1632 Senior Account Clerk - San Francisco Planning (Permanent Exempt)

SF Environment; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 83,000 - 101,000; Full time

Job summary

San Francisco Planning Department seeks a Senior Account Clerk to perform high‑level bookkeeping and financial record keeping in complex systems. The role supports budgeting, posting, reconciliations, and reporting, operating under general supervision.

The position may supervise a small clerical staff and requires meticulous attention to detail, solid numerical ability, and reliable collaboration with city teams. Permanent exempt appointment with competitive benefits.

Qualifications

• Minimum 18 months (3,000 hours) of verifiable experience processing financial and accounting matters (cost records, deposits, expenditures, allocations).
• Substitution of Experience: 15 semester units with at least 6 in accounting may substitute for up to six months of the required experience.
• Desirable: Attention to Detail, Effective Organization and Time Management Skills.

Responsibilities

• Bookkeep and maintain financial records within complex accounting systems.
• Post, adjust and balance entries to subsidiary ledgers; reconcile discrepancies.
• Prepare and analyze financial reports and documents; respond to inquiries with financial information.

Skills

Attention to Detail

Time Management

Analytical Thinking

Education

Accounting coursework substitution

Job description

• Full-time
• Work Hours: Regular
• Job Code and Title: 1632-Senior Account Clerk
• Fill Type: Permanent Exempt

Company Description

Specific information regarding this recruitment process are listed below:

• Application Opening: October 21, 2026.
• Application Deadline: Applicants are encouraged to apply immediately as this recruitment may close at any time, but no earlier than Wednesday, November 4, 2026.
• Annual Salary Range: $83,174 - $101,010.

Appointment Type: Permanent Exempt ( PEX ) Category 18. This position is excluded by the Charter from the competitive Civil Service examination process and shall serve at the discretion of the Appointing Officer.

What We Do: The San Francisco Planning Department ( CPC ) shapes how land is used to meet community needs and guide our city’s future, creating inclusive, sustainable, and prosperous neighborhoods. We envision an equitable San Francisco where everyone thrives - a welcoming city that honors diverse cultures, provides secure housing, strengthens environmental resilience, and drives economic stability for current and future generations. This position is located at 49 S Van Ness in the following division: Finance Services.

Job Description

Under general supervision, performs difficult bookkeeping and financial record keeping operations within complex accounting systems and may direct the work of a small clerical staff. Incumbents interpret, enforce and carry out existing policies and procedures relative to financial record keeping activities; make regular contacts with other departmental personnel and the general public in connection with bookkeeping and financial operations; prepare and maintain a variety of complex financial and bookkeeping records and reports; post, adjust and balance entries to ledgers; verify the correctness of accounting documents; respond to inquiries and provide financial information; organize and file source documents; perform operations involving automated accounting systems and spreadsheet programs and perform related duties as required.

MAJOR, IMPORTANT, AND ESSENTIAL DUTIES

According to Civil Service Commission Rule 109, the duties specified below are representative of the range of duties assigned to this job code/class and are not intended to be an inclusive list.

• Performs difficult bookkeeping and financial record-keeping operations within complex accounting systems in order to ensure accurate balances and available budgeted funds.
• Posts, adjusts and balances entries to subsidiary ledgers by searching out details and reconciling account discrepancies.
• Verifies correctness of accounting documents by comparing postings to source documents and checking calculations for accuracy.
• Responds to inquiries and provides financial information to other units, individuals and the general public regarding the status of accounts, payments, issuance of checks and availability of balances by extracting information from documents and answering questions.
• Organizes and files source documents according to accepted practice.
• Performs tasks in software related to accounting, including databases, automated accounting systems, spreadsheets and word processing.
• Calculates encumbered balances of blanket purchase orders and contract orders to ensure that funds are available for payment.
• Identifies discrepancies between departmental records and the City's accounting system.
• Assists in the compilation of financial data for accounting and financial purposes.
• Prepares accounting documents including requisitions for purchase orders, journal entries, encumbrances and payment documents.
• Performs mathematical calculations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division in order to arrive at correct balances when working on financial and accounting matters such as cost records, deposits, expenditures, allocations, taxes and penalties.
• Reconciles bank statements and revolving fund balances.
• Prepares basic financial schedules and reports using spreadsheet programs such as Lotus, Excel and QuattroPro.
• May direct the work of a small clerical staff.
• Process invoices for payment within payment terms.
• Process employee reimbursements related to professional certification, training and travel.
• Log incoming documents upon receipt for tracking and reference of document distribution to Accounting.
• Process procurement requests submitted by divisions; process and analyze cash receipts; and back up revenue unit, when needed.

IMPORTANT AND ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Knowledge of: financial record keeping and elementary accounting methods such as posting, adjusting, balancing, reconciling and single-entry bookkeeping; office clerical procedures such as filing, coding, indexing and proofreading accounting documentation; and elementary mathematics.
• Ability to: analyze financial record keeping problems and suggest corrective actions; prepare and analyze financial reports; coordinate and inspect the work of a small clerical unit; perform accurate mathematical calculations; establish effective working relationships with departmental and non-departmental staff; apply accounting principles to a complex accounting system; navigate through and perform tasks in the various computer software (accounting systems, tax programs, spreadsheets, word processing and database systems) required for financial transactions; and communicate effectively both orally and in writing.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications: These minimum qualifications establish the education, training, experience, special skills and/or license(s) which are required for employment in the classification.

• Eighteen (18) months (equivalent to 3,000 hours) of verifiable experience processing financial and accounting matters (e.g. cost records, deposits, expenditures, allocations), bookkeeping and/or financial record keeping. Such experience typically includes verifying correctness of financial documents; maintaining expenditure records; and reconciling subsidiary accounts.
• Substitution of Experience: 15 semester units (or equivalent quarter units) of coursework from an accredited college or university with a minimum of 6 semester units (or equivalent quarter units) in accounting may be substituted for up to six (6) months of the required experience as described above.

Desirable Qualifications:

• Attention to Detail
• Effective Organization and Time Management Skills

Verification of Education and Experience:

All work experience, education, training and other information substantiating how you meet the minimum qualifications must be included on your application by the filing deadline. Information submitted after the filing deadline will not be considered in determining whether you meet the minimum qualifications.

Note: Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed City and County of San Francisco application.

Selection Process: Applications will be screened for relevant qualifying experience. Additional screening mechanisms may be used to determine candidates' qualifications. Only those applicants who most closely meet the needs of the Agency will be invited to move forward in the selection process.

Additional Information

Additional Information Regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco:

Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process.

Recruitment Analyst Information:If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the analystJason Hammack via email [e-mail].

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.

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