Staff Accountant

Class specifications are intended to present a descriptive list of the range of duties performed by employees in the class. Specifications are not intended to reflect all duties performed within the job.

The Staff Accountant is the third level of a five-level accounting series, responsible for performing entry-level accounting work. The Staff Accountant is distinguished from the Senior Accountant, which is responsible for higher level accounting operations.

the listed job functions and/or may be required to perform additional or different job functions from those set forth below to address business needs and changing business practices. Management reserves the rights to add, modify, change, or rescind the work assignments of different positions and to make reasonable accommodations so that qualified employees can perform the essential functions of the job.

• Prepares, reviews, and processes accounting transactions related to customer billings, task orders, contracts, agreements, invoices, and/or purchase requisitions.
• Performs auditing functions involving purchase orders, invoices, accounts receivable, payroll, and/or other related functions. Prepares periodic reconciliation reports. 
• Prepares updates, analyzes, and corrects general ledger entries.
• Prepares, submits, and reviews a variety of reports, ledgers, reconciliations, analytical reports, and/or statements to and from internal departments, financial institutions, and/or government agencies.
• Researches and resolves automated accounting system issues independently.
• Handles job stress.

Positions assigned to payroll may be responsible for:

• Conducting training on automated time and attendance system(s).
• Preparing and processing District payroll.
• Reconciling quarterly payroll tax return information, W-2s, and cash balance plans.

Positions assigned to accounts payable may be responsible for:

• Preparing travel expenses, cash disbursements, cash projects, and special reports.
• Reviewing and processing invoices, request authorizations, availability of funds, and other related information.

Positions assigned to accounts receivable may be responsible for:

• Preparing deposits.
• Coding and inputting payments to proper accounts/funds.
• Inputting billing information into a database.
• Preparing complex customer billing statements.

The following generally describes the knowledge and ability required to enter the job and/or be learned within a short period of time in order to successfully perform the assigned duties.

Knowledge of:

• Accounting principles.
• Auditing principles.
• Various aspects of governmental accounting administration.
• Applicable Federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
• Automated financial systems.
• Customer Service.

Ability and Skills in:

• Operating a 10-key machine.
• Maintaining accounting records.
• Using computers and related software applications (Microsoft Office).
• Preparing financial statements and/or reports.
• Auditing and analyzing financial data and information.
• Communication, interpersonal skills as applied to interaction with coworkers, supervisor, the general public, etc. sufficient to exchange or convey information and to receive work direction.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE GUIDELINES

Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Education/Training: Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Accounting, or a related field.

Experience: 

• • Minimum four years of related accounting support experience and one year of increasing responsibility in accounting.

  • Experience with enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, such as JD Edwards.

  • Experience with accounts payable is required. 

Or an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job such as those listed above.

License: Valid California Class “C” Driver’s License.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT

The conditions herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

Environment: Standard office setting.

Physical: Positions in this class typically require grasping, talking, hearing, seeing, and repetitive motion. Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body.  Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time.  Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met. Incumbents require sufficient physical ability to work in an office setting; stand or sit for prolonged periods of time; operate office equipment including use of a computer keyboard; push, pull, lift, and/or carry light amounts of weight; verbally communicate to exchange information.

Vision: See in the normal visual range with or without correction; vision sufficient to read computer screens and printed documents; and to operate assigned equipment.

Hearing: Hear in the normal audio range with or without correction.

DISASTER SERVICE WORKERS

All Orange County Water District employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state law (California Government Code Section 3100-3109). Employees are required to complete all related training as assigned, and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.