Senior Finance Assistant

Senior Finance Assistant

Under direction, provides technical and functional direction to lower-level staff and performs a variety of clerical, fiscal, and customer service duties in the preparation, maintenance, and processing of accounting records and financial transactions, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, cashiering, utility billing, and business licensing; maintains financial accounts and records and assists in the preparation of financial reports; and performs related work as required. Receives direction from assigned supervisory or management personnel. Exercises technical and functional direction over and provides training to lower-level staff. This is the advanced journey-level classification in the Finance Assistant series responsible for performing the most complex work assigned to the series. Incumbents regularly work on tasks which are varied and complex, requiring considerable discretion and independent judgment. Positions in the classification rely on experience and judgment to perform a variety of record-keeping, reconciliation, and accounting support activities. Assignments are given with general guidelines and incumbents are responsible for establishing objectives, timelines, and methods to complete assignments. Work is typically reviewed upon completion for soundness, appropriateness, and conformity to policy and requirements.

Examples Of Duties

Essential functions may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Provides technical and functional direction to assigned staff; gives work assignments; reviews and controls quality of work; participates in performing complex account processing duties.
• Trains employees in work principles, practices, methods, policies, procedures, and applicable Federal, State, and local laws, rules, and regulations; participates in the selection and hiring of staff.
• Assists other accounting and finance personnel in performing a variety of customer service and accounting support duties in the preparation, maintenance, and processing of accounting records and financial transactions, including utility billing, business licensing, cannabis ordinance regulations and tax, accounts payable, and/or accounts receivable.
• Responds to a variety of customers, departments, and employees' questions regarding specific account information, discrepancies, general accounting procedures, and/or department specific issues and problems; researches issues regarding specific transactions; and updates related files and departments on action items.
• Sets up new accounts or closes out terminated accounts; notifies Public Works Utilities & Operations (PWUO) Department of excessive water usage, collaborates with PWUO Department to investigate potential leaks and broken utility meters; calculates and processes billing adjustments due to leaks, penalty adjustments, or overestimating. May also provide oversight for listed tasks when performed by others.
• Processes, prints, and mails utility billings; receives, processes, and posts payments and issues receipts; handles and balances cash and credit card payments; sends out late and final notices, collection notices, and performs necessary collections and delinquency processing; reconciles reports; researches problems and makes adjustments; participates in implementing new utility rates.
• Processes final inspections, escrows, demolitions, and escrow demand sheets to title companies for escrow close; prepares refunds upon close of escrow.
• Records delinquent utility balances with Yolo County through filing of a property lien.
• Accepts and processes payments at the front counter, over the phone, and by mail, in cash, by check, or by credit card; makes change as necessary and maintains cash drawer as appropriate; balances payments and posts transactions in the accounting system daily.
• Communicates with City personnel, customers, various outside agencies, contractors, and the public to exchange information, coordinate activities and programs, and resolve issues or concerns; schedules meter readings in coordination with PWUO Department.
• Provides internal control for assigned function; reviews and implements approved internal control methods, office procedures, and related quality control measures.
• Maintain confidentiality of records and information as required.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Typical Qualifications

Knowledge of:

• Principles of providing functional direction and training.
• Terminology and practices of financial and account document processing and record-keeping, including accounts receivable, accounts payable, utility billing, and business licensing.
• Record keeping, information processing requirements, and rules and policies related to business licenses, accounts payable and utility billing.
• Cash handling procedures.
• Business arithmetic and basic financial techniques.
• Methods and techniques of researching and resolving fiscal transaction processing issues.
• City policies, procedures, and standards with respect to fiscal transaction processing.
• Methods and techniques of reviewing transactions to determine compliance with internal control measures.
• Applicable Federal, State, and local laws, regulatory codes, ordinances, and procedures relevant to assigned area of responsibility.
• Techniques for effectively interacting with and providing a high level of customer service to the public, vendors, contractors, and City staff.
• The structure and content of the English language, including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Modern equipment and communication tools used for business functions and program, project, and task coordination, including computers and software programs relevant to work performed.

Ability to:

• Plan, organize, and coordinate the work of assigned staff.
• Effectively provide staff leadership and work direction.
• Perform detailed accounting and financial office support work accurately and in a timely manner.
• Respond to and effectively prioritize multiple phone calls and other requests for service.
• Perform cashiering duties.
• Make thorough and accurate arithmetic and financial computations.
• Enter and retrieve data from a computer with sufficient speed and accuracy to perform assigned work.
• Establish and maintain a variety of filing, record-keeping, and tracking systems.
• Review transactions for internal control purposes and take necessary actions.
• Understand, interpret, and apply all pertinent laws, codes, regulations, policies and procedures, and standards relevant to work performed.
• Independently organize work, set priorities, meet critical deadlines, and follow-up on assignments.
• Use tact, initiative, prudence, and independent judgment within general policy and procedural guidelines.
• Effectively use computer systems, software applications relevant to work performed, and modern business equipment to perform a variety of work tasks.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing, using appropriate English grammar and syntax.
• Establish, maintain, and foster positive and effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Education and Experience: Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be: Education: Equivalent to completion of the twelfth (12th) grade supplemented by courses in accounting or bookkeeping. Experience: Three (3) years of increasingly responsible clerical experience in processing financial documents, maintaining financial or accounting records, or performing billing and collections duties. Licenses and Certifications: None.

Supplemental Information

Physical Demands: Must possess mobility to work in a standard office setting and use standard office equipment, including a computer; vision to read printed materials and a computer screen; and hearing and speech to communicate in person and over the telephone. This is primarily a sedentary office classification although standing in work areas and walking between work areas may be required. Finger dexterity is needed to access, enter, and retrieve data using a computer keyboard or calculator and to operate standard office equipment. Positions in this classification occasionally bend, stoop, kneel, reach, push, and pull drawers open and closed to retrieve and file information. Employees must possess the ability to lift, carry, push, and pull materials and objects up to 25 pounds. Environmental Elements: Employees work in an office environment with moderate noise levels, controlled temperature conditions, and no direct exposure to hazardous physical substances. Employees may interact with upset staff and/or public and private representatives in interpreting and enforcing departmental policies and procedures. WORKING CONDITIONS: N/A