Senior Accountant

City of Delano•Delano, CA

4d•Onsite

About The Position

Performs complex and specialized professional level accounting and auditing work in a number of areas relating to municipal accounting procedures and records. Provides training to department staff and lead direction to assigned Accounting and clerical staff. This classification provides the professional level support to the City's Accounting section. It is the senior operational professional accounting specialist. The position exercises a high degree of independent judgment on diverse and specialized accounting projects and has significant accountability for ongoing decision making associated with his/her work. This class is distinguished from the Assistant Finance Director by the lack of department/division-wide supervisory responsibilities and department/division work planning. The classification is further distinguished by the requirement to bring to the Assistant Finance Director prospective changes in methods and innovations in procedures, as well as prospective policy changes; that will improve the delivery of accounting services to the City.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a major in accounting, finance, business administration, public administration, or a related field.
Knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles.
Knowledge of principles and practices of fund and governmental accounting and accounting terminology.
Knowledge of principles and practices of business data/computer processing related to accounting.
Knowledge of laws and regulations pertaining to public accounting and finance.
Knowledge of principles of budget development and controls.
Knowledge of personal computers and various Windows-based applications programs.
Knowledge of supervisory practices, selection methods, and evaluation techniques.
Knowledge of correct use of oral and written English, spelling, punctuation, and composition.
Knowledge of advanced record keeping principles and practices and the operation of standard office equipment.
Knowledge of principles and practices of PCs and related software.
Skilled in directing and reviewing the work of assigned staff and training others in work procedures.
Skilled in verifying the accuracy of financial data and information.
Skilled in reading, interpreting, and applying written procedures, policies, and codes.
Skilled in performing accurate detailed work, including complex arithmetic and statistical computations.
Skilled in organizing and maintaining accurate records and files.
Skilled in preparing clear and concise reports.
Skilled in organizing and maintaining records and filing systems.
Skilled in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
Skilled in communicating tactfully and effectively with the public and other agencies.
Skilled in analyzing, administrative, operational, and organizational issues, evaluating alternatives, and reaching sound conclusions.
Skilled in prioritizing work and coordinating several activities.
Skilled in using initiative and making sound and independent judgments within procedural parameters and established guidelines.
Skilled in understanding and following oral as well as written orders.
Skilled in using standard office equipment.
Ability to operate a PC and related software.
Ability to communicate clearly and concisely in oral and written English.
Ability to read, understand, and apply established City and departmental policies, procedures, practices, and regulations.
Ability to follow oral and written instructions.
Ability to deal with the public under a variety of circumstances.
Ability to work independently and in an innovative manner on concurrent multiple projects.
Ability to operate standard office equipment, a personal computer and related equipment and programs, including spreadsheet and word processing programs.
Ability to be consistent in meeting employment obligations by reporting on time and working full workdays and workweeks, as assigned.
Ability to be bondable.
Three (3) to five (5) years of professional-level accounting experience, preferably in governmental fund accounting or other public agency setting.
Two (2) years of supervisory experience is required.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree from an accredited college or university in one of the related fields is preferred.
Master's degree may be substituted for accounting experience on a year for year basis to a maximum of two (2) years.

Responsibilities

Reviews accounting documents to ensure accuracy of information and calculations and makes correcting entries.
Inputs all general ledger vouchers.
Analyzes various general ledger accounts for accuracy, creates new account numbers or makes changes in account descriptions on City chart of accounts.
Examines supporting documentation to establish proper authorization and conformance with agreements, contracts, and state and federal regulations.
Keeps subsidiary ledgers for various accounts.
Prepares and maintains control and subsidiary accounting records involving a variety of transactions and accounts.
Prepares trial balances, financial reports, journal entries and periodic reconciliation of general ledger, journal, subsidiary accounts and bank statements.
Compiles and prepares financial statements, general and subsidiary ledgers, supporting schedules and financial reports for regulatory agencies.
Conducts bank reconciliation for General Pooled Cash Accounts, RDA, REDIP, RTC Facility, and various trust funds as received.
Records interest and activity.
Reconciles and records missed transactions.
Prepares a variety of journal vouchers on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis.
Researches, certifies, and calculates special assessment taxation.
Participates in the selection of, supervises, evaluates, recommends merit increase, and disciplines assigned employees.
Assists in budget preparation by producing budgetary worksheets to complete projections of revenue and expenditures, spreadsheets of department employees, salaries, and benefits, and a variety of other spreadsheets and graphs.
Maintains expenditure and budgetary control accounts.
Produces monthly reports for departments and summaries for the City Council.
Prepares cash transfer and loans between funds.
Assists in the control of the City’s investment account.
Provides grant accounting on funds received from other agencies and deposited in the City’s general fund and trust funds.
Reviews and corrects user department quarterly statements.
Prepares annual financial report for The State Controller’s Office.
Maintains complete accounting record keeping on State, County, and other funding sources.
Installs new accounting systems and procedures and instruct other in their use.
Performs cost studies and analyzes cost factors.
Reviews current accounting practices and procedures and recommends modification and revisions.
Provides work direction to accounting office staff and trains staff in work procedures.
May make audit schedules, and assists City auditor at year-end.
Answers and researches questions of the auditor concerning procedures and general ledger reports.
Reconciles accounts at year end.
Prepares financial statements.
Enters and retrieves data and formatted reports from an online or personal computer system.
Distributes reports to the Director of Finance and department heads.
Prepares and updates a variety of periodic and department-requested reports, which may require the use of complex arithmetic calculations.
Assures proper processing of employee retirement funds.
Verifies retirement refunds and payments.
Answers or researches questions about retirement from retirees or terminated employees.
Enters and retrieves data and prepares reports from an online or personal computer system, following established formats.
Prepares and updates a variety of reports, which may involve complex arithmetic calculations.
Establishes and ensures proper maintenance of City accounting records and office files.
Researches, analyzes, and compiles periodic reports from such information for the Assistant Finance Director.
Reviews special department funds and associated record keeping.
Performs daily backup of mainframe computer, makes minor repairs to computer programming errors.
Coordinates mainframe hardware and printer repairs.
Receives direct supervision and general direction from the Director of Finance and/or Assistant Finance Director.
Provides direct supervision and general direction to assigned Accounting and clerical personnel.
Attends City Council meetings, as requested, and represents the City at meetings, as assigned.
Serves on various City and community committees and boards, as assigned.
Performs related duties as assigned.