Plant Accountant II

Day in, day out of the position:

Join our Fixed Assets Team in the Accounting Department! Chugach provides safe, reliable, and affordable electricity through superior service and sustainable practices, powering the lives of our members. We are looking for driven individuals who are excited to learn, grow, and help maintain our property, power plant, and equipment records. This is a represented full-time onsite position subject to the terms and conditions of the Office & Engineering Personnel Agreement. This recruitment effort is for Plant Accountant II role.

Summary

Under minimal supervision, provides accurate and complete accounting records which conform to an approved system of accounts and which reflect the financial position of Chugach. This position is responsible for the proper unitization of all plant assets and the maintenance of a fixed asset system.

Reporting Relationships

1. Reports to: Manager, Plant Accounting
2. Directs: None
3. Occasionally assists in the training of other plant accounting/finance personnel.

Representative Duties

1. Maintains the ongoing accuracy of continuing property records.
2. Performs analysis and final Accounting Department close-out of capital and retirement work orders according to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) regulations.
   • Verifies projects meet the capital improvement/upgrade/retirement criteria.
   • Meets with other Department personnel when necessary to ensure appropriate adjustments are made to project costs.
   • Assesses other accounting sub-systems to ensure work orders can be closed.
   •  Runs work order reports, reviews staking sheets and close-out documentation, translates construction assembly units and validates all accounts for projects, and creates applicable work order system.
   • Enters project cost information into the appropriate application or prepares supporting close-out spreadsheets, creates and verifies costs for journal entries, and verifies individual project cost data for each work order.
   • Creates work order close-out packet for final review and authorization.
3. Maintains special equipment records and prepares related reports for new and retired equipment.
4.  Coordinates inventory preparation with Information Services and warehouse personnel. Participate in the physical count of all inventories. Reviews, analyzes, and reconciles the physical inventory count and cycle counts for all Chugach inventories.
5. Prepares necessary documentation for State of Alaska (SOA) and Municipality of Anchorage (MOA) relocation billings and coordinates the follow-up on disputed issues. Calculates bills in accordance with project agreements received by SOA and MOA.
6. Maintains historical accounting work order close out information.
7.  Prepares inventory billing for Chugach's jointly owned inventory. Prepares journal entries to accurately record shared inventory.
8.  Prepares necessary documentation for Capital Expense billings to ML&P related to Southcentral Power Plant (SPP). Maintains the ML&P SPP Billing Status Report. Attends SPP O&M meetings to report on billing or inventory, as needed.
9. Prepares analysis of selected general ledger accounts.
10.  Prepares and maintains records of Chugach's Undergrounding Surcharge revenues expended for qualified underground to overhead distribution line projects. Prepares and provides data for Distribution Engineering's annual Undergrounding Surcharge report.
11. Prepares monthly, quarterly, and year-end audit and other schedules/reports for areas of responsibility.
12.  Prepares necessary documentation for Department of Transportation (DOT) audit of distribution and transmission overhead rates and projects.
13. Reviews, updates and verified standard costs tables.
14. Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

Relationships

1. Internal
2. Manager, Plant Accounting: Reports to and receives work assignments and direction from. Keeps manager informed of problems and progress in all areas of work.
3. Accounting Personnel: Responds to inquiries and provides information related to Plant Accounting
4.  Other Departments: Receives requests from, provides assistance to and exchanges information as required.
5. External
6.  Auditors: Provides source documents as necessary and answers procedural questions to permit auditors to perform their function.
7. State of Alaska and Municipality of Anchorage: Provides information to and answers questions to support accounts receivable invoices.

Job Qualifications

Plant Accountant II/III - Grade 8/Grade 9

Education

A high school diploma or equivalent is required. Must have completed nine (9) semester credit hours of college-level accounting courses, including general accounting, principles of accounting, managerial accounting, cost accounting, or more advanced related coursework. A Bachelor's Degree in Accounting or Finance is preferred.

Experience

Three (3) years of accounting experience is required, two (2) of which must be in property plant and equipment accounting. Utility accounting experience is preferred.

Education/Experience Substitution

Additional accounting experience beyond the specified three-year minimum may be substituted for the educational requirements at the rate of one (1) year accounting experience for three (3) semester credit hours of accounting coursework. Additional accounting education beyond the specified nine (9) semester credit hours of college-level accounting courses may be substituted for the experience requirements at the rate of three (3) semester credit hours accounting coursework for one (1) year accounting experience.

