DEPUTY CONTROLLER
Apply NowCompany: Dane County, WI
Location: Madison, WI 53711
Description:
Salary: $55.52 - $74.24 Hourly
Location : Madison, WI
Job Type: Full time (1.0FTE)
Job Number: 2025-00234
Department: Administration
Opening Date: 04/04/2025
Closing Date: 5/2/2025 11:59 PM Central
FLSA: Exempt
Bargaining Unit: MGR
Description
The Dane County Department of Administration has a current vacancy for a full time (1.0 FTE) Deputy Controller. The Eligible List created from this posting may be used for future vacancies for the next six (6) months.
Equity, Definition and Examples of Duties
COMMITMENT TO EQUITY AND INCLUSION
As an employer, we strive to provide a work environment where diversity and differing opinions are valued, creativity is encouraged, continuous learning and improvement are fostered, teamwork and open/honest communication are encouraged, and meeting customer needs through quality service is a shared goal. All employees must be able to demonstrate multicultural competence - the awareness, knowledge, and skills needed to work with others who are culturally different from self in meaningful, relevant, and productive ways. Applicants from traditionally underrepresented populations including women and racial and ethnic minorities are especially encouraged to apply.
DEFINITION
Under general supervision, the Deputy Controller performs highly responsible professional accounting work in the development of the annual county budget and the monitoring of expenditures through the monthly trial balance. Manages the Controller's Division in the absence of the Controller and performs liaison function with the Information Management Division. Performs other related work as required. The position has substantive participation in general county administration and functions with greater autonomy.
EXAMPLES OF DUTIES
The Deputy Controller position is responsible for the development of the County's monthly financial reports and annual audited financial statements, administration of the county's central accounting system (MUNIS) as well as maintaining the internal control structure over the financial systems to prevent fraud and ensure compliance with external and internal policies, procedures, regulations and laws. These financial reports are used by departments as a decision-making tool for budget preparation and control and also used by outside readers such as the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) and bond rating agencies when determining the county's bond rating for new debt issues. The development of these reports involves work for several areas including: cash receipting, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll and financial reporting. Responsible for processing monthly financial reports includes the preparation of recurring journal entries and various adjustments requested by departments and determined through a monthly review of accounts. Prepares year-end financial statements and assists auditors in the annual audit of the County Annual Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. Responsible for coordinating the cash receipt, accounts payable, accounts receivable and financial reporting functions of the county which include supervising and directing the daily work of staff including one Account Clerk II, one Enterprise Accountant and one Accounts Payable Specialist. Supervises entire Controller's Budget and Purchasing office staff during the Controller's absence. Performs various other duties included staffing the Personnel and Finance Committee meetings, providing policy and procedure guidance to all County departments in areas including accounting, budget and financial reporting, and acts as the primary backup for the Controller.
Education, Experience and Special Requirements
Any combination of training and experience equivalent to graduation from college with a Bachelor's degree in Accounting and five (5) years of professional accounting experience including at least one (1) year of responsible accounting experience with governmental accounting systems. Experience with EDP systems is preferred.
Special Requirements:
Must have a valid driver's license, or access to reliable personal transportation, or equivalent. Availability to work as required occasionally during nights for county board and/or related meetings. Also refer to the "Physical and Environmental Work Requirements" section below.
Background Check Statement: Some positions may require a criminal background check which can include fingerprinting due to the nature of the job's responsibilities. Wisconsin's Fair Employment Law, s. 111.31 - 111.395, Wis. Stats., prohibits discrimination because of an arrest or conviction record. However, Dane County may disqualify an applicant if the position's responsibilities are substantially related to the applicant's criminal history (e.g., the nature of the crime and its relationship to the position, whether hiring, transferring or promoting an applicant would pose an unreasonable risk to the business, its employees, customers and vendors, etc.) Management reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check.
For Bilingual Positions:
Provide services in both English and the required foreign language (e.g., Spanish, Arabic, Hmong, etc.). Applicants being considered for bilingual positions will be tested during the recruitment process prior to employment. This will primarily consist of passing an oral language proficiency assessment from English to foreign language and foreign language to English, but may require additional language testing, such as written translation, if it is an essential function of the job.
