Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen
The Financial Services Division within the Department of Ecology is looking to fill a Senior Financial Advisor (WMS Band 2) position. This position is located in our Headquarters Office in Lacey, WA. Upon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from the duty station.
In this position, you will report directly to the agency Fiscal Manager and serve as the principal technical accounting advisor to the agency, in all areas of responsibility under the jurisdiction of the fiscal office, and on all agency-wide financial issues that are the responsibility of the Financial Services Division (FSD). The scope of impact for this position encompasses the entire agency, with influences from both within and outside of state government. You will serve as the Audit Liaison for the agency and will be the primary contact for all agency audits conducted by federal, state, and special auditors.
Your extensive knowledge in financial, budget, procurement, and human resource systems, at both the statewide and agency level, will serve you well in this position, as well as your thorough understanding of the complexities and interrelationship of these systems and all the various “subsystems” that support them. You will use this knowledge to resolve problems, answer questions, and provide sound direction and guidance to agency managers and staff.
Agency Mission: Ecology’s mission is to protect, preserve, and enhance Washington’s environment for current and future generations.
Program Mission: The Financial Services mission is to manage the agency’s financial resources and support agency planning so that environmental goals and strategic priorities are met.
Tele-work options for this position: This position will have flexibility of a hybrid schedule, empowering work from home and office, providing less time in traffic and shrinking your carbon footprint. This position will be eligible for up to a 60% tele-work schedule. Applicants with questions about position location options, tele-work, and flexible or compressed schedules are encouraged to reach out to the contact person listed below in “other information.” Schedules are dependent upon position needs and are subject to change.
Application Timeline: This position will remain open until filled; we will review applications on November 13, 2024. In order to be considered, please submit an application on or before November 12, 2024. If your application isn’t received by this date, it may not be considered. The agency reserves the right to make a Hire any time after the initial screening date.
Please Note: We will review all applications received before the date above. Additional reviews after this date typically only occur if we have a small applicant pool, or if a successful Hire was not made.
Ecology employees may be eligible for the following:
Medical/Dental/Vision for employee & dependent(s), Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), Vacation, Sick, and other Leave*, 11 Paid Holidays per year*, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, Tuition Waiver, Long Term Disability & Life Insurance, Deferred Compensation Programs, Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP), Flexible Spending Arrangement (FSA), Employee Assistance Program, Commute Trip Reduction Incentives (Download PDF reader), Combined Fund Drive, SmartHealth *Click here for more information
About the Department of Ecology
Protecting Washington State’s environment for current and future generations is what we do every day at Ecology. We are a culture that is invested in making a difference. Join a team that is highly effective and collaborative, with leadership that embraces the value of people. To learn more, check out our Strategic Plan.
Ecology cares deeply about employee wellness; we go beyond traditional benefits, proudly offering:
- A healthy life/work balance by offering flexible schedules and telework options for most positions.
- An Infants at Work Program that is based on the long-term health values of infant-parent bonding.
- Continuous growth and development opportunities.
- Opportunities to serve your community and make an impact through meaningful work.
Our commitment to DEIR
Diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect (DEIR) are core values central to Ecology’s work. We strive to be a workplace where we are esteemed for sharing our authentic identities, while advancing our individual professional goals and collaborating to protect, preserve, and enhance the environment for current and future generations.
Diversity: We celebrate and appreciate diversity; our unique perspectives and abilities enrich us all and lead to innovative approaches and solutions.
Equity: We champion equity, recognizing that each of us need different things to thrive.
Inclusion: We intentionally create and hold space so that we all have meaningful opportunities to participate and contribute to Ecology’s work.
Respect: We treat each other with respect and dignity, acknowledging the inherent worth of our diverse perspectives and lived experiences, even in times of uncertainty and disagreement.
We believe that DEIR is both a goal and an action. We are on a journey, honoring our shared humanity and taking steps to demonstrate our commitment to a vision where each of us is heard, seen, and valued.
Duties
What makes this role unique?
In this role, you will interpret broad-based, complex federal regulations, and statewide regulations from the Office of Financial Management (OFM), the Department of Enterprise Services, and others when making decisions, providing guidance to agency managers, and developing agency-wide guidelines and procedures. You will be a key player in making the final call on strategy, assignments and deadlines for the preparation and submittal of Ecology’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR). You will also make final determinations on audit corrective action plans, in collaboration with impacted Ecology programs or divisions.
What you will do:
Coordinate and consult directly with program staff, program budget managers, the central budget office, and fiscal staff to resolve issues requiring a Financial Services Division/Fiscal Office decision and direction.
Serve as audit liaison for the agency, coordinate, execute, and follow up on all audits performed on Ecology by the Office of the State Auditor, by agencies of the federal government, contracted auditors and by others (i.e., JLARC).
Ensure the compatibility, functionality, and coordination of Ecology’s financial systems.
Establish and maintain schedule for the critical timing sequence for executing numerous financial system processes.
Coordinate fiscal office workload, assignment of duties, and deadlines in preparation of the agency’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR).
Designated by the Ecology Director, serve as the Agency Inventory Officer.
Qualifications
Years of required experience indicated below are full-time equivalent years. Full-time equivalent experience means that any experience where working hours were less than 40 hours per week will be prorated in order to meet the equivalency of full-time. We would calculate this by looking at the total hours worked per week, divide this by 40, and then multiply by the total number of months worked. Examples of the proration calculations are:
- 30 hours worked per week for 20 months: (30/40) x 20 months = 15 months full-time equivalent
- 20 hours worked per week for 12 months: (20/40) x 12 months = 6 months full-time equivalent
Experience for both required and desired qualifications can be gained through various combinations of formal professional employment, education, and volunteer experience. See below for how you may qualify.
