Human Resource Services
Alameda Skyline

Supervising Accountant

Recruitment #14-0140-01

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.

Applications must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing.  Postmarks are not accepted.  Applications will only be accepted on-line.

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.

DESCRIPTION

The Social Services Agency currently has a vacancy for this classification.  However, the eligible list resulting from this recruitment may be used by any County department or agency needing to fill a vacancy.

The current vacancy exists in the Adult, Aging and Medi-cal Services within the Social Services Agency.  This department includes Public Administrator, Public Guardian-Conservator and Adult Protective Services.

THE AGENCY

The Alameda County Social Services Agency is comprised of 2,200 men and women working collectively and in partnership with community-based organizations, neighborhood groups and policy makers to serve the needs of the community.

• The Agency assists approximately 11.3 percent of Alameda County's residents.
• Benefits programs contribute over $278 million to the local economy through cash assistance and CalFresh.
• Every month more than 52,000 people receive CalWORKs (assistance for families with children), CalFresh and General Assistance.
• Every month health insurance is made available to more than 78,000 people through the Medi-Cal program.
• Every month more than 11,000 frail, elderly and disabled individuals receive in home care, adult protection and support managing their affairs, and throughout the year 16,000 seniors will receive services through the Area Agency on Aging. 3,700 children are in foster care.
• More than 1,600 reports of child abuse or neglect are filed with SSA each month.
• Emergency shelter is made available to 415 people nightly.

THE POSITION

The Supervising Accountant will be assigned to the Public Administrator/Public Guardian-Conservator Accounting department of AAMS and will have supervisory responsibility over a team of accounting professionals and para professionals.  The position will be responsible for managing approximately $40 million of private assets belonging to conservatee and decedent estates, which may be under court oversight.  The duties may include but are not limited to preparing highly complex reports and financial statements, reconciling bank accounts, developing work flow procedures, training new employees and evaluating staff performance.

IDEAL CANDIDATE

In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications stated below, the ideal candidate will possess the following attributes:

  • Superior knowledge of Accounting processes and procedures
  • Strong knowledge of Governmental Accounting, Finance and Banking
  • Experience with reconciliation and analysis 
  • Demonstrated expertise in successful team-building
  • Solid experience in managing staff by instruction and advising subordinates, assigning and delegating workload and tracking and evaluating performance
  • Outstanding organizational skills, including the ability to prioritize tasks
  • Excellent communication skills, both orally and written

 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Either I

The equivalent of one year of full-time experience as a Senior Accountant in the Alameda County classified service. (Non classified includes District Attorney’s Office, Hospital Authority, and the Consolidated Courts.)

Or II

The equivalent of two years of full-time experience as an Auditor II or the equivalent of three years of full time experience as an Accountant-Auditor I in the Alameda County classified service. (Non-classified includes District Attorney’s Office, Hospital Authority, and the Consolidated Courts.)

Or III

Experience:

The equivalent of six years full-time, increasingly responsible professional accounting, auditing, or administrative experience that included significant accounting/fiscal duties and responsibilities, one year which must have been in a supervisory capacity. (Possession of a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in accounting or a closely related field may be substituted for two years of the required experience.)

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

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

NOTE: The level and scope of the following knowledge and abilities are related to duties listed under the “Examples of Duties” section of this specification.

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:

Knowledge of:

· General and governmental accounting and auditing principles, theory, and procedures.
· Cost accounting principles and systems.
· Computer accounting systems.
· Principles of public administration, personnel management, and business office management.
· Computerized accounting systems to track accounting transactions and to generate/retrieve final reports.


Ability to:

· Communicate effectively in writing.
· Communicate effectively orally.
· Make decisions.
· Analyze and problem solve.
· Plan and organize.
· Conduct budget analysis.
· Manage personnel.
· Exercise interpersonal sensitivity.
· Prepare comprehensive, clear and concise, highly complex accounting and statistical reports.

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 interview which will be weighted as 100 % of the candidate's final examination score. The oral interview 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:

November 28, 2014

Review of Minimum Qualifications:

December 12, 2014

Review of Supplemental Questionnaire for Best Qualified:

December 29, 2014

Oral Interviews:

        Week of January 26, 2015

*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 statutes. 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 & Welfare Benefits

  • Medical – HMO & PPO Insurance
  • Dental – PPO & DHMO Insurance  
  • Vision
  • Basic Life Insurance 
  • Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage) 
  • County Allowance
  • Health Flexible Spending Account
  • Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
  • Accident, Critical Illness & Hospital Indemnity
  • Long Term Care Insurance
  • Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

  • Short-term Disability Insurance
  • Long-Term Disability Insurance
  • Retirement Plan – (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
  • Deferred Compensation Plan

For your Work/Life Balance

  • 11 paid holidays
  • Vacation and sick leave accrual
  • Vacation purchase program
  • Management Paid Leave**
  • Group Auto/Home
  • 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. 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 bulletin for the recruitment for which you have applied.

 

Shelisa Jackson, Human Resources Analyst
Human Resource Services Division, County of Alameda
shelisa.jackson@acgov.org
510-208-3954
www.acgov.org/hrs