This is advanced, responsible clerical accounting work. This position is responsible for providing detailed account assessment and services for both internal and external customers. Work requires performance of advanced clerical duties with minimal supervision and a high level of skill and accuracy. Work includes development of standard operating procedures for the completion of complex clerical tasks. The nature of the work requires solid understanding of and constant use of a personal computer. Work is specialized for various services requiring development of detailed knowledge for proper assessment. Work is reviewed by supervisors through conferences and reports.

• Prepares requisitions for new purchases and check requests for payment of invoices.
• Performs lien searches for code related properties, reviewing for dollars due.
• Prepares documentation for lien assessments to properties.
• Prepares lien satisfactions for properties including but not limited to partial releases and full satisfactions.
• Prepares invoices for code enforcement billing.
• Calculates interest associated with lien assessments and payoff requests for properties.
• Performs impact fee assessment on commercial properties related to excess water and/or wastewater consumption.
• Processes invoices for excess consumption assessment.
• Industrial read entry for wastewater billings.
• Processes individual invoices for City wide miscellaneous billings.
• Prepares monthly billings including but not limited to cemetery billings, parking billings, city wide contracts and cobra billings, etc.
• Calculates payoffs for customers requesting early pay off amortization schedules.
• Establishes promissory notes for judgments and other billings.
• Manages database for parking citations including posting of citations, reconciliation and payment postings.
• Processes adjustments on accounts for water and wastewater, credits and debits.
• Processes release of hold for vehicle tag upon payment of fees.
• Updates DMV in the system for vehicle tag information.
• Assesses Stormwater billings including assessment of square footage to be billed.
• Verifies existing Stormwater credit available for the property.
• Addresses all incoming requests for various services; including but not limited to, Stormwater, Water, Wastewater, Solid Waste, Recycling, impact fees, Code Enforcement, Parking and miscellaneous invoicing.
• Determines where services should be billed when services are shared.
• Verifies monthly accounting activity posted to general ledger databases and prepares appropriate correcting entries.
• Identifies, researches and reconciles problems with minimal supervision.
• Collects and tracks third-party collections for delinquent accounts.
• Reviews utility and miscellaneous customer accounts and adjusts accounts as required.
• Requests various actions on behalf of internal/external customer accounts.
• Answers customer inquiries and acts as necessary.
• Primarily performs or assists with payroll processing.
• Creates T-forms, budget transfers, journal entries, and check requests as needed.
• Assists departments and vendors with problems regarding invoices, payments or other financial issues.
• Scans and indexes documents into the City's document management system (OnBase).
• Works with third party vendors to reconcile problems with unpaid invoices.
• Assists professional accounting personnel with various aspects of financial statement and budget preparation.
• May be required to work overtime or alternate hours as necessary for the efficient operation of the department.

• May perform various non-accounting functions, such as maintaining departmental personnel and payroll records and filing and retrieving documents.
• Performs related work as required.
• Position may be designated as Mission Critical.

Qualifications for a Finance Customer Billing Specialist I:

• High school diploma from an accredited school or its equivalent.
• Two (2) years of experience in a finance, accounting, payroll, or book keeping related field.

• High school diploma from an accredited school or its equivalent.
• Five (5) years of experience in a customer service related field.

• Must possess and maintain a valid telephone number.
• Must possess a valid driver’s license.

• Thorough knowledge of basic bookkeeping and accounting principles and practices and their application to accounting transactions.
• Thorough knowledge of modern office methods, procedures and equipment.
• Considerable knowledge of and ability to enforce and interpret City and departmental policies and procedures governing payroll and purchasing.
• Knowledge of payroll tax laws, calculations and procedures.
• Ability to maintain complex financial records and prepare special financial reports and statements.
• Ability to complete work assignments with only limited technical and supervisory assistance and to make decisions independently regarding the means and methods used for the completion of tasks and assignments.
• Ability to make and verify computations with accuracy at a high rate of speed.
• Ability to operate various office equipment including Microsoft Office.
• Ability to understand and follow complex verbal and written instructions.
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative and effective relationships with other City employees and the general public.

• Requires sedentary work that involves walking or standing some of the time, exerting up to ten (10) pounds of force on a recurring basis and routine keyboard operations.
• The job risks exposure to no significant environmental hazards.
• The job requires normal visual acuity, field of vision, hearing, speaking, color perception, sense of smell, depth perception and texture perception.

The City of Lakeland is a drug free workplace. This position is considered a mandatory testing position, which is subject to pre-employment and random drug testing. All City of Lakeland positions are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing. As a condition of employment you will be required to pass the pre-employment drug test in accordance with Florida Statute 440.102.