Senior Accounting Officer (Specialist)

Job Description and Duties

Please Note: Due to postal service delays, electronic submission of application is recommended.

Please see the Duty Statement link, found in the Additional Documents section, for more information.

Applicants are highly encouraged to complete a Recruitment Questionnaire, located at: 

In July 2025, the State of California implemented the Personal Leave Program (PLP) 2025. This program temporarily reduces employees’ monthly base pay in exchange for paid leave credits. This position is subject to PLP 2025 and will have a monthly base pay reduction of 3% in exchange for 5 hours of leave credits through June 2027. The salary ranges shown on this job posting do not reflect the salary reduction.

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Working Conditions

• This position in located in the Riverpoint Marketplace area of West Sacramento (10 minutes from downtown), near the IKEA. Our building offers a free parking lot to employees and is within walking distance of numerous restaurants and shops.

• This position is eligible for a hybrid telework option, in accordance with CAL FIRE’s telework policy, and will be required to report to the office as needed/required. The successful candidate must reside in California upon appointment.

• Overtime may be required during peak times and special projects.
  

Special Requirements

All job applicants must provide their employment history on the application form (State Application STD 678) rather than attaching a resume to the form, otherwise the application may be considered incomplete.

Applicants who completed their education outside of the United States (with foreign degrees/transcripts) must obtain and submit verification of US course/degree equivalency. Foreign education credential evaluation services can be found at 

Review the education and experience minimum qualifications (MQ’s) of the Accounting Officer Series to ensure the Senior Accounting Officer (Specialist) minimum qualifications have been met prior to taking the examination.

The application must be complete and must include dates, accurate hours per week, total time worked, duties and responsibilities, and contact names and phone numbers of supervisors. Resumes and or other documents shall not be substituted for a completed application (STD 678). Applicants who fail to submit a completed application (STD 678) may be disqualified

1. Do NOT include ANY confidential information on any documents you submit for a job vacancy, such as your State application, resume, or educational transcripts. Confidential information that should be excluded or removed from these documents includes, but is not limited to, your Social Security Number (SSN), birthdate, student identification number, driver’s license number (unless required), basis of eligibility examination results, LEAP status, marital status, and age. Confidential information on the first page of applications submitted electronically online, such as Easy ID number, SSN, examination related information, and driver’s license number will automatically be redacted upon submission.

2. Possession of Minimum Qualifications will be verified prior to interview and/or appointment. If you are meeting Minimum Qualifications with education, you must include your unofficial transcripts/diploma for verification. Official transcripts may be required upon appointment. If it is determined a candidate does not meet the Minimum Qualifications, the candidate will be withheld from the eligibility list, rendering them inactive and ineligible to be hired for the position. Candidates who have been withheld may file an appeal with the State Personnel Board.

The minimum qualifications can be found in the Senior Accounting Officer (Specialist)  classification specifications.

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

• Knowledge of state financial accounting system FI$Cal or similar database

• Project Management Experience

Benefits

Benefit information can be found on the CalHR website and the CalPERS website.

STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS

A Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) is required to be submitted along with your state  application to be considered for an interview .
The SOQ should be no more than two (2) pages in length with one (1) inch margins and in Arial 12-point font. Number each response and include your name on the upper right corner of SOQ. The SOQ should describe your experience, training and education that addresses the following:

1. Experience in state government or private sector managing large-scale projects. Include the length of time these projects were managed.
2. Experience using databases to analyze and manage data and generate summary reports for management review. Include the software or databases used and length of time performing the functions described.
3. Experience presenting analysis of data to your management team.
4. Experience auditing financial transactions.

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is required and must be included.
• Statement of Qualifications - • STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS – A Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) is REQUIRED and must be submitted with your application to be considered for this position. Failure to include the Statement of Qualifications as required shall result in disqualification from the hiring process. Please see the section labeled "Statement of Qualifications" for further information.