Senior Accountant; County Promotional

Overview

The Department of Public Works is seeking highly motivated individuals to join our team as a Senior Accountant. Under direction, plans, oversees, coordinates, and monitors a significant accounting functional area; may assign, direct, review and evaluate the work of accounting professional and support staff; performs complex professional accounting work relative to either centralized and/or departmental County accounting procedures and records.

The Senior Accountant will be responsible for providing accounting services for capital projects, including reviewing and approving invoices, processing journal entries to collect reimbursement revenue, monthly tracking of project expenses, and ensuring that expenses posted to projects do not exceed project budgets.

• Provide direction, supervision, training, work review and/or evaluation to assigned professional and fiscal support on a project or ongoing basis.
• Provide input into selection decisions and disciplinary matters.
• Prepare and maintain control and subsidiary accounting records involving a variety of transactions and accounts; prepare trial balances and financial reports.
• 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 schedule; maintain expenditure and budgetary control accounts.
• Review, analyze and adjust budgets for County funds.
• 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.
• Apportion monies, including secured, unsecured, impounded, redeemed and other taxes.
• Review and claim for referral of tax, grant or other monies and prepare claims for reimbursement from various State or funding agencies and/or programs.
• Analyze programs and legislation to determine fiscal and budgetary impact; prepare budgetary appropriation transfers and supplemental budgets.
• Review and modify accounting systems and procedures; upon approval, implement new or modified systems and procedures.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and skills is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required knowledge and skills is:

• Equivalent to graduation from a four year college or university with major coursework in accounting, finance, business administration or a closely related field and one year of journey level accounting experience. This classification requires the successful completion of a minimum of twelve semester units of college level accounting coursework.

• Basic supervisory principles and practices.
• Principles, practices and terminology of general, fund and governmental accounting.
• Principles and practices of business data processing, particularly as related to the processing of accounting information.
• Principles of public finance.
• Applicable laws regulating public fiscal operations.
• Budgeting principles and terminology.
• Auditing and financial reconciliation principles and methods.

• Plan, direct, review, and evaluate the work of assigned support staff.
• Train others in work procedures.
• Review, analyze, post, balance, interpret and reconcile complex financial data and accounts.
• Develop and implement accounting systems and procedures.
• Verify the accuracy of financial data and information.
• Ensure proper authorization and documentation for disbursements.
• Interpret and apply complex financial procedures and legal documents.
• Exercise sound independent judgment within established policy guidelines.
• Prepare and direct the preparation of clear, concise and complete financial reports and statements, audit reports and audit work papers.
• Make accurate mathematical and statistical calculations.
• Establish and maintain effective working relations.

County promotional:
Only current County of San Mateo or County of San Mateo Superior Court of California employees with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in a classified regular, probationary, or extra-help/limited term position prior to the final filing date may apply.

Responses to the supplemental questions must be submitted in addition to our regular employment application form. A resume will not be accepted as a substitute for the required employment application and supplemental questionnaire. The examination process will consist of an application screening (weight: Pass/Fail) based on the candidates  application and responses to the supplemental questions. Candidates who pass the application screening will be invited to a panel interview (weight: 100%).

Depending on the number of applicants, an application appraisal of education and experience may be used in place of other examinations or…