Senior Accountant

Senior Accountant

Under general direction, performs the more complex and responsible professional accounting work, including auditing, analyzing, and verifying financial records, preparing financial and statistical reports, providing information to City staff regarding accounting practices and procedures, and reconciling general ledger accounts; participates in the preparation of the City's annual budgets; prepares year-end audit reports and schedules; provides responsible support to the Accounting Manager in areas of expertise; and performs related duties as required.

Receives general direction from the Accounting Manager. Exercises technical and functional direction over and provides training to lower-level staff. Class Characteristics. This is the advanced journey-level classification in the Accountant 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 complex accounting and financial record-keeping functions. 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. This class is distinguished from Accounting Manager by the latter's full management and supervisory authority in planning, organizing, and directing the full scope of operations within the division.

Provides complex professional and technical assistance in the administration and implementation of the City's financial, auditing, and accounting programs, including financial report development, budget monitoring, forecasting, and collection of revenues.

Analyzes financial data and prepares a wide variety of financial reports and statements, including the City's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR), State Controller's Report (SCO), and related documents.

Analyzes and reconciles expenditure and revenue accounts, verifying availability of funds and classification of expenditures; researches and analyzes transactions to resolve problems; prepares monthly and year-end journal vouchers for a wide variety of financial programs.

Participates in the compilation and preparation of annual budgets, including assisting other departments with budget preparation, providing revenue and expense projections, monitoring expenditures, and preparing and updating cash flow and projections.

Participates in the preparation of audit schedules and reports for external auditors and assists the management and auditors during the annual auditing process.

Processes and reconciles revenues, expenditures, and technical transactions in compliance with all applicable Federal, State, and City laws, rules, regulations, and ordinances.

Prepares and processes reports and records including cash flows, historical summaries, charts, graphs, and various memos and letters.

Receives, reviews, and processes various reports and records including payment authorizations, computer printouts, bank statements, checks, and receipts.

Prepares comprehensive financial and accounting activity studies, statistics, statements, and reports.

Researches and analyzes technical transactions to resolve questions and validate data; ensures fiscal accountability and fund integrity for transactions and supporting documentation.

Coordinates technical and financial information and communications between the division, other departments, and external agencies regarding cost allocations and accounting issues.

Interprets, explains, and applies general and governmental accounting/auditing principles and procedures, laws, and regulations affecting the financial operations of municipal government; provides professional and technical guidance and training to other staff in accounting processes.

Attends meetings, conferences, workshops, and training sessions, and reviews publications to remain current on principles, practices, and new developments in accounting.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Knowledge of principles of providing functional direction and training; principles and practices of leadership; principles and techniques for working with groups and fostering effective team interaction to ensure teamwork is conducted smoothly; modern principles, practices, and methods of public and governmental accounting and financing, including program budgeting, cost accounting, and auditing and their application to municipal operations; general principles and practices of data processing and its applicability to accounting and municipal operations; principles and practices of budget development and management; principles and practices of financial report development; principles and practices of complex mathematics and statistical analysis; applicable Federal, State, and local laws, regulatory codes, ordinances, and procedures relevant to municipal financial operations; principles and practices of business organization and public administration; research and reporting methods, techniques, and procedures; technical report writing and preparation of correspondence; principles and procedures of record keeping; techniques for providing a high level of customer service by effectively dealing with 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; analyze financial data and draw sound conclusions; prepare clear, complete, and concise financial statements and reports; make accurate arithmetic, financial, and statistical computations; evaluate and develop improvements in operations, procedures, policies, or methods; 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; conduct research projects, evaluate alternatives, make sound recommendations, and prepare effective technical staff reports; establish and maintain a variety of filing, record-keeping, and tracking systems; 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 a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in accounting, finance, business administration, or a related field. Experience: Five (5) years of increasingly responsible professional accounting experience. Licenses and Certifications: None.

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.

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/or private representatives in interpreting and enforcing departmental policies and procedures.