Senior Accounting Technician Government Job Dept-Flexible/Hybrid Full Time

VENTURA COUNTY
The County’s 1,873 square miles include 1,846 square miles of land with 42 miles of coastline which is home to the fol­lowing cities and points of interest: Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Ojai, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Santa Paula, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, and Ventura as well as national protected areas such as parts of the Angeles National Forest, Channel Islands National Park, and the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.
 
Ventura County is a “general law” county, governed by a five-member, elected-by-district Board of Supervisors. The Supervisors appoint a County Executive Officer (CEO) to oversee the County budget, day-to-day operations, and to advise, assist, and act as an agent for the Board of Supervisors in all matters under the Board’s jurisdiction. It focuses on serving its residents by promoting engagement, strategy, execution and accountability to include diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives to ensure that all employees are treated with respect and without discrimination, and to improve culturally appropriate outcomes for community members.

WHAT WE OFFER
The County of Ventura offers an attractive compensation and benefits package that includes:

• Educational Incentive – An educational incentive of 2.5% for completion of an associate’s degree, 3.5% for completion of a bachelor’s degree, OR 5% for completion of a graduate’s degree.
• Bilingual Incentive – Proficiency levels by exam are $.69 per hour (Level I), $1.00 per hour (Level II), or $1.32 per hour (Level III).
• Vacation Accrual – New regular, full-time employees shall accrue approximately 14 days of vacation a year for the first 10,400 hours or 5 years of service; vacation accruals increase at 5, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 20 years of service topping out at 26 days a year and 400 hours of vacation hours banked. 
• Annual Leave Redemption – After 14,560 hours of continuous County service an employee may elect to “cash in” or redeem up to 80 hours of vacation accrued in the same year after using 80 hours of vacation in the preceding 12 months. 
• Sick Leave – Full time regular employees accrue 3.08 hours of sick leave per pay period with an advance at hire of 40.04 hours which will be balanced at the completion of 13 bi-weekly pay periods. 
• Deferred Compensation – Eligible to participate in the County’s 401(k) Shared Savings Plan and/or the Section 457 Plan. This position is eligible for up to a 3.00% match on your 401(k) contributions. 
• Health Plans – Full time employees are afforded a flexible credit allowance for purchasing medical, dental, and/or vision insurance from a group of authorized plans: Tier one for employee only is $497 per biweekly pay period, tier two for employee plus one is $678 per biweekly pay period and tier three for employee plus family is $825 per biweekly pay period.
• Flexible Spending Accounts – Choice of participation in the Flexible Spending Accounts which increase spending power through reimbursement of pre-tax dollars for IRS approved dependent care and health care expenses. 
• Pension Plan – Both the County and employees contribute to the County’s Retirement Plan and to Social Security. If eligible, reciprocity may be established with other public retirement systems, such as PERS. 
• Holidays – 12 paid days per year which includes a scheduled floating holiday.

THE POSITION
Under direction, performs complex full-charge bookkeeping and para-professional accounting work requiring evaluation and analysis of financial or fiscal data for assigned fiscal program area; plans, leads, schedules, assigns, monitors and reviews the work of assigned technical and clerical staff; examines, reconciles, and adjusts accounting records from subsidiary ledgers to the general ledger; makes adjustments to correct posting errors and misclassified transactions; prepares periodic summaries of financial transactions including trial balances, revenue and expense statements, and statistical, cost and operating reports to support annual reports to federal and state agencies.

Senior Accounting Technician – This is the advanced journey level in the Accounting Technician series; positions at this level perform the more complex duties and responsibilities, exercising a significant level of independent judgment in the performance of their duties; work assigned to this advanced level requires a specialized technical or functional expertise beyond the journey level, requiring a higher level of analysis and evaluation such as more complex bank and trust account reconciliations, cost apportionments and cost analyses; positions may also be assigned functional, technical and lead supervisory duties over lower level staff when such assignments are a formal organizational responsibility, supervising at least three subordinate staff members.

Senior Accounting Technician is represented by the Service Employees’ International Union (SEIU) and is eligible for overtime compensation.

