ABOUT THE POSITION

The City of Redwood City is recruiting for a dynamic individual to fill the position of SENIOR ACCOUNTANT in the Financial Services Division, which provides financial support services to an organization with annual expenditures of over $300 million. This position is currently hybrid: remote work is permitted up to two days per week.

The successful applicant will provide highly responsible analytical, technical, and professional staff support. The Finance Department’s two Senior Accountant positions are responsible for general accounting and payroll supervision. Currently, the City is recruiting for a Senior Accountant who will serve in the general accounting capacity, reporting to the Principal Accountant and overseeing two accountants (one permanent Accountant and one Contract Accountant). This Senior Accountant will ultimately perform a variety of duties described below, that will also incorporate the review of work prepared by staff accountants. The selected candidate will strive to maintain high quality service to internal and external customers, and will recommend and assist in the implementation of new procedures and technologies to ensure continuous improvement and efficiencies for the Financial Services Division as well as other divisions and departments.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate will be interested in mastering the fundamentals of public finance with the goal of reaching new levels of experience and expertise in this field. They will enjoy participating in team projects, interact well with a variety of people, understand and successfully implement customer service principles and strategies, utilize team-building skills and proactive communication and be committed to developing staff to their fullest potential. The ideal candidate will be flexible and adapt well to change. They will have the ability to apply generally accepted accounting principles; take risks and admit mistakes; and work with purpose and a sense of humor. They will also have strong analytical abilities and strong proficiency with computer-based accounting systems, databases, and desktop software such as Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.

The Senior Accountant will generally focus attention in the following areas:

• Participate in the posting, balancing and reconciliation of the General Ledger
• Prepare work papers, financial statements and various reports for Federal, State and other outside agencies as well as for internal customers
• Provide assistance and information to outside auditors as required.
• Review, audit and approve payments for various contracts and miscellaneous expenses.
• Monitor and maintain records on City's fixed assets.
• Recommend or implement changes in accounting systems, procedures, or policies.
• Provide guidance and support to departmental personnel for various accounting related activities, including but not limited to, journal entry preparation, budget activity, proper expenditure coding, document preparation and report generation.
• Oversee the weekly Accounts Payable process
• Provide administrative support to the Successor Agency of the former Redevelopment Agency.
• Manage debt service and continuing disclosure requirements for the City’s bond issues
• Prepare or review year end worksheets for input to the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR)
• Prepare or review the information needed for the Statistical Section of the ACFR

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

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

Training & Education

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, or equivalent, with major coursework in accounting or business administration.

Experience

• Three years of increasingly responsible experience in governmental accounting, including some supervisory experience.

Experience in the following areas is highly desirable:

1. Maintenance of a Chart of Accounts
2. Maintenance of a General Ledger, and
3. Accounts payable.

Licenses & Certificates

• Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid California Driver’s License.

Knowledge of:

• Principles, practices, methods, procedures and techniques used in governmental accounting, financial administration and budgeting.
• Modern office practices, procedures, methods and equipment, including computer systems and applications.
• Principles of supervision, training, and performance evaluation.
• Federal and State grant regulations and guidelines.

Ability to:

• Prepare, examine and verify financial documents and reports.
• Supervise, train and evaluate clerical and technical personnel.
• Meet appropriate physical demands necessary for adequate job performance.