About this role
Requisition No: 885695
Agency: Division of Emergency Management
Working Title: Professional Accountant Specialist - 31001092
Pay Plan: CS Exempt (EOG)
Position Number: 31001092
Salary: $60,000.00
Posting Closing Date: 10/25/2026
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Professional Accountant Specialist – SES
Bureau of Financial Management
Florida Division of Emergency Management
This position is located in Tallahassee, FL
The Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) plans for and responds to both natural and man-made disasters. These range from floods and hurricanes to incidents involving hazardous materials or nuclear power. FDEM is the liaison between federal, state, and local agencies. FDEM prepares and implements a statewide Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan, routinely conducts extensive exercises to test state and county emergency response capabilities, provides technical assistance to local governments as they prepare emergency plans and procedures, as well as conducts emergency operations trainings for state and local government agencies.
FDEM serves as the lead agency for the State Emergency Response Team (SERT), whose primary goal is the coordination of the state’s efforts during disaster response and recovery. This coordination is conducted within the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) in Tallahassee. Additionally, FDEM manages the State Watch Office; the 24-hour a day operation tasked with providing situational awareness to stakeholders statewide. After a disaster, FDEM conducts damage assessment surveys and advises the Governor of the State of Florida on whether to declare an emergency and seek federal relief funds. It is against this backdrop that FDEM strives to demonstrate its mission of, “Coordinate, collaborate, and communicate with our community stakeholders for a resilient Florida”, along with our vision of “Leading the Profession in building prepared and resilient communities”.
Position Overview and Responsibilities:
This position serves as a Professional Accountant Specialist – SES and is responsible for the management and fiscal operations in the Bureaus of FDEM. Duties include, but are not limited to:
- Serve as the purchasing card (P-Card) scoped administrator; process paperwork to obtain p-cards for new staff and to cancel P-Cards for terminated staff. Monitor budgetary and accounting financial data for all P-Card charges to determine if they appear in line with proper usage or if they are not appropriate. Coordinate and advise on any P-Card related needs, wants, or issues. Perform required P-Card training and lead in the maintenance of related P-card policies, Standards of Operation (SOP), and any other FDEM directives or governing documents related to P-Cards. While serving as the P-Card scoped administrator, the position may not conduct any activities that would create a conflict of interest or control issue, such as making payments in the State of Florida Accounting System (FLAIR).
- Work with FDEM staff to manage and track the financial coding and financial transaction data in the processing of invoices, revenues, payroll, requisitions, purchase orders, and travel vouchers for reimbursements; maintain proper documentation of expenditures; prepare requests for payments and monitor expenditures for items and services that are obtained via purchase orders, requisitions, and contracts through FLAIR, Florida Planning and Accounting and Ledger Management (PALM), Florida Accountability Contract Tracking System (FACTS), MyFlorida Market Place (MFMP), and the Florida Division of Emergency Management’s Enterprise Solution System (DEMES). While serving as the P-Card scoped administrator, the position may not conduct any activities that would create a conflict of interest or control issue, such as making payments in FLAIR.
- Track disaster related financial information, including expenditures, and assist with the preparation of documents to file for federal or state reimbursement; monitor the reimbursement and re-distribution to the proper accounts upon such reimbursement and assist with management of subgrantee awards resulting from a disaster declaration.
- May be required to work during Emergency Operation Center (EOC) activation in support of emergency response and recovery efforts, as well as any other related EOC support needs.
- Assist with the financial management of federal and state grant programs.
- Coordinate the submission of all federal grant award applications with assistance from FDEM staff; monitor accounting, financial, budgetary, revenues, expenditures, and balances of all grant awards, including but not limited to, financial management, establishing financial coding, and maintaining complete and accurate records related to grants and matters assigned.
- Coordinate the development and compiling of financial information (including but not limited to, accounting, financial, budgetary, revenues, and expenditures) as it relates to state grants, federal grants, and matters assigned.
- Compile and maintain financial data, in applicable format, and spreadsheet(s), detailing periodic (including monthly) information of expenditures, revenues, and balances in all state and federal awards; assist in tracking budget authority for federal and state awards and in the closeout of awards when they are completed.
