Accountant 1
Accountant I
DuPage Housing Authority
Wheaton, IL
careers@dupagehousing.org
Position: Full-time, On-site
FLSA Class: Nonexempt
Job Description Summary:
The Accountant I performs professional accounting work supporting the Authority's disbursement, cash receipting, and program accounting functions. The Accountant I works under the general supervision of the Accounting Manager and receives technical direction and review from the Accountant II and Senior Accountant. This position exercises no supervisory authority.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
A. Rental Housing Support Program (RHSP) Accounting
Maintain the RHSP general ledger, including subsidy payments, program income, and administrative costs in compliance with State requirements and grant agreements.
Prepare and reconcile monthly RHSP subsidy payment registers, resolve discrepancies, and support timely payment processing.
Reconcile RHSP cash, receivable, and payable accounts; prepare supporting schedules for State reporting, budget monitoring, audits, and variance analysis.
Maintain documentation and ensure that RHSP funds remain separately accounted for from federal Housing Choice Voucher funds.
B. Accounts Payable and Disbursements
Process and reconcile vendor invoices, verify approvals, coding, and budget availability, and prepare check, ACH, and electronic payment disbursements.
Process Housing Assistance Payments (HAP), Utility Reimbursement Payments (URP), and other authorized payments; reconcile payment registers and related accounts.
Maintain vendor and payee records, including W-9s, ACH authorizations, IRS compliance, 1099 Forms, and payment-related documentation.
Manage outstanding checks, manual disbursements, stale-dated checks, unclaimed property reporting, refunds, credit memos, and payment reversals.
C. Cash Receipting and Deposits
Record and apply all incoming receipts accurately in Yardi, including reimbursements, grant funds, participant payments, fraud recoveries, and miscellaneous revenues.
Prepare bank deposits and reconcile daily receipting to bank activity and the general ledger.
Research and resolve unapplied or unidentified receipts, maintain suspense account records, and complete backlog remediation in accordance with established timelines.
D. General Accounting Support
Prepare journal entries, accruals, prepaid amortizations, and assigned balance sheet and bank reconciliations as part of the month-end close process.
Assist with annual financial audits, Single Audit requirements, HUD and State monitoring reviews, and other accounting functions as assigned.
Support accounts receivable, repayment agreement tracking, portability reconciliations, and maintain organized accounting records in accordance with record retention requirements.
Maintain confidentiality of financial, participant, vendor, and employee information and perform other duties as assigned.
Job Qualifications:
Minimum Requirements
Associate's degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or a closely related field, and two (2) years of progressively responsible accounting, accounts payable, or bookkeeping experience; or an equivalent combination of education and directly related work experience. A bachelor's degree in accounting is preferred and may substitute for the experience requirement.
Intermediate Microsoft Excel skills, including lookup functions, pivot tables, and the ability to sort, filter, and reconcile large transaction files.
Demonstrated ability to work an assigned backlog independently - to organize a high volume of unresolved items, track progress against a schedule, and meet committed deadlines without daily direction.
Strong written, verbal, interpersonal, and customer service communication skills, including the ability to correspond professionally with landlords, vendors, participants, and staff of other housing authorities.
High degree of accuracy and attention to detail, and the ability to maintain confidentiality of financial and participant information.
Ability to pass a criminal background check and to comply with the Authority's drug free workplace policy.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience with Yardi Voyager (Affordable Housing / Voucher) or a comparable housing management accounting system.
Prior public housing authority, other governmental, or nonprofit fund accounting experience.
Familiarity with generally accepted accounting principles for governmental entities and with the Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Part 200) cost principles applicable to federal awards.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Ability to interpret invoices, contracts, grant agreements, and program documentation and apply them to accounting transactions.
Ability to identify discrepancies, research their cause, and propose a documented correction rather than escalating without analysis.
Ability to organize and prioritize competing recurring deadlines (payment cycles, deposits, close) alongside longer-term cleanup projects.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff, vendors, landlords, participants, external auditors, and other housing authorities.
Physical Demands and Work Environment:
Work is performed in a general office environment. The position requires the ability to communicate clearly in person, in writing, by telephone, and by electronic mail; to operate standard office equipment including a personal computer for extended periods; to review and analyze detailed financial records; and to occasionally lift and move records and supplies weighing up to twenty (20) pounds. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.
Marijuana:
Although marijuana has been legalized under Illinois law, it is a Schedule I controlled substance and is illegal under Federal law. In accordance with the Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988, the DuPage Housing Authority, as a recipient of federal funds, must maintain a drug free workplace.
Equal Opportunity Employer:
DuPage Housing Authority is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local laws.
Pay Range:
$25.00 to $30.00 per hour
Benefits:
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Medical
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Dental
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Vision
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Life Insurance
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401(a) & 457(b) Retirement Plans
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PTO (Paid-Time Off)
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Paid Holidays
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Tuition Reimbursement
