Accountant III

Overview

NOTICE OF CHANGE: This recruitment is open until filled, first application review is on Friday, September 12, 2025.

Description
NOTICE OF CHANGE: This recruitment is open until filled, first application review is on Friday, September 12, 2025.

Salary: $94,621.28 - $ Annually DOE/DOQ*

Uniform and bilingual allowance when applicable

The County of Santa Barbara is currently accepting applications to fill Accountant III vacancies. The current vacancies are in the Public Works Department
.

Although the current vacancy listed is in Santa Barbara, the established employment list may also be used for future Full-Time, Part-Time, and Extra-Help Accountant III vacancies in Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Carpinteria, and Lompoc
. This position is utilized by 11 departments in the County of Santa Barbara. Each Accountant III's duties may vary from one department to another, depending on the needs of the department and the nature of the work that you will be performing. The work schedule for this position will depend upon the needs of the Department.

Please select which vacancy location(s) you would like to be considered for current and future vacancies. If you qualify for this position and pass the required selection steps your name will be sent to the hiring manager(s) of the vacancy location(s) where you have expressed that you are willing to work.

Under direction, the Accountant III performs complex professional accounting duties; supervises clerical, paraprofessional, and professional staff involved in accounting and fiscal recordkeeping work; and performs related duties as required. The candidate selected for this position will be expected to provide professional accounting services and advice to the managers of their respective department(s) and division(s).

The class of Accountant is found in various County departments and divisions. The Accountant series is distinguished from the Accountant-Auditor class series in that the work of the Accountant series is limited in scope to the finances of a department or division. Further, the Accountant-Auditor class series is found only in the Auditor-Controller's Office. Accountant III is the advanced journey level in the professional accounting series.

Incumbents independently perform complex professional accounting responsibilities and/or supervise a major accounting function in a large department under the supervision of a division head or department head.

Responsibilities will include collecting and analyzing historical data to project future expenditures, reviewing actual expenditures against budget in order to anticipate problems and prepare budget adjustments. In addition, this position is also responsible for developing the department's annual budget, conducting required contract reviews, and completing special projects that may be assigned based on requests from department management, the Auditor-Controller's Office, and/or the CEO's office.

BENEFITS: For more information on County benefits, please visit here. In addition, applicants from other public sector employers may qualify for:

• Retirement reciprocity
• Time and service credit towards an advanced vacation accrual rate

• 5 or more years of professional accounting experience, with knowledge of Governmental Accounting and more specifically in Enterprise Fund Accounting.
• Ability to work independently, organize and prioritize work, and meet critical deadlines.
• Excellent interpersonal skills in working with employees/management at all levels; ability to handle difficult situations with tact and diplomacy.
• Excellent communication skills, ability to exchange information in a clear, concise and organized manner to diverse groups of people to help them understand process objectives and priorities.
• Ability to process, interpret and document fiscal/accounting information, write clear and concise reports and organize records accordingly.
• Ability to multi-task, handle high stress situations, thrive under pressure and adapt to change.
• Proven successful budget analysis experience.
• Microsoft Office Suite products (Excel, Word, Access, Outlook, and PowerPoint) skills and experience.
• Experience researching and preparing reports to assist external and internal auditors; and generating periodic accounting or statistical reports to management or regulatory agencies.
• The ability to analyze expenditure trends and assist in monitoring departmental operating or capital improvement budgets.
• The ability to work successfully in a team environment, make positive contributions and assist others as necessary.
• Experience in working on department driven projects and presenting ideas to senior management.
• Capable of making informed decisions based on data and using metrics to evaluate success.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.

• Prepares or verifies a variety of complex accounting, statistical, and narrative statements or reports requiring extensive analysis and…