- Provide daily coordination in the development and compilation of financial management data to the Bureaus as it relates to the financial management, budgetary, revenue and expenditures of the Bureaus for state and federal awards received/administered by the Bureaus. This would include coordination with Bureaus’ program staff to account for all state and federal awards and prepare financial summaries, charts, and graphs detailing a monthly synopsis of expenditures and balances.
- Coordinate the submission of all federal grant award applications with assistance from program staff; monitor expenditures and balances of all grant awards including financial management, establishing funding codes, and maintaining complete and accurate grant files.
- Coordinate the development and compiling of financial data for the Division as it relates to the budgeted and actual expenditures, revenues, and balances for state and federal grant awards administered by FDEM.
- Maintain financial data in applicable format, detailing periodic (including monthly) synopsis of budgeted and actual expenditures, revenues, and balances in all state and federal awards; assist in tracking budget authority for federal and state awards and in the closeout of awards when they are completed.
- Perform other related financial functions and responsibilities as assigned.
In response to emergency events, FDEM employees may be required to work irregular hours, to work more than 8 hours per day, to work extended periods (including weekends and holidays), to work at locations other than their official headquarters, and to perform duties in addition to those outlined in the employee’s position description. Employees must be able to deploy to emergency sites with limited advance notice.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Knowledge of basic accounting or auditing principles.
- Knowledge of the methods of compiling and analyzing data.
- Knowledge of monitoring techniques.
- Knowledge of basic mathematics.
- Knowledge of State of Florida’s accounting, financial, budgetary, and procurement systems (including but not limited to FLAIR/SAMAS/MFMP/FACTS/DEMES).
- Ability to work extended hours (including nights, weekends, and holidays) during emergency activation and to be deployed up to 14 days in response to disasters, with little or no notice.
- Ability to review, analyze, and evaluate data.
- Ability to work independently with Division, other state agencies, and federal staff and liaisons in the management of program grants and assigned related responsibilities.
- Ability to utilize financial and data analysis software.
- Ability to review, analyze, and evaluate data.
- Ability to examine financial records.
- Ability to understand and apply laws, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures.
- Ability to conduct research and prepare reports.
- Ability to probe and obtain critical facts.
- Ability to utilize problem-solving techniques.
- Ability to plan, organize, and coordinate work assignments.
- Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
- Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
- Ability to recognize the validity, authenticity, and propriety of accounting and operating records.
- Ability to interpret regulations and policies for federal and state programs and awards.
- Ability to compile, organize, retrieve and analyze detailed financial data related to assigned programs and to monitor expenditures and close out state and federal awards.
- Ability to apply historical financial data to forecast future financial obligations.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Minimum of four years of professional accounting or related professional experience. A post-secondary degree in accounting or a related field may be used as an alternative for years of experience on a year-for-year basis.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Minimum of one year experience coordinating the submission of federal grant award applications.
- Minimum of two years’ experience using the Florida Accounting Information Resources (FLAIR) system or another accounting system and analyzing, compiling, reporting, reviewing financial data.
- Minimum of one year P-card administration experience.
Special Notes:
The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.
FDEM is committed to successfully recruiting and onboarding talented and skilled individuals into its workforce. FDEM appreciates the service and sacrifices made by veterans and their family members and recognizes the immeasurable value veterans bring to the workplace and is committed to increasing the number of veterans that serve in its workforce.
FDEM is committed to increasing recruitment and hiring of individuals with disabilities and improving employment outcomes. An individual with a disability is qualified if he or she satisfies the skills, experience, and other job-related requirements for a position and can perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation. Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must contact the FDEM Human Resources Office at (850) 815-4177. FDEM requests applicants notify the Human Resources Office in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.
The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.
Successful completion of background screening will be required for this position.
The State of Florida and FDEM participate in E-Verify. This federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.
In response to emergency events, FDEM employees may be required to work irregular hours, to work more than 8 hours per day, to work extended periods (including nights, weekends, and holidays), to work at locations other than their official headquarters, and to perform duties in addition to those outlined in the employee’s position description. Employees must be able to deploy to emergency sites with limited advance notice.
Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.
The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.