Accountant III

Current and future Accountant III vacancies are available across multiple bureaus: Bureau of Environmental Services, Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Portland Parks and Recreation, Portland Permitting & Development, Public Safety Service Area, Portland Bureau of Transportation, and Portland Water Bureau.

Schedule

• Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
• Alternate schedules may be available

Location

• Work locations vary by bureau/office
• Public Safety Service Area: Hybrid (50% on-site at 1120 SW 5th Avenue, Portland, OR; remote work must be performed within Oregon or Washington)
• Office of the Chief Financial Officer: Fully remote

Benefits

Review the benefits overview for this position. This classification is represented by AFSCME-189. Applicants start at the entry salary rate; see the labor agreement for details. Position may be eligible for Language Pay Differential.

About the Role

The Accountant III performs high-impact accounting functions, ensuring the integrity of financial systems, reporting, and management decision-making. Responsibilities include financial analysis, compliance, and process improvement, with a focus on accuracy, completeness, and timeliness.

Responsibilities

• Financial reporting & analysis: Gather and verify data from financial systems, perform analysis (Excel/statistical tools), and produce reports, charts, and leadership presentations, including ad-hoc requests.
• Forecasting & trend analysis: Develop long-range financial projections and analyze expenditures, revenues, variances, and trends to support management resource allocation.
• AP management: Review and validate vendor invoices, ensure proper coding/approval routing, and maintain accurate records.
• Compliance & audit readiness: Conduct monthly audits of financial documentation and maintain documentation of methodologies/data sources.
• Year-end auditing & reporting: Review and close project accounts, reconcile cost accounting across systems, produce capital asset/funding reports, and manage year-end processes (journal entries, stakeholder deadlines, meetings).
• Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) & Guideline Development: Develop, recommend, and implement modifications to accounting control policies, procedures, and practices.

Current Vacancy: Public Safety Service Area (PSSA)

In this role, you will serve as the bureau’s primary cashier and accounts receivable specialist, processing customer payments for permits, fees, and other services while providing exceptional customer service to the public and internal stakeholders. You will collaborate with customers at the Development Services Center and bureau staff to ensure accurate, timely, and compliant financial transactions.

• Collections & write-offs: Evaluate uncollectible receivables, manage write-off approvals, and lead delinquent account collection efforts.
• AR management: Track project revenues against contracts, monitor aging reports, reconcile payments, and follow up on discrepancies or overdue balances.
• External billing: Independently create and issue customer invoices in SAP, verify accuracy against contracts, and coordinate with City staff to gather billing data.
• Billing follow-up & process improvement: Monitor outstanding invoices, follow up on payments, escalate delays/disputes, and identify efficiency improvements while maintaining documented work instructions.
• Capital asset tracking & systems: Develop and maintain project accounting systems and capital asset tracking; oversee asset acquisition, maintenance, and disposition; lead internal audits/reconciliations to verify records, ownership, and depreciation. Review, validate, analyze, and record capital project costs in collaboration with project managers and other departments.

Requirements

• Experience applying Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and government GAAP (GASB).
• Experience extracting detailed financial information from an ERP system (e.g., SAP) for accounting and financial reporting, assembling financial data, and preparing clear, concise technical documents and reports.
• Experience effectively communicating verbally and in writing with business partners at all levels of accounting knowledge.
• Experience applying financial analysis techniques.
• Ability to collaborate as a team member and work independently without guidance.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a customer-focused environment.

Note: The City of Portland is covered by the Oregon Equal Pay Act. Salary is determined based on directly related and equivalent experience listed in your resume. Include all transferable experience (paid or unpaid) to ensure your offer reflects all relevant experience.