About the Department

A resume and compelling cover letter addressing your education, your accounting or auditing work experience, degree and licenses you hold, must be submitted with your online application to be considered complete. Applicants appearing best qualified based upon a review of the application and responses to supplemental questions will be invited to participate in the testing process.

Position Duties

• Provides responsible professional and technical assistance in the administration and implementation of financial auditing, and accounting programs for the City, Public Facilities Corporation, Financing Authority, and Successor Agency. 
• Prepares a wide variety of financial and statistical reports, including year-end reporting, budgetary reports, assisting in the preparation of the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR), grants reporting, and preparing other legal documents and management analysis. 
• Monitors expenditures, revenues, cash flows, and budget allocations to determine the City's financial status and prepares custom reports, graphs, and schedules as needed. 
• Prepares journal entries and reconciles general ledger and subsidiary accounts related to postings from payroll, accounts payable, cash receipts, and accounts receivable; prepares monthly bank reconciliations; prepares a variety of monthly financial reports. 
• Interprets, explains, and applies general and governmental accounting/auditing principles and procedures, laws, and regulations affecting the financial operations of municipal government. 
• Analyzes and reconciles expenditure and revenue accounts, including bond accounts; reviews and processes appropriation transfer requests between accounts; reconciles bond statements and bank statements to the general ledger. 
• Participates in and assumes responsibility for various departmental programs including financial statements, financial analyses and auditing, general ledger, grants accounting, and special project accounting; conducts and prepares special studies and reports. 
• Participates in the compilation and preparation of annual budgets, including assisting other departments with budget preparation, providing revenue and expense projections, monitoring expenditures, and preparing and updating cash flow and projections. 
• Maintains and monitors the City’s grant funds and ensures compliance with rules and regulations governing the use of each grant. 
• Reviews quarterly and annual federal and state payroll tax returns; ensures tax returns are filed in a timely manner. 
• Maintains adequate internal controls over the City’s revenues; handles daily cash management by securing revenues collected by the City; verifies accuracy and completeness of funds collected; performs periodic audits of revenues and cash management processes. 
• Reviews purchases to ensure compliance with budgetary and contractual requirements. 
• Participates in the preparation of audit schedules and reports for external auditors and assists the Finance Manager and Director of Finance during the annual auditing process. 
• Assists with investments, portfolio management, cash management, debt management, new financing, and revenue and expense projections. 
• Researches and analyzes technical transactions to resolve questions and validate data:  ensures fiscal accountability and fund integrity for transactions and supporting documentation.  
• Attends meetings, conferences, workshops, and training sessions, and reviews publications to remain current on principles, practices, and new developments in the field of accounting. 
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Knowledge of:

• Modern principles, practices, and methods of accounting and finance, including budgeting and auditing and their application to municipal operations.
• Applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulatory codes, ordinances, and procedures relevant to assigned area of responsibility.
• Research and reporting methods, techniques, and procedures.
• Principles and practices of fund accounting and public agency budgeting.
• Business arithmetic, financial, and statistical techniques.
• Record keeping principles and procedures.
• Modern office practices, methods, and computer equipment and computer applications related to work.
• English usage, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and punctuation.
• Techniques for providing a high level of customer service by effectively dealing with the public, vendors, contractors, and City staff.

 Ability to:

• Independently perform the full range of professional accounting functions.
• Analyze financial data and draw sound conclusions.
• Participate in and conduct accounting audits.
• Prepare clear, complete, and concise financial statements and reports.
• Perform mathematical, financial, and statistical computations with precision.
• Interpret, apply, explain, and ensure compliance with federal, state, and local policies, procedures, laws, and regulations.
• Prepare clear and concise reports, correspondence, procedures, and other written materials.
• Establish and maintain a variety of manual and computerized files and record keeping systems.
• Make sound, independent decisions within established policy and procedural guidelines.
• Organize and prioritize a variety of projects and multiple tasks in an effective and timely manner; organize own work, set priorities, and meet critical time deadlines.
• Operate modern office equipment including computer equipment and software programs.
• Use English effectively to communicate in person, over the telephone, and in writing.
• Use tact, initiative, prudence, and independent judgment within general policy, procedural, and legal guidelines.
• Establish, maintain, and foster positive and effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Education and Experience:
Equivalent to graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in accounting, finance, business administration, or a closely related field and three (3) years of responsible professional accounting or auditing experience.  
 
Licenses and Certifications:

• Possession of an appropriate, valid driver's license and insurability at regular rates for the City's automobile insurance.

Other Qualifications

Physical Demands
Must possess mobility to work in a standard office setting and use standard office equipment, including a computer; vision to read printed materials and a computer screen; and hearing and speech to communicate om person, before groups, and over the telephone. This is primarily a sedentary office classification although standing in work areas and walking between work areas may be required. Finger dexterity is needed to access, enter, and retrieve data using a computer keyboard or calculator and to operate standard office equipment. Positions in this classification occasionally bend, stoop, kneel, reach, push, and pull drawers open and closed to retrieve and file information. Employees must possess the ability to lift, carry, push, and pull materials and objects weighing up to 25 pounds. 
 
Environmental Elements
Employees work in an office environment with moderate noise levels, controlled temperature conditions and no direct exposure to hazardous physical substances. Employees may interact with upset staff and/or public and private representatives and contractors in interpreting and enforcing departmental and City policies and procedures.