Human Resource Services
Alameda Skyline

Financial Services Specialist I

Recruitment #20-0213-01

Introduction

THIS IS A NEW ASSEMBLED EXAMINATION.  The eligible list resulting from this examination will cancel any existing list and may last approximately one year, but can be extended.

Supplemental Questionnaire:  A properly completed Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted with each application. Applications and Supplemental Questionnaires must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing. Failure to submit the Application or Supplemental Questionnaire will result in disqualification.

Applications and Supplemental Questionnaires will only be accepted on-line. 

DESCRIPTION

THE COUNTY

Alameda County, located on the east side of San Francisco Bay, is California's seventh-largest county.  The County employs 9,080 full-time employees and operates on an annual budget of $2.39 billion.  Oakland, the County seat, is California's eighth largest city.  One and a half million people call Alameda County home and live in a variety of incorporated cities, unincorporated communities and rural areas.  As a major urban county, Alameda provides a full range of services to its citizens.  The County is a blend of culturally and ethnically diverse communities, and its mixture of cosmopolitan and suburban areas provides the perfect environment for families and their active lifestyles.  The County offers extensive cultural resources, countless recreational opportunities and an array of fine public and private colleges and universities.  

THE POSITION

Under direction, to provide professional-level financial services in areas of budget development and processing, contract negotiation and administration, financial planning and monitoring, financial accounting and reporting, and grants management to County departments and agencies; to conduct a variety of studies and inquiries and perform financial analytic and  administrative work; and to do related work as required.

IDEAL CANDIDATE

In addition to meeting the established minimum qualifications the Ideal Candidate will have the following critical attributes:  

·         Motivated, self-directed decision maker and problem solver with high standards for quality and attention to detail.

·         Possess strong analytical skills, able to identify and understand complex problems and apply logical thinking and quantitative methods to gathering and analyzing information.

·         Exceptional communication skills, both written and oral, and the ability to communicate with diverse audiences in a variety of contexts.

·         Strong Collaborator with the ability to develop and maintain work relationships with internal staff, departmental leaders and key stakeholders for the purpose of consulting and providing guidance on various budgets and also obtain needed information. 

·         Able to plan, organize, and work on multiple projects and consistently maintain effectiveness even when experiencing changes in work priorities.

·         Keen ability to identify areas where improvement is needed and take action to implement changes to improve current financial work processes and procedures.

·         A savvy user of information systems with the ability to create financial reports and spreadsheets, maintain data models and to assist with and perform financial analysis.

For a complete listing of all essential responsibilities and core competency requirements, please see the comprehensive Financial Services Specialist I Job Specification.

THE VACANCY

There is an immediate vacancy in the Alameda County Health Care Services Agency. However, the list established resulting  from this recruitment may be used by any department needing to fill a vacancy.

 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Either I
Experience:

Equivalent to three years of full-time experience at a level of or higher than the class of Accounting Specialist I in the Alameda County classified service.

Completion of the Alameda County Management Academy “Management & Supervision Certificate Program” may substitute for six (6) months of the required qualifying experience.

Or II
Education:

Equivalent to graduation from an accredited four-year college or university (180 quarter units or 120 semester units) with major coursework in business or public administration, accounting, economics, financial planning or a field related to the work. (Additional paraprofessional financial planning and support equivalent to the County’s classification of Accounting Specialist I may be substituted for the education on a year-for-year basis.)

Experience:

Financial recordkeeping or technical support work in a fiscal or accounting area is desirable.

Licenses:  Specified positions may require possession of a valid California driver's license.

NOTE:    The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:

Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of governmental budget development and administration.
• Principles and practices of contract and grant administration.
• Financial record-keeping and auditing practices.
• Practices and techniques of administrative analysis and report preparation.
• Applicable federal, state and local policies and regulations.
• Computer applications related to the work, such as word processing, data bases and spreadsheets. Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, Access and Outlook.
• Office administrative practices and procedures, including records management and the operation of standard office equipment.

Ability to:

• Develop and administer multiple budgets.
• Monitor fiscal transactions and audit fiscal records and documentation.
• Plan and conduct administrative and operational studies.
• Interpret, explain and apply financial regulations, policies and procedures.
• Direct the work of others on a project or day-to-day basis.
• Prepare clear and accurate reports, correspondence, procedures and other written materials.
• Represent the department and the County in meetings with others.
• Organize and prioritize work and meet critical deadlines.
• Maintain accurate financial records and audit data.
• Exercise sound independent judgment within established policies and guidelines.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
• Clearly and effectively communicate, both verbally and in writing; write contract documents, electronic mail, and Board letters to the Board of Supervisors at a professional skill level.
• Communicate fluently using the English language to present and request information to/from internal and external customers effectively by phone or in person.

EXAMINATION COMPONENTS

THE EXAMINATION WILL CONSIST OF THE FOLLOWING STEPS:  

1) A review of candidates' applications to verify possession of minimum requirements. Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process;

2) A review of candidates’ Supplemental Questionnaires to select the best qualified applicants to continue in the process;

3) An oral examination which will be weighted as 100% of the candidate's final examination score. The oral examination may contain situational exercises. 

