Southside Electric Cooperative is a member-owned electric cooperative dedicated to actively contributing to the communities it serves. Our mission is to provide safe, reliable, affordable and innovative power solutions through empowering our people and commitment to the Cooperative Principles. We pride ourselves on our commitment to service, innovation, and integrity.

We are seeking a detail-oriented and motivated Accountant to join our dynamic team. The successful candidate will support our mission by maintaining accurate financial records, producing timely reports, and ensuring compliance with industry regulations and cooperative principles. By upholding fiscal responsibility and member-focused stewardship, this role directly contributes to keeping electricity reliable, rates affordable, and the Cooperative financially strong for its member-owners. Ultimately, the Accountant helps ensure that every dollar entrusted to the Cooperative is managed with fairness, accountability, and long-term sustainability in mind.

Key Responsibilities

• Prepare and maintain accurate financial records in compliance with RUS Uniform System of Accounts, GAAP, and cooperative policies.
• Accurately prepare journal entries, account reconciliations, and trial balances.
• Assist in preparing the monthly and annual RUS Form 7 and other regulatory or cooperative required reports.
• Support monthly and year-end financial statement preparation and audit processes.
• Maintain the integrity of the general ledger by maintaining balanced monthly account reconciliations correcting all reconciling items.
• Ensure compliance with internal controls, segregation of duties, and financial procedures.
• Track, process and reconcile construction work orders, retirements, and asset transfers in accordance with RUS guidelines to ensure proper capitalization of utility assets.
• Maintain detailed records of plant assets, depreciation schedules, and capitalized costs.
• Process vendor invoices while maintaining proper documentation in accordance with cooperative purchasing and approval policies accurately and timely.
• Process payroll and reconcile all payroll processes while maintaining confidentiality and ensuring compliance with labor, tax, and reporting laws.
• Prepare and process various tax filings accurately and timely.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in accounting or finance required.
• Minimum of 3 years of accounting experience in utility accounting.
• CPA or CMA certification is a plus.

Skills & Competencies:

• Strong verbal and written communication skills combined with excellent interpersonal skills, to support a culture of transparency, collaboration, accuracy, and accountability.
• Highly organized, with ability to structure workload, track progress, and ensure timely completion of responsibilities.
• Excellent problem-solving skills with the ability to identify process improvements.
• Strong collaboration skills to work across departments and resolve issues efficiently.
• Strong analytical, Excel, and data reconciliation skills.
• Ability to deliver consistent, high-accuracy results while managing multiple priorities and meeting deadlines.
• Strong knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Rural Utility Service Uniform System of Accounts (RUS), and the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) reporting requirements.
• Familiarity with RUS 1767(B) accounting requirements, including Uniform System of Accounts classification, property records, depreciation rules, and proper treatment of construction, retirement, and special equipment.
• Understanding of the relationship between GL accounts, departmental coding, activity codes, and budget project codes.
• Working knowledge of FEMA Public Assistance (PA) requirements, including documentation standards and reimbursement processes for electric utility disaster events.
• Strong understanding of payroll accounting, including payroll cycles, deductions, employer taxes, benefits, labor distribution, cooperative policies.
• Awareness of the cooperative governance and finance policies, including margins, capital credits, and equity.
• Ability to perform detailed financial analysis, reconcile complex accounts, and interpret variances.
• Strong ability to analyze large datasets, identify trends or discrepancies, and reconcile.
• Knowledge of applicable state utility regulations, internal control standards, and data privacy rulings.
• Capability to navigate and perform all functions of job within the accounting software. NISC experience a plus.

Benefits

Because SEC employees take great care of our members, we reward them with a very competitive salary and an excellent benefits package that includes:

• Employer sponsored Retirement plan after one year of service.
• Employer contributions to employee 401(k) accounts after one year of service. (Employees may contribute after completing a full calendar month of service.)
• HDHP Anthem HealthKeepers health insurance with 100% employer paid premium for employees and 95% employer paid premiums for their eligible dependents. (Anthem KeyCare is also available with a small employee premium.)
• Anthem Dental and Vision, with 100% employer paid premiums for employees and their eligible dependents.
• HSA with annual employer contribution.
• Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA).
• Basic Life Insurance and AD&D insurance, each at 3x annual salary for employees with 100% employer paid premium.
• Affordable life insurance for dependents including $20,000 life insurance per child for only $2 per month, regardless of the number of children covered.
• Tuition reimbursement including books and fees.
• Premium LifeLock with Norton

NO RECRUITERS OR AGENCIES!

Documents to establish identity and employment eligibility are required.

Applicants must be currently authorized to work for ANY employer in the United States on a full-time basis. SEC will not sponsor applicants or take over sponsorship for work visas.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability status, veteran status, or other legally protected status.

Bachelor's degree in accounting or finance is required

About Southside Electric Cooperative

SEC strives to provide safe, reliable electricity and related services at the highest value to our member-owners. We exist to enhance the quality of life of the communities in which we serve and live. We achieve this mission by our actions that demonstrate integrity, fiscal responsibility, member engagement, community involvement, and by living out the cooperative principles. The relationship we have with the member-owners of SEC matters to us, and we work hard every day to prove this through our actions. We recognize that our member-owners expect to receive a quality of service which surpasses that typically associated with simply being a “customer” of an investor-owned utility. Our four district offices are located in the areas where we serve, and our employees live in these areas as well. Our employees are very active in our communities and participate in a number of ways to improve the areas in which they live. SEC employees are active volunteer fire fighters, EMTs, first responders, youth sports coaches, and Sunday school teachers, to name a few. Making Southside Virginia a better place to live and work is very important to us. It is inherent in our mission as a cooperative and it is a commitment we make, not only to our members but to our co-workers and our families.

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