ACCOUNTANT II

The Teachers’ Retirement System of the State of Illinois (TRS) is one of the largest public pension systems in the United States. We provide retirement, disability and survivor benefits to teachers, administrators and other public‑school personnel employed outside the city of Chicago.

TRS serves over 456,000 members and manages a multi‑billion‑dollar investment portfolio for the exclusive benefit of the membership.

TRS is an agency of the State of Illinois governed by a Board of Trustees. Full‑ and part‑time employees are eligible for the State of Illinois comprehensive benefits program which includes medical, dental and vision coverage. All employees hired after August 17, 2001 participate in the TRS retirement pension plan. Employees also have the option to contribute to additional State of Illinois deferred compensation plans.

The TRS pension plan is a participating reciprocal system under the Illinois Pension Code Retirement Systems Reciprocal Act.

Learn more about careers at TRS.

The Accountant II performs advanced professional accounting and financial analysis to support budgeting, payroll, financial reporting, and regulatory compliance across complex governmental and pension‑related operations. This role prepares and contributes to GAAP and ACFR schedules, reconciles multi‑system financial activity, manages receivables, and supports audit and Comptroller reporting with a high degree of independence and judgment. The Accountant II evaluates and resolves accounting issues, performs Workday and system validations, and ensures accurate posting, strong internal controls, and compliance with state and regulatory requirements.

In addition, this position contributes to process improvements, system enhancements, and continuous strengthening of financial controls and reporting integrity.

• Prepare components of the annual budget, compile departmental submissions, process budget transfers, and assist in monitoring expenditures throughout the fiscal year.
• Prepare benchmarking calculations and related analytical support.
• Prepare GAAP package schedules, supporting documentation, and assist with year‑end ACFR reporting requirements.
• Coordinate and prepare audit support for external auditors, including pulling schedules, reconciliations, and documentation requests.
• Perform system testing and validation for semi‑annual Workday updates, enhancements, and releases.
• Prepare and analyze accounts receivable reporting; monitor receivables, calculate allowances for doubtful accounts, manage involuntary withholding claims, and coordinate collection efforts for delinquent accounts.
• Process payroll in Workday and perform related reporting in the pension reporting system.

• Process account balance corrections and recommend or prepare system corrections.
• Prepare deposits for checks and state warrants received; review for accuracy, determine proper disposition, and ensure required supporting documentation is obtained.
• Reconcile and verify daily cash deposits between pension administration systems, reporting systems, and applicable custodians.
• Monitor and respond to internal and external accounting inquiries routed through the Accounting mailbox or phone system.
• Utilize the Illinois Office of the Comptroller (IOC) SAMS system to report required agency activity.
• Review travel vouchers for accuracy and compliance with IOC rules and internal policies.
• Analyze Supplemental Savings Plan (SSP) custodian reports, prepare related journal entries, and perform reconciliations of program activity, including refunded or rejected payments, coordinating resolution with internal and external stakeholders as needed.
• Perform monthly, quarterly, and annual accounting duties, including preparation and review of general ledger activity and reconciliations with the Custodian and the IOC.

• Maintain the listing of all bank account activity, reconcile balances with IOC records, and support cash transfer processing.
• Process cancelled warrants and ensure proper recording and reporting.
• Supply data and analysis for FOIA requests, surveys, internal analyses, and special…