Accounting Specialist, Payroll Accounting, Comptroller Department

About the Role

As a reporting Department to the Chief Financial Officer, the Comptroller’s Department is a team of dedicated professionals who ensure the accuracy of the Port Authority’s finances. As part of the Comptroller’s Department team, you will gain insight and experience surrounding the agency’s financial structure and internal control processes as well as knowledge of the operations of our various lines of business, giving you extensive opportunities for a long-term career at the Port Authority.

This position is union represented, by the Communications Workers of America, CWA.

Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Staff Accounting Supervisor, the selected candidate will be responsible for, but not limited to the following. A more detailed description will be discussed at the interview.

• Processing various wage garnishment, EZ Pass and child support obligations that get deducted from employees’ paychecks and maintain relationships with county and court officers.
• Prepare payments for various payroll deductions including union dues remittance for each of the collective bargaining units that are submitted to A/P for processing.
• Manage the New York State Deferred Compensation Plan to ensure employee contributions are remitted in a timely and accurate manner.
• Facilitating requests from the Law Department that include overtime data and issuing copies of paychecks for terminated or active employees.
• Processing authorization forms for Timekeeping access in PeopleSoft and prepare supporting documentation for audit sample selection requests.
• Backup to Payroll clerical staff and the coordination of special projects as deemed necessary by the Manager.

Minimum Qualifications

• Must have completed twelve (12) college credits in Accounting, Finance, Business or related field from an accredited college or university.
• In lieu of credits, minimum of five (5) years of relevant work experience can be accepted.
• Must have at least one (1) year of accounting experience. 

Desired Qualifications

Ideal candidates will present the following profile:

• Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance or Business from an accredited college or university is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to handle multiple assignments and prioritize work.
• Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills with a strong understanding of accounting.
• Ability to work independently and meet deadlines
• Ability to interact effectively with internal staff and external professionals at all levels
• Ability to perform effectively under pressure.
• Knowledge of or ability to learn the Port Authority accounting and financial structure.
• Excellent decision-making skills.
• Good oral communication, written and interpersonal skills
• Demonstrated PC and data entry skills
• Working knowledge of Excel and comparable software database applications
• Thorough working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite application.
• Understanding of PeopleSoft and SAP.

Selection Process

The application process varies by position,but typically includes an initial phone interview for qualified candidates, followed by a more in-depth interview(s) and/or assessment(s). Selected candidates who are made a conditional job offer will be asked to undergo a background check.