Accounting Analyst

Career Area:
Finance

Job Description:
Your Work Shapes the World at Caterpillar Inc.

When you join Caterpillar, you're joining a global team who cares not just about the work we do - but also about each other. We are the makers, problem solvers, and future world builders who are creating stronger, more sustainable communities. We don't just talk about progress and innovation here - we make it happen, with our customers, where we work and live. Together, we are building a better world, so we can all enjoy living in it.

Role Definition
Performs various clerical and routine accounting tasks in support of a business unit or legal entity.

Responsibilities
- Responding to inquiries and contacting other departments or vendors to resolve a variety of problems.
- Posting entries, resolving errors, verifying and reconciling input to financial reporting systems.
- Processing payments and assisting in preparation of billings and other financial reports.
- Entering transactions and reconciling various reports.

Degree Requirement
Degree or equivalent experience desired

Skill Descriptors
Level Basic Understanding:

- Identifies the primary operational functions of the organization.
- Explains operational functions and key functional roles of own dept or unit.
- Describes the interdependence of support functions and line operating functions.
- Clarifies the role of each department and its relevance to the enterprise strategy.

Accuracy and Attention to Detail: Understanding the necessity and value of accuracy; ability to complete tasks with high levels of precision.
Level Working Knowledge:

- Accurately gauges the impact and cost of errors, omissions, and oversights.
- Utilizes specific approaches and tools for checking and cross-checking outputs.
- Processes limited amounts of detailed information with good accuracy.
- Learns from mistakes and applies lessons learned.
- Develops and uses checklists to ensure that information goes out error-free.

Oral Communications: Knowledge of oral communications issues; ability to express oneself and communicate with others verbally and appropriately.
Level Working Knowledge:

- Uses language appropriate to audience.
- Explains issues in alternative ways to accommodate different listeners.
- Modulates own tone and body language.
- Listens without defensiveness or excessive self-reference.
- Utilizes techniques to verify that a verbal message was received as intended.

Level Working Knowledge:

- Identifies and documents specific problems and resolution alternatives.
- Examines a specific problem and understands the perspective of each involved stakeholder.
- Develops alternative techniques for assessing accuracy and relevance of information.
- Helps to analyze risks and benefits of alternative approaches and obtain decision on resolution.
- Uses fact-finding techniques and diagnostic tools to identify problems.

Accounting: Knowledge of accounting methods, processes, and tools; ability to maintain and prepare financial statements and reports using accounting methods and processes.
Level Working Knowledge:

- Utilizes cost monitoring practices, techniques and considerations.
- Works with financial transactions and related documentation within the organization.
- Participates in accounting practices of classifying and recording financial data.
- Maintains existing charts of accounts.
- Follows regulations for entering and reporting the financial content in major accounting systems.

Budget Management: Knowledge of the principles and methodology of budget management; ability to utilize the tools, techniques and procedures needed to establish and monitor budgets.
Level Working Knowledge:

- Explains the functions and features of budgeting tools.
- Implements the organization's budget cycle and process.
- Participates in developing and monitoring a budget for a specific work group or department.
- Assists in the collection and preparation of required budget information.
- Detects and interprets budget variances and overruns.

Financial Record Keeping: Knowledge of financial record keeping processes, methods, and tools; ability to maintain accurate and thorough records of financial transactions.
Level Working Knowledge:

- Implements organizational standards for financial record keeping.
- Analyzes and documents errors or inaccuracies in financial records.
- Follows organizational methods and procedures for financial record keeping.
- Supplies financial data that is used in reports.
- Uses basic tools to record accurate and timely financial data.

General Ledger (G-L): Knowledge of tools, practices and considerations for general ledger; ability to update and validate general ledger data.
Level Working Knowledge:

- Monitors and ensures the accuracy of one or more general ledger categories as a regular part of daily work.
- Analyzes the purpose, content, and distribution of standard G-L reports.
- Performs daily input into the general ledger as a regular part of the work.
- Works wit