Staff Accountant Position at Be Green Packaging

Jack Welch Management Institute

People Management – JWI520004JWONL-1178-001

Abstract

Be Green Packaging manufactures compostable packaging for consumer goods and ready to eat foods from restaurants and grocery stores all over the United States and some European countries. The company is rapidly growing and with that growth, the company has created two new accounting positions. One of the positions I will be hiring for is a Staff Accountant. The staff accountants position is very critical, so finding the right person is key. The positions work volume is very high, and the work load is very demanding. In this paper we will review the job description which will be used to advertise the job with online job boards such as Indeed.com or Careerbuilder.com. We will discuss the job key competencies and rank them from most important to least important. I will also develop and share interview questions for each of the competencies that will help us to find the perfect candidate for the position.

Introduction

Be Green Packaging is growing at an incredible rate. The company has found that they need two more accountants to add to their current team. As of now the company has only had a Controller and a Senior Accountant on staff. The work load has proven to be too much for two employees, so the company has created a Staff Accountant and a Financial Analyst position. The Staff Accountant position is the position I will be hiring for. We are looking for an experienced accountant who has strong accounts payable and accounts receivable background. This will be the main part of their work. They will have to be very flexible in their work day and be able to perform other ad hoc accounting functions. This job position is very demanding and will require someone who can handle stress. The Controller and I have a great work ethic and hope that the person we hire will have the same.

Staff Accountant Job Description

Why is a job description so important?

Writing a job description can be difficult. “Your job description is the first touchpoint between your company and your new hire”. As Erin states in her article, “A job description is like an employer’s sales pitch to candidates”. You want your ad to attract the right candidate, so making your job description stand out while being thorough is important. Erin gives a lot of great tips for how to write the perfect job description. Many other articles also advise to read other descriptions to get an idea of what’s out there. It can give you a great starting point for your writing. I find that if I create a job description combining other people’s ideas for a staff accountant and an accounting clerk position, I can describe the job well.

Be Green’s job description

Be Green Packaging out of Ridgeland, SC is experiencing rapid growth and we are seeking an experienced Staff Accountant to add to our amazing finance team. The Staff Accountants main focus will be to maintain current accounts and assist in invoicing functions for accounts payable and accounts receivable. “The candidate will need to analyze expense reports to assign payments to the proper cost centers, work with vendors to resolve past due invoices and reconcile monthly statements with vendors”. “The candidate will relish the process of tracking invoices, heading collection efforts and resolving accounts for customers”. The candidate must enjoy a high volume of work and be adaptable to changing tasks at a moment’s notice. The candidate will need to be flexible and willing to perform other ad hoc tasks as assigned. They should also be a self-starter and able to either work independently and/or closely with the production team. Be Green Packaging is growing more and more every day so why not join our growing team today!

Staff Accountant responsibilities include:

Process billing and invoicing for AP and AR

Communicate with customers and vendors about billing discrepancies and questions

Engage management over any problems encountered

Initiate collections on past-due accounts

Maintain accounting ledgers as required

Post customer payment and vendor payments

Assist with ad hoc projects as needed

Requirement:

Bachelor’s in Accounting from an accredited institution

Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable experience

Account Reconciliation experience

Intermediate Microsoft Excel skills

Manufacturing experience not necessary but a plus

Key Competencies for the Staff Accountant Roll

Key competencies are specific qualities that a company’s hiring manager has decided are desirable for employees to possess. Hiring managers need to find out which key competencies are the most important for the job and asses candidates during the interview process to see if they have them. The five most important for the Staff Accountant Role are;

Analysis Skills

Organization/Planning

Stress Management

Team player

Ambition

There are plenty more I could add to the list but the above are my top five. On a daily basis there are always issues with a customer or vendor account. Our candidate must have the ability to analysis the problem and figure out how to solve it. Because the work is fast paced, and we are always changing gears while sharing the same work space, the staff accountant needs to be able to keep all their files, accounts and work space organized. With the large volume of work the person must be able to handle stress well. I can’t have my employee throwing a fit every time they get frustrated with work. They will be part of the finance team and will be working closely with the production team so having good team player skills will be necessary to get the job done. Last but not least, they must be driven and have a ton of ambition. There is a lot of work to do and only so much time to do it in. Having the ambition to do the work will help the team be successful.

Staff Accountant Hiring Sheet

Conclusion

With a growing company like Be Green Packaging, you want to make sure you hire the right people who can grow with the company. Hiring is not an easy process and it can take months to find the right candidate. Writing an attractive job description can entice the right types of candidates to apply. When interviewing, asking the right questions is key to make sure the candidate meets all the required key competencies. Having everything in place can also ensure you will have a great new hire in no time.