STATE OF CONNECTICUT EXECUTIVE BRANCH JOBS

Accounting Specialist

Recruitment #251210-0009AR-001

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Introduction


The State of Connecticut, Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) is looking for a detail-oriented and organized Accounting Specialist to join our Budget and Financial Analysis division in the Business Services unit. This role offers the opportunity to shape the state’s financial landscape through complex analysis, system improvements, and oversight of key accounting functions that affect agencies statewide.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU
  • Comprehensive health and dental insurance, providing you with peace of mind and access to quality healthcare.
  • Robust pension plan and supplemental retirement offerings to secure your financial future.
  • Generous paid time off, including vacation days, sick leave, personal days, and 13 holidays per calendar year.
  • We are an eligible Public Service Loan Forgiveness employer, which means you may be eligible to have qualifying student loans forgiven after 10 years of service.
  • A culture that recognizes the importance of work/life balance and offers alternate work schedules and telecommuting options.
  • Opportunities to invest in your professional growth and development with training programs, tuition reimbursement, and opportunities for advancement within the State of Connecticut.
  • Connecticut is a strong community with a lot to offer in entertainment, food and shopping, recreation in our beautiful state parks and forests, diverse culture, and rich history. Learn more about all Connecticut has to offer.
POSITION HIGHLIGHTS
  • Full-Time, 40 hours per week
  • Monday through Friday
  • Location: 165 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106
  • Hybrid (office/telework) may be available
THIS JOB IS FOR YOU IF
  • You enjoy analyzing complex financial data and using it to improve processes, ensure accuracy, and support sound decision-making.
  • You take pride in ensuring compliance with state statutes, federal regulations, and professional accounting standards, and you are motivated by maintaining high-quality, reliable financial reporting.
  • You like developing, reviewing, and improving financial systems, procedures, and reports, and you’re energized by identifying ways to make operations more efficient and effective.
  • You are skilled at communicating complex financial information clearly, both verbally and in writing, and you enjoy collaborating with diverse stakeholders to reach consensus and solve problems.
  • You want to do work that matters and want to build a better Connecticut with the Office of the State Comptroller, promoting economic growth, advocating for fiscal control, and championing policies that lower costs.
DISCOVER THE OPPORTUNITY TO
  • Prepare, review, and analyze financial reports, including annual GAAP reporting;
  • Oversee the agency’s asset management program, ensuring accurate tracking, valuation, and reporting of assets;
  • Perform and oversee monthly reconciliations of obligation and expenditure reports to ensure accuracy and compliance; 
  • Compile, monitor, and report monthly budget-to-actual performance, identifying variances and trends for management review; 
  • Provide oversight of the agency’s purchasing, billing, and contract processing within the Business Services Unit, ensuring adherence to fiscal policies and procedures; 
  • Train or assist in training agency staff on financial procedures, systems, and reporting requirements;
  • Perform related duties as required.
ABOUT US
The Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) is an agency whose mission is to provide accounting and financial services, administer employee and retiree benefits, develop accounting policy and exercise accounting oversight, and prepare financial reports for the state, federal and municipal governments, and the public. 

We are located in the State Office Building at 165 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT. This state-of-the-art building offers free garage parking, an on-site cafeteria, and ergonomic workspaces.

The Budget and Financial Analysis division performs the state’s accounting and financial reporting functions and develops and executes the agency budget. The division is accountable for posting, analyzing, and reporting state expenditures and regularly monitors the health of the state’s budget condition.

Selection Plan

Check out our Applicant Tips on How to Apply! Need more resources? Visit our Applicant Reference Library for additional support throughout the recruitment process. 