Advancement Qualifications

In order to advance to Plant Accountant III-Grade 9, the Plant Account II-Grade 8 must meet one of the following requirements. These requirements are not in addition to those for the Plant Accountant II qualifications listed above. Education/experience substitutions are not permitted. These options are intended to provide a career path to a Grade 9 position; they are not intended to be general Grade 9 classification qualification requirements:

1. Bachelor's degree in Accounting plus two (2) years combined accounting experience working as a general ledger accountant, cost accountant, or plant accountant. One (1) of the two (2) years of accounting experience must be as a Chugach Electric Association General Ledger Accountant and/or Plant Accountant II.

OR

1. Fifteen (15) semester credit hours of college-level accounting plus four (4) years of combined accounting experience. Two (2) of the four years' accounting experience must be as a general ledger accountant, cost accountant and/ or plant accountant. One (1) of which must as a Chugach Electric Association General Ledger Accountant and/or Plant Accountant II.

OR

1.  Nine (9) semester credit hours of college-level accounting (three (3) hours of which must be in cost accounting), plus three (3) years of combined accounting experience working as a Chugach Electric Association General Ledger Accountant and/or Plant

Accountant I or II; two (2) of which must be as a Chugach General Ledger Accountant or Plant Accountant II.

Job Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

Must be familiar with and understand accounting principles, account reconciliation and analysis, accounting spreadsheets and invoicing. A working knowledge of utility, construction or engineering cost accounting concepts, including assembly units, standard cost and project unitization is preferred. A working knowledge of updating and maintaining fixed asset records is preferred. A basic understanding of engineering methodology and terminology is preferred.

Proficiency in the use of spreadsheet software applications is required. Must have strong numerical data entry skills. Must be able to organize and manage multiple projects and priorities. Must have strong communication skills, including the ability to interpret technical data and communicate technical data/information to other personnel. Must possess problem-solving and analytical thinking skills. Must be courteous and considerate of other employees and the public.

Special Position Requirements

Occasional overtime and travel (sometimes including multiple day/overnight travel) may be required.

Working Conditions

Work is performed in a standard office environment with regularly scheduled working hours. Periodic travel to other sites, including warehouse sites, is required.

Chugach Electric Association is a member-owned cooperative, headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska's largest city. Anchorage itself sits at the base of the Chugach Mountains. Chugach is pleased to provide reliable, affordable power to more than 92,000 members from Anchorage to the northern Kenai Peninsula, and from Whittier on Prince William Sound to Tyonek on the west side of Cook Inlet. We service over 113,000 locations with 3,782 miles of transmission and distribution lines. We have many services that make it easy to power homes and businesses with Chugach.
 

A little more about us: Chugach has been around for a long time, recently celebrating 75 years! We are a stable company, in a stable industry. And while we may have stability, we are modern, sustainable and forward-thinking to ensure that we provide reliable services for generations to come. We also pride ourselves on the longevity of our employees. We have several 20, 30 and 40 year tenured employees who continue foster an inclusive, innovative corporate environment. Find your spark!

Chugach's corporate vision:
Responsibly developing energy to build a clean, sustainable future for Alaska.

Chugach's corporate mission:
We provide safe, reliable, and affordable electricity through superior service and sustainable practices, powering the lives of our members.

Chugach's corporate values:
Guided by our values of safety, accountability, and sustainability, we are committed to serving our members, the community, and the Chugach team.

Equal Employment Opportunity
It is a policy of Chugach Electric Association, Inc., to recruit, hire, train, promote, and compensate persons without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, pregnancy, parenthood, physical or mental disability, veteran's status, age, or any other classification protected by applicable, federal, state, or local law.
Chugach is also an affirmative action employer.

Health Benefits (Available through IBEW with the Alaska Electrical Trust Fund)

• Medical & RX
• Dental
• Vision

For more information, you can contact the IBEW Hall at 907-272-6571 or visit www.aetf.com 

Financial Security

• 401K Plan
• Defined Benefit (Pension through IBEW)
• Dependent Flex Spending Account

Life Insurance Benefits

• Basic Life Insurance paid for by Chugach Electric
• Supplemental Life Insurance

Work, Life, Health

• 160 hours vacation for the first year
• 9 Paid Holidays
• 2 Float Holidays & 1 Birthday Holiday
• Employee Assistance Program
• MetLife Will Preparation