“Utility” Financial Officer/Accounting Assistant

Description General Summary

Former State Senator and County Board Chairman, and current Kane County Treasurer, Chris Lauzen is looking for either an ambitious early-career accountant / finance major seeking to build a successful career in local government public service, .

• or a credentialed (CPA, MBA) mid-career accountant who has paused their professional career to tend to family priorities and now desires to reenter the workforce, .
• or an energetic early-retired accountant / bookkeeper looking to extend his / her career for an ultimate 10-15 years.

Description There are three major functions within the County Treasury . . .1. Property Tax Collection - - prepare, send, and collect bills for approximately 195,000 real estate parcels in Kane County.

Constituents pay in-person, by mail, electronically on-line. We are fortunate to have an excellent 28-year experienced, knowledgeable, conscientious director managing this area.

2. Customer Service - - support tax collection and the many auxiliary related functions. Again, like in Tax Collection, Kane County is happy to have another highly-talented, commonsense intelligent, hard-working manager in this area, too.

3. Accounting / Financial Operations - - assist the Treasurer’s team in doing specific, detailed accounting and financial assignments that make the treasury and tax collection functions run smoothly within the mechanism of effective county government.

In addition, this person assists the Treasurer in accurately accounting for and paying county bills (all the way through annual audit), support the maintenance of vendor file security with fraud prevention, and helps manage county cash balances with the priorities of safety, liquidity, and maximum returns.

Within the next 6-8 years, the Treasurer’s Office will need to promote from within or hire at least one accounting / bookkeeping specialist to replace four staff members who have enjoyed decades-long careers and will retire.

It will take several years to train the next generation of highly-competent professionals.This office-wide utility accounting assistant to the County Treasurer will work cooperatively with the Treasury staff, County Auditor, and Finance, Payroll and Human Resources Departments, among others.

Eventually, this person will learn all three major functions in the Office and will help the Treasurer complete his monthly duties, including compiling bank balances with interest income earned, reconciling bank statements, entering accounts payable requests, transferring funds among bank accounts when necessary, collecting and depositing property tax payments, as well as helping the Treasurer comply with county ordinances and state banking / investment statutes.

There are best practices and continual improvements that will be initiated / implemented over time.Ability to prepare and analyze financial reports for use by taxpayers and the County Board along with facility with spreadsheets and visual presentation software are important skills for good performance.

Professional accounting credentials, any experience with Tyler New World accounting systems which the County uses, and any public / government skills are all positives.

Pleasant and positive disposition is essential.Join a closely-knit supportive team which appreciates the importance of life balance for a career opportunity in a stable environment.

Includes excellent government benefits, including healthcare, pension, and others.