Account Clerk III

CalHR; El Centro (CA); On-site; USD 52,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

CalHR in Imperial County, California seeks an Account Clerk III to perform advanced clerical accounting duties, maintain financial and statistical records, and serve as a lead-worker or training resource for fiscal staff.

The role requires strong math, data processing, and knowledge of rules and procedures; duties include assisting the public, compiling reports, processing payments, and coordinating with other departments.

Qualifications

• Advanced math and statistics knowledge for complex calculations.
• Ability to read, write, and interpret rules, procedures, and reports.
• Experience with fiscal record-keeping and financial auditing procedures.

Responsibilities

• Instructs staff on laws, regulations, and procedures related to fiscal records.
• Acts as a technical resource for difficult problems.
• Prioritizes workload and supervises unit quality and timeliness.
• Assists the public with inquiries about policies and procedures.
• Prepares and verifies financial and statistical reports for agencies.

Skills

Advanced mathematics

Statistics

Lead supervision

Communication

Data interpretation

Education

60 semester units in financial/statistical subjects

Tools

Spreadsheet software

Word processing

Database software

Job description

EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS

Under limited supervision, the Account Clerk III performs the more difficult and specialized clerical accounting duties in the preparation and maintenance of financial and statistical records in a manual or automated environment; explains rules, policies, and operations related to assigned work area; may serve as a lead-worker and provide training and work assignments to a group of fiscal support staff; and performs related work as required.

The Account Clerk III is the advanced journey level in the Account Clerk series. Incumbents either act as the lead-worker to a group of fiscal support staff or exercise detailed and complex subject matter knowledge of a specific program area or specialized system inherent to the operations of the department.

The Account Clerk differs from the Office Assistant class in that the primary duties of the Account Clerk involve the application of mathematical skills and ability, and the interpretation and application of rules and procedures requiring sustained, frequent, and intensive use of financial, statistical, and numerical data and information. The Office Assistant class performs a wide variety of general office support duties in which the use of mathematical ability is incidental to their primary function and most frequently performed duties.

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• As a lead-worker, instructs employees in the interpretation and application of laws, regulations, policies, and procedures related to fiscal and statistical record-keeping.
• Acts as a technical resource on more difficult problems or specialized issues.
• Prioritizes and manages workload distribution; monitors quality and timeliness of unit work; identifies and provides individual instruction to co-workers for work deficiencies; provides feedback to supervisor as requested.
• Assists the public by answering inquiries about policies and procedures; obtains information, resolves discrepancies or errors, disperses relevant information, or refers clients to the appropriate personnel or location; explains the proper use of forms, documents, and reports.
• Prepares statistical, fiscal, and case record reports required by state, federal, and local agencies; gathers and arranges information by extracting from source documents or computer reports, and arranges in an understandable, presentable, or prescribed format.
• Assists with compilation of budget information including work and time records.
• Receives and verifies bills, invoices, vouchers, purchase orders, claims, and related materials; tabulates amounts; codes data for processing; posts revenue and expenditures to daily journals and control registers; adjusts accounts, proofs and balances total against off-setting total or source materials; traces and corrects errors.
• Maintains financial, statistical, work, time, payroll information, and case record information.
• Handles money transactions such as collecting and disbursing monies and other negotiable items related to the department's programs and agency operations; maintains records of receipts; checks, balances, and reconciles cash statements and computerized reports; processes documents such as invoices, purchase orders, and other records.
• Verifies and processes bank deposits and deposits funds in the appropriate accounts.
• Writes letters, memos, or documents to correspond with public and private organizations/agencies to obtain or verify information.
• May operate automated systems to produce notices, checks, graphs, charts, letters, reports, legal documents, spreadsheets, and standardized forms that are required for the maintenance of fiscal and statistical reports.
• May trouble‑shoot problems relating to automated systems.
• Performs related duties as assigned.

Knowledge of:

• Advanced mathematics and statistics such as complex decimal, fraction, percentage formulas, and statistical calculations.
• Grammar, vocabulary, spelling, punctuation, and composition.
• Office and department practices, procedures, programs, services, policies, regulations, and automated systems.
• Laws, rules, and regulations governing the maintenance of account, fiscal, and case records in the area assigned.
• Bookkeeping, accounting, and financial auditing procedures.
• Principles of lead supervision and training.
• Methods and techniques used in researching, proofing, evaluating, gathering, organizing, and arranging data.
• Common word processing, spreadsheet, and database software packages.

Ability to:

• Verify, compile, reconcile, and interpret more difficult and complex financial and statistical data.
• Make arithmetic computations with speed and accuracy. Calculate solutions to math problems including addition, subtraction, division, multiplication, percentages, decimals, and fractions.
• Lead and train subordinate employees on laws, rules, regulations, and office procedures.
• Read and understand specific rules, codes, regulations, procedures, policies, and precedents.
• Communicate information effectively and orally to a wide variety of people.
• Compose reports and correspondence (e.g., letters, memorandums) using appropriate grammar and spelling.
• Compile multiple pieces of information clearly and concisely into an organized and understandable written report/document.
• Research, proof, evaluate, gather, organize, and arrange a diversity of information.
• Maintain journals, ledgers, and complex accounting and case records.

