Accounting Team Leader - Child Support Services

Accounting Team Leader

SALARY: $103,927.20 - $132,629.12 Annually

Are you an experienced accounting professional with a strong background in financial operations and team leadership? The County of Santa Barbara's Department of Child Support Services invites you to apply for the Accounting Team Leader position. This role is ideal for a financial leader who brings expertise in accounting operations, budgeting, fiscal oversight, and compliance, along with the ability to guide and support other professionals.

This position can be based in either Santa Barbara or Santa Maria, California, and is classified as a Financial Services Management Professional, Senior within the County's Management Professional series. Regular travel between Child Support Services offices in Santa Barbara and Santa Maria is required.

THE POSITION:

This position is responsible for leading the department's accounting and fiscal operations, including budget development and management, financial reporting, claims reconciliation, fiscal analysis, audit coordination, and ensuring compliance with State, federal, and County financial requirements. The role works collaboratively with key partners such as the State Department of Child Support Services, the County Executive Office, the Auditor-Controller's Office, General Services, and other County departments to support accurate reporting and sound financial practices.

The Accounting Team Leader provides day-to-day leadership and technical guidance to accounting and fiscal staff, supporting efficient operations and high-quality financial services. The incumbent helps implement departmental goals, manages assigned financial resources, analyzes financial data to support decision-making, identifies opportunities for process improvement, and ensures the responsible stewardship of public funds through effective leadership and collaboration.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS: This is the third (advanced journey) level in the Management Professional job family. This class is distinguished from subordinate classes within the series by the greater level of responsibility assumed, complexity of duties assigned, independence of action taken, and by the nature, impact, and scope of the public contact. Incumbents in this job class perform the most difficult and responsible types of duties assigned to classes within this series. Incumbents at this level are required to be fully trained in all policies, procedures, and operations related to assigned areas of responsibility. SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED: Reports to a higher-level manager or may report to an executive. Oversees the work of a team or teams of individual contributors through subordinate managers. May exercise direct and indirect supervision over assigned management, professional, technical, and administrative staff.

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT: The Child Support Services Department helps families navigate the child support process with clarity, compassion, and professionalism. Our team works closely with parents and caregivers to establish and enforce support orders, ensure consistent financial support, and connect families with community resources that promote children's well-being. We are committed to providing fair, respectful, and effective services that strengthen families and support positive outcomes for children in Santa Barbara County.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE POSSESSES:

• Excellent accounting and financial management skills.
• Strong proficiency in working with ERP systems to develop spreadsheets and reports.
• A successful track record of supervising professional, paraprofessional, and support staff.
• Strong attention to detail and a high level of personal responsibility for their work.
• Experience working within a public-sector environment.
• Effective communication skills and the ability to work with a wide range of individuals.
• A customer-service–oriented management style that fosters collaborative, positive relationships with County departments, external partners, and community stakeholders.
• Demonstrated strategic thinking, taking appropriate actions while anticipating future consequences and trends.
• A proactive approach to organizational change, including initiating and supporting improvements.
• Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills, along with a commitment to continual process improvement.
• The ability to mentor, develop, and engage staff to support their professional growth.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES:

• Develops and manages all aspects of the departmental budget; balances fiscal priorities; prepares accurate forecast projections; and prioritizes and allocates resources within the department.
• Writes the Department's "D" pages and updates outcome measures as part of the overall budgeting process. Submits quarterly claims to the State to reconcile revenues and expenditures; submits required budget proposals and reports to the State; and responds to state and local audits as needed.
• Provides oversight of lease agreements by updating agreements annually in accordance with CPI; engages with landlord and General Services on renewal options and lease amendments and works with landlords to resolve issues.
• Provides management and oversight to Program Accounting unit by working directly and through supervisors to establish and monitor performance measures and standards of success, assess workload and pursue opportunities for process improvement.
• Serves as a subject matter expert and uses technical and analytical expertise to develop findings.
• Makes resource allocation recommendations and implements resource decisions.
• Troubleshoots and resolves program or work unit issues and keeps higher level management informed of issues/resolution.
• Oversees the preparation of or prepares contracts, reports, records, plans, and other related documents; participates in the research and analysis of policy and related information; and makes recommendations to higher-level management staff.
• Supervises professional, paraprofessional, and support staff.
• Provides oversight or coordination of human resources–related activities in support of departmental operations.
• May represent the County on various professional committees; and may prepare and make presentations to the public, elected officials, boards, and other stakeholders.
• Performs other related duties as required.

EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS:

• Equivalent of a bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year college or university in accounting, finance, business administration, business economics; AND, Four (4) years of progressively responsible experience involving planning, analysis, coordination and evaluation in fiscal & budget management.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS: For specific positions, possession and maintenance of a valid California driver's license and the ability to meet automobile insurability requirements of the County or the ability to provide suitable transportation needs as a condition of continued employment. Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of leadership, motivation, team building and conflict resolution.
• Standard and accepted methods of writing requests for proposals, selecting consultants and negotiating contracts.
• Principles and practices of public administration and principles of organization, management, and staffing.
• Pertinent local, state, and federal laws, guidelines, regulations, and statutes.
• Principles and practices of public finance, budgeting, and fiscal control.
• Principles and practices of public human resources.
• Principles and techniques to plan, develop and coordinate comprehensive local government public relations, communications, and media relations programs.
• Standard research techniques, including the use of surveys and questionnaires.
• Principles and techniques of administrative analysis, including workload measurement, workflow and layout, work simplification and systems and procedure analysis.
• Principles and practices of local government, including county administration, organization, programs, and functions.
• Modern office procedures, methods, and computer equipment.
• Computer software, including word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, and database applications.
• English usage, spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

ABILITY TO:

• Read, analyze, evaluate, and summarize written materials and statistical data including reports, financial reports, and budgets.
• Compose, coordinate, and edit a variety of educational, informational, and promotional materials for dissemination and use by the County, other agencies, news media, and the general public.
• Apply the principles and practices of motivation, team building and conflict resolution.
• Obtain information through interview process; successfully accomplish multiple assignments; deal firmly and courteously with the public.
• Determine effective method of research; compile data and present it in a form most likely to enhance understanding.
• Prepare reports, statistical data, forms, questionnaires, and surveys.
• Analyze problems, identify alternative solutions, project consequences of proposed actions, and implement recommendations in support of goals.
• Interpret and apply pertinent local, state, and federal laws and regulations.
• Analyze situations quickly and objectively, apply appropriate elements of decision making and determine the proper course of action.
• Effectively deal with high levels of ambiguity and possess the ability to navigate through the ambiguity.
• Exercise initiative, sound independent judgment, tact, sensitivity, and discretion and maintain confidentiality within established guidelines.
• Collaborate with various community groups in a tactful and effective manner.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Make effective presentations