Senior Payment Specialist - Finance Department

Overview

The Finance Department of the Committee for Public Counsel Services, the public defender agency for Massachusetts, is seeking a full-time Senior Payment Specialist to assist in ensuring the timely and efficient process of legal and other payments of agency obligations.

We fight for equal justice and human dignity by supporting our clients in achieving their legal and life goals. We zealously advocate for therights of individuals and promote just public policy to protect the rights of all.

Our Values

Courage   •   Accountability   •   Respect   •   Excellence

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION MISSION STATEMENT

CPCS is committed to protecting the fundamental constitutional and human rights of our assigned clients through zealous advocacy, community-oriented defense, and the fullness of excellent legal representation.  We are dedicated to building and maintaining strong professional relationships, while striving to accept, listen to and respect the diverse circumstances of each client, as we dedicate ourselves to meeting their individual needs.  It is our CPCS mission to achieve these goals, and in furtherance thereof, we embrace and endorse diversity, equity and inclusion as our core values as we maintain a steadfast commitment to: (1) Ensure that CPCS management and staff members represent a broad range of human differences and experience; (2) Provide a work climate that is respectful and supports success; and (3) Promote the dignity and well-being of all staff members. CPCS leadership is responsible for ensuring equity, diversity, and inclusion. The ability to achieve these goals with any level of certainty is ultimately the responsibility of each member of the CPCS community.

AGENCY OVERVIEW

CPCS is the state agency in Massachusetts responsible for providing an attorney when the state or federal constitution or a state statute requires the appointment of an attorney for a person who cannot afford to retain one.  The agency provides representation in criminal, delinquency, youthful offender, family regulation, guardianship, mental health, sexually dangerous person, and sex offender registry cases, as well as in appeals and post-conviction and post-judgment proceedings related to those matters.

The clients we represent are diverse across every context imaginable and bring many unique cultural dimensions to the matters we address. This reality creates a critical need for CPCS staff to be culturally competent and able to work well with people of different races, ethnicities, genders and/or sexual orientation identities, abilities, and limited English proficiency, among other protected characteristics.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The CPCS Finance Department is responsible for all financial functions within the agency.  These include, but are not limited to: Budget, Accounting, Procurement, Accounts Payable, Payroll Data, Security, Internal Control Compliance, Audit & Oversight Conformity, Fixed Assets, Federal Grants, Records Management, and Facilities.

The Senior Payment Specialist supports the Finance Department with responsibilities including the timely review, payment, and reconciliations of agency obligations. The Senior Payment Specialist follows Commonwealth and CPCS fiscal policies and procedures to support the agency, vendors and private attorneys. The Senior Payment Specialist is expected to effectively communicate with all levels of the organization, external relationships and oversight agencies in this role.

Qualifications

MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS

• Associate’s degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance or similar field or an equivalent combination of relevant education, training, and experience;
• Three years of experience in accounting and/or accounts payable experience; and,
• Access to home internet access sufficient to work remotely.

QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS

• Proficiency with the state accounting system (-MOSAIC) including reconciling accounts and managing accounts payable or similar accounting systems;
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office 2007+ with a strong emphasis on Excel, Access, and Outlook;
• Ability to review and understand financial processes;
• Proactively identify solutions for process improvements and ability to implement effective solutions;
• Ability to create, analyze and interpret financial information and scenarios;
• Knowledge and understanding of state finance law as well as payment and procurement regulations;
• Good communication skills; and,
• Ability to work independently and in a group.

PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL ATTRIBUTES

This person will possess personal and professional integrity, strong communication skills, and strong analytical and decision-making skills.

The individual must possess strong leadership and managerial skills, strong interpersonal skills, high energy level and a positive outlook.

This person must believe in strong customer service and always act with professionalism and responsiveness.

The individual who will succeed in this role can best be described as:

• motivated; you thrive in feeling accomplished without gloating or getting an ego;
• a stickler for accuracy; your attention to detail is critical for success and the success of the agency mission;
• a believer in customer service; you understand that even difficult conversations should end with a smile and/or pleasantries and that responsiveness is a key component of great customer service;
• consistent across many communication mediums; whether it be over the phone, text or email…you provide superior support for whomever needs it;
• a tech enthusiast; you recognize that technology can improve process and love to learn how technology can improve existing processes;
• a team player; not matter your peers’ education or experience, you treat them as your equal;
• patient; you welcome differences and you understand that sometimes you are limited in what you can improve upon or change but you continue to look for opportunities to improve existing processes; and,
• a believer; that our clients and staff are why we come to work every day and that nearly anything can be accomplished with dedication, patience, and hard work.

Responsibilities

RESPONSIBILITIES

The duties of the Senior Payment Specialist include, but are not limited to:

• Processing the timely payments for over 3,000 attorneys and 2,000 expert vendors and performing transmission of payment files to the Office of the State Comptroller;
• Processing payments for all other agency goods and services, including discounts as backup and/or as needed;
• Ensuring the appropriate billing mechanisms for payments exist (e.g. NACs, Encumbrance) to ensure timely and appropriate payments;
• Providing technical expertise to V-bill/E-bill systems as well as other Finance systems as needed;
• Providing customer support to V-bill/E-bill systems users as needed and communicating billing information to private attorneys and vendors using Constant Contact and Ebill/Vbill Notice;
• Developing standard and custom queries using the Commonwealth Information Warehouse (CIW) for accurate payment, case spending analyses, and other ad hoc reporting as required;
• Giving input to accounts payable policies and procedures.
• Researching and resolving billing issues that may require input from Senior Management, Director of Audit & Oversight, and IT;
• Assisting the Accounts Payable Manager or Finance Director with accounts payable activities as needed;
• Supporting ongoing department initiatives which include moving paperless where possible, cross training/cross pollination, standardized/routine reporting and performance management;
• Providing excellent customer service internally and externally; and,
• Other duties as assigned.

EEO Statement

The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, sex, disability, religion, age, veteran or military status, genetic information, gender identity, or sexual orientation as required by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other applicable federal and state statutes and organizational policies.  Applicants who have questions about equal employment opportunity or who need reasonable accommodations can contact the Chief Human Resources Officer, Sandra DeBow-Huang, at sdebow@publiccounsel.net