Accounting Technician

Placer County is comprised of over 1,400 square miles of beautiful and diverse geography, ranging from the residential and commercial areas of South Placer, westward through the historic foothill areas of Auburn, Foresthill, and Colfax, and to the County's jewel of the North Lake Tahoe basin. Placer is a great place to live, work, play and learn. For more information about Placer County, please visit www.placer.ca.gov.

The eligible list created by this recruitment may be used to fill future County Wide vacancies for both temporary/extra-help and permanent positions.

Note: Temporary/Extra Help assignments are limited to working 28 hours per week with a cap of 999 hours or 960 hours for CalPERS retired annuitants in a fiscal year and are not eligible for benefits.  Extra-help appointments made from this eligible list may transition to permanent status, should vacancies arise.

To perform and supervise technical, sub-professional, accounting, finance and fiscal recordkeeping; and to prepare and review financial and statistical records.

This is the full journey level technical accounting class.  Employees within this class are distinguished from the Account Clerk series by the performance of work that typically requires specialized college-level training in accounting and finance rather than bookkeeping, by performing a broad range of duties as assigned and typically including responsibility for a program area of accounting and/or supervision of Account Clerks.  Employees at this level receive only occasional instruction or assistance as new or unusual situations arise and are fully aware of the operating procedures and policies of the work unit.
 
This class is distinguished from the Accountant–Auditor series in that the latter is a professional level, requiring completion of a Bachelor's Degree in accounting or a closely related field.

Receives direction from assigned supervisory or management personnel.

May exercise supervision over Account Clerk classifications or general clerical personnel.

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

• Perform and/or supervise the maintenance of journals and subsidiary ledgers, general ledgers, tax billing, accounts receivable and payable and similar accounting records.
• Personally perform technical, complex accounting and financial transactions and may supervise other personnel performing supporting bookkeeping, finance, or recordkeeping work.
• Prepare and maintain computerized financial spreadsheets on a personal computer for ledgers, trusts and statistical records; prepare reports from spreadsheets summarizing information and financial records.
• Classify receipts and expenditures and record them to the appropriate accounts, funds, trusts, etc.; reconcile ledgers and accounts.
• Balance financial information system controls; balance and post cash receipts, payments and registers; and balance various other statistical and financial transactions with source documents and controls.
• Plan, organize and supervise the work of Account Clerks and other clerical personnel.
• Perform tax default processing and collections.
• Compile statistical data and prepare reports or summaries for submission to other departments in the County or outside agencies.
• Interpret and apply County, State and Federal regulations concerning financial and statistical transactions and reports; prepare financial and statistical reports for submission to State and Federal agencies.
• Meet with the public to obtain data, interpret information and answer questions; prepare correspondence independently to answer questions, request information, or provide explanations.
• Build and maintain positive working relationships with co-workers, other County employees and the public using principles of good customer service.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

It is the responsibility of applicants to identify in their application materials how they meet the minimum qualifications listed below.

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

Experience: Two years of responsible journey level experience performing duties similar to an Account Clerk – Journey with Placer County.

Training: Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth grade supplemented by college level coursework in accounting or a related field.

License or Certificate: May need to possess a valid driver's license as required by the position.  Proof of adequate vehicle insurance and medical clearance may also be required. 

Note: Relevant, equivalent experience (performing the same or similar job requiring similar knowledge, skills, and abilities) may be substituted for the required education as determined by the Human Resources Department.

Note: Applicants receiving their degree outside the United States must submit proof of accreditation by a recognized evaluation agency.

Knowledge of:

• Principles and procedures of accounting and finance, and their application to governmental financial transactions.
• The application and operation of common word processing and spreadsheet software used on personal computers.
• Modern office procedures, practices, systems and equipment as applied to accounting and financial recordkeeping operations.
• Laws, ordinances, rules and regulations affecting accounting and assigned areas of responsibility in Placer County.
• Principles and techniques of supervision and training.

