Chief Accountant I

About the Role

The Accounting Department in the Chelan County Auditor’s Office provides centralized accounts payable and payroll services to county departments and taxing districts. The Chief Accountant I oversees day-to-day accounts payable and payroll operations, supervises up to two staff, and reports to the Financial Services Manager. This role also leads cross-training to strengthen internal controls and supports the implementation of a new ERP system scheduled to go live in Q2 2027 in a public-sector accounting environment.

What You'll Do

• Oversee payroll processes for over 500 full-time employees across multiple departments, including reconciling hours, overtime, leave, taxes, insurance, union dues, and benefits; audit data, balance payroll totals, submit direct deposits, calculate retroactive pay or overpayments, and manage leave programs and nontaxable wages.
• Administer salary plans per labor contracts or Board resolutions; implement changes to deductions, wages, and benefits; manage exemptions, insurance, garnishments; update master records; communicate changes to employees, unions, and Human Resources.
• Handle payroll and benefit tasks for employee separations, including final pay, vacation payouts, retirement system updates, and monthly reporting to the Bureau of Labor Statistics; reconcile enrollments and maintain retirement records.
• Prepare and file tax documents (quarterly 941s, year-end 1099s, and W-2s); obtain W-9s; reconcile accounts payable payments; manage outstanding warrants; report unclaimed property to the Department of Revenue.
• Respond to inquiries from county departments and districts regarding payroll, benefits, accounts payable, and budgets; record and verify Board of Commissioners budget adjustments.
• Serve as the department lead in implementing and testing a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, including data migration; go-live scheduled for Q2 2027.
• Compile and analyze financial data to reconcile general ledger accounts, accounts receivable, cash receipts, and balance sheets; import revenue transactions from the Treasurer’s system and post to the GL; prepare reports on current and projected financial positions.
• Audit contracts, vouchers, and accounts payable for compliance with budget authority, BARS codes, approvals, and documentation; process vendor, jury duty, and benefit payments; assist the Financial Services Manager with annual financial reports for the State Auditor’s Office.
• Supervisory responsibilities: supervise up to two employees; participate in hiring, training, performance evaluation, and issue resolution; support cross-training to maintain strong internal controls and operational continuity.

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a closely related field; four years of increasingly responsible government finance, accounting, auditing, financial reporting, or budgets experience; plus one year of supervisory experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Knowledge of payroll and accounts payable within a public-sector/governmental accounting environment; ability to read and interpret technical manuals; familiarity with Washington State BARS Manual.
• Strong analytical, reconciliation, and reporting skills; ability to collaborate across departments and implement cross-training initiatives.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary: PW21 Steps 2-4 $6,530.25 - $7,154.28 monthly; Longevity Steps 5-8 $7,489.88 - $8,600.75 monthly.
• Benefits include retirement system participation, deferred compensation program, health insurance (Medical, Dental), county contributions to a personal health savings account, up to 11 paid holidays plus floating holidays per collective bargaining agreement, and accrued vacation and sick leave.