Location
Description
The next challenging career opportunity awaits you! The Accountant position is an outstanding opportunity for a dedicated and skilled professional with experience in performing journey to complex accounting finance work preferably in a municipal setting. Competitive candidates will possess the ability to prepare, maintain, analyze, verify and reconcile complex financial transactions, statements, records and reports; maintain accuracy of the City’s ledgers and subsidiary financial systems; assists in the preparation of assigned budgets, annual audit, and year end closing; and provide staff assistance to management staff.
Summary Description
Under direction, performs a variety of professional level accounting duties involved in preparing, maintaining, analyzing, verifying, and reconciling complex financial transactions, statements, records, and reports; maintains the accuracy of the City’s ledgers and subsidiary financial systems; assists in the preparation of assigned budgets, annual audit, and year end closing; and provides highly responsible staff assistance to assigned management staff.
Representative Duties
The following duties are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all of the listed duties and/or may be required to perform additional or different duties from those set forth below to address business needs and changing business practices.
1. Perform a variety of professional accounting functions supporting City-wide operations; maintain accuracy of general, revenue, and expenditure ledgers and subsidiary financial systems.
2. Reconcile financial ledgers and records; prepare financial statements and reports, general and subsidiary ledgers and supporting schedules; research and resolve discrepancies.
3. Review and audit all accounts payable, purchase orders, cash receipts, business licenses, payroll, utility billing, and other accounting records and transactions; ensure money is posted to correct accounts and that all accounts balance.
4. Provide assistance in the development of the annual budget; assist in the review and validation of the annual City budget; create a variety of spreadsheets, documents, and graphs; assist in preparing the final budget document for approval by City Council.
5. Prepare bank reconciliations and related journal entries for a variety of accounts.
6. Prepare a variety of monthly, periodic, and annual financial and statistical reports and account summaries; prepare treasurer reports; prepare and file annual State Controllers Report.
7. Assist in preparation of year end closings and accompanying financial reports.
8. Perform grant accounting work related to federal, state or grant agency funding; maintain records for audit purposes.
9. Maintain and track fixed asset inventory control records for the City.
10. Participate in the year-end audit; compile and prepare supporting schedules, work papers, and financial reports as requested by auditors.
11. Prepare property tax remittances for payment.
12. Respond to public inquiries in a courteous manner; provide information within the area of assignment; resolve issues in an efficient and timely manner.
13. Provide responsible staff assistance to management staff; perform special department projects as assigned.
14. Serve as department liaison to various City committees as necessary.
15. Perform related duties as required.
Ideal Candidate
QUALIFICATIONS
The following generally describes the knowledge and ability required to enter the job and/or be learned within a short period of time in order to successfully perform the assigned duties.
Knowledge of:
· Operations, services and activities of a general accounting program.
· Principles and practices of accounting and auditing including general ledger, debit, credit, journal entries and audit procedures.
· Principles and practices of governmental accounting.
· Computerized accounting and financial systems.
· Methods and techniques of analyzing general ledgers and preparing journal entries.
· Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.
· Principles of municipal budget preparation and control.
· Methods and techniques of preparing financial reports and statements.
· Principles and practices of financial record keeping and reporting.
· Principles of business letter writing and report preparation.
· Office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and applicable software applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, and databases.
· Pertinent federal, state and local codes, laws and regulations.
Ability to:
· Perform a variety of professional accounting and financial analysis functions.
· Complete detailed accounting transactions.
· Reconcile and adjust financial statements with the general ledger.
· Prepare and maintain accurate financial statements, records and reports.
· Perform mathematical calculations with speed and accuracy.
· Participate in budget development.
· Operate a variety of office equipment including a computer and associated word processing and spreadsheet applications.
· Analyze complex financial transactions and formulas.
· Solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
· Interpret and apply applicable federal, state and local laws, codes and regulations.
· Maintain efficient and effective financial systems and procedures.
· Examine and verify financial documents and reports.
· Work independently in the absence of supervision.
· Understand and carry out oral and written instructions.
· Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
· Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE GUIDELINES - Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:
Education/Training:
A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in accounting, business administration, finance, or related field.
Experience:
Four years increasingly responsible experience performing journey to complex accounting and finance work, preferably in a municipal setting.
License or Certificate:
Possession of an appropriate, valid driver's license.
Benefits
Health: The City contributes toward the combined monthly premiums for medical, dental and vision a maximum of $710, $1,470 or $2,090, dependent on level of medical coverage enrollment. Some of the monthly plan premium options are currently at no cost to the employee and family! Any employee contributions to health premiums are taken as pre-tax deductions. Employees eligible to waive medical coverage receive $200 per month in additional taxable compensation. Carriers include: Two Blue Shield EPO's, Blue Shield PPO, Two Kaiser HMO's; Stanislaus Foundation Dental and VSP Vision.
Retirement/Pension: The City offers a generous defined benefit plan pension (membership required) in the Stanislaus County Employees’ Retirement Association (StanCERA), as governed by County Employees’ Retirement Law of 1937 and Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act (PEPRA). “Classic members” (within the last six (6) months a member of StanCERA or a reciprocal retirement plan, e.g. CalPERS) are enrolled in the City’s 2% @ 55 plan; final compensation at retirement is based on the single highest year. Non-classic or “new members” are enrolled in the 2% @ 62 plan, and employees are required to pay 100% of the normal contribution rate as prescribed by PEPRA, currently 9.41%, on a pre-tax basis; final compensation at retirement is based on the average of the three highest years.
Other Benefits: The City contributes an additional $100 per month through a qualified Section 125 plan to the employee’s Flexible Spending Account (FSA - for non-reimbursable medical expenses or daycare), o Health Savings Account (HSA), or towards a Voluntary pre-tax benefit as applicable.
Voluntary Benefits & Leave: Employee Assistance Program, voluntary options for Deferred Compensation (457), Short-Term and Long-Term Disability, Voluntary Life and AD&D coverage, 96 hours of sick leave accrued each year with unlimited accrual; vacation accrual based on years of service with maximum accrual of 480 hours and 13 paid holidays (including one personal day) each year.
The City also participates in Social Security, which has a mandatory 7.65% contribution for Social Security and Medicare.
Special Instructions
EXAMINATION PROCESS
The City will screen for those applicants who possess the desirable qualifications. Those who receive the highest ratings will be contacted by email and invited to an interview.