*If applicable, individuals may confirm with the Employee Relations Division whether results of bilingual language certifications/ examinations they currently hold qualify them for the position's bilingual designation.
Physical and Environmental Work Requirements:
Professional general office work environment. Ability to see and hear within normal ranges with/without adaptive devices. Ability to speak and be heard by others. Manual dexterity using fine and gross motor skills. Ability to use hand and finger motions to perform computer-related functions. Prolonged computer and phone use.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles as they relate to County Government. Knowledge of Dane County ordinances, State of Wisconsin Statutes, Federal regulations as they relate to all county departments. Knowledge of accounting system and payroll system. Knowledge of internal control structure and ability to maintain structure or modified as needed. Knowledge of modern business practices and general office administration. Knowledge of county administrative practices and policies. Knowledge of financial analysis, planning and reporting. Knowledge of supervisory methods and techniques. Effective oral and written communication skills. Ability to analyze complex information from multiple sources. Ability to coordinate, direct and manage the work of others. Ability to establish and maintain a working relationship with employees, all county departments, elected officials and the general public.
Become a part of the Dane County Team!
We offer a wide range of benefits including fully paid dental and HMO health insurance premiums for full time employees/pro rated for part time employees. The County will also provide contributions towards POS health insurance premiums and short/long term disability. Additional benefits available include long term care, vision coverage, flex spending account and deferred compensation programs paid in full by the employee and a wellness program. For further details on insurance benefits visit
Bilingual Pay: Employees who work in bilingual designated positions receive an additional $2.00 per hour.
Undesirable Hours Premium Pay: Employees may receive undesirable hours pay of $2.00 for anytime worked between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m and for anytime on Saturday and/or Sunday. (not applicable with all employee groups).
Paid Parental Leave: Dane County also provides 12 weeks of paid parental leave for birth or adoption of a child.
Caregiver Leave: Dane County offers 80 hours of paid leave to care for an ill family member.
Telecommuting: Telecommuting allows employees to work remotely for all or part of their workweek. Dane County considers telecommuting to be a viable, flexible option when both the employee and the job are suited to such an arrangement. Dane County will permit telecommuting when it benefits the productivity of the employee and their department and if determined by employee's department that telecommuting is not detrimental to either the County or the employee.
Student Loan Forgiveness: If you are employed by a government or not-for-profit organization, you may be able to receive loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program.
WI Retirement System: Employees hired after 7-1-11 must be expected to work a minimum of 1200 hours annually to be enrolled in the Wisconsin Retirement System when hired.
Like our Facebook page:
Dane County participates in E-Verify. For more information see the Notice of E-Verify Participation and Right to Work posters here" and then the 'here' links to this page:
01
Do you have any combination of training and experience equivalent to graduation from college with a Bachelor's degree in Accounting?
02
Do you have five (5) years of professional accounting experience including at least one (1) year of responsible accounting experience with governmental accounting systems.
03
If you answered Yes to Question 2, please explain how you meet those requirements.
04
Did you use artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content or tools in any part of this position's job application process?
05
If you used AI-generated content or tools, do you have an approved request from Dane County's ADA Coordinator to do so?
06
If you used AI-generated content or tools to complete any part of the job application process, please list in which sections of the application process you did so, including responses to graded questions.
07
THIS QUESTION IS GRADED. Please describe the training, education and work experience you have had to prepare you for the position of Deputy Controller for Dane County. Elaborate on your experience and knowledge of fund accounting in a local government setting and the use of a government accounting financial system.
08
THIS QUESTION IS GRADED. The Deputy Controller is responsible for month and year end accounting including monthly bank reconciliations, monthly and year-end adjusting entries, year-end subsidiary ledgers, annual accruals, and coordinating the annual financial and single audits. Describe your experience with the above duties.
09
THIS QUESTION IS GRADED. The Deputy Controller is responsible for accounting for the county's outstanding debt. As of 12/31/24, the county had over $790 million outstanding with over 30 open series of debt. The Deputy Controller is responsible for preparing journal entries when debt is issued annually, tracking expenditures by project and series, interfacing with Debtbook to establish each series within that software, initiating semi-annual debt service payments, and preparing journal entries to record payments by fund. Explain your experience accounting for local government debt including the number of issues, methods for tracking expenditures and experience interacting with Depository Trust for debt payments.
