Accountant

Required Qualifications 

Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of public agency financial management including general and governmental accounting, fund accounting, general ledger accounting, payroll, internal controls, budgeting, auditing, and reporting functions, as well as Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GASB).
• Principles and practices of automated financial systems.
• Principles of governmental budget preparation and control.
• Principles and practices related to the processing of payroll information, computerized payroll systems, and maintenance of payroll records.
• Pertinent laws, rules, and regulations related to payroll.
• Debt financing and accounting.
• Public fund investing principles and practices.
• Record keeping principles and procedures.
• Principles and methods of business letter writing and report preparation.
• Financial and other applicable software applications, such as word processing, spreadsheets and databases.
  • Ability to:
• Examine and verify financial documents, reports and transactions.
• Make accurate mathematic and statistical calculations.
• Prepare a variety of budgets, financial statements, reports and analyses.
• Analyze, post, balance, and reconcile financial data, ledgers and accounts.
• Create spreadsheets, databases and other tracking and reporting documents.
• Analyze complex issues and draw conclusions, including the ability to identify cause and effect relationships.
• Oversee, perform and coordinate payroll processing.
• Understand, interpret and apply District policies and procedures as well as federal, state and local policies, laws and regulations.
• Prepare simple, effective reports.
• Independently plan and organize work to manage multiple projects and meet changing priorities and deadlines, often with minimal supervision.
• Exercise good judgement and maintain confidentiality with critical and sensitive information.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Respond tactfully, clearly, concisely and appropriately to inquiries from the public, staff and other agencies.
• Establish and maintain effective professional working relationships.

Education, Certifications and Experience

• Education: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in finance, accounting or related field.
• Experience: Five (5) years of increasingly responsible experi­ence working in the area of accounting/finance, performing duties similar to those described herein.

Desired Qualifications

• Education: Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in finance, accounting or related field.
• Experience: Five (5) years of experience at a minimum level of an accounting technician position or two (2) years of experience at an accountant position at a California Special District or other governmental entity.