Senior Accountant - Controller's Office; and Promotional

Overview

Are you interested in enhancing your accounting skills in a comprehensive work environment that provides high-quality training, welcomes diversity, and strives for inclusion? Are you open to working in a constant learning environment and enhancing your accounting skills? Do you want a “bird’s eye” view of the accounting processes across a complex government organization with distinct departments? If the answer to any of these questions is “yes” this position may be for you.

The County of San Mateo is seeking well-qualified candidates for the position of Senior Accountant - Controller’s Office.

Senior Accountants in the Controller’s Office exercise a high degree of independent judgment on diverse and specialized projects with significant accountability and ongoing decision-making. While overseeing a significant accounting functional area, Senior Accountants perform complex professional accounting work relative to centralized and/or departmental County accounting procedures and records, and may direct the work of accounting professionals and support staff. The current vacancies are in the General Accounting and Accounts Payable Division of the Controller’s Office.

This division is responsible for preparing Countywide financial reports, the State Controller’s Transactions report, and Budget Schedules, reviewing capital assets, and completing journal entries and month-end and year-end closing. The Division also responds to accounting questions from County departments. The Senior Accountant – Controller’s Office position offers an opportunity to be part of an office committed to ethics, equity, and accountability.

The ideal candidate for the Senior Accountant – Controller’s Office position will have:

• Three to five years of journey-level accounting experience.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and a proven ability to effectively communicate with internal and external customers and stakeholders.
• Excellent technical skills in accounting, internal controls, and research analysis.
• Knowledge of GAAP.
• Experience in day-to-day governmental accounting and reporting.
• Experience supervising fiscal staff.
• Experience with project management.
• The ability to identify and implement process improvements.
• The ability to work independently, problem solve, and exercise sound judgment within established guidelines.
• Experience in accounting, including financial statements and auditing.

Because of the comprehensive work completed in the Controller’s Office, Senior Accountants are often able to leverage their experience toward promotional opportunities throughout the County. Controller’s Office experienced employees are highly desired by other County departments. The County of San Mateo offers competitive salaries and benefits, including an extensive wellness program and a solid pension plan. The County of San Mateo is a leader in addressing many issues, including COVID-19 response, homelessness, health care inequity, and the disenfranchisement of underrepresented populations.

County employees help solve these issues, positively impacting County residents.

Note:
This position is based entirely onsite and does not include remote work options.

Note:
The eligible list generated from this recruitment may be used to fill future extra-help, term, unclassified, and regular classified vacancies.

• Recommend the selection of professional staff and provide direction, supervision, training, work review, and/or evaluation of assigned professional and fiscal support staff on a project or ongoing basis.
• Train fiscal staff of other departments in accounting and system procedures.
• Coordinate and calculate month-end and year-end closings.
• Prepare journal entries and periodic reconciliations of general ledger, journal, subsidiary accounts, and bank statements.
• Compile and prepare financial statements, general and subsidiary ledgers, and supporting schedules; maintain expenditure and budgetary control accounts.
• Maintain varied departmental cost accounting records, disbursing funds to various accounts and/or billings for reimbursement as required.
• Provide technical support to internal auditors and governmental program auditors.
• Anal…