Required Question
Location : Madison, WI
Job Type: Full time (1.0FTE)
Job Number: 2025-00234
Department: Administration
Opening Date: 04/04/2025
Closing Date: 5/2/2025 11:59 PM Central
FLSA: Exempt
Bargaining Unit: MGR
Description
The Dane County Department of Administration has a current vacancy for a full time (1.0 FTE) Deputy Controller. The Eligible List created from this posting may be used for future vacancies for the next six (6) months.
Equity, Definition and Examples of Duties
COMMITMENT TO EQUITY AND INCLUSION
As an employer, we strive to provide a work environment where diversity and differing opinions are valued, creativity is encouraged, continuous learning and improvement are fostered, teamwork and open/honest communication are encouraged, and meeting customer needs through quality service is a shared goal. All employees must be able to demonstrate multicultural competence - the awareness, knowledge, and skills needed to work with others who are culturally different from self in meaningful, relevant, and productive ways. Applicants from traditionally underrepresented populations including women and racial and ethnic minorities are especially encouraged to apply.
DEFINITION
Under general supervision, the Deputy Controller performs highly responsible professional accounting work in the development of the annual county budget and the monitoring of expenditures through the monthly trial balance. Manages the Controller's Division in the absence of the Controller and performs liaison function with the Information Management Division. Performs other related work as required. The position has substantive participation in general county administration and functions with greater autonomy.
EXAMPLES OF DUTIES
The Deputy Controller position is responsible for the development of the County's monthly financial reports and annual audited financial statements, administration of the county's central accounting system (MUNIS) as well as maintaining the internal control structure over the financial systems to prevent fraud and ensure compliance with external and internal policies, procedures, regulations and laws. These financial reports are used by departments as a decision-making tool for budget preparation and control and also used by outside readers such as the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) and bond rating agencies when determining the county's bond rating for new debt issues. The development of these reports involves work for several areas including: cash receipting, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll and financial reporting. Responsible for processing monthly financial reports includes the preparation of recurring journal entries and various adjustments requested by departments and determined through a monthly review of accounts. Prepares year-end financial statements and assists auditors in the annual audit of the County Annual Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. Responsible for coordinating the cash receipt, accounts payable, accounts receivable and financial reporting functions of the county which include supervising and directing the daily work of staff including one Account Clerk II, one Enterprise Accountant and one Accounts Payable Specialist. Supervises entire Controller's Budget and Purchasing office staff during the Controller's absence. Performs various other duties included staffing the Personnel and Finance Committee meetings, providing policy and procedure guidance to all County departments in areas including accounting, budget and financial reporting, and acts as the primary backup for the Controller.
Education, Experience and Special Requirements
Any combination of training and experience equivalent to graduation from college with a Bachelor's degree in Accounting and five (5) years of professional accounting experience including at least one (1) year of responsible accounting experience with governmental accounting systems. Experience with EDP systems is preferred.
Special Requirements:
Must have a valid driver's license, or access to reliable personal transportation, or equivalent. Availability to work as required occasionally during nights for county board and/or related meetings. Also refer to the "Physical and Environmental Work Requirements" section below.
Background Check Statement: Some positions may require a criminal background check which can include fingerprinting due to the nature of the job's responsibilities. Wisconsin's Fair Employment Law, s. 111.31 - 111.395, Wis. Stats., prohibits discrimination because of an arrest or conviction record. However, Dane County may disqualify an applicant if the position's responsibilities are substantially related to the applicant's criminal history (e.g., the nature of the crime and its relationship to the position, whether hiring, transferring or promoting an applicant would pose an unreasonable risk to the business, its employees, customers and vendors, etc.) Management reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check.
For Bilingual Positions:
*If applicable, individuals may confirm with the Employee Relations Division whether results of bilingual language certifications/ examinations they currently hold qualify them for the position's bilingual designation.