Ability to:

• On a continuous basis, sit at a desk and/or stand at a counter for long periods of time.  Intermittently twist and reach office equipment; write and use keyboard to communicate through written means; run errands; lift light weight.
• Intermittently, review documents related to Department operations; observe, identify and solve problems of office operations and procedures; understand, interpret and explain Department policies and procedures; explain operations and problem solve office issues for the public and with staff.
• Plan, assign and supervise the work of others.
• Perform complex and varied accounting and financial recordkeeping.
• Operate a 10-key adding machine by touch.
• Prepare complex financial reports and statements.
• Apply accounting principles to the maintenance of accounting, financial and payroll transactions.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with the public and fellow employees of the County.
• Work with various cultural and ethnic groups in a tactful and effective manner.
• Communicate effectively in writing and speaking.

Written Examination (100%) 

The written examination may include multiple choice, true/false, fill-in, matching, and/or essay type questions directly related to the required knowledge and abilities for this classification.

Prior to the date of hire, applicants must undergo a fingerprint test by the Department of Justice, pass a medical examination (which may include a drug screening and possibly a psychological evaluation), sign a constitutional oath and submit proof of U.S. citizenship or legal right to remain and work in the U.S.  For some positions, applicants may also be required to submit proof of age, undergo a background investigation (which may include a voice stress analysis and/or a polygraph) and/or be bonded. Additionally, positions in law enforcement classifications, and those supporting law enforcement functions will be required to complete a conviction history questionnaire prior to or during the interview process. Applicants for positions with access to Medi-Cal billing software or who are licensed providers must clear the Federal Exclusion List, credentialing, and social security verification. Failure to clear these requirements may result in an employment offer being withdrawn.

The eligible list(s) resulting from this recruitment may be certified as a substitute list for a substantially similar classification.  For this purpose, a substantially similar classification is one at a lower level in the same classification (example: entry level vs. journey) and/or a similar classification (similar work performed, similar training and experience qualifications required). If you are contacted for an interview by a County department, you will be informed of the classification and other relevant information. If you choose not to interview for a substantially similar classification, you will remain on the eligible list for which you originally applied.

Placer County offers an expedited process for qualifying certain applicants for interviews. Candidates currently employed, or employed within the last year, by a public agency operating under a personnel civil service or merit system may be eligible to be placed on a Public Agency Eligible List and certified as eligible for appointment to a similar job assignment without going through the examination process. For more information on the Public Agency Eligible List, to download forms, or to apply, please click here.

Thank you for your interest in employment with Placer County. Placer County is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to an active nondiscrimination program. It is the stated policy of Placer County that harassment, discrimination and retaliation are prohibited and that all employees, applicants, agents, contractors, and interns/volunteers shall receive equal consideration and treatment. All terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, transfer and promotion will be based on the qualifications of the individual for the positions being filled regardless of gender (including gender identity and expression), sexual orientation, race, color, ancestry, religion, national origin, physical disability (Including HIV and AIDS), mental disability, medical condition (cancer or genetic characteristics/information), age (40 or over), marital status, military and/or veteran status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions), or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law. Please contact the Human Resources Department at least 5 working days before a scheduled examination if you require accommodation in the examination process. Medical disability verification may be required prior to accommodation.

The following information represents benefits currently available to permanent Placer County employees and may be subject to change.  It is advisable that applicants inquire as to the most current benefit package during hiring interviews or by contacting the Human Resources Department.

Click here to view benefits for General bargaining unit

Certain departments, including but not limited to some employees in the Auditor-Controller's Office and the County Executive Office are represented by the Confidential bargaining unit. The following information represents benefits currently available to permanent Confidential Placer County employees and may be subject to change. It is advisable that applicants inquire as to the most current benefit package during hiring interviews or by contacting the Human Resources Department.

Recruitment Timeline (Dates are Tentative and Subject to Change)

• Week of March 25, 2019 - Minimum Qualifications Screening
• Week of March 25, 2019 - Not-Qualified Notices Sent 
• Week of March 25, 2019 - Written Examination Invitations Sent
• April 9, 2019 - Written Examination
• Week of April 15, 2019 -  Establish Eligible List