Accountant

Bargaining Unit: Office and Clerical Employee Unit
Salary Code: 23
Fair Labor Standards Act Designation: Nonexempt
Effective Date: October 1, 2023

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

Under general supervision of the Supervisor of Customer Accounting or Supervisor of General Accounting, performs a wide range of professional accounting, financial and allocation accounting duties; including the maintenance, review, and analysis of fiscal records and preparation of timely financial reports to District management and staff.

The Accountant will exercise independent judgement in interpreting and applying laws, regulations, and policies to the District’s accounting and financial methods and records. This position may provide direction, training, and review work of related staff.

EXAMPLES OF WORK PERFORMED:

The information below is meant to serve as examples of the job duties and responsibilities for this classification. This list is neither inclusive nor exclusive, but indicative of several types of duties performed.

1. Responds and resolves problems pertaining to accounting, budgeting, and water and land billing issues while interpreting District policies and guidelines.
2. Processes monthly water and land purchases, sales, rates, and allocation accounting.
3. Conducts special studies as directed by the Deputy General Manager of Finance and Administration, such as water and land revenue and expense analyses, rate setting projections, and cash allocations.
4. Reviews and recommends modifications to manual or automated accounting systems and procedures.
5. Maintains the District’s general ledger; reviews accounting documents to ensure accurate information and calculations and makes correcting entries when needed; examines supporting documentation to establish proper authorization and conformance with District Policies, agreements, contracts, and state and federal requirements.
6. Prepares and maintains control and subsidiary accounting records involving a variety of transactions and accounts; prepares journal entries; performs periodic reconciliations of general ledger accounts, subsidiary ledgers, and bank statements.
7. Prepares and/or reviews a variety of financial, tax, or water and land allocation reports for the District or other agencies as appropriate.
8. Examines accounting transactions to ensure accuracy; verify and process data to complete monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements.
9. Assists in monitoring various accounts and verifying availability of funds and accurate coding and classifications of expenditures; researches and analyzes transactions to resolve problems.
10. Coordinates financial and reclamation activities with federal and state agencies as directed.
11. Evaluates financial information and prepares project/activity cost reports; prepares financial analysis to create the fixed assets and prepare the journal entry to close out project.
12. Analyzes programs and legislation to determine fiscal and budgeting impact, and recommend appropriate procedural changes.
13. Performs a variety of payroll procedures including maintenance and review of all payroll records such as timesheets, deductions, withholdings, tax deposits, quarterly filing requirements, W-2’s, and all other files and records related to payroll.
14. Provides information to and support to the public and District departments; research requested information and make recommendations appropriate to resolving inquiries and/or complaints.
15. Provides information to and support to the public and District departments; research requested information and make recommendations appropriate to resolving inquiries and/or complaints.
16. Reviews, analyzes, and recommends a course of action on assessment matters including proposed District benefit assessment valuation schedules; evaluates and reports on the impact of laws, rules, and regulations affecting the District’s assessment activities; and prepares the District’s assessment roll and a variety of written documents.
17. Accumulates, reviews, and analyzes project cost data, including drafting of written reports to the Board of Directors, monthly financial statements, and coordination with project managers and staff as necessary to obtain accurate and concise data.
18. Reconciles and reviews water account balances (in acre-feet) for the District and its customers.
19. Coordinates processes through which the District allocates various types of water among its water users using Excel or in-house software.
20. Prepares and files legal documents with various public agencies.
21. Develops and/or maintains processes to sort, merge, or analyze large data sets using excel.
22. Performs other duties as assigned.
23. Compile the data for various state and federal reporting requirements.

CLASSIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Education and Experience

Any combination of equivalent education and experience that has led to the acquisition of the knowledge required by the position. A typical way of acquiring the knowledge would be:

A bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Business Administration, or a closely related field and two (2) years of professional accounting experience. Governmental Accounting experience is preferred.

Note: Recruitment may be limited to candidates with an education or experience background related to the specific position vacancy

Knowledge of:

• Practices, principles, and procedures of accounting, auditing, budgeting, and financial reporting.
• State laws and regulations affecting assessments.
• Preparing, analyzing, auditing, verifying, and reconciling financial statements, accounting records, schedules, and financial information system reports.
• Principles and practices of effective customer service.
• Correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
• Computer technology and software as applied to assigned tasks.
• Research methods and techniques.
• Federal and state laws applicable to the payroll function, use tax, and fuel tax.

Skills/Abilities to:

• Possess a strong understanding of Microsoft Excel and related mid to upper-level formula development, spreadsheet architecture and the use of tables.
• Work in a dynamic team environment, with excellent written and oral communications.
• Understand, interpret, and apply federal, state, and local law and departmental policies, rules, regulations, and procedures.
• Apply accounting principles to the maintenance and reporting of financial and accounting transactions and auditing of financial records.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, understanding of ISQL database tables, or equivalent, and complex enterprise accounting system software.
• Express ideas clearly and concisely, both verbally and in writing.
• Work under pressure and meet established deadlines.
• Establish and maintain effective interpersonal relationships at all organizational levels as well as other public agencies and with the public.
• Demonstrate and maintain a high degree of initiative, maturity, integrity, accountability, and good judgment.
• Demonstrate and maintain a high degree of initiative, maturity, integrity, accountability, and good judgment.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Moderate lifting of supplies and materials from time to time up to 30 pounds.
• Possess the physical characteristics to perform the critical and important duties of the job.

STANDARD REQUIREMENTS

• Depending on assignment, possession of a valid California Class C Driver’s License with a driving record acceptable to the District’s automobile insurance provider is required.