Senior Accountant - Controller's Office (Open and Promotional)

Senior Accountant - Controller's Office

Are you interested in enhancing your accounting skills in a comprehensive work environment that provides high-quality training, welcomes diversity, and strives for inclusion? Are you open to working in a constant learning environment and enhancing your accounting skills? Do you want a "bird's eye" view of the accounting processes across a complex government organization with distinct departments? If the answer to any of these questions is "yes" this position may be for you. The County of San Mateo is seeking well-qualified candidates for the position of Senior Accountant - Controller's Office. Senior Accountants in the Controller's Office exercise a high degree of independent judgment on diverse and specialized projects and have significant accountability and ongoing decision-making associated with their work. While overseeing a significant accounting functional area, Senior Accountants perform complex professional accounting work relative to centralized and/or departmental County accounting procedures and records, and may direct the work of accounting professionals and support staff. The current vacancies are in the General Accounting and Accounts Payable Division of the Controller's Office. This division is responsible for preparing Countywide financial reports, the State Controller's Transactions report, and Budget Schedules, reviewing capital assets, and completing journal entries and month-end and year-end closing. The Division also responds to accounting questions from County departments. The Senior Accountant – Controller's Office position offers an exceptional opportunity to be a part of an office that is committed to ethics, equity, and accountability. The ideal candidate for the Senior Accountant – Controller's Office position will have:

• Three to five years of journey-level accounting experience.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and a proven ability to effectively communicate with internal and external customers and stakeholders.
• Excellent technical skills in accounting, internal controls, and research analysis.
• Knowledge of GAAP.
• Experience in day-to-day governmental accounting and reporting.
• Experience supervising fiscal staff.
• Experience with project management.
• The ability to identify and implement process improvements.
• The ability to work independently, problem solve, and exercise sound judgment within established guidelines.
• Experience in accounting, including financial statements and auditing.

Because of the comprehensive work completed in the Controller's Office, Senior Accountants are often able to leverage their experience toward promotional opportunities throughout the County. Controller's Office experienced employees are highly desired by other County departments. The County of San Mateo offers competitive salaries and benefits, including an extensive wellness program and a solid pension plan. The County of San Mateo is a leader in addressing many pressing issues, including the response to COVID-19, homelessness, health care inequity, and the disenfranchisement of underrepresented populations. County employees play a key role in helping to solve these issues, which positively impact the lives of County residents. NOTE: This position is based entirely onsite and does not include remote work options. NOTE: The eligible list generated from this recruitment may be used to fill future extra-help, term, unclassified, and regular classified vacancies.

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Recommend the selection of professional staff and provide direction, supervision, training, work review, and/or evaluation of assigned professional and fiscal support staff on a project or ongoing basis.
• Train fiscal staff of other departments in accounting and system procedures.
• Coordinate and calculate month-end and year-end closings.
• Prepare journal entries and periodic reconciliations of general ledger, journal, subsidiary accounts, and bank statements.
• Compile and prepare financial statements, general and subsidiary ledgers, and supporting schedules; maintain expenditure and budgetary control accounts.
• Maintain varied departmental cost accounting records, disbursing funds to various accounts and/or billings for reimbursement as required.
• Provide technical support to internal auditors and governmental program auditors.
• Analyze programs and legislation to determine fiscal impact.
• Review and recommend improvements to accounting systems and procedures, and implement new or modified systems and procedures upon approval.
• Coordinate the development of updated procedures and procedural manuals and implement changes.
• Review documentation for accuracy and conformance to legal and procedural requirements.
• Maintain current knowledge of accounting and reporting requirements, policies, and procedures.
• Recommend accounting and reports changes to ensure compliance with governmental requirements and regulations.
• Represent the department in responding to inquiries concerning accounting methods and procedures, confer with department personnel on accounting questions and problems, and explain the implications of complex accounting matters to non-financial managers and decision makers.
• Make verbal presentations and conduct trainings regarding accounting policies and procedures.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

Experience and Education: Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and skills is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required knowledge and skills is: Equivalent to graduation from a four-year college or university with major coursework in accounting, finance, business administration, or a closely related field and one year of journey-level accounting experience. This classification requires the successful completion of a minimum of twelve semester units of college-level accounting coursework. Knowledge of:

• Basic supervisory principles and practices.
• Principles, practices, and terminology of general, fund, and governmental accounting.
• Principles and practices of business data processing, particularly as related to the processing of accounting information.
• Principles of public finance.
• Applicable laws regulating public fiscal operations.
• Budgeting principles and terminology.
• Auditing and financial reconciliation principles and methods.

Skill/Ability to:

• Plan, direct, review, and evaluate the work of assigned support staff.
• Train others in work procedures.
• Review, analyze, post, balance, interpret, and reconcile complex financial data and accounts.
• Develop and implement accounting systems and procedures.
• Verify the accuracy of financial data and information.
• Ensure proper authorization and documentation for disbursements.
• Interpret and apply complex financial procedures and legal documents.
• Exercise sound independent judgment within established policy guidelines.
• Prepare and direct the preparation of clear, concise, and complete financial reports and statements, audit reports and audit work papers.
• Make accurate mathematical and statistical calculations.
• Establish and maintain effective working relations.

Open & Promotional. Anyone may apply. Current County of San Mateo and County of San Mateo Superior Court of California employees with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in a classified regular, probationary, or extra-help/limited term position prior to the final filing date will receive five points added to their final passing score. Responses to the supplemental questions must be submitted in addition to our regular employment application form. A resume will not be accepted as a substitute for the required employment application and supplemental questionnaire. The examination process will consist of an application screening based on the candidates' application and responses to the supplemental questions (weight: pass/fail). Candidates who pass the application screening may be invited to a panel interview (weight: 100%). Depending on the number of applicants, an application appraisal of education and experience may be used in place of other examinations, or further evaluation of work experience may be conducted to group applicants by level of qualification. Applicants meeting the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through any subsequent phase of the examination. All examinations will be given in San Mateo County, California, and applicants must participate at their own expense. IMPORTANT: Applications for this position will only be accepted online. If you are currently on the County's website, you may click the "Apply" button. If you are not on the County's website, please go to to apply. This is a continuous recruitment which may close at any time. The final filing date will be posted 5 days in advance in the San Mateo County Human Resources Department. Apply immediately. This recruitment is open on a continuous basis and selections may be made at any time within the process. TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT SCHEDULE Final Filing Date: Continuous Application Screening: TBD Civil Service Panel Interview: TBD