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Senior Accountant

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Senior Accountant

Salary

$76,000.00 - $96,000.00 Annually

Location

Lansing, MI

Job Type

Permanent Full Time

Job Number

11212025

Department

Michigan State Senate

Opening Date

11/21/2025

Closing Date

12/12/2025 5:00 PM Eastern

Bargaining Unit

N/A

+ Description

+ Benefits

Job Description

Under the direction of the Director of the Senate Business Office and supervised by the Finance Director,the Senior Accountant analyzes accounting records and systems, prepares and presents financial reports and budgets, reconciles accounting and payroll data, and prepares and enters weekly and monthly journal entries. The Senior Accountant ensures the accuracy and timeliness of accounting records and assists with the year-end accounting process and the Senate’s annual audit. The Senior Accountant interprets the significance of financial data and makes recommendations based on that information and in accordance with Senate policies and procedures. The Senior Accountant assists managers with special projects and other administrative functions as assigned.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

+ Reviews monthly reconciliations between the Senate’s in-house accounting system and the State of Michigan accounting system; identifies and resolves discrepancies

+ Verifies payroll transactions to payroll registers and ensures proper accounting across systems

+ Monitors and evaluates accounting, payroll, and travel systems; recommends improvements, internal controls and new methods to improve the efficiency of systems and processes

+ Responsible for travel and State Officers Compensation Commission (SOCC) reimbursements; ensures compliance with travel policies; coordinates SOCC system maintenance with the IT department; ensures out-of-state travel is recorded in the Senate Journal quarterly in accordance with Senate Rules

+ Responsible for reconciling cash receipts, recording cash receipts journal entries, and depositing funds to the bank.

+ Compiles monthly spending analysis by appropriation and works with managers and other personnel to project year end balances; makes recommendations based on spending patterns and projections

+ Assists with the preparation of the annual Senate budgets; uploads approved budgets to the accounting systems

+ Tracks self-funded insurance costs and prepares year-end journal entries; meets with the Finance Director, HR, and vendors to plan for open enrollment and any other changes; considers illustrative rates, claims, and projections when preparing the annual budget

+ Ensures compliance with state government accounting standards and federal reporting requirements; coordinates Senate audits conducted by the Auditor General or external auditors and resolves audit findings; coordinates certain year-end reporting and closing procedures as required by the Department of Technology, Management and Budget

SECONDARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

+ Acts as back-up to Budget Accountant; posts expenses and encumbrances to member Staff and Office Operations Budgets; monitors balances and advises of potential over budget situations; analyzes and coordinates expense transfers between Staff and Office budgets in accordance with Senate policies; assists with recurring transactions

+ Compiles and prepares data for information requests at the direction of the Finance Director

+ Reviews financial documents and reports prepared by others to determine accuracy of the content and the application of generally accepted accounting principles

+ Assists personnel with assigning proper accounting codes to payroll and purchasing and accounting transactions

+ Reviews and approves vendor payments when requested by the Finance Director

+ Collaborates with Records Manager for the identification, preparation, and transfer of records to the State of Michigan Record Center, as well as the retrieval of records as needed

+ Performs all other duties as assigned by the Director of the Senate Business Office and the Finance Director

Required Education and Experience

+ Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance

+ CPA or other professional accounting designation preferred

+ Four years or more of accounting or auditing experience preferred

+ Experience in governmental budgeting and the appropriation process preferred

+ Experience with the State of Michigan financial systems and Financial Management Guide preferred

+ Other combinations of education and experience evaluated on an individual basis

Alternate Education and Experience

+ Comprehensive knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles and financial concepts

+ Advanced computer skills in MS Office, accounting software, and databases

+ Excellent written and verbal communication

+ Strong analytical and critical thinking skills

+ Superior attention to detail and accuracy

+ Ability to prioritize multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment, and work within time frames that may be rigid, or subject to change on short notice

+ Ability to work outside of prescribed hours when necessary

+ Ability to maintain confidentiality of information

+ Ability to work in a professional and nonpartisan manner

+ Ability to develop and maintain good working relationships with legislators and other elected officials, staff, vendors, and other agencies

Additional Requirements and Information

This job description is not intended as a comprehensive list of all of the duties required of this position. Additional duties may be assigned from time to time, and the listed duties are subject to change at any time, with or without notice.

STATUS: Salaried, with a standard benefit package

SALARY: $76,000 - $96,000, based on experience

GOVERNING CAUCUS: Nonpartisan

This is a non-civil service, at-will position.

Interested applicants, please submit a cover letter and resume with your application. Applicants who are selected for an interview will be asked to complete a skills assessment.

The Michigan Senate considers applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, height, weight, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other legally protected status. If you are a person with a qualified disability, you may request any needed reasonable accommodation to participate in the application, testing, and/or interview process by contacting the Senate ADA Coordinator at 517-373-1675.

Accommodations

If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application or selection processes, please contact theADA coordinator (https://www.michigan.gov/ose/-/media/Project/Websites/ose/Contact/RACs.pdf) for the agency that posted this position vacancy.

The Michigan Senate employment benefits include an array of options from health insurance to retirement programs. This page gives a brief explanation of some of the benefits that are offered by the Michigan Senate.

Insurance and Other Benefits

Insurances include medical, dental, vision and life. Employees also have the option to purchase additional life, accidental death, long term disability, long term care insurance, and legal services. Flexible spending accounts for medical expenses and child care are also available.

Leave Time

Full time/salaried employees receive 16 hours of personal time upon hire and accrue 8 hours of leave time per pay period.

Holidays

State employees receive 13 scheduled holidays each year, including New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Memorial Day, and Veterans Day, just to name a few. State employees also receive Election Day off every other year.

Deferred Compensation

Employees may invest income in a tax-deferred retirement investment program. The state offers two optional deferred compensation plans, the 457 and 401(k). The employee decides the amount deducted from their paycheck.

Retirement

Employees receive a minimum 4% state contribution toward their retirement fund. If an employee elects to contribute more, the state will match that percentage (up to 5%).

Employer

State of Michigan

Department

Michigan State Senate

Address

[email protected]

Lansing, Michigan, 48909-7536

Website

https://senate.michigan.gov/employment/

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