patient; you welcome differences and you understand that sometimes you are limited in what you can improve upon or change but you continue to look for opportunities to improve existing processes; and,
• a believer; that our clients and staff are why we come to work every day and that nearly anything can be accomplished with dedication, patience, and hard work