Tax Examiner 3

Note: Employees for the State of Montana must reside within Montana. All applications and required application documents must be submitted through the MT Careers site at: https://mtstatejobs.taleo.net/careersection/200/jobdetail.ftl?job=25142943&tz=GMT-07:00&tzname=America/Denver

We will be filling 2 positions from this vacancy. One is located in Bozeman and one is located in Missoula.

UI Contributions (aka tax) Field Representatives (aka auditors) provide regulatory compliance reviews and education to Montana employers and serve as a liaison between employers, third-party administrators (accounting firms, payroll providers, etc.) and UI Contributions. If you have accounting, payroll, and/or financial auditing experience and you enjoy working in a regulatory environment while serving the citizens of Montana, this job could be for you.

MISSION STATEMENT:

Empowering all Montanans through work and opportunity.

DLI CORE VALUES:

• Responsiveness
• Respect
• Integrity
• Excellence
• Cohesiveness

It's about the people and the impact we make in our communities every day. We are proud of our open, team-based, supportive, and collaborative work environments. Learn more about DLI here.

Position Overview:

UI Contributions (aka tax) Field Representatives (aka auditors) provide regulatory compliance reviews and education to Montana employers and serve as a liaison between employers, third-party administrators (accounting firms, payroll providers, etc.) and UI Contributions. If you have accounting, payroll, and/or financial auditing experience and you enjoy working in a regulatory environment while serving the citizens of Montana, this job could be for you.

Essential Functions:

A UI Contributions Field Representative will:

• Conduct employer UI tax audits in accordance with the US Department of Labor's quality standards and effective audit measures.
• Examine employer financial records, tax returns, and other legal documents to ensure employee wages are reported correctly to UI.
• Research employment relationships to identify potentially misclassified wages
• Prepare comprehensive audit reports and identify findings
• Collect delinquent employer quarterly payroll reports and associated taxes
• Act as a local liaison for UI Contributions, and other department services, by developing relationships and providing employer education opportunities on topics such as UI tax law and rules, reporting requirements, and electronic reporting tools.

Please note, most UI tax audits are conducted remotely, but the position may require travel to an employer's place of business (or accountant's office) to conduct an onsite audit.

For a copy of the complete job description send your request to dliapps@mt.gov

Required Skills and Competencies:

Candidates must demonstrate the ability to:

• Interpret Rules and Statutes: Ability to apply theories, methods, laws and rules in complex situations including application of basic accounting and auditing principles and procedures, business law and payroll reporting. Knowledge of Unemployment Insurance tax law/rule specifically is preferred but not required.
• Effectively Communicate and Build Relationships: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including active listening, to validate perspectives and foster collaboration. Strong interpersonal skills to bridge gaps between employers and the department and build positive relationships under potentially challenging circumstances.
• Apply sound professional judgement: Ability to apply sound judgment in sometimes adverse situations and work analytically under stress while extracting information using various interviewing techniques.
• Effectively organization and prioritize workload: Strong skill in working independently with the ability to be self-motivated and highly organized.
• Successfully navigate complex software: Intermediate level experience with Microsoft Word and Excel is required. Experience with mainstream accounting software packages would be highly advantageous.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS (Education and Experience)

• Five (5) years of demonstrated experience with advanced accounting and/or payroll reporting principles. Demonstrated experience can include but is not limited to accounting, payroll, and/or financial auditing work experience.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate and build relationships with a variety of audiences
• Demonstrated ability to interpret state and federal law and rules
• A degree in accounting or business or coursework that includes advanced level accounting may supplement relevant professional experience but is not a substitute for demonstrated skills and competencies in the areas noted above. Equivalent combinations of education and directly related experience will be considered.
• Must have a valid driver's license.

HOW TO APPLY FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY:

A complete state application is not required; however, you will need to initiate the application and attach the resume, cover letter or other required documents at time of application to be considered for this position. Resume will auto fill the application, but the application will not be scored or reviewed.

Failure to attach the cover letter and resume will result in your application being considered incomplete and will not be considered further. Materials submitted but not requested will not be considered in the selection process.

Tip: When attaching your resume, cover letter or other required documents you must mark the attachments as "RELEVANT" or we will be unable to view your documents.

Required application materials:

• Cover Letter- Your Cover Letter should explain how your experience and education meet the identified Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities, with examples that demonstrate your qualifications.
• Resume - include all work experience you have held that would help you qualify for this position, including duties, dates of employment.

Only online applications will be accepted. By applying online, you can receive updates and monitor the status of your application.

All documents for Veteran or Disability preference must be received or date stamped by the closing date. You will receive an application confirmation email with instructions on acceptable preference documents and how to submit such documents.

If you need an accommodation with the application process, please contact the HR office.

BENEFITS:

Being able to enjoy the quality of life in the beautiful state of Montana is one of the benefits you will love about this opportunity! Our mountains, waterways and open spaces provide not only beautiful scenery but year-round recreational opportunities including hiking, camping, biking, fishing, boating, hunting, skiing and snowmobiling. Montana boasts a high-quality education system and a variety of entertainment including fairs, rodeos, and theaters. Read more about our great state here.

See our other incredible benefits here. These are some of our benefits just to name a few:

• Work/life balance with hybrid schedules or partial telework may be available within the state of Montana.
• 38 paid days off a year including vacation, sick leave and holidays.
• Military leave: You'll get up to 15 days of military leave with full pay.
• Longevity raises with continuous service, as well as any negotiated market increases and state statutory raises.
• Health, dental, vision, life insurance coverage, flexible spending accounts, EAP - click here to learn more.
• Free telehealth and access to free employee medical clinics through our medical plan - click here to learn more.
• Choice between two retirement plans with an employer contribution between 8.73% - 9.07% of your annual salary. A third optional 457(b) deferred compensation plan is also available.- Click here to learn more.
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness- Employment with the State of Montana may qualify you to receive loan forgiveness- click here to learn more!
• Career progression, training opportunities and room for professional growth.
• State employee discounts at various businesses across the state.

This position may be eligible for a statutory $1.00 an hour base pay increase effective on July 1, 2026.

• This position may be covered by a Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association (VEBA)