Required Qualifications:
A total of nine years of experience and/or education as described below:
- Experience in state accounting; must include at least three years of supervising or leading fiscal positions.
- Education: involving a major study in business, accounting, public administration, or closely related discipline with a minimum of 30 quarter credit hours in accounting, auditing, or budgeting.
Additional Requirements:
Advanced knowledge of and ability to effectively use state accounting systems, state laws, policies, and procedures regarding fiscal and administrative issues, and federal laws impacting financial activities.
Demonstrated knowledge of appropriation, allotment, and budget processes within state government.
Knowledge of state budget management systems and ability to work collaboratively with agency budget managers and staff.
Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, work collaboratively with, and present complex financial material to all levels of agency management and staff.
Advanced skills and ability to analyze an existing process, identify areas in need of improvement, and develop new steps that will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the process.
Ability to use professional, technical, and intuitive judgment to make decisions and exercise extreme confidentiality, discretion, and professional decorum always.
All experience and education combinations that meet the requirements for this position:
Possible Combinations: College credits or degree – as listed above: Years of required experience – as listed above
Combination 1; No college credits or degree; 9 years of experience
Combination 2; 30-59 semester or 45-89 quarter college credits; 8 years of experience
Combination 3; 60-89 semester or 90-134 quarter college credits (AA degree); 7 years of experience
Combination 4; 90-119 semester or 135-179 quarter college credits; 6 years of experience
Combination 5; A Bachelor’s Degree; 5 years of experience
Combination 6; A Master’s Degree or higher; 3 years of experience
Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:
- Must sign and abide by the Financial Services/Fiscal Office Agreement on Confidential Information (Part A), Internal Control Responsibility (Part B), Safeguarding and Preventing Misuse of Ecology’s Data (Part C).
Desired Qualifications:
We highly encourage you to apply even if you do not have some (or all) of the desired experience below.
- Demonstrated knowledge of federal grant management, cash management, and revenue management.
- Experience in designing expenditure and revenue codes and reports that will meet state requirements and the needs of agency management.
- Ability to negotiate with and influence both internal and external customers and entities by utilizing negotiation skills and/or effective oral and written communication skills, while maintaining a recognized level of trust, respect, and confidentiality.
Note: Having some (or all) of this desired experience may make your application more competitive in a highly competitive applicant pool.
Ecology does not use the E-Verify system; therefore, we are not eligible to extend STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT). For more information, please visit www.uscis.gov
Supplemental Information
Ecology seeks diverse applicants: We view diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect through a broad lens including race, ethnicity, class, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, immigration status, military background, language, education, life experience, physical disability, neurodiversity, and intersectional identities. Qualified candidates from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
Need an Accommodation in the application and/or screening process or this job announcement in an alternative format?
- Please call: (360) 407-6186 or email: careers@ecy.wa.gov and we will be happy to assist.
- If you are deaf or hard of hearing you can reach the Washington Relay Service by dialing 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6384.
- If you need assistance applying for this job, please e-mail careers@ecy.wa.gov. Please do not send an email to this address to follow-up on the status of your application. You can view the latest status of your application on your profile’s main page.
- If you are reading this announcement in print format, please enter the following URL to your search engine to apply: https://ecology.wa.gov/About-us/Get-to-know-us/Jobs-at-Ecology.
Application Instructions:
It’s in the applicant’s best interest to submit all of the documents listed below. Applications without these documents may be declined.
- A cover letter describing why you are interested in this position.
- A resume outlining your experience and education (if applicable) as it relates to the minimum qualifications of this position.
Please do NOT include your salary history. Wage/salary depends on qualifications or rules of promotion, if applicable.
For Your Privacy:
When attaching documents to your application (such as Resume, Cover Letter, Transcripts, DD-214, etc.):
- Please be sure to remove private information such as your social security number, date of birth, etc.
- Do not attach documents that are password-protected, as these documents may not be reviewed and may cause errors within your application when downloaded.
Additional Application Instructions for Current Ecology Employees:
Please make sure to answer the agency-wide questions regarding permanent status as a classified employee within the Washington General Service or Washington Management Service. Do not forget to select Department of Ecology as a response to question 2, and type your personnel ID number for question 3. If you are not sure of your status or do not know your personnel ID number, please contact Human Resources.
Application Attestation:
The act of submitting application materials electronically is considered affirmation that the information is complete and truthful. The state may verify this information and any untruthful or misleading answers are cause for rejection of your application or dismissal if employed.
Other Information:
If you have specific questions about the position, please email Beth Swanson at Beth.Swanson@ecy.wa.gov Please do not contact Beth to inquire about the status of your application.
To request the full position description: email careers@ecy.wa.gov
Why work for Ecology?
As an agency, our mission is to protect, preserve and enhance Washington’s environment for current and future generations. We invest in our employees to create and sustain a working environment that encourages creative leadership, effective resource management, teamwork, professionalism, and accountability.
Joining Ecology means becoming a part of a team committed to protecting and restoring Washington State’s environment. A career in public service allows you to help solve some of the most challenging problems facing our state, while keeping your health and financial security a priority. We combine one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation with a strong commitment to life/work balance.
To learn more about The Department of Ecology, please visit our website at www.ecology.wa.gov and follow, like or visit us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or our blog.
Equal Opportunity Employer: The Washington State Department of Ecology is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to create a working environment that includes and respects cultural, racial, ethnic, sexual orientation and gender identity diversity. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, persons of disability, persons over 40 years of age, veterans, military spouses or people with military status, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are encouraged to apply. Persons needing accommodation in the application/testing process or this job announcement in an alternative format may call (360) 407-6186. Applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing may call the Washington Relay Service by dialing 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6384.
Note: This recruitment may be used to fill other positions of the same job classification across the agency.