Accountant

The City of Oxnard's Finance Department is seeking an Accountant with strong technical skills to be part of our talented Finance team. The ideal candidate will have experience with payroll accounting and reporting, including the posting, balancing, and reconciliation of accounts and analysis of budget transactions. This role offers a unique opportunity for individuals interested in pursuing a public service career, offering the chance to develop accounting, budgeting, and analytical skills within a full-service municipality.

• Contribute to the maintenance and analysis of all General Ledger Accounts and other account subsystems such as accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, inventory, grants, fixed assets, revenues and utility billing.
• Work with HR - Payroll, and various program managers to generate by-weekly payroll journal accurately and timely, including journalizing labor allocations to reflect proper fund sourcing
• Reconcile on a monthly basis all Payroll related Liabilities and Expenses in Payroll Clearing Account and work with Payroll to explain any variances
• Prepare Year End GASB 68, GASB 75, and Compensated Absence Journal Entries with the help of management
• Learn and master the various accounting functions of a full service City

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:

This classification is distinguished from the Administrative Services Coordinator/Support Supervisor in that it performs professional financial, managerial and/or operational analysis work and/or provides professional program analysis, evaluation and administration.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED / SUPERVISION RECEIVED:

Incumbents may serve as a lead worker, assigning work and monitoring work completion. Receives general supervision and is expected to prioritize work to meet deadlines and to keep the manager/supervisor informed of issues that would impact achievement of a deadline, organizational policy or procedure or in consideration of risk management.

This class specification represents only the core areas of responsibilities; specific position assignments will vary depending on the needs of the Department.

• Performs professional financial, managerial and/or operational analysis work and/or provides program coordination and administration of assigned area.

• Responds to inquiries from internal and external customers; conducts research, audits and/or assessments; provides information, guidance and materials in support of designated programs; troubleshoots issues and resolves problems; and, provides project staff support, liaison services and/or general oversight to designated committees, external stakeholders or project teams. Monitors and ensures compliance with policy, procedures, standards and/or regulations.

• Gathers information, analyzes data, identifies requirements and trends, and presents findings; prepares, updates and maintains records, reports, presentations, marketing materials and databases; provides recommendations and implements solutions in support of assigned area.

• Provides analytical support and coordination of special projects, as assigned.

• Performs other duties of a similar nature and level as assigned.

POSITION SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES MIGHT INCLUDE:

• Posting, balancing, and reconciliation of the general and subsidiary accounts; controls budget for the various funds and projects determining if funds are available and expenditures properly classified; researches and analyzes transactions to resolve budget problems; provides analysis of available funds at management's request; analyzes budget transactions.
• Participating in the maintenance and analysis of all General Ledger Accounts, and other account subsystems such as accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, inventory, fixed assets, revenues, and utility billing systems.
• Participating in the fund maintenance and analysis of various City programs; reviews and approves check requests, procurement requirements and journal entries.
• Preparing financial statements for assigned projects; prepares schedules and financial
  worksheets to assess financial status of the programs and makes recommendations on corrections.
• Participating in the preparation of financial statements, schedules, and other statistical and financial reports; prepares work papers, financial statements and various reports for federal and state agencies as well as for internal accounting; prepares fund balance projections and reviews with management.
• Participating in central accounting functions such as preparing adjusting entries, fiscal year closing adjustments, and documents for auditors.
• Monitoring and reporting on the status of governmental grants; reviewing and auditing grant contracts, amendments, and other documents to ensure grant compliance.
• Recommending or implementing changes in accounting systems and procedures; identifies and resolves problems and inconsistencies involved in maintaining accounting controls; preparing recommendations and investing surplus funds.
• Coordinating accounting related activities with other divisions and/or City programs;
  answering questions and developing procedures for preparing accounting transactions pursuant to GAAP and procedures.
• Performing complex accounting transactions; capitalized leases, assisting grant recipients with issuance and deficiencies, and monitoring grants and related costs/expenditures within prescribed
  governmental accounting systems.
• Preparing analysis and work papers in preparation for audit examination pursuant to
  Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), and Generally Accepted Auditing
  Standards (GAAS).
• Examining, reconciling, balancing, and adjusting accounting records; reconciling, and prepares complex bank reconciliation for multiple accounts on an all funds basis.
• Explaining charges to customers for City-provided services as needed.
• Preparing a variety of State, Federal, and local claims, statements and reports from a
  variety of sources including computerized data, accounting records, and other source
  documents.
• Interpreting data and generating related statistical and fiscal reports; preparing and submitting accounting information for data processing and input data into the computer.
• Monitoring and controlling revenues, expenditures, vouchers, and the allocation of costs; preparing cash flow projections for managerial use.
  
• Other duties as assigned.

The following are the minimum qualifications necessary for entry into the classification:

EDUCATION:

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, finance, accounting or related field.

EXPERIENCE:

• Two (2) years of journey-level professional experience in area of assignment.

LICENSING/CERTIFICATIONS:

• None required

• Must be able to speak and understand English to effectively communicate with fellow employees, customers, and vendors

APPLICATION PROCESS:

• Submit NEOGOV/Government Jobs on-line application.
• Complete and submit responses to the supplemental questions, if required.
• Upload resume, cover letter, proof of degree (transcript), or other requested documents.

Salary : $73,715 - $120,806