Senior Accountant

Senior Accountant

Monthly Salary: $9,069 - $11,024

The Town of Corte Madera's Finance Department is hiring a full-time Senior Accountant to join their team. The Town strives to enhance the community's health, safety, and quality of life by serving its residents and businesses through proactive, responsive, and inclusive leadership. Corte Madera, California, a community of just under 10,000 people, is devoted to preserving its rich history, maintaining today's quality of life, and carefully planning its future. Corte Madera is located in central Marin County and has everything at its doorstep.

The Town of Corte Madera's Finance Department is responsible for safeguarding the Town's financial resources and supporting sound, transparent, and accountable municipal operations. The Department administers a broad range of financial functions, including accounting, budgeting, financial reporting, auditing, accounts payable and receivable, payroll, investments, fixed assets, and other fiscal activities.

The Senior Accountant performs complex professional accounting and financial work in support of the Town's financial operations. Under the general supervision of the Finance Director, the position is responsible for financial analysis and reporting, general ledger reconciliation, payroll, accounts payable and receivable, budget support, and monthly and year-end closing activities.

The Senior Accountant also supports the Town's annual audit, prepares financial reports and schedules, assists with benefits administration, and helps ensure fiscal accountability and compliance with GAAP and applicable laws and regulations. The position requires a high degree of accuracy, independent judgment, technical expertise, and attention to detail.

The Town of Corte Madera is seeking an experienced, collaborative, and detail-oriented accounting professional committed to public service and sound financial stewardship. The ideal candidate brings strong governmental accounting and financial analysis experience, with a focus on accuracy, accountability, confidentiality, and integrity.

The successful candidate is analytical, organized, and solutions-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, meet critical deadlines, and communicate complex financial information clearly. They demonstrate sound judgment, initiative, and professionalism while building positive working relationships across the organization. A strong customer-service mindset and commitment to supporting accurate, efficient, and responsible financial operations are essential.

Duties may include but are not limited to the following:

• Provides complex professional and technical assistance in the administration and implementation of financial, revenue, budget, auditing, and accounting programs, including financial report development, budget monitoring, forecasting, financial analysis, and reimbursement billings.
• Analyzes and reconciles balance sheet accounts and expenditure and revenue accounts, verifying availability of funds and classification of expenditures; researches and analyzes transactions to resolve problems.
• Coordinates monthly and year-end general ledger processing and closing; prepares journal entries with proper documentation; posts and balances general ledger accounts; ensures compliance and accuracy in accordance with GAAP.
• Coordinates and administers a wide variety of financial and accounting programs, including accounts receivable, accounts payable, reimbursement billings, investments, fixed assets, and payroll.
• Prepares various local, state, federal, and other outside agencies' reports.
• Participates in the compilation and preparation of annual budgets, including assisting other staff with budget preparation, providing revenue and expense projections, and monitoring expenditures.
• Participates in the preparation of audit schedules and reports for external auditors and provides assistance during the annual auditing process and program audits throughout the year.
• Reconciles asset, liability, revenue, expenditure accounts, reconciles bank statements to the general ledger and prepares technical transactions in compliance with all applicable Federal, State, and local laws, rules, regulations, and ordinances.
• Researches and analyzes financial data and develops, prepares and files a wide variety of financial reports and statements including the State Controller's Report.
• Coordinates, prepares, processes, and maintains payroll; receives, reviews, verifies, and processes time recording documents; prepares quarterly and annual tax reports and returns; ensures compliance with applicable Federal, State, and local laws, rules, and regulations.
• Assists with benefits administration, including maintaining flexible benefits accounts, processing enrollment and termination, and reviewing invoices and allocating benefits costs to appropriate accounts; prepares and reports pension and deferred compensation to providers.
• Prepares comprehensive financial and accounting activity studies, statistics, statements, and reports, including historical summaries, charts, graphs, and various memos and letters.
• Receives, reviews, and processes various reports and records including payment authorizations and checks, and receipts.
• Researches and analyzes technical transactions to resolve questions and validate data; ensures fiscal accountability and fund integrity for transactions and supporting documentation.
• Interprets, explains, and applies general and governmental accounting/auditing principles and procedures, laws, and regulations affecting the financial operations of municipal government; provides professional and technical guidance and training to other staff in accounting processes and procedures.
• Attends meetings, conferences, workshops, and training sessions, and reviews publications to remain current on principles, practices, and new developments in accounting and finance.
• Provides support and vacation coverage for other accounting and administrative staff when needed.
• Assists management with special projects as required.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Knowledge of:

• Modern principles, practices, procedures and methods of public and governmental accounting and financial analysis, including program budgeting and auditing, payroll processing, project accounting, other record keeping and the application to operations.
• General principles and practices of data processing and its applicability to accounting and operations.
• Payroll record-keeping, processing, and reporting and payment requirements of various State and Federal agencies and benefit providers.
• Basic principles and procedures of benefits administration.
• Demonstrated knowledge of human resources practices and operations.
• Applicable Federal, State, and local laws, regulatory codes, ordinances, and procedures relevant to assigned area of responsibility.
• Research and reporting methods, techniques, and procedures.
• Technical report writing and preparation of correspondence.
• Modern office practices, methods, and computer equipment and applications related to the work.
• English usage, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and punctuation.

Skill & Ability to:

• Analyze financial data and draw sound conclusions.
• Prepare accurate, clear, complete, and concise financial statements and reports in accordance with GAAP.
• Review, post, balance, reconcile, and maintain accurate and confidential payroll and employee benefits records.
• Work closely with staff to maintain a high level of integrity and confidentiality when dealing with sensitive and complex payroll and employee benefits issues.
• Analyze, interpret, summarize and present administrative and technical information and data in an effective manner.
• Train, supervise and evaluate the work of employees.
• Lead, coach, instruct, and motivate employees.
• Interpret, apply, and ensure compliance with Federal, State, and local policies, procedures, laws, and regulations.
• Make accurate mathematics, financial, and statistical computations.
• Establish and maintain a variety of filing, record keeping, and tracking systems.
• Organize and prioritize a variety of projects and multiple tasks in an effective and timely manner; organize own work, set priorities, and meet critical time deadlines.
• Operate modern office equipment including computer equipment and specialized software applications programs.
• Use English effectively to communicate in person, over the telephone, and in writing.
• Use tact, initiative, prudence, and independent judgment within general policy and legal guidelines in politically sensitive situations.
• Establish, maintain, and foster positive and effective working relationships with those contacted while working.

Typical Qualifications:

Any combination of training, education and/or experience which provides the knowledge, skills and abilities of employment is qualifying. An example of a way these requirements might be acquired is:

Education: Equivalent to a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in accounting, finance, public or business administration, or a closely related field.

Experience: Five (5) years of responsible professional public accounting experience.

License/Certificates: Certificate of Public Accountant License is highly desirable.

Application and Selection Procedures: Apply On-Line at: Hard copy applications may be obtained from and submitted during normal business hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM by contacting: Attn: Human Resources Channelle Ceralde, SHRM-