BEFORE YOU APPLY
  • Meet Minimum Qualifications: Ensure you meet the Minimum Qualifications listed on the job opening by the job closing date. To be considered for this job opening you must be a current State of CT employee of the Office of the State Comptroller for at least six (6) months of full-time service or full-time equivalent service, absent any applicable collective bargaining language. You must specify your qualifications on your application. The minimum experience and training requirements listed must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.
  • Educational Credits: List your earned credits and degrees from accredited institutions accurately on your application. To receive educational credits towards qualification, the institution must be accredited. If the institution of higher learning is located outside of the U.S., you are responsible for providing documentation from a recognized USA accrediting service which specializes in determining foreign education equivalencies to the contact listed below by the closing date listed on the job posting. 
  • Resume Policy: Per Public Act 21-69, resumes are not accepted during the initial application process. As the recruitment process progresses, candidates may be required to submit additional documentation to support their qualification(s) for this position. This documentation may include: a cover letter, resume, transcripts, diplomas, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the request and discretion of the hiring agency. 
  • Preferred Shift/Location: Select all location(s) and shift(s) you are willing to work on your application. Failure to do so may result in not being considered for vacancies in that specific location or shift. 
  • Timely Submission: All application materials must be received by the job posting deadline. You will be unable to make revisions once you officially submit your application to the State.  Late submissions are rarely accepted, with exceptions only for documented events that incapacitate individuals during the entire duration of the job posting. Request exceptions by emailing DAS.SHRM@ct.gov.
  • Salary Calculations: For current state employees, salary calculations are not necessarily comparable from one of the three branches of state government (i.e., Executive, Legislative, Judicial) to the other. 
  • Note: The only way to apply to this posting is via the ‘Apply’ or ‘Apply Online’ buttons on the official State of Connecticut Online Employment Center job posting. 
AFTER YOU APPLY
  • Referral Questions: This posting may require completion of additional Referral Questions (RQs), which must be completed by the questionnaire’s expiration date. If requested, RQs can be accessed via an email sent to you after the job close date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section).   
  • Prepare For An Interview: Interviews are limited to those whose experience and training are most aligned with the role. To prepare, review this Interview Preparation Guide to make the best impression! 
  • Candidates who have been selected for employment with the Office of the State Comptroller are subject to a detailed background investigation, including a fingerprint supported state and federal criminal history record check along with reference checks, subject to the provisions of Section 31-51i and conducted in accordance with Section 29-17a of the Connecticut General Statutes. Selection for employment is contingent upon satisfactory completion of the background investigation.
  • Stay connected! Log in daily to your JobAps Personal Status Board to track your status and check email (including spam/junk folders) for updates and tasks.  
  • The immediate vacancy is listed above, but your application may be considered for future vacancies in this job class.
  • Note: This position will be filled in accordance with contractual language, reemployment, SEBAC, transfer, promotion and merit employment rules. Candidates who are offered and accept a position with the State of Connecticut are bound by the State Code of Ethics for Public Officials and State employees, available at www.ct.gov/ethics. 
CONNECT WITH US
  • Due to high volume, we are unable to confirm receipt or provide status updates directly. For recruitment updates, please check your Personal Status Board and review our Frequently Asked Questions. 
  • If you have any questions about this recruitment, please contact the agency’s human resources team at osc.hr@ct.gov.
  • Follow the State of Connecticut on LinkedIn to stay updated on our career opportunities and news.

PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)

In the Offices of State Comptroller, State Treasurer and Policy and Management this class is accountable for highly complex accounting functions impacting a variety of state agencies.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

OFFICE OF THE STATE COMPTROLLER 

  • Performs highly technical and complex accounting functions having direct impact on multiple state agencies; 
  • Interprets constitutional and statutory provisions affecting state financial expenditures and revenues for the proper application and safekeeping of state monies and securities; 
  • Maintains and reviews accounts and records for budgetary control of state expenditures and revenues; 
  • Assists in compilation of financial data necessary for preparing detailed complex financial statements on state fiscal affairs; 
  • Develops, designs, reviews and supervises implementation of financial management or accounting systems and procedures; 
  • Trains agency staff in new system procedures; 
  • Provides consultation to state agencies on matters pertaining to installation, revision or improvement of financial management or accounting procedures; 
  • Performs related duties as required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY

  • Considerable knowledge of 
    • professional accounting and auditing principles and practices; 
    • governmental accounting and budgeting;
  • Considerable 
    • interpersonal skills
    • oral and written communication skills; 
  • Considerable ability to 
    • evaluate and analyze accounting forms, methods and procedures and cost data; 
    • devise and install accounting procedures and systems including cost systems; 
  • Supervisory ability.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE

Eight (8) years of experience in accounting or auditing.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SPECIAL EXPERIENCE

One (1) year of the General Experience must have been performing the most complex accounting functions or acting in a consultative capacity at the level of an Associate Accountant.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SUBSTITUTIONS ALLOWED

  • College training in accounting may be substituted for the General Experience on the basis of fifteen (15) semester hours equalling one-half (1/2) year of experience to a maximum of four (4) years for a Bachelor's degree.
  • A Master's degree in accounting may be substituted for one (1) additional year of the General Experience.
  • Certification in any of the following may be substituted for one (1) year of the General and Special Experience: Certified Public Accountant, Certified Internal Auditor.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • Experience processing, reviewing, and overseeing billing and purchasing transactions, including ensuring compliance with internal policies and state fiscal guidelines. 
  • Experience managing and reviewing contracts, including monitoring contract compliance, tracking approvals, and coordinating with stakeholders. 
  • Experience preparing, analyzing, and reporting monthly and year-end budgets, including identifying variances and producing summary reports. 
  • Experience interpreting and applying state statutes, federal regulations, and GAAP standards to accounting and financial processes, ensuring compliance across agency operations. 
  • Experience analyzing complex financial data and performing monthly, quarterly, and annual reconciliations, identifying discrepancies and implementing corrective actions as needed. 
  • Experience with Oracle/PeopleSoft HRMS systems (e.g., Core-CT) and associated financial modules, including entering, tracking, and reporting financial transactions accurately. 
  • Experience with Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel, including creating complex formulas, pivot tables, and data visualizations for reporting and analysis. 
  • Experience effectively communicating complex financial information, both verbally and in writing, to diverse internal and external stakeholders.

Conclusion

INCOMPLETE APPLICATION PACKAGES AND THOSE RECEIVED AFTER THE CLOSING DATE INDICATED ABOVE WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity / affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities.  If you are requesting special accommodations under the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) please contact osc.hr@ct.gov.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

As defined by Sec. 5-196 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for administrative purposes.  As such, a job class is not meant to be all-inclusive of every task and/or responsibility.


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