Staff Accountant

The Energy Cooperative, headquartered in Newark, Ohio, serves over 72,000 electric, natural gas and propane members throughout east-central Ohio. As a non-profit cooperative, we are member-owned and controlled by the members we serve. We are committed to serving our members safe, high quality energy services at a reasonable price. We believe in our employees and strive to provide fair, honest and equal treatment with a commitment to training, education, and opportunity for advancement in a safe and secure environment.

At The Energy Cooperative, we take pride in offering competitive benefits and want our employees to have what they need to be their best.

Here’s a glimpse of the programs we offer our employees:

- Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance

- Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance

- Supplemental Life Insurance Programs for Employee, Spouse and Children

- Disability Insurance

- Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

- Paid Time-Off (PTO)

- Paid Holidays

- Traditional 401(k) and Roth 401(k)

- Retirement Pension Plan

- Education Assistance

- Employee Assistance Program

We are currently looking to fill the position of Staff Accountant based at our Newark, OH Headquarters Office. This exempt position is responsible for performing a variety of accounting duties in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Prepare and post journal entries to the general ledger and reconcile general ledger accounts. Prepare financial statements and various other accounting statements and reports. Perform other accounting duties such as month and year-end closing, annual budget preparation, and prepare and file various tax returns. Provide guidance and assistance to clerical staff.

Nature and Scope of Position (Essential Duties and Responsibilities):

- Support and incorporate the Cooperative’s Mission, Vision and Values in personal and professional behavior and decisions.

- Comply with all Cooperative policies, procedures, goals and objectives and meets attendance and punctuality guidelines.

- Understand, observe and enforce cooperative safety and security procedures and report potentially unsafe conditions to department supervisor and/or safety department personnel.

- Prepare subsidiary financial statements including balance sheets, income statements and statements of cash flow.

- Review, analyze and reconcile general ledger account balances within subsidiaries.

- Prepare and verify the accuracy of journal entries and make recommendations for corrections.

- Review, analyze, and maintain fixed capital and work order data.

- Assist in the administration of purchase order processing.

- Provide guidance and assistance to clerical staff on various work assignments throughout the month to ensure deadlines are met.

- Prepare tax returns and other filings for local, state and federal agencies.

- Assist in the preparation of year-end files for the external audit to ensure that all accounts are materially correct.

- Maintain external contact with audit firms, banks, consumers, and various industry and trade associations. Participate in various meetings, seminars and other community events.

- Participate in physical inventories of general plant records as required or directed to assure accurate reporting of the cooperatives financial condition.

- Prepare financial reports and provide various presentations to the Board of Directors and management, when requested.

- Perform other related work in addition to other duties as may be assigned.

Qualifications: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactory. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills and/or abilities necessary. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

- Experience and Education: Bachelor’s degree in accounting, CPA a plus. A minimum of two years’ related work experience, utility experience preferred. Has extensive working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications, specifically Excel and Power point.

- Certificates, Licenses and Training: An individual must possess and maintain a valid State of Ohio Driver’s License and be available for travel to training classes or schooling that might be held away from the assigned reporting location, including overnight travel. Has the functional and technical knowledge and skills to do the job at a high level of accomplishment and professionalism.

- Language and Interpersonal Skills:Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Must effectively present information and respond to inquiries from senior management, and outside audit firms. Ability to interpret and communicate written and/or oral instructions to department personnel. Ability to deal with the general public in a pleasant and courteous manner at all times is essential.

- Other Skills and Abilities:Thorough understanding of the Cooperative’s goals and objectives. Displays high standards of ethical conduct and is widely trusted and viewed as a direct and truthful person. Effectively solves problems and has a realistic vision of the end result. Utilizes various resources to stay educated about new accounting standards. Must possess strong organization skills and requires minimal supervision. Maintains sensitive information with a high level of confidentiality.

Physical Demands and Work Environment: The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions

- Work is performed primarily in a climate-controlled environment with minimal noise levels. No known hazards exist in this position. There are no unusual physical demands required of this job. An individual in this position must be able to work outside of normal business hours in order to attend various events, meetings and gatherings on behalf of the Cooperative. Some out of town or state travel may be required.

- The physical demands of this position include those relative to working in an administrative capacity such as frequent sitting, standing, walking, talking, hearing, hand-eye coordination, visual ability and mental and emotional demands. Requires repetitive motions with hands and fingers such as keyboarding.

- Must be available to work during non-working hours which may include weekends and holidays to close books and ledgers at month-end and year-end.

- This position is subject to pre-employment physical and substance abuse testing and may be subject to random testing in accordance with the Cooperative’s substance abuse policy.