Accounting Technician II (Payroll)

About the role

The City of Rohnert Park is seeking an Accounting Technician II to join the Finance Department. The successful candidate will have experience processing and maintaining payroll records; calculating and verifying hours on timesheets and verifying compliance with laws and City policies; reviewing related information for completeness and accuracy; resolving problems; and entering data into the payroll system to produce payroll checks and related documents.

Responsibilities

• Processes and prepares the necessary documents and/or notices with regard to meter exchanges, hangtags, and payments.
• Reviews residential and commercial read meters; verifies readings to locate abnormal consumption, records reasons for fluctuations, and ensures resolution.
• Prepares utility bills and/or other bills, billing registers and reports; interprets error messages and corrects errors.
• Processes periodic invoice requests; creates and maintains new accounts.
• Receives and balances cash and grant receipts and general ledger debits; allocates revenue to proper cost accounts; posts revenue; prepares bank deposits and related reports.
• Receives mail and direct payments from the public and from other City departments, balances monies received, and prepares receipts.
• Processes miscellaneous receipts.
• Prepares centralized bank deposits and reports.
• Balances month end work and researches, compiles, enters, and classifies data for new business input.
• Coordinates other code or licensing requirements with other departments.
• Processes City-wide returned checks and contacts customers as appropriate; prepares delinquent item reports, initiates and monitors delinquent processing for collection; prepares and processes year-end write-offs for un-collectable accounts.
• Affords assistance with the City’s Cost Recovery Program, which may include contract development, administration and management; prepares City Council reports and collaborates with City Clerk’s office for records retention and filing; ensures that full cost recovery for city services provided for private projects is performed accurately and timely; tracks, monitors and notifies applicants and developers of delinquent payments and follows up to ensure payments are received.
• Processes and maintains payroll records; calculates and verifies hours on timesheets and verifies compliance with laws and City policies; reviews related information for completeness and accuracy; resolves problems; and enters data into the payroll system to produce payroll checks and related documents and reports.
• Provides various payroll-related information to departments and outside agencies and, as requested, to others within the restrictions of the law.
• Calculates and prepares payments for employee insurances, retirement, taxes, and other employee deductions and benefits.
• Processes personnel transactions making appropriate adjustments/changes in the payroll system.
• Verifies, posts and records a variety of financial transactions; prepares and maintains databases, records, and a variety of periodic and special financial, accounting and statistical reports; generates reports by computer and balances them appropriately.
• Enters and retrieves information and data using standard word processing and spreadsheet software, as well as accounting, financial, and other related electronic information systems specific to the department to which assigned.
• Maintains a variety of ledgers, registers, and journals according to established account policies and procedures; reconciles transactions and data as directed; records changes and resolves differences; maintains the accuracy of accounting and financial records.
• Generates and assists in the preparation of monthly, quarterly, and year-end financial, summary, technical and other reports as necessary; reviews and researches budget to actual activity.
• Reconciles bank accounts and prepares journal entries as needed.
• Processes and reports on stale dated checks and unclaimed property.
• Affords assistance to customers, departments, and employees by providing answers and information regarding specific account information including utility billing and business and animal licenses, general accounting procedures, and/or department specific issues and problems; researches issues regarding specific transactions; and updates related files and departments on action items.
• Verifies and reviews forms and reports for completeness and conformance with established regulations and procedures; applies departmental and program policies and procedures in determining completeness of applications, records, and files; and may maintain departmental website and intranet site.
• Provides direction and training to lower-level or less experienced staff in area of assignment, as needed.
• Affords assistance with the year-end closing process including the preparation of worksheets.
• Affords assistance with special projects as required.

Qualifications

• Equivalent to completion of high school supplemented by formal training and/or experience in accounting, finance, or a related field.
• Experience in processing and maintaining payroll records.
• Experience in calculating and verifying hours on timesheets and verifying compliance with laws and City policies.
• Experience in reviewing related information for completeness and accuracy.
• Experience in resolving problems.
• Experience in entering data into the payroll system to produce payroll checks and related documents and reports.
• Excellent customer service skills.