DEPARTMENT OF CHILD SAFETY

Address:  FINANCE 
3003 N Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85339

Salary: $26.4424 hourly/ $55,000.19 annually 

Grade: 20

Closing Date: October 31, 2025

Under the direction of the Deputy Administrator of Accounting and Accounts Receivable Supervisor, this position of Staff Accountant will perform general cost accounting and other related duties for the department. Key duties include maintaining accurate records in QuickBooks, analyzing financial data, preparing reports, managing receivables and cash receipts, collecting outstanding payments, and ensuring compliance with accounting standards.  

This position may offer the ability to work remotely, within Arizona, based upon the department's business needs and continual meeting of expected performance measures.

The State of Arizona strives for a work culture that affords employees flexibility, autonomy, and trust. Across our many agencies, boards, and commissions, many State employees participate in the State’s Remote Work Program and are able to work remotely in their homes, in offices, and in hoteling spaces. All work, including remote work, should be performed within Arizona unless an exception is properly authorized in advance.

• Maintains accurate financial records and performs daily and monthly transactions using QuickBooks for clients receiving Social Security Benefits.
• Manages and collects outstanding payments from clients: resolve overdue bills, negotiate payment plans, and maintain accurate financial records.
• Gathers and compiles complex data and writes reports summarizing financial transactions and status of accounts for a given period. Reviews and analyzes such fiscal transactions as billings and invoices, payments or other financial documents. Prepare, examine, or analyze accounting records, financial statements, or other financial reports to assess accuracy, completeness, and conformance to reporting and procedural standards.
  
• Work on various entries and revisions to agency accounts, ledgers, and financial records.
  
• Responsible for identifying relevant insights and compiling analytical reports
  
• Other duties as assigned as related to the position.

Knowledge Of:

• Accounts receivable, state debt collection laws, and strong communication and negotiation skills.
• QuickBooks
• Information systems/databases
  
• Reference materials such as federal regulations, Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS), State Administrative and Accounting Manual (SAAM), Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), applicable agency manuals, policies and procedures and the information contained therein
  
• Fiscal principles and practices
  
• Analysis and reporting of financial data
  
• Principles, concepts, practices, methods and techniques of government accounting
  
• Internal control structures, and fiscal management
  
• Methods and techniques of automated financial systems
  

Skills In:

• Analysis, interpretation, and communication of financial data
  
• Maintaining accurate accounting records in QuickBooks and the Arizona Financial System (AZ360)
• Monitoring accounts for overdue payments, negotiating payment plans, and resolving billing issues
• Generating and sending out invoices and following up on past-due balances
• Submitting accounts with several delinquent balances to a third-party collections agency if necessary
• Recording financial transactions
• Reconciling bank statements and monitoring bank transactions
• Compiling and presenting financial reports, such as balance sheets
• Ensuring financial statements and records comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and accounting standards
• Examining financial documents and Financial transactions to ensure compliance and rectify any discrepancies
• Assisting management with decision-making by providing financial data and analysis
  
• Problem solving
  
• Developing correspondence, reports, and procedures
  
• Effective verbal and written skills
  

Ability To:

• Coordinate and resolve inter-departmental problems/issues
  
• Perform independent research
  
• Maintain a strong work ethic and attention to detail
  
• Work independently with little to no supervision
  
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external customers
  
• Organize and maintain files, accurate records, and business processes of optimized workload and productivity
  
• Work concurrently on multiple tasks and change task/work priorities based on workload and situations
  
• Recognize potential issues and pro-actively address and solve

Bachelors in Accounting, Business Administration, Finance or similar.

Bachelor’s Degree in accounting or a closely related field required; One year experience as an Accountant 1 or equivalent.

If this position requires driving or the use of a vehicle as an essential function of the job to conduct State business, then the following requirements apply: Driver’s License Requirements.

All newly hired State employees are subject to and must successfully complete the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify).

The State of Arizona provides an excellent comprehensive benefits package including:

• Affordable medical, dental, life, and short-term disability insurance plans
  
• Top-ranked retirement and long-term disability plans
  
• 10 paid holidays per year
  
• Vacation time accrued at 4:00 hours bi-weekly for the first 3 years
  
• Sick time accrued at 3:42 hours bi-weekly
  
• Deferred compensation plan
  
• Wellness plans
  

By providing the option of a full-time or part-time remote work schedule, employees enjoy improved work/life balance, report higher job satisfaction, and are more productive. Remote work is a management option and not an employee entitlement or right. An agency may terminate a remote work agreement at its discretion.

Learn more about the Paid Parental Leave pilot program here. For a complete list of benefits provided by The State of Arizona, please visit our benefits page

Positions in this classification participate in the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS). Enrollment eligibility will become effective after 27 weeks of employment.

Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation such as a sign language interpreter or an alternative format by contacting 602-255-3141 or by email at ADA@AZDCS.GOV. Requests should be made as early as possible to allow time to arrange the accommodation. The State of Arizona is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer.