Senior Accounting Technician

The City of Arcadia is seeking a Senior Accounting Technician to join our Administrative Services Department. The Senior Accounting Technician will perform a variety of the most complex and difficult technical accounting duties including those involving accounts payable, accounts receivable, utility billing, and internal services/fixed assets accounting! The ideal candidate will possess characteristics that are conducive to success in this role such as:

• Responsible and reliable 

• Team Player 

• Comfortable with Technology

• Detail-oriented, competent, and solution-oriented 

If you enjoy working with a team that inspires you to "Go Above and Beyond," we invite your application!  

• CalPERS retirement plan

• Three tier monthly benefit allowance of up to:

  • $866 Employee only coverage

  • $1,400 Employee +1 coverage

  • $1,800 Family Coverage

• City paid Vision Plan for employee and family

• City paid Life Insurance, Accidental Death & Dismemberment, and Long-Term Disability

• Bilingual pay 
• Longevity pay 
• Tuition reimbursement/advancement upon the completion of probationary period

Note Regarding Salary: Newly hired candidates typically start at the first step of the salary range (Step A); however, a higher step within the salary range may be negotiated based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, and skillset. 

• Assume responsibility for coordinating the work of a functional area which includes multiple sets of financial records; may provide lead supervision, plan, and review the work of technical accounting staff responsible for providing accounting services and activities; plan, direct, and participate in the performance of complex accounting procedures, services, and activities.
• May train assigned accounting staff including in the areas of work assignments, methods, techniques, and the use and operation of equipment in the assigned area; verify work of assigned employees for completion of assignment, accuracy, proper work methods, techniques, and compliance with applicable standards and guidelines. 
• Coordinate accounting activities with other department, division, and City staff in order to consolidate information necessary to ensure an accurate and orderly month end close; ensure tasks are completed accurately and timely.
• Provide technical information and instruction regarding applicable procedures and methods; interpret and explain rules and regulations; answer questions and resolve problems or complaints.
• Research and answer department questions regarding status of accounts, the proper coding of transactions, and other matters; provide information and explanations for auditors.
• Perform the full range of complex and difficult duties including those involving responsibility for projects and issues.    
  

• Sort, audit, match and distribute invoices from vendors and service providers; confer with vendors regarding purchase orders, invoices and payments; review statements for accuracy and completeness; process invoices for approval for payment; enter data and prepare accounts payable checks.
• Monitor and balance various accounts verifying availability of funds and classification of expenditures.
• Maintain accounting data relating to form 1099  and print the 1099 forms annually.
• Maintain accounting records for a wide variety of revenue and expenditure categories.
• Audit and reconcile claims for proper authorization purchase order numbers and adequate invoices.
  

• Perform customer service for City utility customers involving billing issues, new accounts, cancellations, and water, sewer, paramedic membership and visitor, sure pay automatic debit program, library and museum foundation donation accounts, and on-line electronic payments.
• Receive and process all work orders and applications for water, sewer, paramedic membership and visitor, sure pay automatic debit program, library and museum foundation donation accounts, and on-line electronic payments.
• Sort, audit and match utility bills and payment checks.
• Maintain general and subsidiary ledgers according to established revenue and expenditure account classifications.
• Open and close accounts; process and maintain accounting records for water service accounts and a wide variety of revenue and expenditure categories.
• Assign appropriate account numbers and billing rates for utility and other municipal services; make adjustments and corrections on accounts.
• Process meter exchanges.
• Compile monthly list of delinquent accounts; schedule shut-offs; post charges and delinquency deposits to customers' accounts.
• Maintain collection process for closed accounts with outstanding balances; assign accounts to collection agency.
• Make journal entries for all small credit balances on closed accounts
• Process accounts for refunds.
• Order all month-end reports and balance water, paramedic, sewer, and library funds.
• Prepare monthly consumption reports for Administrative Services and Maintenance Services.
• Record all outside City water usage.
• Prepare and mail application/renewal forms for the utility tax exemption program to residents; gather information and process applications to determine and identify qualified applicants based on established criteria.

• Sort, analyze, and check authorizations to bill for accuracy and completeness and process invoices; audit and check accuracy of generated bills and prepare for mailing. 
• Maintain and reconcile a variety of ledgers, reports, and account records; examine and correct accounting transactions to ensure accuracy; prepare and post journal entries.
• Open and close accounts; process and maintain accounting records for ambulance and controller accounts and a wide variety of revenue categories.
• Monitor and balance various accounts, by fund, of the accounts receivable system or maintain general and subsidiary records of the accounts receivable according to established fund account classification.
• Review and analyze delinquent ambulance and controller accounts for proper authorization and approval for assignment to an outside collection agency; make necessary adjustment, posting entries.
• Audit, review, and make necessary adjustments on refund request for proper authorization and approval.
• Prepare a variety of reports, statements and schedules.           

• Analyze monthly payables (warrants, purchase orders and other supporting documents) and identify fixed asset expenditures according to the City's fixed asset policy.
• Process and enter identified new assets into the fixed asset system.
• Run and review depreciations
• Maintain and balance the fixed asset ledgers.
• Maintain and balance the inventory accounts, including fuel and warehouse accounts.
• Process and maintain cost allocation for common expenses, including but not limited to postage, phone, fuel and copier costs.

• Advanced accounting and financial record keeping principles, procedures, and methods and their application to projects and activities.
•  Methods, practices, and procedures used in payroll, accounts receivable, accounts payable, fixed asset accounting, inventory count, and financial record keeping and reporting.
•  Operations, services, and activities of an accounting program.
•  Principles of lead supervision and training.
•  Basic principles of municipal budget preparation and control.
•  Automated financial management systems and computer accounting software programs.
• Pertinent Federal, State, and local laws, codes, and regulations.
• Modern office practices, methods, and computer equipment.
• Principles and practices used in dealing with the public.       
• Mathematical principles.
  

• Operate modern office equipment including computer equipment. 
• Type and enter data at a speed necessary for successful job performance.

• Effectively coordinate with the work of other department and City personnel.
• Provide lead supervision and training to assigned staff.
• Independently perform difficult technical accounting and financial operations work including projects and activities.
• Interpret and apply the policies, procedures, laws, codes, and regulations pertaining to assigned programs and functions.
• Analyze problems, identify alternative solutions, project consequences of proposed actions, and implement recommendations in support of goals.
• Research, collect, compile, and analyze information and data.
• Handle multiple concurrent projects and manage priorities and tasks.
• Apply accounting principles to the maintenance of general governmental financial and accounting transactions and audit of financial records.
• Maintain ledgers and journals and reconcile bank statements.
• Understand the organization and operation of the assigned department and the City necessary to assume assigned responsibilities.
• Prepare, examine, and verify financial documents, statements, reports, and analyses.
• Perform comparisons of data quickly and accurately.
• Accurately tabulate, record, balance, and audit assigned transactions.
• Classify fiscal documents and transactions.
• Respond to questions from the public and City personnel regarding policies and procedures for assigned accounting area.
• Perform mathematical computations quickly and accurately.
• Plan and organize work to meet schedules and deadlines.
• Prepare and maintain accurate and complete financial records.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Establish, maintain, and foster positive and harmonious working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

The Selection Process:
All applications will be reviewed and evaluated. Those candidates who are determined to be best qualified based upon the information presented on the application materials will be invited to continue in the selection process which may include a qualifying written or performance evaluation and will include an interview weighted 100%. The City reserves the right to limit the number of interviews conducted. Candidates will be notified via e-mail or telephone if they qualify to move to the next step in the selection process. The interview score will determine ranking on the eligibility list and will remain in effect for one year.

Pre-employment background and medical examinations are additional requirements for hire. Failure on any part of the selection process will result in removal from the recruitment process. Please Note: If you have a disability that may require an accommodation in the selection process, please notify Human Resources in writing when you submit your application.