The eligible list established from this recruitment may be used to fill current and future Regular (including Temporary and Fixed-term), Intermittent, and Extra Help vacancies for this classification throughout the County.  There are currently multiple vacancies with various County departments/agencies.

The following duties are considered characteristic but not inclusive and are examples only.  Specific assigned duties may differ depending on the needs of the department/agency.

• Plans, leads, schedules, assigns and monitors the work assigned technical and clerical staff in assigned program area.
• Performs a variety of administrative functions in support of management requiring a comprehensive knowledge of all aspects of the fiscal program area.
• Assists in the interpretation of a variety of policies, procedures, regulations, contracts and agreements to determine if claims are in line with contract provisions.
• Confers with management on policy matters and work problems.
• Reconciles investment purchases, sales and exchange of securities with County investment custodian and brokers; writes investment trade tickets for submission to custodial bank.
• Reviews work prepared by assigned fiscal staff including investment and financial statements and supporting documentation for reports.
• Monitors credit worthiness of financial institutions; maintains contact with investment brokers with regard to research, purchases and sales of investments; reviews the portfolio’s performance on a regular basis, and makes recommendations to the Treasurer for updating the Investment Policy and Guidelines as necessary.
• Performs a technical and specialized review of accounting records and accounts; reviews and verifies source documents used in the receipt, distribution, collection and disbursement of monies to ensure proper coding and classifications, accurate accounting treatment and compliance with provisions of contracts/programs/legal requirements; as authorized, approves the payment of claims against the County.
• Receives, reviews and/or approves outgoing wires, image positive pay, quarterly interest apportionment, general ledgers, and bank statements; reconciles wires for heavy collections; maintains and reconciles adjustment for quarterly interest apportionment.
• Reviews Board Letters for assigned fiscal area; verifies information and that payments are in compliance with any contract provisions and County policy.
• Analyzes all direct and indirect costs incurred in the administration and operation of state, federal or grant funded programs to arrive at the maximum allowable reimbursement/claim; prepares grant draw downs and claims for County and outside agencies.
• In a cost accounting unit, has responsibility for making complex cost distributions, the apportionment of indirect costs by cost centers, and the setting up of overhead rates in accordance with established bases and techniques; assists in the research and compilation of information needed to set rates; prepares cost, staffing, and utilization analysis as requested.
• Assists in the development and revision of accounting manuals to incorporate procedures and guidelines in accordance with state, federal or granting authorities guidelines and requirements.
• Reviews a variety of reconciliations and transactions for compliance with policy and procedures; monitors cash positions; analyzes projected cash flow to anticipate fund expenditure requirements to ensure sufficient cash in on deposit.
• Reconciles daily bank statements; researches outstanding and/or misrouted deposits; prepares journal vouchers to adjust accounts accordingly; performs posting functions; enters fiscal information into automated system.
• Examines, reconciles, and adjusts accounting records from subsidiary ledgers to the general ledger; makes adjustments to correct posting errors and misclassified transactions; balances subsidiary ledger totals for the Auditor-Controller’s Financial Status Reports.
• Resolves complex vendor and billing issues; monitors past due invoices and requests expedited payments; serves as liaison between vendor and County department or agency.
• Sets up subsidiary records for individual grant billings; researches and analyzes incurred costs; makes necessary adjustments for staff time and operating costs; converts total units of service and calculates revenue; coordinates with program management for any updates in personnel and operating costs; submits grant billing in a timely manner.
• Summarizes actual expenditures for grant budgets including personnel and operating costs; based on historic trends and forecasted needs, prepares annual grant budget proposal.
• Updates worksheets for grant revenue projection and accrual for current year billings and forecast total billable for year supporting the department or agency’s Financial Status Report and the Annual Department Budget.
• Provides assistance in the Financial Status Report; updates financial data to multiple sub schedules such as revenue, personnel, professional and non-professional services, leases, etc. based on the actual grant revenue and expenses incurred to project the total costs for the department or agency.
• Receives, researches and compiles financial data; prepares periodic summaries of financial transactions including trial balances, revenue and expense statements, and statistical, cost and operating reports.
• Performs related duties as assigned.

