Associate Accounting Analyst

Associate Accounting Analyst

Under the general supervision of the Financial Accountant II, the Associate Accounting Analyst utilizes the knowledge of Government Codes, fiscal accounting rules and regulations contained in the State Administrative Manual, the Uniform Codes Manual, governmental accounting principles and procedures, and procedures prescribed by the State Controller's Office (SCO) or as required by law. The incumbent will be responsible for complex technical and professional accounting activities related to establishing new appropriation accounts, analyzing appropriateness of transactions, approving expenditures, certifying availability of funds, reporting of accounting records, and maintaining control records of the State's Central Control Accounting System, the SCO Fiscal System (Legacy) and/or the Financial Information System for California (FI$Cal). Operating at the full journey level, the incumbent exercises a high degree of independence and performs a full range of professional accounting duties including, but not limited to, the following:

• Read, review, and interpret laws and legislation and prepare the necessary accounting transactions to implement the provisions.
• Evaluate and perform analyses of accounting documents issued by staff to ensure that accounting documents are processed and issued per governmental accounting practices and statutory authorization, and they are posted to the proper accounts and are processed within the time-frame specified within the bureau's guidelines and procedures.
• Maintain accounting control records in FI$Cal by establishing, processing, and maintaining funds, general ledger accounts, accounts receivable and payable records, appropriations, receipts, disbursements, and other financial records.
• Review and analyze complex transaction requests from state agencies requesting transfers between or within agencies' funds and accounts. Determine the legality of requests and sufficiency of cash and appropriation.
• Provide analytical assistance in state accounting areas within the bureau.
• Communicate with accounting personnel from state agencies and the Department of Finance to resolve specific accounting issues and explain rules and procedures.
• Advise state agencies by providing solutions to specific accounting problems that result when an agency's request cannot be honored due to existing laws and regulations, accounting rules and procedures, or a deficiency in cash or appropriation balances.
• Ensure that all documents are sent timely to all affected agencies.
• Perform analyses of the bureau's processes and forms to identify problems.
• Ensure that the existing procedures meet the requirements of FI$Cal and specialized fiscal control accounting records.
• Identify system improvements and errors related to data input.
• Identify discrepancies and/or program deficiencies.
• Meet with bureau management to present findings of analyses and provide recommendations of how specific processes can be improved and operational tasks streamlined.
• Assess training needs of the bureau by evaluating current training materials and resulting products.
• Report findings, recommend changes to bureau management, and revise training materials.
• Develop, schedule, and provide staff training, as needed.
• Per division or section management's request, give presentations and perform special projects by applying accounting and auditing principles and SCO procedures.
• Prepare and present informative updates and training to various groups within and outside the agency.
• Participate in fiscal year-end activities.
• As workload permits, participate in discussion and work in other units within the bureau.

You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.