Senior Accounting Officer, Specialist

Job Description and Duties

THIS POSITION MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR A HYBRID WORK SCHEDULE. THE AMOUNT OF TELEWORK IS AT THE DISCRETION OF THE DEPARTMENT AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AS BUSINESS NEEDS ARISE.

Would you like to use your accounting education in a meaningful way? Great news! We are seeking professionals who can apply their accounting education and experience to join our team as an Sr. Accounting Officer (Specialist)!

Under the general direction of the Tax Administrator I/II, the Sr. Accounting Officer Specialist (SAO Specialist) performs the more difficult professional program accounting work and complex monetary eligibility determinations and adjustments related to Claims Processing and Benefit Payment Control activities. These include fraud prevention and detection, establishment of overpayments, employer and claimant assistance, and maintenance of employer and claimant accounts to ensure the integrity of the Unemployment Insurance (UI) Trust Fund.

The SAO Specialist will utilize a variety of databases, analyze information from a variety of Federal, State and Departmental sources and make the most complex determinations and adjustments as related to the Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Disability Insurance (DI) programs.

The incumbent is responsible for a variety of analytical, administrative, and technical functions critical to the daily operations of the section; and prepares status reports, establishes and analyzes performance measures, performs quality review, and analyzes legislative bills for their impact on the operations.

The incumbent needs to be flexible and adaptable to frequent workload changes based on organizational workload priorities.

Position exists in Sacramento County.

Effective July 1, 2025, specific Bargaining Units and associated Excluded State employees are subject to a salary reduction between 2% - 4.62% in exchange for hours in the Personal Leave Program 2025 (PLP 2025) per month. For more details, please click here to visit the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) website.

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Working Conditions

Visa Sponsorship

This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must be authorized to work in the US without the need for visa sponsorship by the start date of employment.

Special Requirements

It is strongly encouraged to apply through your CalCareer Account at .

Please only submit ONE application. Electronic applications submitted through your CalCareer Account are highly recommended and will be received/processed faster than other methods of filing.

If you are unable to apply electronically through your CalCareer account, please mail a completed and signed State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 and application package to the mailing address provided in the “Application Instructions’ section below and ensure the following:

• Clearly indicate the Job Code #, Position Number and the Classification Title of this position in the “Examination or Job Title(s) For Which You Are Applying” section located on Page 3 of your State Examination/Employment STD Form 678.

• Clearly indicate the basis of your eligibility (list, transfer, reinstatement, etc.) in the “Explanations” section located on Page 3 of your State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678.

• Remove and do not submit the “Equal Employment Opportunity” questionnaire (Page 10) with your completed State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678. This page is for examination use only.

• Do not include your full Social Security Number on your documents and/or do not provide any LEAP information.

Examination/Assessment

If selected for hire , you must obtain list eligibility by taking and passing the examination. If you already have list eligibility for this classification, you do not need to retake the examination unless your list eligibility has expired.

Click the examination link below for more information and to take the exam:

For more information about the State hiring process, click here . To watch tutorials on how to apply for a State job, click here .

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

• Unemployment Insurance Benefit Audit programs knowledge and experience or social benefit program knowledge and experience.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and Access.
• Experience providing training on new workloads or new procedures/policies and performing quality reviews.
• Ability to research and utilize analytical techniques to resolve complex issues (reports, projects, assignments).
• Ability to handle multiple priorities simultaneously and effectively to meet deadlines (reports, projects, assignments).
• Ability to communicate professionally and effectively, verbally and in writing, with a variety of stakeholders, employees, and leadership team.
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment.
• Ability to prepare clear, complete and concise reports.

Benefits

Benefit information can be found on the CalHR website, , and the CalPERS website, .

Statement of Qualifications Requirements

A Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) is REQUIRED and must be submitted with your Employment Application (STD. 678). Applications received without an appropriate SOQ based on the instructions below will be rejected for being incomplete and will not be considered. Resumes, cover letters, or other documents will NOT be considered as a response to the SOQ.

The SOQ serves as documentation of each candidate’s ability to present information clearly and concisely in writing. The SOQ must be typed, no more than two pages in length; must be titled “Statement of Qualifications” and include the applicant’s name, e-mail, and phone number in the header. The SOQ must clearly include the questions with the responses in numbered format for each question below:

1. Describe in detail how your education and professional experience have prepared you for the responsibilities of the Senior Accounting Officer (Specialist) role. In your response, highlight specific coursework, system knowledge, and analytical skills that demonstrate your qualifications for this position.
2. Describe your experience reviewing and applying policies, regulations, or procedures. Describe how you used them in your work, and how you ensured you remained in compliance.

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is optional. It may be included, but is not required.
• Degree and/or School Transcripts
• Statement of Qualifications - A Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) is Required.  Please see “Statement of Qualifications Requirements” section for more information about the SOQ.