Accounting Clerk

Be part of a growing, successful company in an exciting and challenging field. Border States is 100% employee-owned, which means you’re empowered to make decisions, find solutions and receive rewards for your hard work.

This position will be located in: Fargo, ND

Application Deadline: Posted Until Filled

Please note that the position may be filled before or after the listed application deadline. Applications will only be accepted while the posting remains active.

Job Summary

The Accounting Clerk supports day-to-day accounting operations including transaction processing, journal entries, account reconciliations, and month-end activities. Assists with reporting, audits, special projects, and maintaining process documentation. This position offers hands-on experience across multiple accounting processes while working in a collaborative, professional environment.

Responsibilities

Essential Functions

• Demonstrates foundational accounting knowledge and basic financial acumen through recording transactions, processing data, and supporting standard reporting activities.
• Owns the preparation of assigned value stream tasks for areas of low risk and complexity (i.e., areas that are routine and require limited judgment such as cash, account receivable, accounts payable, recurring journal entries, etc.) including the following duties:
  • Performs data entry and transaction processing.
  • Prepares routine journal entries along with reclassification/adjustment journal entries required through the Financial Accounting department’s service-ticketing system (JIRA).
  • Prepares account reconciliations and general ledger maintenance.
  • Completes assigned month-end and daily operational tasks.
  • Assists in the investigation and documentation of reporting variance analyses.
  • Assists in the preparation of reporting deliverables.
• Prepares ad-hoc requests and analyses for assigned value stream areas.
• Supports the Financial Accounting department's audits and other engagements through the documentation and support compilation processes.
• Assists in special projects and initiatives through the preparation, analysis, compilation, and presentation of assigned special projects.

Non-essential Functions

• Assists in keeping process documentation and standard operating procedures (SOPs) up to date.
• Plays a supporting role in the consolidation process, along with consolidation accounting and value stream integration processes.
• Supports the Financial Accounting department's team development and participate in the training and onboarding of team members.
• Maintains awareness of the company’s internal controls and compliance.
• Maintains awareness of the company’s and the Financial Accounting department’s risk management.
• Performs other duties as assigned by supervisor or other designate.

Qualifications

• Associate degree in accounting or related business field required.
• Experience working in a professional environment and other prior work experience preferred.
• Basic Excel knowledge is required including data entry and arithmetic formulas, formatting, sorting, filtering, and logical and lookup functions (SUM, SUMIFS, IFS, XLOOKUP).
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office (SharePoint, Word, PowerPoint, etc.) required.
• Knowledge of SAP or similar accounting systems preferred.

Skills and Abilities

• Strong written and verbal communication skills and abilities required.
• Requires interpersonal skills and the capacity to apply emotional intelligence in workplace interactions.
• Possesses entry-level analytical skills with the capacity to identify and resolve routine issues.
• Capable of completing assignments with a balance of independent effort and supervisory guidance.
• Ability to stay organized and manage tasks methodically while ensuring accuracy and thoroughness.
• Capable of managing workload efficiently with attention to schedules and priorities.
• Ability to contribute to planning initiatives and apply basic strategic thinking.
• Excellent customer service skills include being courteous, responsive, accurate, and competent.

Physical Requirements

Frequency at which you would carry/lift in a typical day:

Occasionally 0 - 33% Frequently 34 - 66% Continuously: 67 - 100%

• Lift from Waist:
  • < than 10 lbs. - Not at all
  • 10 to 25 lbs. - Not at all
  • 26 to 50 lbs. - Not at all
  • 51 to 75 lbs. - Not at all
  • 75 to 100 lbs. - Not at all
  • 100+ lbs. - Not at all
• Lift from Floor:
  • < than 10 lbs. - Frequently
  • 10 to 25 lbs. - Frequently
  • 26 to 50 lbs. - Occasionally
  • 51 to 75 lbs. - Not at all
  • 75 to 100 lbs. - Not at all
  • 100+ lbs. - Not at all
• Carried for Distance:
  • < than 10 lbs. - Not at all
  • 10 to 25 lbs. - Not at all
  • 26 to 50 lbs. - Not at all
  • 51 to 75 lbs. - Not at all
  • 75 to 100 lbs. - Not at all
  • 100+ lbs. - Not at all

