Accountant II - Human Services Agency (Departmental Promotional Only)

Human Services Agency, Financial Services Branch, and Claiming section are seeking qualified candidates for the Accountant I/II position. Accountants perform complex professional accounting work relative to departmental procedures and records and exercise independent judgment on financial transactions and processes.

Responsibilities

• Perform complex professional accounting work relative to centralized and/or departmental County accounting procedures and records.
• Review claiming and accounting documents to ensure accuracy, examine supporting documentation to establish proper authorization, review invoices, reconcile information from various sources, and review and reconcile accounting reports.
• Prepare and maintain control and subsidiary accounting records involving a variety of transactions and accounts, as well as provide assistance to senior fiscal staff.
• Review accounting documents for conformance with local, state, and federal regulations.
• Prepare journal entries and reconciliations.
• Plan, direct, review, and evaluate the work of fiscal office support staff.
• Create and maintain complex automated financial worksheets.
• Act as liaison with other County fiscal divisions.

Skills

• Review, analyze, post, balance, interpret, and reconcile complex financial data and accounts.
• Verify the accuracy of financial data and information.
• Prepare and direct the preparation of clear, concise, and complete financial reports and statements, audit reports, and audit work papers.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel is required; ability to develop reports using spreadsheet applications (e.g., Excel) is highly desirable.
• Train others in work procedures.
• Develop and implement accounting systems and procedures.
• Ensure proper authorization and documentation for disbursements.
• Interpret and apply complex financial procedures and legal documents.
• Exercise sound independent judgment within established policy guidelines.
• Make accurate mathematical and statistical calculations.
• Establish and maintain effective working relations.
• Prioritize assignments and meet time-sensitive deadlines and submissions.
• Demonstrate attention to detail.
• Communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Develop and maintain professional working relationships (e.g., with community providers and state staff).
• Understand principles, practices, and terminology of general and cost accounting.
• Understand business data processing, mainly as related to the processing of accounting information.
• Maintain general and subsidiary ledgers.

Requirements

This recruitment is Departmental Promotional Only: Only current County of San Mateo employees in the Human Services Agency with at least 6 months (1040 hours) of continuous service in classified regular, probationary, or extra-help/limited-term positions prior to the final filing date may apply.

This classification requires the successful completion of a minimum of twelve (12) "semester" units of college-level accounting coursework. (To convert quarter units, divide by 1.5; eighteen (18) quarter units are equivalent to twelve (12) semester units.)

Qualifications

Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and skills is qualifying. A typical way to qualify is:

• Accountant I: Equivalent to graduation from a four-year college or university in accounting, finance, business administration, economics, or a closely related field. Sub-professional accounting support work may be substituted for education on a year-for-year basis to a maximum of two years.
• Accountant II: Two years of accounting experience, preferably in a governmental or public agency.