Accountant 2 – Fire Management Assistance Grant Specialist

Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservations mission is to help ensure that Montanas land and water resources provide benefits for present and future generations. The DNRC believes employees are their most important asset. The DNRC empowers employees to exercise professional judgment in carrying out their duties. Employees are provided with the training and tools necessary to achieve the mission. Both team effort and individual employee expertise are supported and sustained. Core Values: The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservations Forestry and Trust Land Division recognizes that building a collaborative, professional, and inclusive work environment is critical to fulfilling our mission of managing, protecting, and promoting stewardship of Montana’s forests and lands for the benefit of current and future generations and our trust beneficiaries. We hold ourselves to these high standards as we are accountable to the people of Montana. We value and respect each other. We create collaborative work environments. We build and maintain strong relationships. We practice accountability. We celebrate our successes and take pride in our work. Work Unit Overview: The Forestry Division Office oversees, manages and develops Forestry Division budgets, accounting, contracting, grant and fiscal activities to ensure that management practices are consistent with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and state accounting policies; sets and administers policy concerning fire suppression financial operating and contracting procedures and fire incident business management procedures; administers division human resource matters, provides timely and accurate financial and human resource information to department headquarters, the Governors office, the Legislature and federal agencies; implements policy and provides guidance to Division personnel regarding human resources, financial matters, contracting and grant procedures; sets policy, planning measures, and operating procedures for statewide long-range building project implementation; oversees and manages the Montana Conservation and Seedling Nursery and provides timely and efficient administrative support and facility maintenance services. Job Overview: This position serves as the FMAG (Fire Management Assistance Grant) Fire Financial Specialist for the Forestry Division Office. The position is responsible for coordinating the financial elements of FEMA FMAG packages, analyzing and auditing fire billings and expenditures and serving as a technical expert and liaison on FMAG fire finance issues to agency staff and cooperators. The position is responsible for researching and interpreting accounting and program information to support bureau and field offices with FMAG fire suppression payables, expenditure review, and reporting. The position also provides technical assistance, administrative and special project work to support the operations and customers of the Fire Finance Section. Essential Functions (Major Duties or Responsibilities): /These job functions are the essential duties of the position and are not all-inclusive of all the duties the incumbent may be assigned./ A. FMAG Financial and Accounts Payable Coordination (85% of Time) Coordinate and maintain FMAG packages and provide consultation and technical expertise on financial aspects of FEMA and Disaster and Emergency Service (DES) mitigation plans to agency staff and cooperators and manage the FMAG fire accounts payable incidents and assist with the overall fire accounts payable processes. 1. Coordinate Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) FMAG packages; analyze, interpret, and advise on FMAG Declarations made in accordance with Section 420 of Public Law 93-288; provide consultation and technical expertise regarding FMAG guidelines, eligible expenditures and FEMA procedures to counties and tribes eligible for subrecipient status under the FMAG declaration, and field offices. 2. Work with affected counties to ensure equipment is put under an Incident Rental Agreement (IRA) and provide guidance and expertise on completing required fire payment documentation; coordinate and communicate with county DES contacts for the collection of temporary repairs expenses and ensure repairs were completed within FEMA timeline. 3. Serve as one of two primary contacts (Recipients) to FEMA Region VIII staff to administer the FMAGs declared in the state of Montana. The Recipients notify potential Applicants of the availability of the program; certifies Applicant eligibility and that costs for work performed in the wildland firefighting activities comply with FEMA laws, regulations, policy, and guidance applicable to the FMAG program. 4. Review and verify fire fiscal transactions by researching supporting documentation (equipment invoices, aviation records, resource orders, vendor contract, etc.); applying applicable regulations (i.e., determining whether costs are eligible for reimbursement to the interagency partner); and determining the proper control accounts and coding of expenditures. Reconcile, adjust, and correct accounting databases and spreadsheets to ensure the integrity and accuracy of accounting data and transactions. This includes examining data to identify errors, identifying and correcting discrepancies, and resolving problems in coordination with Fire Program Managers, the Lead Fire Financial Specialist and FEMA representatives. 5. Review and perform final audit on equipment and service payment packages for the Department and interagency partners and accompanying documentation to ensure that fire fiscal information and transaction data are correct and required documentation is in order. Communicate with interagency partners and Fire Management Officer to facilitate disputes settlement regarding unsupported line items. Make final determination of non-compensable interagency expenses. 6. Interpret fire financial and incident business program policies and rules to provide guidance to area staff and local governments on FMAG fire accounting and payables based on evaluation of applicable cost share agreements and interagency incident business policies. 7. Assist with the development and maintenance of internal spreadsheets and accounting systems to gather, evaluate, and report on fire program expenses and activities, and to facilitate the preparation of accounting and narrative reports such as summaries of area office fire activity, expenditures by area office, year-end summaries, billing to other agencies, etc. This involves using spreadsheets and databases and working with fiscal and fire personnel to track and analyze current and past years expenditures and associated program activities. 8. Assist with the Department’s fire payables process to reimburse suppression expenses incurred by interagency federal partners and other cooperating agencies in support of Department and cost share fire incidents. Request, coordinate, and audit fire suppression and support billings from interagency partners to verify the accuracy and completeness of financial support data; ensure billing compliance with cost share agreement directives, identify and reconcile discrepancies; and ensure an accurate, timely, and efficient suppression payables workflow process. B. Other Duties as Assigned (15% of Time) This position performs a variety of other duties assigned by the Lead Fire Financial Specialist and the Fire Finance and Incident Business Supervisor in support of the Forestry Division Office and overall Forestry & Trust Lands Division operations. This includes preparing general correspondence and follow up with area/unit offices, interagency fire billing partners, and FEMA representatives via phone calls, letters, and/or emails as needed when required fire documentation is missing or incomplete to allow for accurate FMAG Incident Period expense separation. Additional duties also include directing special projects, representing the Division or Department at various meetings and conferences, and participating in ongoing fire business training courses and educational programs. APPLICATION MATERIALS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION ARE:  State Application Cover Letter Resume Benefits: Paid Vacation, Sick Leave and Holidays Health, Dental, Prescription, and Vision Coverage Retirement Plans Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) – Employment with the State of Montana may qualify you to receive student loan forgiveness under the PSLF.  Minimum Qualifications (Education and Experience): Requires education and experience equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree in Business, Accounting, or a related field and one year progressively responsible accounting experience. Other combinations of education and experience may be considered. Required knowledge, skills, and abilities: This position requires knowledge of governmental accounting and budgeting, business administration, contract administration, procurement, recordkeeping, and technical writing. The position also requires knowledge of fire business management practices and automated accounting and resource management systems (e.g., SABHRS, IROC, Fire Net, e-ISuite, Firecode and the FCG). The position requires skill in researching, interpreting, and analyzing information, providing clear and concise explanations of issues and procedures to cooperators and other staff, and in operating personal computers and business software applications including databases, word processing, spreadsheet and email/Internet applications. The position also requires the ability to conduct research and analyze resulting facts; communicate effectively verbally and in writing; establish and maintain effective and positive working relationships; work independently within program goals and objectives; and organize materials for efficient work output. Title: Accountant 2 – Fire Management Assistance Grant Specialist Location: Missoula Requisition ID: 24142812