THE TOWN:

The award-winning Town of Windsor is located in Sonoma County and offers the highly acclaimed wine country experience, along with economic opportunity, temperate weather, safe and well-maintained streets and parks, and a beautiful location. The Town has a population of 28,565 and is situated 60 miles north of San Francisco, 20 miles east of the Pacific Ocean, and 8 miles northwest of the County Seat in Santa Rosa. Incorporated as a common law city in July 1992, Windsor provides a modern, relaxed lifestyle with a growing retail and industrial center for the North County. The Town is currently on a 4/10 work schedule from Monday through Thursday, and is closed on Friday, allowing employees more time to enjoy a work-life balance.

DEFINITION

Under general supervision, performs complex professional accounting functions in preparation of financial reports and/or statements; develops accounting systems and analyzes and maintains financial records including accounts payable, payroll, utility billing, and general ledger input; to provide responsible and complex staff assistance to the department head; may provide supervision to lower-level staff.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

Supervision is provided by the Accounting and Audit Manager. May also receive direction from the Administrative Services Director. The Accountant may provide technical guidance to accounting support staff.

CLASS CHARACTERISTICS

The Accountant is a journey-level classification. Incumbents perform the full range of professional accounting work and are expected to work independently. Successful performance requires a thorough knowledge of governmental accounting principles, practices and procedures, and the ability to exercise sound, independent judgment within established guidelines. The incumbent must organize and prioritize work to meet deadlines and operational needs.

There is one (1) vacancy for an Accountant. An eligibility list will be created from this recruitment and will be in effect for nine months.

EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS (Illustrative Only)

• Management reserves the right to add, modify, change, or rescind the work assignments of different positions and to make reasonable accommodations so that qualified employees can perform the essential functions of the job.
• Prepare a variety of detailed factual and analytical accounting, statistical, and/or narrative financial statements or reports which require analysis and interpretation of fiscal data for use by a department, auditors, and/or other agencies.
• Examine, analyze, and verify fiscal systems and documents to ensure adherence to established controls.
• Assist in the preparation and maintenance of annual budgets; assemble and analyze cost accounting records and other supporting technical and statistical data; make complex or difficult adjusting entries, and transfers of appropriations; review budget information with appropriate staff.
• Recommend and assist in the implementation of goals and objectives; implement approved policies and procedures.
• Prepare analysis of accounts and bank and cash reconciliation; prepare adjusting entries as needed.
• Perform general ledger and subsidiary accounting entries; review entries with the department head.
• Analyze operational procedures to automate accounting systems; assist and confer with other departments and agencies in the implementation of new automated financial applications.
• Attend and participate in professional group meetings; stay abreast of new trends and innovations in the field of accounting.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Knowledge of:

• Accounting principles, practices and methods including account reconciliation.
• Criteria of GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) and GASB (Governmental Accounting Standards Board).
• Principles of financial administration, including budgeting and reporting.
• Principles and practices of business data processing, particularly related to the processing of accounting information.
• Standard financial office procedures, machines, manual and automated data storage, processing and retrieval systems.
• Internal controls.
• Financial and managerial analysis.

Ability to:

• Apply accounting principles and practices to a wide variety of standard and non-standard transactions.
• Maintain and reconcile financial transaction records.
• Accurately prepare a variety of financial statements, reports and analyses with supporting statistics and data.
• Effectively and accurately analyze and interpret financial data and arrive at logical conclusions, perform mathematical calculations with speed and accuracy.
• Analyze and prepare budget projections.
• Use spreadsheets and other computer applications related to financial operations.
• Plan, organize and prioritize a high volume of work in order to meet strict deadlines.
• Gather and analyze information to make decisions and solve practical operational problems.
• Communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Maintain confidentiality as required.
• Exercise sound judgment within established procedural guidelines.
• Establish, maintain, and foster positive and effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Education and Experience:

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

• A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major in accounting, business administration, or closely related field and one of the following:
• Four years of increasingly responsible private sector accounting experience; or
• Two years of experience in a responsible governmental accounting position.

Licenses and Certifications:

• Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid California Driver’s License by time of appointment.
• Certification as a Public Accountant is highly desirable.