Accountant I/II - Department of Finance (Payroll)

The Finance Department is currently seeking to fill one (1) full-time Accountant I/II vacancy in the Accounting Division. If you are interested in this position, please apply!

The mission of the Finance Department is to manage, protect, and report on City of San José financial resources to enhance the City’s financial condition for residents, businesses, and investors.

The Finance Department has five core divisions:

• Accounting
• Administration
• Debt & Treasury Management
• Purchasing & Risk Management
• Revenue Management

The Finance Department works in partnership with the departments of Human Resources, Information Technology, and Public Works as the City’s Strategic Support City Service Area to effectively develop, manage, and safeguard City fiscal, physical, technological, and human resources to enable and enhance the delivery of City services and projects. The Finance Department has a $27.6 million operating budget and 126 budgeted full-time equivalent (FTE) positions.

The City of San José Finance Department is seeking to hire one Payroll Accountant to perform critical payroll accounting functions within the Accounting Division. This position is responsible for ensuring all payroll transactions and related activities are accurately recorded in the City's general ledger to support timely and accurate financial reporting. Responsibilities include monitoring and reconciling payroll taxes, retirement contributions, employee benefits, and other payroll deductions between the City's Oracle PeopleSoft Payroll System and the City's Financial Management System (FMS), while ensuring compliance with applicable accounting standards, policies, and reporting requirements.

The Accountant performs a variety of professional accounting duties, including but not limited to:

• Assist Payroll Accountants and Accounting Technicians with payroll processing in the Oracle PeopleSoft Payroll System while supporting continuous improvement of payroll operations.
• Review payroll-related accounting entries prepared by Accounting Technicians to ensure proper GASB classification, accuracy, completeness, and timely recording in the City's general ledger.
• Manage federal and state payroll tax reporting, including bi-weekly tax deposits, quarterly filings, year-end reporting, and related journal entries.
• Maintain the retirement expense tracking worksheet, analyze retirement costs, recommend rate adjustments, and approve journal entries related to prepaid retirement expense accounts.
• Administer executive special pay programs, including relocation reimbursements, moving expense payments, and vehicle allowances for the Mayor, City Council, and executive staff.
• Prepare and maintain bi-weekly executive compensation comparisons for Payroll Management review.
• Administer the annual vehicle take-home imputed income program.
• Process and reconcile Workers' Compensation payroll adjustments and resolve related payroll issues.
• Review and validate individual retroactive payroll payments for accuracy and compliance.
• Reconcile payroll liability accounts, research discrepancies, and prepare recommendations for adjusting journal entries.
• Assist the Senior Accountant with military leave reconciliations and related payroll accounting activities.
• Prepare, reconcile, and submit CalPERS payroll reporting in accordance with established requirements.
• Respond to payroll-related inquiries from City employees and provide guidance regarding payroll policies, procedures, and transactions.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Competencies:

The ideal candidate will possess the following competencies, as demonstrated in past and current employment history.  Desirable competencies for these positions may include:

Job Expertise - Demonstrates knowledge of and experience with applicable professional/technical principles and practices, Citywide and departmental procedures/policies and federal and state rules and regulations.

Communication Skills - Effectively conveys information and expresses thoughts and facts clearly, orally and in writing; demonstrates effective use of listening skills; displays openness to other people's ideas and thoughts.

Analytical Thinking - Approaches a problem or situation by using a logical, systematic, sequential approach.

Flexibility - Makes effective decisions and achieves desired results in the midst of major changes in responsibilities, work processes, timeframes, performance expectations, organizational culture.

Problem Solving - Approaches a situation or problem by defining the problem or issue; determines the significance of problem; collects information; uses logic and intuition to arrive at decisions or solutions to problems that achieve the desired outcome.

Reliability - Completes quality work assignments in a timely and efficient manner; fulfills responsibilities and maintains confidentiality as appropriate.

Teamwork & Interpersonal Skills - Develops effective relationships with co-workers and supervisors by helping others accomplish tasks and using collaboration and conflict resolution skills.

Social Awareness - Demonstrates the ability to read or sense other people’s emotions and how they influence the situation of interest or concern; demonstrates empathy and organizational awareness.

The salary range for Accountant I is $91,990.08 - $111,908.16 annually; Accountant II: $100,442.16 - $122,063.76 annually. The actual salary shall be determined by the final candidates’ qualifications and experience. Employees in the Senior Accountant classification receive an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable compensation pay, which is included in the range above.

Selection Process: 

The selection process will consist of an evaluation of the applicant's training and experience based on the application and responses to all the job specific questions. You must answer all the following supplemental questions to be considered, or your application may be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Only those candidates whose backgrounds best match the position will be invited to proceed in the selection process. Additional phases of the selection process will consist of one or more interviews.  For questions, please reach out to Michelle R. Harrison at [email protected].