Employment Opportunities

QUALIFICATIONS: 

Required: Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth (12th) grade and five (5) years of general accounting experience, preferably in public agency fund accounting.

Licenses & Certifications: Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid California Driver’s License by time of appointment.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: 

Under general supervision, performs a variety of technical accounting duties in the analysis, preparation, maintenance, and processing of general accounting, accounts payable, accounts and grants receivable, journal entries, budgeting, project accounting, capital assets, and related accounting transactions for regional conservation; maintains and audits general ledger accounts and records and assists in the preparation of financial reports, summaries, and analyses; provides responsible technical accounting support to supervisory and management staff in the department; and performs related work as required.

This is an advanced journey-level class that performs the full range of technical work in all of the following areas: accounts payable, accounts and grants receivable, general ledger accounting, budgeting, project accounting, capital assets, and related areas, in addition to performing a variety of record keeping, reconciliation, and accounting support activities. Incumbents perform the technical accounting support duties exercising a high level of independent judgment and initiative. Incumbents are required to be fully trained in all procedures related to the assigned functional area. This class is distinguished from the Accountant class in that the latter performs technical work with higher level of complexity and difficulty in assigned accounting/finance areas.

EXAMPLES OF TYPICAL JOB FUNCTIONS (Illustrative Only):

Management reserves the right 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.

• Performs technical accounting support in the analysis, preparation, maintenance, and processing of accounts payable, accounts and grants receivable, general ledger accounting, budgeting, project accounting, capital assets, and related financial transactions for regional conservation.
• Prepares, maintains, verifies, and reconciles a variety of difficult and complex accounting and financial transactions and reports; audits financial records for accuracy; prepares, posts, and reconciles journal entries for revenues, expenditures, assets, and liabilities.
• Prepares and posts accurate and timely accounts and grants receivables for specific program or project expenditures; ensures consistency with agency programs and federal, state, and local grant requirements.
• Performs grants receivable closeout functions required by granting agencies including reconciliations, financial status reports, and final invoices; updates and maintains documentation in compliance with federal, state, or local grant agreements.
• Monitors accounts and grants receivable revenues and expenditures ensuring data is recorded in the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System; maintains regular communications with department managers.
• Prepares, posts, and reconciles weekly cash receipt journal entries.
• Reconciles and maintains the general ledger including subsidiary ledgers monthly; performs various account reconciliations and works to resolve discrepancies.
• Compiles, analyzes, and reconciles a variety of financial transactions, statements, and reports.
• Develops, enters, and posts adjusting journal entries to the ERP System.
• Generates the weekly accounts payable checks in ERP System and prepares and transmits wire transfer documentation; performs account reconciliations and produces year-end vendor 1099 forms; prepares various monthly disbursement requests.
• Maintains capital asset records in ERP System; generates, reviews, and updates capital asset reports as required; identifies and records capital asset acquisitions and dispositions; calculates and posts depreciations; collects documentation for new assets; ensures accountability of records.
• Maintains project accounting module in ERP System, including adding new projects, linking projects to phases, tasks, subtasks and general ledger accounts, inactivating and reactivating project strings.
• Participates in the fiscal year-end audit and other special audits; analyzes and prepares audit schedules and year-end adjusting journal entries; ensures accountability of records and controls; provides assistance and works closely with auditors.
• Assists in the annual and mid-year budget; enters approved budget data in the ERP System; assists staff with special queries, projects, and reports.
• Prepares and maintains various customized ERP reports; maintains ERP project accounting data; develops and maintains spreadsheets, ledgers, worksheets, and other records.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE OF:

• Terminology and practices of financial and accounting document processing and record keeping, including accounts payable, accounts and grants receivable, journal entries, budgeting, project accounting, and capital assets.
• Practices and principles of general accounting, auditing, and budgeting, preferably in public agency fund accounting.
• Business arithmetic and basic financial and statistical techniques.
• Applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulatory codes, ordinances, and procedures relevant to assigned area of responsibility.
• Modern office practices, methods, and computer equipment and applications related to the work, including ERP, word processing, database, and spreadsheet applications.
• English usage, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and punctuation.
• Techniques for providing a high level of customer service to public and RCTC staff, in person and over the telephone.

ABILITY TO

• Perform technical accounting work accurately and timely, in a fast-paced office environment, and under general supervision.
• Review documents related to department operations; observe, identify, and solve technical issues and procedural problems; understand, interpret, and explain department policies and procedures; explain operations and respond to accounting issues for the public and staff.
• Interpret, apply, explain, and ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures related to journal entries, accounts and grants receivable, accounts payable, budgeting, project accounting, capital assets, and related areas.
• Establish, maintain, and research payroll and related accounting records and files.
• Make accurate arithmetic, financial, and statistical computations.
• Establish and maintain a variety of filing, record keeping, and tracking systems.
• Understand and follow oral and written instructions.
• Organize and prioritize a variety of projects and multiple tasks in an effective and timely manner; organize own work, set priorities, and meet critical time deadlines.
• Enter and retrieve data from a computer with sufficient speed and accuracy to perform assigned work.
• Operate modern office equipment including computer equipment and specialized software applications programs.
• Use English effectively to communicate in person, over the telephone, and in writing.
• Use tact, initiative, and prudence within general policy, procedural, and legal guidelines.
• Establish, maintain, and foster positive and effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

PHYSICAL & ENVIRONMENTAL ELEMENTS: 

Must possess mobility to work in a standard office setting and use standard office equipment, including a computer; to operate a motor vehicle and to visit various RCTC meeting sites; vision to read printed materials and a computer screen; and hearing and speech to communicate in person and over the telephone.  This is primarily a sedentary office classification although standing in and walking between work areas may be required.  Finger dexterity is needed to access, enter, and retrieve data using a computer keyboard or calculator and to operate standard office equipment.  Positions in this classification bend, stoop, kneel, reach, push, and pull drawers open and closed to retrieve and file information.  Employees must possess the ability to lift, carry, push, and pull materials and objects up to 25 pounds.

This is primarily a sedentary classification and the employee works in an office environment with moderate noise levels, controlled temperature conditions, and no direct exposure to hazardous physical substances.  The employee interfaces with staff, management, other departmental representatives, transportation and government officials, business representatives, and the general public in explaining RCTC policies and requesting and providing information.