CANDIDATES MUST ATTAIN A QUALIFYING RATING ON EACH PORTION OF THIS EXAMINATION. 

*We reserve the right to make changes to the announced examination components*

Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit.  Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness, and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position.  Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position, in which case, the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position.  Other recruitments many be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies, or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work.

To learn more about our recruitment and selection process, please visit the “What You Need to Know” section of our website, www.acgov.org/hrs.

Selection Plan

Applicants will be informed via email with reasonable notice in advance of any examination process which will require their attendance.  The following dates are tentative and subject to change based on the needs of the Agency:  

TENTATIVE SELECTION PLAN: 

Deadline for Filing:

                  5:00 p.m., Monday, April 13, 2020

5:00 p.m., Monday May 11, 2020

5:00 p.m., Friday June 05, 2020

Review of Minimum Qualification:

                                                                TBD

Supplemental Questionnaire Review for Best Qualified:

                                                                TBD

Oral Interview Exam:

                                                                TBD

 **Updated on 4/10/2020, EB

**Updated on 5/01/2020, EB

*WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED RECRUITMENT & SELECTION PLAN

Alameda County and the Human Resource Services Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination and/or selection process to accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities and/or medical conditions in accordance/compliance with the State Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Alameda County’s Reasonable Accommodation Policy and applicable statues.  To request an accommodation due to a disability/medical condition during this or other phases of the examination/selection process, please contact the assigned Human Resources Representative listed on the job announcement before the last date of filing. Alameda County requires applicants to provide supporting documentation to substantiate a request for reasonable accommodation. In order to qualify for a reasonable accommodation, applicants must have a disability/medical condition pursuant to the ADA, FEHA and applicable statutes.

For more information regarding our Reasonable Accommodation procedures, please visit our website, www.acgov.org/hrs.

BENEFITS

Alameda County offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that affords wide-ranging health care options to meet the different needs of a diverse workforce and their families. We also sponsor many different employee discount, fitness and health screening programs focused on overall well being.  These benefits include but are not limited to*:

For your Health & Well-Being

  • Medical – HMO & PPO Plans
  • Dental – HMO & PPO Plans
  • Vision or Vision Reimbursement
  • Share the Savings
  • Basic Life Insurance 
  • Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage for eligible employees)
  • Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance 
  • County Allowance Credit
  • Flexible Spending Accounts - Health FSA, Dependent Care and Adoption Assistance
  • Short-Term Disability Insurance
  • Long-Term Disability Insurance
  • Voluntary Benefits - Accident Insurance, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity and Legal Services
  • Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

  • Retirement Plan - (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
  • Deferred Compensation Plan (457 Plan or Roth Plan)

For your Work/Life Balance

  • 11 paid holidays
  • Floating Holidays
  • Vacation and sick leave accrual
  • Vacation purchase program
  • Management Paid Leave**
  • Catastrophic Sick Leave
  • Group Auto/Home Insurance
  • Pet Insurance
  • Commuter Benefits Program
  • Guaranteed Ride Home
  • Employee Wellness Program (e.g. At Work Fitness, Incentive Based Programs, Gym Membership Discounts)
  • Employee Discount Program (e.g. theme parks, cell phone, etc.)
  • Child Care Resources
  • 1st United Services Credit Union 

*Eligibility is determined by Alameda County and offerings may vary by collective bargaining agreement.  This provides a brief summary of the benefits offered and can be subject to change.

** Non-exempt management employees are entitled to up to three days of management paid leave. Exempt management employees are entitled to up to seven days of management paid leave.

Conclusion

All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @acgov.org and alamedacountyHR@acgov.org as accepted addresses to any email blocking or spam filtering program you may use. If you do not do this, your email blocking or spam filtering program may block receipt of the notices regarding your application for recruitments. You are also strongly advised to regularly log into your County of Alameda online application account to check for notices that may have been sent to you. All email notices that will be sent to you will also be kept in your personal online application account. You will be able to view all of your notices in your online application account by clicking on the "My applications" button on the Current Job Openings page.

Please take the steps recommended above to insure you do not miss any notices about a recruitment for which you have applied. The County of Alameda is not responsible for notices that are not read, received or accessed by any applicant for a County recruitment.

NOTE: All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box alamedacountyHR@acgov.org are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. If you have questions please go to our website at www.acgov.org/hrs. You may also contact the Human Resources Analyst listed on the job announcement for the recruitment for which you have applied.

Erika Beams, Human Resources Analyst
Human Resource Services, County of Alameda
 Erika.Beams@acgov.org

(510) 272-6393 

Alameda County has a diverse workforce, that is representative of the communities we serve and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance and business need. Alameda County does not discriminate in employment on the basis of, race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors protected under federal, state and local law. Alameda County celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive, and welcoming workplace environment.