Accountant I (Chula Vista Admin Office)

Definition

The incumbent performs routine to moderately difficult professional accounting duties in the preparation and maintenance of financial records for various agency accounts and funds; compiles routine reports; and performs related duties as assigned. The incumbent is required to understand and apply professional accounting theories, principles, terms and practices in the preparation and evaluation of financial records, transactions and reports.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Maintains accounts payable, accounts receivable, and subsidiary ledgers; processes vendor invoices for payment and compares receiving reports to vendor statements; provides a monthly balance sheet and submits it to appropriate persons.
• Reviews accounting documents to ensure accurate information and calculations and makes correcting entries; examines supporting documentation to establish proper authorization and conformance with agreements, contracts, and state and federal requirements; prepares and maintains control and subsidiary accounting records involving a variety of transactions and accounts.
• Prepares journal entries; performs periodic reconciliation of general ledger, journal, subsidiary accounts and bank statements; analyzes and prepares reports on revenue estimates, expenditures and fund conditions.
• Compiles and prepares periodic financial statements, supporting schedules and reports.
• Maintains and reviews fixed asset and other special funds and reconciles such funds to accounting records.
• Prepares, reviews, and corrects department and/or program expenditures transfers; verifies account numbers and related information; conducts assigned internal audits.
• Analyzes budget documentation to assure that expenditures are properly charged and do not exceed appropriations.
• Counsels staff on financial matters; conducts research and prepares special studies as requested; analyzes financial accounting data and makes appropriate recommendations.
• Provides technical guidance to Accounting Technicians and other accounting support staff in performing accounting entries.
• Works directly with staff from other departments to resolve technical accounting issues and problems.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Skills

• Knowledge of:
• Principles, practices and terminology of general and fund accounting, including financial statement preparation and methods of financial control and reporting.
• Budgeting principles and terminology.
• Cost-accounting methods and procedures.
• Laws and regulations relating to the financial administration of a non-profit organization.
• Auditing principles and practices.
• Principles and practices of business data processing, particularly related to the processing of accounting information and interpretation of input and output data.
• Laws, regulations, rules and policies and procedures applicable to areas of responsibility.
• General accounting systems and associated systems.
• Standard office practices and procedures.
• Ability to:
• Plan, organize and carry out assigned accounting functions.
• Operate a computer and spreadsheet software and standard office equipment.
• Analyze and make sound recommendations on complex financial data and operations.
• Plan and evaluate financial systems and practices and make sound recommendations for improvement.
• Understand, interpret, explain and apply agency, state and federal requirements regulating financial accounting, reporting and record-keeping.
• Develop and implement financial procedures and controls.
• Prepare clear, concise and comprehensive financial statements, statistical reports and narrative materials.
• Exercise sound professional judgment within general policy guidelines.
• Serve as a team leader to train and provide work direction to others.
• Communicate effectively; orally and written.
• Maintain confidentiality and discretion with sensitive materials.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with all levels of MAAC management, employees, outside auditors and others encountered in the course of work.

Education/Experience/Certification

• Bachelor’s Degree
• One (1) year of professional accounting experience

Health Status

• Must have a physical examination and TB clearance as required by state and federal regulations and a drug screen by a doctor/clinic designated by MAAC prior to the first day of employment.

Physical and Mental Demands

• Physical Demands: While performing the duties of this class, an employee is regularly required to stand, walk and sit, talk or hear both in person and by telephone, uses hands to finger, handle or feel objects or controls and operate computers and other standard office equipment reach with hands and arms. An employee also is regularly required to stoop, kneel, bend, crouch or crawl, climb or balance and lift up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, depth perception, color vision and the ability to adjust focus.
• Mental Demands: While performing the duties of this class, the employee is regularly required to use written and oral communication skills; read and interpret information; analyze and solve problems; observe and interpret people and situations; use basic math; learn and apply new information or skills; work under intensive deadlines and interact with MAAC management, administrators, staff, teachers, parents, family members, children and others encountered in the course of work.

Background Clearance

• All positions are subject to a background/education check, DMV check, exclusion and debarment checks prior to hire and periodically throughout employment as required by various funding sources.
• Note: California Start law requires background criminal checks on anyone who works in a licensed childcare facility who is not a client. Must have or obtain a current criminal background check clearance, signed criminal record statement, and signed Acknowledgement to Report Child Abuse form prior to the first day of employment.

Transportation

• Must have and maintain a valid California Driver’s License, daily use of a personal, insured vehicle, and have and maintain a motor vehicle driving record acceptable to MAAC’s insurance carrier. Incumbents will be enrolled in the California DMV Pull Program.