Physical and Environmental Work Requirements:
Professional general office work environment. Ability to see and hear within normal ranges with/without adaptive devices. Ability to speak and be heard by others. Manual dexterity using fine and gross motor skills. Ability to use hand and finger motions to perform computer-related functions. Prolonged computer and phone use.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles as they relate to County Government. Knowledge of Dane County ordinances, State of Wisconsin Statutes, Federal regulations as they relate to all county departments. Knowledge of accounting system and payroll system. Knowledge of internal control structure and ability to maintain structure or modified as needed. Knowledge of modern business practices and general office administration. Knowledge of county administrative practices and policies. Knowledge of financial analysis, planning and reporting. Knowledge of supervisory methods and techniques. Effective oral and written communication skills. Ability to analyze complex information from multiple sources. Ability to coordinate, direct and manage the work of others. Ability to establish and maintain a working relationship with employees, all county departments, elected officials and the general public.
Become a part of the Dane County Team!
We offer a wide range of benefits including fully paid dental and HMO health insurance premiums for full time employees/pro rated for part time employees. The County will also provide contributions towards POS health insurance premiums and short/long term disability. Additional benefits available include long term care, vision coverage, flex spending account and deferred compensation programs paid in full by the employee and a wellness program. For further details on insurance benefits visit
Bilingual Pay: Employees who work in bilingual designated positions receive an additional $2.00 per hour.
Undesirable Hours Premium Pay: Employees may receive undesirable hours pay of $2.00 for anytime worked between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m and for anytime on Saturday and/or Sunday. (not applicable with all employee groups).
Paid Parental Leave: Dane County also provides 12 weeks of paid parental leave for birth or adoption of a child.
Caregiver Leave: Dane County offers 80 hours of paid leave to care for an ill family member.
Telecommuting: Telecommuting allows employees to work remotely for all or part of their workweek. Dane County considers telecommuting to be a viable, flexible option when both the employee and the job are suited to such an arrangement. Dane County will permit telecommuting when it benefits the productivity of the employee and their department and if determined by employee's department that telecommuting is not detrimental to either the County or the employee.
Student Loan Forgiveness: If you are employed by a government or not-for-profit organization, you may be able to receive loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program.
WI Retirement System: Employees hired after 7-1-11 must be expected to work a minimum of 1200 hours annually to be enrolled in the Wisconsin Retirement System when hired.
Like our Facebook page:
Dane County participates in E-Verify. For more information see the Notice of E-Verify Participation and Right to Work posters here" and then the 'here' links to this page:
01
Do you have any combination of training and experience equivalent to graduation from college with a Bachelor's degree in Accounting?
- Yes
- No
02
Do you have five (5) years of professional accounting experience including at least one (1) year of responsible accounting experience with governmental accounting systems.
- Yes
- No
03
If you answered Yes to Question 2, please explain how you meet those requirements.
04
Did you use artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content or tools in any part of this position's job application process?
- Yes
- No
05
If you used AI-generated content or tools, do you have an approved request from Dane County's ADA Coordinator to do so?
- Yes
- No
06
If you used AI-generated content or tools to complete any part of the job application process, please list in which sections of the application process you did so, including responses to graded questions.
07
THIS QUESTION IS GRADED. Please describe the training, education and work experience you have had to prepare you for the position of Deputy Controller for Dane County. Elaborate on your experience and knowledge of fund accounting in a local government setting and the use of a government accounting financial system.
08
THIS QUESTION IS GRADED. The Deputy Controller is responsible for month and year end accounting including monthly bank reconciliations, monthly and year-end adjusting entries, year-end subsidiary ledgers, annual accruals, and coordinating the annual financial and single audits. Describe your experience with the above duties.
09
THIS QUESTION IS GRADED. The Deputy Controller is responsible for accounting for the county's outstanding debt. As of 12/31/24, the county had over $790 million outstanding with over 30 open series of debt. The Deputy Controller is responsible for preparing journal entries when debt is issued annually, tracking expenditures by project and series, interfacing with Debtbook to establish each series within that software, initiating semi-annual debt service payments, and preparing journal entries to record payments by fund. Explain your experience accounting for local government debt including the number of issues, methods for tracking expenditures and experience interacting with Depository Trust for debt payments.
Required Question