Sr. Accounting Lead

Salary : $77,667.20 - $106,620.80 Annually
Location : Oak Grove, OR
Job Type: Full Time
Job Number: 00029
Department: Administrative Services
Opening Date: 04/24/2025
Closing Date: 5/16/2025 11:59 PM Pacific
FLSA: Non-Exempt
Bargaining Unit: AFSCME

Oak Lodge Water Services (OLWS) provides drinking water, wastewater services and watershed protection to almost 30,000 citizens of the Oak Grove and Jennings Lodge areas through 9,100 customer connections and 200 miles of water and wastewater pipes. Our wastewater treatment plant treats approximately 1.5 billion gallons of wastewater every year.

The Oak Lodge Water Services Finance Department is looking for a Sr. Accounting Lead to join our team. This position supports the Finance Director of Oak Lodge Water Services, North Clackamas County Water Commission and The Clackamas River Water Providers. OLWS employees support the mission, vision, and values by exhibiting the following behaviors: excellence and competence, collaboration, innovation, respect for diversity, commitment to our community, and accountability and ownership.

• Assists Finance Director with all aspects of finance accounting: journal entry preparation, general ledger review, budgeting, and best practices for internal controls.
• Prepares extensive reports, exhibits, and other supporting documents as requested by the Finance Director, in compliance with appropriate laws and regulations.
• Reports on fixed assets, inventory, cash & cash equivalents, and other sub-ledgers accounts.
• Acts as Project Lead for the District's annual audit by providing information and documentation to external auditors; prepares audit work papers; assigns deadlines to District staff; prepares year-end and closing journal entries; drafts financial statements, including GAAP adjustments; and gathers historical and statistical data.
• Assists in the preparation the draft budget document under the direction of the Finance Director; then implements and monitors the budget.
• Assist in setting annual rates and fees including utility service rates and other fees.
• Participates in managing financial policies and standard operating procedures to include review current, create new, implement. and track the financial policies.
• Maintains banking activity, monitors cash flow and account balances, and recommends transfer activity.
• Manage debt service schedule and provide accounting support for financing activities.
• Maintains financial files and associated accounting records.
• Files financial reports with the state and regulatory agencies.
• Builds models for financial, economic, and other data, and performs complex financial analysis.
• Maintains integrity of accounting data, chart of accounts, utility customers and consumption data.
• Oversees purchase order maintenance, contract spending, and procurement.
• Assist frontline staff with difficult customer issues while providing excellent customer service.
• With input from frontline staff make sound judgement calls and decisions concerning customer accounts, bills, and payment plans.
• Provide and ensure accurate information concerning all rates, fees, and charges and how they are applied internally and externally.
• Evaluate expenditure reduction alternatives, economic trends, budget variances, and other items as required through research and analysis.
• Collaborate with Finance team members and other departments to understand sources and purposes of transactions, assist with monthly utility billing through review and resolution of errors and exceptions, find and implement efficiencies and simplifications that enhance transparency, timeliness, and accuracy.
• Assists with records management activities.
• Backup for accounting and finance staff.
• Review daily accounting batches for completeness, accuracy, and proper authorization.
• Backup for payroll processing and reporting.

Knowledge of:

• Oregon budget law.
• Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
• Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS).
• Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB)
• Economic and forecasting methods and procedures.
• Financial policies, strategic and long-range financial planning.
• Financial management and public financing techniques.
• Personal computers and related software applications.

Skills and Abilities to:

• Conduct complex financial and policy analyses and research.
• Interpret, design, implement and maintain complex forecast and financial models based on fund/department/program information.
• Perform financial projections, validate assumptions, and support findings.
• Maintain complex specialized records and prepare narrative and related reports.
• Manage multiple priorities; initiate, plan, organize and complete projects.
• Understand and utilize complex enterprise resource systems.
• Minimum intermediate working knowledge of Microsoft Excel software.
• Convey complex information in an easy-to-understand manner both internally and externally.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills to revolve difficult conversations with customer for successful outcomes.
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing to a diverse audience.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with all contacts.
• Provide excellent customer service.
• Train staff on and help implement new procedures, policies, best practices, and financial controls.
• Foster a positive team environment.
• Implement the principles and practices of public administration, including purchasing, contracting, and maintenance of public records.
• Comply with safety requirements of the position and actively promote safe work practices.
• Communicate effectively with coworkers, management, elected officials, and the general public while displaying awareness of controversial and/or sensitive issues.

Oak Lodge Water Services offers a generous benefits package to all regular status employees working at least 30 hours per week.

Medical Insurance: You may choose between a traditional (Regence Blue Cross PPO) or a health maintenance organization (Kaiser HMO). Coverage includes you and your dependents. Each plan includes a vision and prescription drug benefit. Employees are responsible for a 5% contribution to the plan and OLWS is responsible for the remaining 95% of the premium cost. OLWS also offers a medical/dental/vision opt-out payment of $500 per month for employees who voluntarily choose to opt-out of coverage provided they produce an acceptable certification of valid coverage.

Dental Insurance: You and your dependent family members are eligible for a dental insurance plan. Staff members have the choice to be covered by either SDIS/Delta Dental, Willamette Dental or Kaiser's dental plan.

Retirement: OLWS participates in the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS). Staff members new to PERS will be eligible following 6 months continuous service. There are two types of contributions:

• Member contributions are 6% and immediately vested.
• Employer contributions are vested after contributions have been made in five separate calendar years.
• You also have a choice of two 457 deferred compensation plans to which you may contribute additional pre-tax dollars up to federal limits.

Life Insurance: OLWS fully pays for your basic life insurance in the amount of your annual salary to a maximum of $50,000 and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) to a maximum of $50,000.

Short Term Disability Insurance: OLWS provides you with a short-term disability (STD) plan which provides up to 60% of your salary up to a maximum benefit of $900 per week for up to 180 days.

Long Term Disability Insurance: OLWS provides you with a long-term disability (LTD) plan which provides up to 60% of your salary, up to a maximum benefit of $5,000 per month for qualifying disabilities following a 180-day waiting period.

Flexible Spending Account: OLWS offers a Flexible Spending Account (FSA). FSA's allow eligible employees to pay for non-covered health related expenses and child care expenses with tax-free income.

Paid Time Off: OLWS recognizes the value of rest and relaxation away from work for all its' staff members and offers the following paid time away from work: Employees accrue eight (8) hours of vacation per month for the first three (3) years of service, and will increase according to the CBA. Sick leave accrues monthly at a rate of eight (8) hours per each month worked. OLWS also grants leave with full pay for employees required to report for jury duty.

Holidays: OLWS recognizes the following 12 paid holidays during the calendar year:
New Year's Day
Martin Luther King's Birthday
President's Day
Memorial Day
Juneteenth
Independence Day
Labor Day
Veteran's Day
Thanksgiving Day
The Friday after Thanksgiving
Christmas Eve
Christmas Day