Senior Accountant

Senior Accountant

The City of Placentia is now recruiting for the position of Senior Accountant. The filing deadline is August 23, 2026. Are you passionate about making a tangible difference in your community? Our Finance Department seeks a dedicated, detail-oriented, hardworking Senior Accountant. Under the direction of the Director of Finance or Finance Manager, the Senior Accountant performs varied and difficult professional accounting work; administers the general ledger and chart of accounts and balances and reconciles monthly accounting reports and statements involving accounts payable, accounts receivable, and fund accounting; provides technical direction to accounting staff; ensures and develops procedures according to the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) and Generally Accepted Accounting Principles; and monitors internal control procedures.

Positions in this class are distinguished from the Senior Accountant II by their responsibility for the implementation of more structured general ledger accounting and reporting processes. The Senior Accountant II requires more specialized knowledge of financial accounting systems and reporting applications and higher problem-solving skills.

Examples of Duties

• Prepares, reviews, and reconciles monthly accounting statements and tracks actual revenues and expenditures and variance to budget by department.
• Audits, balances, and adjusts accounts payable and accounts receivable journals to ensure consistency with the general ledger given exceptions; reviews accounts payables warrant register for completeness and accuracy.
• Develops accounting and statistical reports for management use and specialized analyses.
• Reconciles monthly bank statements to properly recognize revenues and expenditures in comparison with the general ledger.
• Administers the Chart of Accounts and proposes and implements changes in accounting classifications to facilitate proper reporting of accounting transactions.
• Keeps current on new regulations and professional standards of the Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) and other regulatory bodies and recommends the adoption of new internal accounting procedures.
• Prepares and reviews accounting statements, tax records, and monthly financial reports.
• May provide technical direction to lower-level accounting personnel by explaining accounting procedures and answering related questions; audits transactions for completeness, accuracy, and compliance with accounting standards.
• Oversees and audits the work of employees responsible for cash control.
• Prepares the annual audit including completion of all work in connection with the annual audit with outside auditors; prepares the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report in accordance with GFOA award standards; assists in preparing the MD&A and note sections.
• Advises city departments on city financial and accounting practices, policies, procedures, and data.
• Performs other related duties as assigned to ensure the efficient and effective functioning of the work unit and the City.

Typical Qualifications

Any combination of training, education, and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying.

• A bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or a closely related field. Three or more years of varied professional and technical accounting experience, preferably including local government work.

License(s) required:

• Valid, current driver's license.

Certifications and testing required:

• None required

Recruitment Process

Applicants must file a concise and complete City application regarding their qualifications for the position online through the Human Resources Department webpage at as soon as possible. Applications may be accompanied by a resume that describes experience, education, and training in relation to the position's requirements; however, a resume will not be accepted in lieu of a City employment application.

All applications will be reviewed, and only those candidates deemed most qualified based on their education, training, and experience, as submitted, will be invited to participate in the selection process. The selection process may include, but is not limited to, oral interviews, and/or written exams, and oral presentations. Successful candidates will be placed on the employment-eligible list from which hires may be made. The list is valid for up to one year, or until an insufficient number of candidates remain, unless exhausted sooner.

The City of Placentia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, gender, age, ancestry, national origin, political or religious affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, other non-job related physical or mental disability, medical condition, or other functional limitation in employment or the provision of service. The City is committed to making its programs, services, and activities accessible to individuals with qualified disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodations to complete the employment application and/or participate in the testing process, please get in touch with the Human Resources Office at View phone number on click.appcast.io before the filing deadline. The City of Placentia's Drug-Free Workplace Policy requires that all applicants undergo substance abuse testing prior to employment. The City of Placentia will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history, in accordance with the California Fair Chance Act.