ACCOUNTING ASSISTANT III

Thurston County • Olympia, WA

6h • Onsite

About The Position

Thurston County Public Health and Social Services (PHSS) is recruiting for an Accounting Assistant III for our Fiscal Division.
As an Accounting Assistant III, you will play a vital role in supporting both departmental and county-wide financial operations. You will dive into everything from overseeing county-wide bookkeeping functions and developing procedural and policy changes, to directing the work of other Accounting Assistant I’s and II’s. If you are a detail-driven accounting professional leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment, we would love to hear from you!
Public Health and Social Services (PHSS) is Thurston County’s local health jurisdiction and human services department and is responsible for protecting the health and promoting the well-being of all people who live, work, and play in Thurston County. We value diversity and strive to foster a sense of belonging, honoring the unique experiences, cultures, skills, backgrounds, identities, and perspectives of our employees and community. As an agency actively working to address health equity, we aspire for everyone to have the opportunity to attain their highest level of health, regardless of their individual circumstances.
Thurston County values the diversity of the people it hires and serves. Inclusion to us means fostering a workplace in which individual differences are recognized, appreciated, and responded to in ways that fully develop and utilize each person’s talents and strengths. We are dedicated to recruiting and developing a talented workforce from various cultures, lifestyles, backgrounds, and perspectives who are committed to our vision and core values.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or GED and two years of college level accounting courses. Additional experience may substitute for college level courses on a year-for-year basis.
• Two years of general accounting experience.
• Typing and 10-key adding machine skills may be required for specified positions.
• Ability to use word processing and computer equipment and programs may be required for specified positions.

Nice To Haves

• Respect and Organizational Culture
• Create an environment where employees and partners can safely express needs or concerns and where employees can make and correct mistakes
• Effectively interact with sensitivity while working with persons from diverse cultural, socioeconomic, educational, racial, ethnic, and professional backgrounds, and persons of all ages, gender identities, sexual orientations, and lifestyles
• Thrive in a fast-paced, robust organization maintaining a positive work environment
• Communication
• Serve the public in a timely, complete, accurate, and professional manner while ensuring that written and verbal communication is clearly understood by others
• Maintain cultural competency to support diverse perspectives in developing, implementing, and evaluating policies, programs, and services that affect the health of the community
• Strong oral communication for networking and interpersonal relationships
• Excellent written communication including the ability to craft correspondence, reports, and articles or web postings with minimal grammatical and syntax errors
• Goal Setting and Accomplishment
• Use strategic thinking and planning for goal setting and evaluation
• Effectively plan, organize, and manage competing priorities and challenges under pressure
• Create a sense of mission by articulating and modeling confidentiality, professional values, and ethics with honesty and integrity
• Operate with a high degree of flexibility, initiative, attention to detail, and commitment
• Delegate and use persuasion and negotiating skills for shared responsibility and acceptance of change

Responsibilities

• Oversee a county-wide bookkeeping function such as payroll, fixed assets, or accounts payable, and assume responsibility for departmental accounting records and payroll system liaison
• Develop recommendations for procedural or policy changes in the accounting and payroll systems or procedures
• Audit entries and documents to ensure accuracy, propriety, proper account coding, adequate explanations, and other applicable information in accordance with federal state regulations
• Process complex bookkeeping transactions
• Prepare and present training sessions for County staff in preparing documentation or performing specific bookkeeping and/or payroll functions
• Undertake independent research projects as assigned and prepare various schedules and reports for financial statements requiring the knowledge of governmental accounting principles
• Assist in testing computer accounting programs used within the work unit
• Perform other work as required or assigned, including, but not limited to, a 24/7 response during public health emergency situations and disease outbreak investigations

Benefits

• Work-Life Balance: We are committed to ensure that our staff experience the reward of public service, while also sustaining a routine that suits each individuals’ lifestyle.
• Plan For Your Future: As a member of our team, you will enjoy great employee benefits, including a retirement plan, pre-tax savings accounts, as well as comprehensive health care and dental/vision care for you and your family.
• Paid Leave: Full-time regular employees earn paid vacation in addition to paid holidays.
• Robust Training Program: Employees are encouraged to attend County paid training to help them further their career, learn new skill sets, and stay on top of emerging trends in our industry. We also encourage our staff to participate in professional organizations and attend conferences.
• Flexible Work Schedules: Some of the options that employees may take advantage of include alternative or compressed schedules and/or remote working.
• Deferred Compensation: The County offers 3 voluntary deferred compensation plans for employees who would like to set aside additional deferred tax dollars into a retirement savings plan.
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA): Employees can take advantage of Section 125 flexible spending accounts for out-of-pocket health care and daycare expenses with pre-tax dollars.
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness: This is a federal program which allows full-time public service employees who have made qualifying payments for certain loans, to get their student loans repaid.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED