Duties
The incumbent performs as a project manager and suggests recommendations regarding procedures for improvements. The incumbent will also provide administrative and analytical support to the Clerk of Court, Chief Deputy, and department managers.
Representative Duties:
- Formulate, evaluate, and implement approved policies, procedures, and protocols related to budget plan execution. Develop a variety of reports based on historical and current data, including statistics on court operations, clerk's office staffing, spending patterns, expense projections, and similar information. Assist the unit executive in developing the annual spending plan.
- Ensure adherence to the Guide to Judiciary Policy for all budget and financial practices. Assist with the formulation, evaluation, and implementation of policies, procedures, and protocols related to financial operations and budgetary execution.
- Develop budget estimates to fund all operating costs of the court unit. Perform data analysis and conduct modeling based on different scenarios. Assist in the preparation of justification for each budget object class and prepare the overall budget summary justification.
- Review spending and fund balances routinely and recommend reprogramming actions to cover projected shortfalls. Develop and monitor spending plans once the budget allotment is received. Prepare justification(s) for supplemental requests of additional allotments.
- Ensure allotment levels are not exceeded and obligations are not made in advance of appropriation, allotment, or reprogramming transaction. Ensure appropriate internal controls for disbursement, transfer, recording, and reporting of monies are followed. Review purchase requests related to proposed expenses for appropriateness of procurement and sufficiency of funding.
- Oversee the parking and transit subsidy reimbursement process. Checks figures, postings and documents for correct entry, mathematical accuracy, and proper codes. Communicate with individuals to respond to questions of policy, problems, or deficiencies with submissions and status of payment vouchers. Advise unit executive on budget matters, procedures, and practices, as well as budgeting and cost projections and related issues. Make recommendations to executives on matters that take into consideration complex financial, budgetary, and related issues while ensuring efficiency, good stewardship of resources, and appropriate use of public funds. Participate in management meetings as necessary.
- Maintain local records for all budget and financial activities for the unit. Collect, review, analyze and maintain records of actual operating expenses and revenues to compare with estimated budget.
- Manage the Non-Appropriated Fund accounts, including compiling quarterly and annual reports of the Non-Appropriated Fund accounts.
- Manage the Judiciary Integrated Financial Management System (JIFMS), including, but not limited to, setting up user accounts, cancelling user accounts, and leading training, and making sure users have updated user guides and procedures. Serves as the point of contact for all JIFMS users in the unit and troubleshoots any user issues that arise.
- Responsible for monthly preparation and submission of the Electronic Status of Funds Reports (ESFR), a multi-purpose, comprehensive report containing information on the unit's allotments, unliquidated obligations, and expenditures for the fiscal year. Maintain approved ESFR reports and any supporting documentation in a chronological file by fiscal year.
- Provide budget forecasting reporting to the Clerk on a monthly basis in order to track spending priorities and ensure that the total court unit allotment will not be exceeded.
- Prepare and circulate Budget Committee agenda and meeting documents.
- Participate with a team reviewing compliance of internal controls, policies, and procedures.
- Perform other related duties as assigned.
Requirements
Conditions of employment
- Applicants must be U.S. citizens or eligible to work in the United States.
- Successful candidate will undergo a full fingerprint and background records check. Any applicant selected for a position will be hired provisionally pending successful completion of the background investigation.
Qualifications
The successful candidate must have comprehensive knowledge of accounting practices, procedures, and principles, including internal controls and separation of duties. Strong knowledge of financial systems and how to use automated systems to perform day-to-day activities. Extensive knowledge of the accounts, procedures, and applicable financial automated systems of the judiciary. Skill and accuracy in working with numerical calculations. Comprehensive knowledge of Excel. Ability to understand relationships among accounts and how financial procedures relate to the overall business of the court unit. Ability to troubleshoot errors and theirprobable causes. Extensive knowledge of the overall fiscal reconciliation process. Knowledge of standards and objectives of internal controls. Skill in preparing budget reports and monitoring and reconciling accounts and ledgers. Comprehensive knowledge of the purpose and processes related to budget decentralization, including allotments. Skill in independently analyzing and reviewing accounts. Ability to recognize trends and to analyze financial operations and budgets as they relate to organizational functions Ability to communicate effectively (both orally and in writing) with individuals and groups to provide explanations of complex budget and financial information, policies, and activities. Ability to interact effectively and appropriately with others, provide customer service and resolve difficulties when complying with regulations, procedures, and court confidentiality requirements.
Education
This job does not have an education qualification requirement.
Additional information
- Mandatory electronic direct deposit of salary payment.
- Employees are required to adhere to the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees, available to applicants to view at the court website: http://www.ctd.uscourts.gov.
- Employees of the U.S. District Court are Excepted Service Appointments. Excepted service appointments are at will and can be terminated with or without cause by the court.
The District of Connecticut is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity and inclusion.Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
This position is covered by the Court Personnel System. A generous benefits package is available to full-time permanent employees which may include:
- A minimum of 11 paid holidays per year
- Paid annual leave in the amount of 13 days per year for the first three years, 20 days per year after three years, and 26 days per year after fifteen years
- Paid sick leave in the amount of 13 days per year
- Retirement benefits
- Optional participation in Thrift Savings Plan
- Optional participation in choice of Federal Employees' Health Benefits
- Optional participation in choice of Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance
- Optional participation in the Flexible Benefits Program
- Optional participation in the Commuter Benefit Program
- Optional participation in Long-Term Care Insurance
- Federal court employees may join the Federal Court Clerks Association, a national, professional organization founded in 1922.
- Credit, time in-service, for prior government servicefor employees of other federal agencies, as well as time for those with prior military service, will be taken into consideration with computing leave accrual and retirement benefits.
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How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
We will review your resume and supporting documents to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications on the information provided and evaluate your relevant professional and work experiences as it relates to fundamental competencies, identified in the Qualifications section above, required for this position.