Senior Accountant

Essential Utilities, Inc. delivers safe, clean, reliable services that improve quality of life for individuals, families, and entire communities.

Operating as the Aqua (water and wastewater services) and the Peoples and Delta (natural gas) brands, Essential serves approximately 5.5 million people across 10 states. We are committed to sustainable growth, operational excellence, a superior customer experience, and premier employer status - including a competitive and comprehensive benefits package as well as a commitment to career growth opportunities.

We are advocates for the communities we serve and are dedicated stewards of natural lands, protecting more than 7,600 acres of forests and other habitats throughout our footprint.

Our company is one of the most significant publicly traded water, wastewater service and natural gas providers in the U.S.

The Senior Accountant maintains the general ledger, analyzes expense accounts, balances sheet accounts and prepares accruals and adjustments as needed. Assists in other accounting duties including journal entry preparation, account reconciliations, cash flow analysis, budgeting, forecasting, quarterly reporting and related supporting documentation and other specific analysis as required. Assists the Assistant Corporate Controller and corporate accounting team with financial reporting and assignments as needed.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES: (Primary Duties and Responsibilities)

• Reviews and analyzes monthly results to ensure accuracy of financial statements. 

• Prepares journal entries to record accruals, amortization and various adjustments. 

• Assists in the monthly, quarterly and annual close of the financial books and records including assistance with quarterly reporting footnotes.  

• Prepare and analyze balance sheet account reconciliations to ensure proper recording of monthly activity including intercompany activity. 

• Prepares analysis and various ad hoc reports as needed including support for rate case requests. 

• Understands internal control systems and policies/procedures to ensure appropriate accounting and disclosure of financial transactions and adhering to SOX controls.  

• Monitors performance against budget on a regular basis and communicates status to appropriate personnel and makes recommendations as necessary, including monthly budget variance review and updating forecast adjustments. 

• Manages the corporate accruals for external audit fees and business card purchases not yet reflected in SAP. 

• Completes sales tax filings for the service companies.  

• Performs other assignments as required. 

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential function(s).

QUALIFICATIONS:

• BA/BS Degree in Accounting or Finance required 
• 3-6 Years of related experience as a minimum 
• CPA and/or public accounting experience preferred but not required 

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Advanced ability to use Microsoft Office suite: Word‚ PowerPoint‚ Excel and other technologies applicable to job. 
• Experience with SAP 
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills; communicate effectively (clearly, concisely and professionally) with internal customers  
• Ability to work well under pressure  
• Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously and adapt to changing priorities in a fast-paced environment 
• A team player able to work effectively in a team fostered multi-tasking environment  

WORKING CONDITIONS/PYHSICAL DEMANDS:

• Perform sedentary work- exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time.  
• See, hear, talk, and perform tasks requiring manual dexterity.  
• Operate standard office equipment.  
• Working conditions may include travel to work sites of Essential Utilities and/or other constituents (if applicable) 
• Minimal travel requirements  

The physical demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

Essential Utilities, Inc., is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Equal employment opportunity is provided to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to the following legally protected characteristics: race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions, including medical conditions related to lactation), physical or mental disability, covered-veteran status, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or any other characteristic protected by applicable local, state or federal law.
Essential Utilities is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities.  If you have a condition that may prevent you from applying for a job online or need to request an accommodation during the interview process, please call (1-877-271-9012).  
To maintain the integrity of the recruitment process and to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest due to employment and/or assignment of family members and personal referrals, specific guidelines apply to the hiring and assignment of these individuals including, but not limited to:

• Family members cannot result in a supervisor/subordinate reporting relationship
• Family members cannot work in the same department.