Accountant III

Salary: $43.32 - $54.47 Hourly
Location : Portland Building, 1120 SW 5th Ave, OR
Job Type: Regular
Job Number: 2026-00675
Bureau: Public Safety Service Area
Opening Date: 07/27/2026
Closing Date: 8/10/2026 11:59 PM Pacific


The Position
The City of Portland is recruiting to fill current and future Accountant III vacancies across the city.

Accountant III positions perform work in the following 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.

Job Appointment: Full time, regular

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8am-5pm. Alternate schedule may be available.


Work Location: Work locations vary by bureau/office.

• Public Safety Service Area: Hybrid. Employees are expected work on site 50% of the time. In-person work will be conducted at 1120 SW 5th Avenue, Portland, OR. Remote work must be performed within Oregon or Washington. For more information, click here.
• Office of the Chief Financial Officer: Fully remote.

Benefits: Please check our benefit tab for an overview of benefit for this position.

Union Representation: This classification is represented byAFSCME-189. Applicants start at the entry salary rate. If you are a AFSCME represented employee, see labor agreement for additional information or talk to your union representative. You can view the labor agreement here: .

Language Pay Premium Eligible: This position is or may be eligible for for qualifying employees.

Application Material: Please click APPLY to submit your application via the City of Portland's online portal. You will need to respond to the supplemental questions and attach a resume.


Position Summary:
The Accountant III positions typically perform the most responsible accounting-related functions and have a substantial impact on the integrity of financial systems, reporting, and management decision making. The Accountant III is responsible for accounting, reporting, and financial analysis and is significantly relied upon for accuracy, completeness, and timeliness by City management for decision making purposes.


What you'll get to do:

• Financial reporting & analysis: Gathers and verifies data from financial systems, performs analysis (Excel/statistical tools), and produces reports, charts, and leadership presentations, including ad-hoc requests.
• Forecasting & trend analysis: Develops long-range financial projections and analyzes expenditures, revenues, variances, and trends to support management resource allocation.
• AP management: Reviews and validates vendor invoices, ensures proper coding/approval routing, and maintains accurate records.
• Compliance & audit readiness: Conducts monthly audits of financial documentation and maintains documentation of methodologies/data sources used.
• Year-end auditing & reporting: Reviews and closes project accounts, reconciles cost accounting across systems, produces capital asset/funding reports, and manages year-end processes (journal entries, stakeholder deadlines, meetings) to ensure timely submission.
• Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) & Guideline Development: Develops and recommends modifications of accounting control policies, procedures and practices; implements and updates accounting policies and procedures

Current Vacancy:

The current vacancy exists in the Public Safety Service Area (PSSA). As the Accountant III, you will serve as the bureau's primary cashier and accounts receivable specialist. This position is responsible for processing customer payments for permits, fees, and other bureau services while providing exceptional customer service to the public and internal stakeholders. The Accountant III works closely with customers at the Development Services Center and collaborates with bureau staff to ensure accurate, timely, and compliant financial transactions.

In addition to the bullet points listed above, the PSSA Accountant III will also be responsible for:

• Collections & write-offs: Evaluates uncollectible receivables, manages write-off approvals, and leads delinquent account collection efforts.
• AR management: Tracks project revenues against contracts, monitors aging reports, reconciles payments, and follows up on discrepancies or overdue balances.
• External billing: Independently creates and issues customer invoices in SAP, verifies accuracy against contracts, and coordinates with City staff to gather billing data.
• Billing follow-up & process improvement: Monitors outstanding invoices, follows up on payment, escalates significant delays or disputes, and identifies efficiency improvements while maintaining documented work instructions.
• Capital asset tracking & systems: Develops and maintains project accounting systems, and capital asset tracking; oversees asset acquisition, maintenance, and disposition; leads internal audits/reconciliations to verify records, ownership, and depreciation. Reviews, validates, analyzes and records capital project costs, working closely with project managers and other departments to ensure all transactions are recorded accurately.

Questions?
Jaclyn Snyder, Senior Recruiter

Bureau of Human Resources
To Qualify

The following minimum qualifications are required for this position:

1. Experience applying Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), and government GAAP as dictated by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB).
2. Experience extracting detailed financial information from an ERP system (currently SAP) for accounting and financial reporting, assembling financial data, and preparing clear, concise, and comprehensive technical documents, reports, illustrations, and other written materials.
3. Experience effectively communicating both verbally and in writing with all business partners, regardless of their varying levels of accounting knowledge.
4. Experience applying financial analysis techniques.
5. Ability to collaborate effectively as a team member while also being capable of working independently without guidance.
6. Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a customer-focused environment

The Recruitment Process
STEP 1: Apply online between Monday, July 27, 2026 - Monday, August 10, 2026
Required Application Materials:

• Resume
  • Note : Do not include your age, date of birth, or the dates you attended or graduated from school. Only provide this information if it is specifically requested to meet job requirements or to follow federal, state, or local laws or rules.
• Answer to the Supplemental Questions (click on the Questions tab to preview the questions)

Optional Application Materials:

• Veteran documents to request for Veteran Preference (ex, DD214-Member 4, VA Benefit Letter, etc.)
  • Effective January 1, 2026, the State of Oregon law ORS 408.225 - 408.238 is amended to expand eligibility for Veterans' Preference to current and former Oregon National Guard service members. If applicants are existing state or former Oregon National Guard servicemembers, they are encouraged to attach appropriate documentation to their future recruitment applications.
  • Update: As of March 3, 2025, if you have already submitted veteran documents and qualified for preference, you do not need to resubmit them for future recruitments.
  • To update or remove veteran preference for this recruitment or from your profile, contact the recruiter listed in the job announcement.

