Accounting System-Senior Business Analyst (Senior Public Service Administrator)

Position Overview

COME JOIN A TRANSFORMATIVE TEAM, with a record of proven, positive impact to the State of Illinois.

The Illinois Office of the Comptroller is seeking applicants for the position of Senior Business Analyst-Accounting System (Senior Public Service Administrator).

The Comptroller is the chief fiscal control officer for the Illinois government, charged by the Constitution with maintaining the state’s central fiscal accounts and ordering payments into and out of the appropriate funds. The office processes more than 16 million transactions annually and serves as a “fiscal watchdog” to ensure that all state payments meet the requirements of the law. The Comptroller’s office provides meaningful and timely fiscal information to help state policymakers adopt effective policies. The office continually seeks new ways to improve how it serves the public. The Comptroller has updated and streamlined the Comptroller’s website and has led the process of updating the state’s payroll and accounting systems. Comptroller Mendoza is committed to running the Office of Comptroller as a financial watchdog for the interest of Illinois citizens and to installing the most modern and transparent systems to make the state’s financial information available to all.

Major Function

Under the direction of the Senior Public Service Administrator-State Accounting-Systems Administration (SASA), the incumbent owns the system integrity of the production and test regions of the Office of Comptroller State Accounting financial systems including Statewide Accounting Management System (SAMS), as well as Payroll, Retirement, Data Warehouse and other interfacing applications.

The incumbent researches complex or escalated system problems, often of an accounting nature, and determine root cause while working with applicable Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) in the State Accounting department for resolution. Reviews and runs system assurance processes, monitors issue resolution and reviews changes to the State Accounting systems to ensure compatibility when integrated with all other systems. The incumbent develops functional designs for implementation of changes and enhancements to State Accounting applications. Aids in development of training materials and may administer training for internal and external users on State Accounting system changes and operations. The incumbent prepares policy and procedural changes necessary to update existing manuals.

This position will be part of an on-call schedule providing overnight on-call systems support as needed.

Job Responsibilities

• Ensures the system integrity of processes in the production and test environments for State Accounting financial systems including Statewide Accounting Management System (SAMS), Payroll, Retirement, Data Warehouse and other interfacing applications.
  • Recommends resolutions that may involve correcting financial entries, system changes, interim solutions, and/or information for internal and external users.
  • Reviews and evaluates designs and user acceptance test scripts and results for correction or enhancements to Office of Comptroller (IOC) financial systems.
  • Reviews and tests SaaS (Software As A Service) container updates for financial system impacts.
  • Makes recommendations to both system and business processes as needed.
  • Develops functional designs to document necessary program changes and enhancements.
  • Documents financial system processes and updates documents based on updates, enhancements or new development.

• Analyzes, determines root cause, and finds resolution to complex State Accounting systems questions from internal and external users.

• Monitors the availability of State Accounting systems and advises internal and external users.

• Ensures system integrity on a daily basis by reviewing system assurance reports and data exceptions reported through processing.
  • Runs and reviews system extracts and balances input to output for certain processes.
  • Balances monthly reports to ensure accuracy prior to distribution to users.

• Monitors system backlog for continuous improvements and adjudications of functionalities in software feature sets.
  • Tracks the progress and current status of work assigned.
  • Ensures completed files are maintained including program development design, test scripts and results, training materials, and policy and procedure changes.

• Develops and presents training on IOC system changes.
  • Reviews procedures and makes necessary changes pursuant to changes implemented.

• Performs other related duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of duties defines above.
• in increasing order of supervisor's ability to reassign duties as an accommodation.

Minimum Qualifications

• Requires a Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, accounting information systems, business administration or computer science. A minimum of 12 hours of accounting or finance coursework is required for those candidates with a Bachelor's degree in computer science. Equivalent experience in a related field will also be considered.

• Requires four (4) years of progressively responsible experience in accounting or auditing, using electronic accounting systems, or any equivalent combination of training and experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prefers an advanced degree in one (1) of the required fields or certification as a CPA (Certified Public Accountant), CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst), etc.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Requires thorough knowledge of accounting and auditing procedures and the ability to analyze, develop and revise complex accounting transactions within accounting systems.
• Requires thorough knowledge of electronic information systems.
• Requires thorough knowledge of the theory and application of generalized and integrated systems design and development methodology.
• Requires ability to exercise sound judgement in analyzing, evaluating and solving problems of a difficult procedural, administrative and/or technical nature.
• Requires working in a team environment.
• Requires ability to exercise a high degree of initiative and resourcefulness in the development and completion of work projects.
• Requires ability to train adults on computer system usage.
• Prefers government financial accounting systems experience.
• Prefers experience in reporting or system analysis.
• Prefers knowledge of mainframe database systems.
• Prefers hands-on experience with data engineering tools and platforms.
• Prefers experience in system integration, data pipelines, and analytics enablement.
• Prefers experience supporting financial systems or software.
• with or without reasonable accommodation

Benefits

This position is eligible to be a member of the State of Illinois Group Insurance program which includes health, dental, vision, and life insurance coverage options. Additionally, this position will annually accrue 12 paid sick days, a minimum of 12 paid vacation days, 4 paid personal days, and be afforded 14 paid state holidays, prorated based on start date.