Location
Description
The City of San Mateo Finance Department is seeking a
Senior Accounting Assistant
Why Join our Department?
The City of San Mateo is a very progressive City that encourages staff and resident engagement to develop positive solutions that meet the demands of our community.
The Finance Department is responsible for the overall financial management of the City. The Department’s core function is to maintain a strong and secure financial position for the City by providing comprehensive financial and analytical services to the City Council, City management, staff, and the public.
Collaboration, Innovation, Respect, Creativity, Transparency, and Informed Risk-taking are attributes that we are seeking in the candidates.
Look at some of the reasons why the City of San Mateo is a great place to work, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GTIzeSpc_g
What You'll Do
The Senior Accounting Assistant supervises and performs responsible technical and clerical accounting work involving the maintenance of financial or statistical records in the Finance Department. This is the advanced journey level class in the Accounting Assistant series. Positions at this level are distinguished from other classes within the series by the level of responsibility assumed and the complexity of duties assigned. Employees perform the most difficult and responsible types of duties assigned to classes within this including supervising and coordinating all of the accounting clerical work of a major department or Citywide functional area and the responsibility for integrating such work with changing accounting practices and electronic data processing capabilities.
Some duties may include:
- Maintain accounting records or systems such as accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, bond accounting, or charge backs.
- Recommend and assist in the implementation of goals and objectives; establish schedules and methods for accounting related functions; implement policies and procedures.
- Open and close accounts; maintain various ledgers, registers and journals according to established account classifications.
- Audit invoices; verify encumbrances; research discrepancies; approve payments and post to the proper account.
- Evaluate operations and activities of assigned responsibilities; recommend improvements and modifications; prepare various reports on operations and activities.
- May operate cash register, reconcile checking accounts, and perform general clerical duties such as typing and filing.
- Initiate accounting transfers.
- Reconcile general ledger accounts with various registers.
- Prepare a variety of financial statements and statistical reports.
- Plan, prioritize, assign, supervise and review the work of staff involved in assigned area; evaluate work of staff and review data input to verify accuracy.
- Assign and supervise the work of subordinate personnel, including shifting assignments in order to provide cross training and meet prescribed deadlines and schedules.
- Evaluate the work load of subordinate personnel and modify it as necessary to comply with changing departmental needs and changing electronic data processing capabilities.
- Manage the City’s procurement processes, such as process purchase orders, supplier contracts, change orders, yearly rollover and review.
- Assist with the maintenance of the City’s budget and development of budget documents.
The Senior Accounting Assistant receives general supervision from higher level management staff and may exercise direct supervision over other clerical positions.
For a complete list of duties, reference our job specifications at https://www.cityofsanmateo.org/DocumentCenter/Home/Index/86
Ideal Candidate
Who You Are
- You possess knowledge of the technical and clerical accounting practices with particular reference to public accounting and municipal accounting systems procedures and requirements.
- You possess the ability to collect and analyze data for statistical reporting, interpret computer reports, and keep financial and statistical records and files.
- You have the ability to understand, interpret and communicate and ensure adherence to the administrative and departmental principles, rules, regulations, and procedures involved in the area of assignment.
- You possess excellent communication (oral and written) and interpersonal skills.
- You possess knowledge of principals of supervision, training, and performance evaluation.
What You Bring
Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:
- Two years of responsible accounting clerical experience comparable to that of an Accounting Assistant in the City of San Mateo.
- Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth grade supplemented by specialized or accounting training.
Bonus Points (highly desirable)
- Familiarity with Workday financial software desirable but not essential.
- Equivalent to a Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university is desirable but not essential.
- Experience with procurement or budget processes is desirable but not essential.
- Experience in a governmental/municipal setting is desirable but not essential.
ADA Special Requirement:
Essential duties require the following physical abilities and work environment: Ability to work in a standard office environment.
Benefits
What We Offer
- Salary: $6,386 - $7,617/month
- Comprehensive benefits package including generous paid leave and health benefits
- CalPERS retirement (2% @ 55 for classic members; 2% @ 62 for new members). Classic employees contribute 8.34% to CalPERS and New members contribute 7.50% to CalPERS.
- Participation in the Social Security Program
- Programs: Deferred Compensation plan with City match up to 0.5% of base salary, City will contribute 0.5% of base salary to the deferred compensation plan, and 1% city contribution to a Retirement Health Savings Account
- Free Fitness classes through City of San Mateo Parks and Recreation, Employee Assistance Program and Credit Union Membership
- Bilingual Diff: $90 bi-weekly (if applicable)
- This classification is represented by the San Mateo City Employees’ Association
Special Instructions
Are You Ready? Apply.
Submit an online application and supplemental questionnaire at www.calopps.org or to the Human Resources Department, City of San Mateo, 330 W. 20th Avenue, San Mateo, CA 94403, (650) 522-7260.
Application Deadline
Recruitment will close on August 28, 2024, at 5 p.m. or upon receipt of the first 50 applications and supplemental questionnaires, whichever occurs first.
Examination Process
All applications and responses to supplemental questionnaires received will be reviewed for minimum qualifications. Résumés are strongly encouraged but not required. A fully completed application is required; a resume does not replace the information required on the employment application, including work history. Applications with "see resume" as a substitution for the work experience description, those with unclear past employment information, or those with insufficient information to evaluate possession of minimum qualifications will not be considered; missing information cannot be assumed. A limited number of the most highly qualified applicants will be invited to participate in the examination process, which may consist of an oral panel interview, written exercise, or in the form of a practical demonstration of skill and ability, or any combination of these. A Zoom oral panel interview is tentatively scheduled for September 19.
An employment list will be established from those who pass the examination process. Current and future vacancies may be filled from this list. The list will remain in effect for at least six months with the possibility of an extension for an additional six months. Once placed on an employment list, and at the time a vacancy occurs, eligible candidates may be contacted by the hiring department and scheduled for additional department interviews.
Date Posted – August 7, 2024
Note: The City of San Mateo reserves the right, at its discretion, to limit the number of qualified candidates invited to the selection process. ALL RESPONSES WILL BE CONDUCTED VIA THE EMAIL ADDRESS PROVIDED IN YOUR ONLINE APPLICATION. Therefore, it is imperative that you provide an email address to which you have access, and it is recommended that you frequently check your email for notices from: sanmateo@CalOpps.org.
Fine Print
Prior to hire, candidates will be required to successfully complete a pre-employment process, including a driving record review, reference check, and a Department of Justice (DOJ) fingerprint check. A conviction history will not necessarily disqualify an applicant from appointment. The policy of the City of San Mateo is to grant equal employment opportunity to all qualified persons without regard to race, color, sex, age, religion, ancestry, physical or mental disability, sexual preference, marital status, or national origin. It is the intent and desire of the City of San Mateo that equal employment opportunity will be provided in recruiting, hiring, training, promoting, wages, benefits, and all other privileges, terms and conditions of employment. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, applicants requiring accommodations for any part of the testing or recruitment process must notify lcoles@cityofsanmateo.org or (650) 522-7264 seven (7) days in advance of the deadline for the part of the process requiring accommodations. Do not upload any documents related to your request for accommodation in CalOpps. The City of San Mateo complies with employment provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act.