Principal Accountant (Open Until Filled)

Principal Accountant

Come join the City of Fresno in Building a Better Fresno!

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Position Description

Step into a leadership role where your accounting expertise drives meaningful impact for an entire city! The City of Fresno is seeking a dynamic Principal Accountant to lead key financial operations, guide talented teams, and impact accounting practices. If you're ready to bring your professional insight, strategic thinking, and supervisory experience to a role that truly matters, apply now!

Duties may include but are not limited to the following:

• Lead and coordinate key accounting operations
• Supervise and guide accounting staff
• Manage preparation of the City's Annual Financial Report
• Serve as liaison with external auditors
• Maintain and monitor financial records and budgets
• Improve accounting methods, systems, and procedures
• Provide guidance on financial policies and practices
• Oversee specialized financial reports and analysis
• Apply tax law updates to ensure compliance
• Performs related duties as required

Duties and schedules may vary by assignment, please inquire about specific duties and/or schedules if called upon for an interview.

Explore the job specification for additional position details.

The current vacancy exists in the Finance Department. Immediate and future vacancies will be filled from this eligible list for a period of three (3) months from the date the eligible list is created, with the option of extending that period at the City's discretion. If the examination process is suspended for this recruitment, the eligible list may be limited to three (3) months. Please note that future vacancies may have a different assignment and varied duties than listed above.

The Requirements

Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications on or before the posted filing deadline in order to qualify for the examination and does not assure a place on the eligibility list:

Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major course work in accounting, business administration, public administration, or a related field;

AND

Two (2) years of supervisory experience, preferably in a public sector organization.

Applicants MUST ATTACH A COPY OF TRANSCRIPTS for education verification. Applications lacking the attachment may be rejected.

Additional Requirements

Possession of a valid license as a Certified Public Accountant issued by the State of California Board of Accountancy is desirable.

Eligibles certified for consideration for this position will be required to successfully pass a Department interview and a Department of Justice fingerprint process prior to employment with the City of Fresno.

The Selection Process

The examination process may consist of the following:

APPLICATION REVIEW - Qualifying Only: Applications which meet the minimum qualifications will be reviewed and a limited number of the MOST qualified candidates will be invited to the oral examination. Selection of the most qualified candidates will be based upon those applications demonstrating the greatest breadth and depth of applicable education, experience, skills, and training. Therefore, applicants are urged to submit sufficiently detailed information in their application materials for a proper evaluation.

Oral Examination - 100%: A panel of subject matter experts will conduct a job-related oral examination to evaluate a candidate which may include, but is not limited to, the following areas: Accounting and Technical Expertise, Leadership and Supervision, Process Improvement and Analytical Skills, Interpersonal, Communication Skills, and/or other job-related topics.

Candidates must achieve a passing score to qualify for the eligible list.

The oral exam is tentatively scheduled for the week of June 29th, 2026.

Veteran's Preference

If an examination is conducted for a position within the classified service, qualified veterans who pass the examination will have five (5) points added to their final score. Candidates must submit a copy of their DD214 Member 4 form or electronic copy indicating honorable discharge with each application prior to the filing deadline.

How To Apply

For information on how to complete an online application, please visit the Help & Support tab. For NEOGOV Application Assistance, please call View phone number on click.appcast.io or email View email address on click.appcast.io. ONLY ONLINE APPLICATIONS AND MATERIALS ARE ACCEPTED and must be submitted by midnight on the closing deadline, or they will not be accepted for any reason.

Required licenses, certifications, and education must be verified with supporting documents. Foreign education must be evaluated by a credential evaluation service recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Please ensure all relevant attachments are uploaded with your application.

For the work experience section, provide detailed descriptions of job duties for each position related to the specific role you are applying for. Resumes are not a substitute for completing this section and will only be reviewed as supplemental information, not for determining minimum qualifications.

For other City of Fresno employment opportunities, please view our Careers Homepage. If you have recruitment questions, please call our office at View phone number on click.appcast.io. Our office is located at 2600 Fresno Street, Room 1030, Fresno, CA 93721.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The City of Fresno is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Should you need a special accommodation due to a qualifying disability, please contact the Personnel Service Department at View phone number on click.appcast.io in advance of the examination.