Accounting Technician

Accounting Technician

Under general direction, to perform a variety of the most difficult and complex paraprofessional, technical account and statistical record keeping work in connection with the development, maintenance, and processing of County fiscal and statistical records; to provide information and assistance regarding inquiries concerning an assigned work area; to provide lead direction, training, and work coordination for other fiscal support staff, when assigned; and to do related work as required.

This is a specialized Accounting Technician classification. Incumbents have responsibility for performing the most difficult, complex, and specialized paraprofessional, technical account and statistical record keeping support work, requiring substantial background and experience in the area of financial and statistical record keeping where assigned. This class is distinguished from Account Clerk III in that incumbents perform more technical work requiring more comprehensive knowledge of the County fiscal system and requirements. It is distinguished from the Accountant class series in that Accountants perform professional work requiring more formalized training and knowledge of accounting theory and principles. Incumbents in the Accounting Technician classification are expected to coordinate a major assigned area of fiscal record keeping and training for other County fiscal support staff who work with the County fiscal system.

Reports to a variety of County supervisory or management positions, depending upon the department or program area where assigned.

This is not a supervisory class. However, incumbents provide work coordination and training for other County fiscal support staff.

Typical physical requirements include sitting for extended periods; frequently standing and walking; normal manual dexterity and eye-hand coordination; lifting and moving objects weighing up to 25 lbs.; corrected hearing and vision to normal range; verbal communication; use of office equipment including computer, telephone, calculator, copiers, and FAX.

Typical working conditions include work performed in an office environment; continuous contact with other staff and the public. Some positions may have frequent contact with inmates with the County Detention Facility.

(The following is used as a partial description and is not restrictive as to duties required.) Performs a wide scope of the most complex and specialized technical financial and statistical record keeping work; maintains journals, general ledgers, and subsidiary ledgers; maintains and updates accounts receivable controls and accounts; classifies and posts expenditures to budgetary accounts; maintains detailed job process and administrative overhead records; analyzes revenue and expenditures, preparing periodic statements; assists with preparation of budget estimates and projections; prepares and maintains trial balances, recapitulations and balance sheets; maintains and updates complex financial and statistical reports; calculates and compiles apportionments, shares of financial appropriations, or subventions; receives and classifies accounting data; identifies and resolves a variety of complex account and statistical record keeping problems; prepares periodic billings for special contracts; maintains records for revolving and trust accounts; prepares claims for other government agencies; initiates budget transfers to cover account shortages; operates computers, using County financial software, special on-line software used in an assigned County department, and spreadsheets; may process financial adjustments/corrections on child support cases; may audit Court orders and calculate arrearage on child support cases; may reconcile accounts and prepare warrant registers for special districts; may post opening balances to County accounts at the beginning of each fiscal year; explains financial procedures and assigned area technical account record keeping requirements to other staff, representatives of other government agencies, and the public; provides lead direction, work coordination, and training for other staff.

Any combination of training and experience which would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required knowledge and abilities would be: one year of previous financial and statistical record keeping work experience comparable to that of a Account Clerk III with San Benito County. OR three years of full time experience, or its equivalent, performing office support duties relating to fiscal, statistical, or case records maintenance.

Special Requirements: Possession of, or ability to obtain a valid class C California Drivers License. May be required to pass a fingerprint/background investigation.

Knowledge of: methods, practices, and terminology of financial and statistical record keeping. Laws, rules, and regulations governing the maintenance of fiscal records in the area of assignment. Basic principles and terminology of accounting. Good public relations techniques. Maintenance of files and information retrieval systems. Computerized financial information systems used by the County. Modern office methods and procedures. Principles of lead direction, training, and work coordination.

Ability to: perform a variety of the most complex and technical specialized financial and statistical record keeping work. Maintain on-going responsibility for an assigned specialized component of the fiscal record keeping system. Provide lead direction, training, and work coordination for other staff, when assigned. Assist with budget preparation and expenditure control. Read and understand codes, statutes, and information related to financial and statistical record keeping work. Gather and organize data and information. Prepare financial and statistical reports. Make mathematical calculations quickly and accurately. Work with computerized financial and special information systems and use a computer for financial and statistical record keeping work. Deal tactfully and courteously with the public and other staff when explaining the functions and policies of the work area where assigned. Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships.

In accordance with California Government Code section 3100, et., seq., all County of San Benito employees are considered disaster service workers who may be required to report for duty, or remain on duty to address disaster service activities in the event of an emergency or disaster and are required to undertake an applicable loyalty oath.