Physical Activity

Frequency at which you would do the following in a typical day:

• Sitting (a continuous period of being seated) - Continuously
• Standing (for sustained periods of time) - Frequently
• Walking (moving about on foot to accomplish tasks) - Frequently
• Bending/stooping (downward and forward) - Occasionally
• Crawling (moving about on hands and knees or hands and feet) - Not at all
• Climbing/Walking Stairs (ascending or descending) - Frequently
• Reaching (extending arms in any direction) - Frequently
• Crouching/squatting (bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine) - Occasionally
• Kneeling (bending legs at knee to come to rest on knee(s)) - Occasionally
• Balancing (maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling) - Occasionally
• Repetitive motion (substantial movement (motions) or the wrists, hands, and/or fingers) - Continuously
• Pivoting (movement in any direction with one foot, keeping the other in contact with the floor) - Occasionally
• Pushing/Pulling (using upper extremities to press against or draw or tug) - Occasionally
• Grasping (Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm) - Continuously
• Fingering (picking, pinching, typing; working with primarily fingers and not whole hand) - Continuously
• Talking (expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word) - Frequently
• Driving (the control and operation of a motor vehicle) - Occasionally
• Desk work (work usually performed at a desk) - Continuously
• Use of a computer - Continuously
• Use of a telephone - Frequently
• Hearing (Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels) - Continuously
• Exposure (to adverse weather & temperature conditions)- Not at all
• Travel (travel needed to perform job duties) - Occasionally

Additional Information

This job description is a summary of the job duties and responsibilities and is not intended to cover all possible job duties and is subject to change at the employer’s discretion. Employees must be able to perform the essential job duties and satisfy job requirements either with or without a reasonable accommodation.

Our History

Border States is a leader in the electrical supply distribution industry with approximately 130 locations in 31 states. Our employee-owners are second to none in delivering top-notch customer service and in demonstrating extra-ordinary people skills. We are one of the largest independent electrical distributors in the United States providing products and services to the construction, industrial and utility industries. Border States has a competitive benefit package and is a 100 percent employee-owned company. Employee-ownership is a significant part of our culture and our success stems from the dedication of our employee-owners. We practice open-book management and our employee-owners are empowered with clearly defined levels of authority to be innovative and decisive, allowing us to respond quickly to the needs of customers. Employee-owners understand their roles in the success of the company and care about customers’ needs, which drives our focus on adding value to everything we do. We recognize that not all customers are the same and each has specific requirements. Our employee-owners understand these diverse needs and have the commitment, resourcefulness and flexibility to outperform all others.

Values

As a Border States employee-owner, you’re responsible for living our mission, service philosophy and service standards.

Our Purpose

We believe unstoppable businesses shouldn't go it alone. We are owners - of relationships, of outcomes, of every moment these unstoppable businesses need to deliver.

Service Philosophy

We earn customer loyalty and confidence by caring about their needs and adding value to everything we do.

Service Standards

Border States employee-owners are competent, accurate, responsive, and engaged .

Your career

Join an experienced team at one of the largest electrical distributors in the United States. What are you waiting for?

Border States has a competitive benefits package which includes but is not limited to:

Health, Dental and Vision Benefits

Accident, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity

FSA & HSA

Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)

Disability Benefits

401(k) Retirement Plan

Life Insurance

Employee Assistance Program

Paid Holidays

Paid Volunteer Time

Personal Leave time and more!

Border States provides bonuses to their employee-owners upon the achievement of branch and company goals.

Equal Opportunity For All

It’s not just the law. It’s something we’ve believed in since our founding. We value the diversity of all of our employee-owners and will always be an equal opportunity employer.

Drug Free/Smoke Free workplace

Employment may be contingent on the offered candidate successfully passing one or more of the following pre-employment screenings:

• Criminal background check (required for all positions)
• Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) check (required for positions involving driving)
• Drug testing

The MVR check and drug testing vary by role and will be communicated to the offered candidate during the onboarding process and as applicable.