These are the entrance requirements to the exam process and assure neither continuance in the process nor placement on an eligible list. 

EDUCATION, TRAINING and EXPERIENCE:
Any combination of education and experience which has led to the acquisition of the required knowledge and abilities.  An example of qualifying education and experience includes:

Three (3) years of progressively responsible accounting or full-charge bookkeeping experience with responsibility for the maintenance of books through trial balance; OR two (2) years’ experience as an Accounting Technician for the County of Ventura.

Education/Experience Substitution
Six (6) semester units of college-level accounting coursework may be substituted for up to one (1) year of the required experience.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
Some positions may require a valid California driver license.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, and ABILITIES:

Thorough knowledge of: operations services and activities of a comprehensive fiscal program in assigned department or agency; principles of lead supervision and training; the principles of double entry and accrual accounting; budgeting and funding regulations, practices and procedures; accounting principles and techniques; the accounting structure and financial guidelines of the department served; principles and practices of grant billing; principles and practices of cost apportionment; basic principles and practices of investment.

Skill in: reconciling subsidiary to control accounts and maintenance of books through trial balance; interpreting and applying rules, regulations, policies and procedures; use of computers and related technology including software applications specific to the work performed.

Ability to: lead, plan, direct, monitor and review the work of assigned staff; interpret and apply rules, regulations, policies and procedures involved in fiscal record keeping and accounting functions; compile, analyze, and evaluate financial transactions and reports; reconcile differences with financial record keeping systems; understand the relationships among a wide variety of accounting records, documents, and systems; prepare financial summaries and maintain ledgers and journals; make complex arithmetical calculations quickly and accurately; write basic business letters and procedures; exercise sound judgment in sensitive situations; communicate effectively both orally and in writing; and establish and maintain effective working relations with those contacted in the course of work.

FINAL FILING DATE:  Applications must be received by County of Ventura Human Resources in Ventura, California, no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 31, 2023.

To apply online, please refer to our web site at www.ventura.org/jobs.  If you prefer to fill out a paper application form, please call (805) 654-5129 for application materials and submit them to County of Ventura Human Resources, 800 South Victoria Avenue, L-1970, Ventura, CA 93009. 

NOTE:  If presently permanently employed in another “merit” or “civil service” public agency/entity in the same or substantively similar position as is advertised, and if appointed to that position by successful performance in a “merit” or “civil service” style examination, then appointment by “Lateral Transfer” may be possible.  If interested, please click here for additional information.

Applicants must provide sufficient information under the Education/Work experience portion of the application and supplemental questionnaire in order to determine eligibility.  A resume may be attached to supplement your responses in the above-referenced sections; however, it may not be submitted in lieu of the application.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE – qualifying: All applicants are required to complete and submit the questionnaire for this exam at the time of filing. This questionnaire may be used throughout the examination process to assist in determining each applicant’s qualifications and acceptability for the position.  Failure to complete and submit the questionnaire may result in the application being removed from further consideration.

APPLICATION EVALUATION – qualifying: All applications will be reviewed to determine whether or not the stated requirements are met. Those individuals meeting the stated requirements will be invited to continue to the next step in the screening and selection process. 

WRITTEN EXAMINATION – 100%: An un-proctored, internet-based job-related written examination will be conducted to evaluate participating candidates’ knowledge of accounting knowledge, accounting math, and computer knowledge. Candidates must earn a score of seventy percent (70%) or higher to qualify for placement on the eligible list.

Applicants successfully completing the examination process may be placed on an eligible list for a period of one (1) year.  

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION:  A thorough pre-employment, post offer background investigation which may include inquiry into past employment, education, criminal background information and driving record is required for this position.

For further information about this recruitment, please contact Patty Booker by email at [email protected]

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
The County of Ventura is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.
 
It is an objective of the County of Ventura to achieve a drug-free work place. Any applicant for county employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing Civil Service, and the special trust placed in public servants.