Position Description

• This class is the lead and/or advanced journey level in the Accountant series. Incumbents in this class are responsible for performing the most difficult, complex, and/or sensitive assignments related to professional accounting and fiscal assignments. As a secondary assignment, positions in this class provide oversight, technical assistance and training to, and guide, check, assign, and correct the work of a group of Accountants and clerical or technical staff engaged primarily in accounting work.
• In departments where this is the highest level accounting position, incumbents may supervise professional, clerical, and/or technical accounting staff. This class is distinguished from the next higher class of Accounting Manager in that this class does not have supervisory authority or exercise full decision-making authority for assigned staff, which includes hiring, disciplining, and terminating employees. In general, and in order to complete projects/assignments, incumbents must be able to plan and schedule the daily work for a specified group of employees.
• This class is distinguished from the lower class of Accountant by providing lead direction and training to other professional, clerical, and/or technical staff, and/or personally performing the more complex and specialized assignments. Some positions in this class may be designated "confidential" in accordance with the County Employee Relations Ordinance.

Skills Required

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Leads and participates in the work of staff performing accounting duties; schedules, distributes, and assigns work to employees; monitors work for progress and quality; ensures work is completed in a timely and efficient manner; reviews work.
• Provides training and mentoring to staff in accordance with established policies and procedures.
• Assists, guides, and instructs staff members in the performance of their duties; provides technical direction and problem solving in response to staff work questions and problems.
• Resolves informal employee complaints, provides input on employee performance and informs supervisor of conduct problems.
• Responds to and coordinates with supervisor to resolve routine customer inquiries and complaints; advises and confers with various stakeholders regarding accounting reports and procedures, billings, and payments.
• Prepares, reviews, reconciles, and processes various accounting documents such as journal vouchers, billings, receiving reports, purchase orders, internal orders, fixed asset input forms and claims.
• Reviews and reconciles a variety of financial, statistical, budgetary, and other accounting reports and records for accuracy and compliance with standard accounting principles, laws and contracts.
• Enters and maintains data for reporting and tracking purposes; prepares various financial statements and reports.
• Reviews and interprets contracts, grants, proposals, laws, regulations and ordinances for fiscal impact; ensures expenditures comply with contract and/or grant guidelines and requirements.
• Assists with the preparation of the County, department, work unit or program annual budget including: estimates of expenditures, projections of revenue, consolidation of sub-budgets, consultation and informational reports to department management staff ensuring appropriate format and content.
• Monitors and reviews expenditures and revenues to ensure budgetary compliance, establish trends and make projections.
• Participates in the analysis and testing of new and existing financial systems to increase efficiency, recommends system configurations, and ensures compliance with regulations, laws, and standard accounting principles; coordinates and trains user groups.
• Participates in the development and maintenance of accounting policies and procedures; coordinates the development and implementation of policies and procedures with staff.
• Performs related duties as assigned.

Experience Required

• Principles and practices of leadership, mentoring, and training
• Applicable federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations such as the revenue and taxation code
• Various professional accounting standards such as generally accepted auditing standards and generally accepted accounting principles, generally accepted governmental auditing standards, and standards set by the governmental accounting standards board, financial accounting standards board, general accounting office, and other regulatory agencies
• Accounting procedures and their application to a variety of accounting transactions
• Methods and procedures of governmental budget preparation and control
• Financial statement preparation
• Cost and revenue projecting, and cost allocation methods Office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and applicable software applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and other specialized applications related to area of assignment
• English usage, spelling, grammar, and punctuation
• Lead and train accounting staff
• Plan, coordinate, assign, and review the work of staff
• Provide work direction and instruction
• Research and evaluate work problems and recommend solutions
• Interpret and apply applicable federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations
• Apply customer service skills, including the identification of customer needs and follow up to ensure customer commitments have been met
• Prepare, analyze, and interpret statistical and financial data
• Organize and prioritize work efficiently to meet schedules and deadlines
• Develop and maintain cooperative, effective working relationships with others
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both verbally and in writing

Education Required

• Either: 1aA Bachelor's Degree, or higher, from an accredited college or university in Accounting or Business Administration with a concentration in Accountancy; AND 1b. Two years of full-time, paid experience employed by the County of Sacramento in the class of Accountant or Auditor. Or: 2a. A Bachelor's Degree, or higher, from an accredited college or university in Accounting or Business Administration with a concentration in Accountancy; AND 2b. Two years of full-time, paid professional public, management, and/or government accounting/auditing experience performing a wide variety of accounting, auditing, budgeting, and/or fiscal duties such as establishing and maintaining accounting records, participating in budget preparation and control, reviewing and analyzing accounting and financial transaction records, and preparing financial statements and reports.
• Note: Possession of a valid license as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) from the State of California Board of Accountancy may substitute for the required bachelor's degree.