Accounting Assistant - SCI Forest

Are you looking for an exciting career opportunity which encourages professional growth and advancement? The Department of Corrections (DOC), State Correctional Institution at Forest is looking for a highly motivated, detailed oriented person with bookkeeping experience to join our dynamic team of professionals as an Accounting Assistant! The Accounting Assistant plays an important role in keeping essential financial activities running smoothly. If you have the required experience and are looking to start your accounting career with an exciting public service agency, the Department of Corrections wants to hear from you!

This position supports the Inmate Accounts section by handling clerical and accounting tasks that keep financial operations accurate and organized. As an Accounting Assistant, you will perform the following duties:

• Release Processing: Prepare release forms, create notification letters, refund phone time, and organize personal property for inmates who are leaving the facility
• Payment Handling: Process payments, purchase requests, blocked invoices, and confirm receipt of services for various contracts
• Cash Slip Review: Review and record inmate cash slips, ensure proper authorization, return disapproved requests, and enter bulk transactions into the system
• Accounting Transactions: Complete transactions such as escrow, fines, assessments, transfers, and vending card entries while keeping balances reconciled
• Daily Posting: Record commissary sales, payroll items, electronic transfers, and related invoices into the system each day
• Account Support: Respond to inmate and family questions, assist staff with account concerns, and maintain confidentiality at all times

Interested in learning more? Additional details regarding this position can be found in the position description.

Work Schedule and Additional Information:

• Full-time employment, 37.5-hour work week
• Work hours are 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday - Friday, with a 30-minute lunch.
• Telework: You will not have the option to telework in this position.
• Salary: Selected candidates who are new to employment within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will begin employment at the starting annual salary of $40,685.00 (before taxes).
• You will receive further communication regarding this position via email. Check your email, including spam/junk folders, for these notices.

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Experience and Training Requirements:

• Two years of experience performing bookkeeping or clerical accounting work; or
• An Associate Degree in accounting or business administration including or supplemented by six credits of accounting.
• Applicants will be considered to have met the educational requirements once they are within 3 months of graduating with a qualifying degree/credits.

Additional Requirements:

• Successful Completion of Basic Training in Elizabethtown, PA.
• You must be able to perform essential job functions.

Legal Requirements:

• You must pass a background investigation and meet Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) compliance requirements.

How to Apply:

• Resumes, cover letters, and similar documents will not be reviewed, and the information contained therein will not be considered for the purposes of determining your eligibility for the position. Information to support your eligibility for the position must be provided on the application (i.e., relevant, detailed experience/education).
• If you are claiming education in your answers to the supplemental application questions, you must attach a copy of your college transcripts for your claim to be accepted toward meeting the minimum requirements. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable.
• Your application must be submitted by the posting closing date. Late applications and other required materials will not be accepted.
• Failure to comply with the above application requirements may eliminate you from consideration for this position.
• All application materials and interview responses must reflect the applicant's own experience, qualifications, and work. Applicants may use generative AI tools for preparation purposes only. Use of AI to misrepresent or falsify information, or to assist during interviews, is not permitted. Review the Guidance for Generative AI Tools & Job Seekers for additional information.

Veterans:

• Pennsylvania law (51 Pa. C.S. *7103) provides employment preference for qualified veterans for appointment to many state and local government jobs. To learn more about employment preferences for veterans, go to www.pa.gov/agencies/employment/how-to-apply.html and click on Veterans.

Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS):

• 711 (hearing and speech disabilities or other individuals).

If you are contacted for an interview and need accommodations due to a disability, please discuss your request for accommodations with the interviewer in advance of your interview date.

The Commonwealth is an equal employment opportunity employer and is committed to a diverse workforce. The Commonwealth values inclusion as we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most qualified people to serve the citizens of Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, ancestry, union membership, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, AIDS or HIV status, disability, or any other categories protected by applicable federal or state law. All diverse candidates are encouraged to apply.