Accounting Specialist II

PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE BULLETIN

THIS IS A REOPENING OF AN EXISTING EXAMINATION. IF YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY APPLIED (OR STARTED AN APPLICATION) FOR THE ACCOUNTING SPECIALIST II, EXAM # 17-1316-01, READ THIS ENTIRE BULLETIN FOR INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO REAPPLY FOR THIS RECRUITMENT

The scores and dispositions of candidates for this examination will be merged with previous exam participants. If you are currently on the list and you choose to reapply you will forfeit your current rank and score. Your new score/disposition will replace your current score and rank. In order to reapply for this position, please contact Leticia Diaz at Leticia.Diaz@acgov.org to have your previous application released back to you.

THIS IS A REOPENING OF AN EXISTING EXAMINATION. The eligible list resulting from this examination will be merged with the scores from the previous list and may last approximately one year, but can be extended. The eligible list resulting from this examination 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. 

Applications will only be accepted on-line.

THE AGENCY
The current vacancy is located with the Probation Department.  However, the eligible list created as a result of this recruitment may be used to fill the current vacancy and others that may arise countywide during the duration of this list.

The Alameda County Probation Department is an essential element of the County’s system of public protection and human services. The Department’s role is to reduce the impact of crime in the community by providing accurate, comprehensive and timely information and recommendations to the Courts, providing community-based sanctions and treatment for offenders, and working cooperatively with law enforcement agencies and community organizations with similar objectives. The Department provides a wide range of mandated and discretionary investigative, advisory, and supervisory services to adult and juvenile probationers pursuant to State law and the County Charter.

For more information about the agency, visit:  Probation Department

THE POSITION
Under general supervision, to provide accounting and financial support of County departments and agencies; to reconcile, maintain, monitor and control major groupings of funds, budget units, or revenue and expenditure accounts; and to do related work as required.

IDEAL CANDIDATE

In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications stated below, the ideal candidate will have demonstrated a track record of success in the following areas:

·        A demonstrated expertise with reconciling accounts, contract billing, preparing deposit journals/transfers and running reports.

·        A strong knowledge of general and governmental accounting and auditing principles and practices.

·        A competency for accurately completing assignments and tasks, while paying attention to detail and set processes.

·        A background in establishing and maintaining effective processes to monitor, collect and review information while vigilantly managing quality to ensure freedom from errors.

·        A proven track record of consistently managing time and resources to appropriately prioritize and complete goals and objectives.

·        A history of effectively gathering and analyzing data from various reports, records and systems with the ability to make decisions and recommendations based on the analysis.

·        A superior command of both written and oral communication with experience communicating with various types of vendors, stakeholders and levels of management.

 

Either I
Experience:

The equivalent of one year of experience as an Accounting Specialist I in the Alameda County classified service.

OR II
Education:

Equivalent to completion of two years of college (90 quarter units or 60 semester units) from an accredited college or university in a bookkeeping or accounting curriculum. (Additional experience as outlined below may be substituted for the education on a year-for-year basis.)
AND

Experience:

Equivalent to two years of full-time bookkeeping experience at a level equivalent to the Accounting Specialist I classification and which has included some combination of document review and processing, administrative or financial record keeping and/or office management.

License:

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.

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:

Knowledge of:

• Practices and techniques of automated accounting and financial record keeping and report preparation.
• Accounting principles and bookkeeping practices
• Principles and practices of auditing and reconciling a variety of financial and accounting documents and records
• Computer applications related to the work, including spreadsheet and database applications
• Procedures, terminology and forms related to the functional area to which assigned.
• Techniques used to reconcile subsidiary accounts, to control accounts, and to maintain books through trial balance
• Basic budgeting and cost accounting practices and procedures.
• Microsoft Excel and Access Database.

Ability to:

• Audit and reconcile financial, accounting and budgetary documents and records; maintain journals and reports.
• Read, interpret and apply rules, regulations, policies and procedures involved in fiscal record keeping and accounting functions
• Compile fiscal and financial data.
• Learn accounting structure, financial guidelines, systems, and procedures of the department, fiscal program or agency.
• Learn basic budgeting and funding regulations, practices, and procedures.
• Interpret, explain and apply regulations and procedures in varying situations.
• Organize and prioritize work and meet critical deadlines.
• Maintain accurate records and files.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of the work.

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 written test (pass/fail). The highest scoring candidates will move on to the next step in the examination 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

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:	Friday, February 16, 2018 at 5:00 PM
Review of Applications for Minimum Qualifications:	Friday, March 2, 2018
Written Examination:	* Tuesday, March 20, 2018 and Wednesday, March 21, 2018 Friday, March 23, 2018
Oral Examination:	**Wednesday, April 18, 2018 Week of April 9, 2018

**Updated March 27, 2018 (LD)

*Updated March 9, 2018 (LD)

*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

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
• 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
• 1^st 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.

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 ensure 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. Replies to the email box 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 job announcement for the recruitment for which you have applied.

 

Leticia Diaz | Human Resources Analyst
Human Resource Services | County of Alameda
Email: Leticia.Diaz@acgov.org | Phone: (510) 272-6469

Alameda County is an Equal Opportunity Employer