Application Tips:

• Your responses to the supplemental questions should include details describing your education, training and/or experience, and where obtained, which clearly reflects your qualifications for each of the numbered items in the "To Qualify" section of this announcement.
• Your resume should support the details described in your responses to the supplemental questions.
• How We Determine Pay : The City of Portland is covered by the . Your salary is determined based on the experience listed in your resume that is directly related and equivalent to the position for which you are applying. It is strongly encouraged to include any transferable experience (paid or unpaid regardless of how recent) to ensure your offer is reflective of all your relevant experience.
• Do not attach materials not requested.
• All completed applications for this position must be submitted no later than on the closing date and time of this recruitment.
• All applications must be submitted via the City's online application process. E-mailed and/or faxed applications will not be accepted.
• You can use AI tools to assist with your job application, but please make sure to personalize your responses to supplemental questions. Avoid copying and pasting; instead, use AI to generate ideas and then tailor them to reflect your own experiences and skills.

Step 2: Minimum Qualification Evaluation: Week of August 10, 2026

• An evaluation of each applicant's training and paid and unpaid experience, as demonstrated in their resume and supplemental questions, weighted 100%.
• Your resume and responses to the supplemental questions will be the basis for our evaluation of your qualifications for this position. Incomplete or inappropriate information may result in disqualification.
• You have 14 days from the notice of the minimum qualification evaluation results to let us know if you like to review and discuss your evaluation result. Please read the for complete information.
• Additional evaluation may be required prior to establishment of the eligible list and/or final selection.

Step 3: Establishment of Eligible List: Week of August 17, 2026

• Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications will be placed on the equally ranked eligible list.

Step 4: Selection (Interview): September

• Hiring bureau will review and select candidates to interview.

Step 5: Offer of Employment: October

• Some positions will require those offered employment to complete and sign a criminal background statement before being considered for employment.

Step 6: Start Date: November

• A start date will be determined after all conditions of employment have been met.

*Timeline is approximate and subject to change*

Additional Information

Click here for additional information regarding the following:

• Veteran Preference
• ADA, Pregnancy, and Religious Accommodations
• Work Status
• Equal Employment Opportunity

An Equal Opportunity Employer
A Career with the City of Portland offers many Employee Benefits
We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including but not limited to

• Health Care (Medical, Vision and Dental)
• Carrot Fertility
• Wellness Benefits
• Life Insurance
• Long-term disability
• Employee Assistance Plan
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Retirement
• Oregon Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), including contributions to the PERS IAP plan paid by employer
• Family Medical Leave
• City Paid Parental Leave

AND SO MANY MORE!

Benefits may vary depending on bargaining unit and employment status.
01



Thank you for your interest in joining the team at the City of Portland. We sincerely value your time and hope to make your application experience as positive as possible.

The following supplemental questions are an important step to assist us in determining if you have the minimum qualifications to succeed in the posted vacancy.
Write specific and unique responses to each question. Answering "No", to any of the Yes/No questions or answering an essay question with the following "See resume", or entering "N/A" for any of the minimum qualifications listed in the "To Qualify" section may eliminate you from further consideration.
Note: If you are requesting veterans' preference, please be sure to upload a copy of your DD214 and/or Veteran's administration letter stating your disability. Veteran's preference documentation must be submitted by the closing time of this announcement.
Have you read and understood all the information listed above?

• Yes
• No - If you have any questions, please contact the recruiter on the announcement.

02


Where did you first learn about this job opportunity? (If on a website or job board, please specify which one)
03


The City of Portland receives public records requests at times. Please indicate which response you find appropriate:(Answer will not disqualify you from the process)

• My application was submitted with the understanding that the City of Portland would keep the information confidential and would only disclose the information if ordered to do so. I would not have submitted this application without the promise of confidentiality.
• You may release my application; I am waiving confidentiality.

04



Minimum Qualification 1: Please describe your experience applying Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), and government GAAP as dictated by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB). Include coursework, certifications, on-the-job training, or other learning sources. (Limit your response to 1-2 paragraphs)
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Minimum Qualification 2: Please describe your experience using ERP systems to retrieve financial data and prepare financial reports. Include the system(s) used and the types of reports you produced. (Limit your response to 1-2 paragraphs)
06



Minimum Qualification 3: Please provide an example of a time when you explained a financial or technical concept to a non technical audience. What was the situation, and how did you ensure your message was clear and persuasive? (Limit your response to 1-2 paragraphs)
07



Minimum Qualification 4: Please describe your experience applying financial analysis techniques. (Limit your response to 1-2 paragraphs)
08



Minimum Qualification 5: Please describe your ability to collaborate effectively as a team member while also being capable of working independently without guidance. (Limit your response to 1-2 paragraphs)
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Minimum Qualification 6: Please describe how you manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a customer focused setting. Provide a specific example that illustrates your ability to balance tasks effectively. (Limit your response to 1-2 paragraphs)
Required Question