Two (2) years of full-time clerical accounting experience performing fiscal or statistical work in an office environment, with one (1) year of full-time experience at the journey level.*

*Thirty (30) semester units or forty-five (45) quarter units that included coursework in basic financial and statistical recordkeeping practices and procedures; mathematics such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, decimals, fractions, and percentages; or computer applications and spreadsheet software may be substituted for up to one year of qualifying experience.

Qualifying experience or education may be combined in order to meet the above requirements. When combining education and experience; fifteen (15) semester units or twenty-two and one-half (22.5) quarter units equals six months of experience.

EXAMINATION INFORMATION

TRAINING & EXPERIENCE EXAMINATION – WEIGHTED 100%

The Training & Experience Examination is designed to elicit a range of specific information regarding each candidate’s knowledge, skill, abilities, and potential to effectively perform the duties relative to the classification. Responses to the questionnaire will be assessed based on pre-determined rating criteria. All applicants must complete the entire examination to receive a score. In order to obtain a position on the eligible list, candidates must receive a minimum rating of 70% on the examination.

Examination administration and processing time is approximately two weeks after submission of your application.

BILINGUAL TESTING

This job posting is for a bilingual position. Job applicants must meet the minimum qualifications as outlined in the job bulletin and be successful in the interview process. As a condition of employment, candidates who are selected for hire must receive a qualifying proficiency score on the Spanish bilingual certification examination(s) administered by MSS.

For Account Clerk III, the required proficiency level is:

ILR Level 2 - Limited Working Proficiency: At this rating level, bilingual persons can satisfy routine social demands and limited work requirements. Bilingual persons at this level can handle basic social situations including introductions and casual conversations about current events, work, family, and autobiographical information. At this level, persons can handle limited work requirements, needing help only with complicated or difficult subjects. Persons should have sufficient vocabulary and skill to handle topics without specialized knowledge. Persons at this level may have an intelligible and sometimes faulty accent and may not have thorough control of grammar for the required language.

Please review the bilingual examination information below:

SPANISH ORAL EXAMINATION

The oral examination is designed to elicit the full range of the target language to identify how well candidates use and control the language. The oral examination is administered over the phone and consists of a series of prompts (such as providing a description, discussing a hypothetical event, providing an opinion, etc.) requiring an oral response. Candidates will be evaluated on comprehension, communication, grammar, and vocabulary.

SPANISH WRITTEN EXAMINATION

The written examination is designed to evaluate the reading and writing proficiency of the candidate. The written examination is administered online and consists of several prompts presented in the target language. Candidates are required to provide a written response and will be evaluated on comprehension, expression, and mechanics.

ELIGIBLE LIST INFORMATION

A departmental open eligible list will be established for the county of Imperial. The list will be utilized for 12 months after it is established unless the needs of the service and conditions of the list warrant a change in this period.

RETEST PERIOD

Once you have taken the examination, you may not retest for SIX (6) MONTHS from the established eligibility date.

SPECIAL TESTING ARRANGEMENTS

Special testing arrangements may be made to accommodate applicants for disability, military, or religious reasons. If you require such arrangements, please contact CalHR at [e-mail] or 916-909-3701 upon notification that your application has been approved. Documentation from medical, military, school or church officials outlining the accommodation request must be received by our office a minimum of five business days prior to a scheduled examination.

EDUCATION DOCUMENTS

If you are using education to meet the minimum qualifications, you must attach your transcripts to your application. Applicants with foreign transcripts must provide a transcript evaluation that indicates the number of units to which the foreign course work is equivalent. Transcripts and evaluations may be unofficial; official transcripts may be required upon appointment. Please redact birthdates and social security numbers.

GENERAL INFORMATION

This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship by the start date of employment.

MSS reserves the right to revise the examination plan to better meet the needs of the recruitment if the circumstances under which this examination was planned change. Such revision will be in accordance with civil service laws and rules and all competitors will be notified.

If you meet the requirements stated on this bulletin, you may take this examination. Your performance in this examination will be rated against predetermined rating criteria. All competitors who pass will be added to the eligible list. Meeting the entry requirements does not assure success in the examination or placement on the eligible list.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

The Merit System Services program is committed to equal employment opportunity for all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• A valid driver's license is required at the time of appointment and employees may also be required to drive their own car, provide proof of car insurance. Individuals who do not meet this requirement due to a disability will be reviewed on a case‑by‑case basis.
• This position may require pre‑employment drug testing, a physical examination, and fingerprinting for a background investigation.
• Government agencies accessing US government information, which include federal tax information must ensure that background investigation requirements for all agency employees and contractors are consistent to the IRS background investigation requirements for access to federal tax information.
• Employees in this position may be required to drive in and out of the county to conduct business.
• Employees may be required to work with clients of various age groups and clients with mental health issues, physical health issues, substance abuse issues, victims of abuse and/or domestic violence, at risk of abuse, and financial instability.
• Employees may encounter hostile and emotionally troubled clients, including children and parents under the influence of controlled substances and alcohol.
• The ability to speak, read, and write Spanish in addition to English would be an asset in this position. Applicants for English/Spanish bilingual designated positions must take and pass the bilingual proficiency examination administered by the California Department of Human Resources, Merit System Services.
• Employees in this position might be required to provide- support to staff after hours.
• All Imperial County employees are considered Disaster Service Workers and might be required to take the associated FEMA training.

ABOUT IMPERIAL COUNTY

Imperial County is located in the Imperial Valley in the southeast of California, bordering Arizona and Mexico, with the Colorado River forming the County's eastern boundary. Imperial County is a major agricultural center, producing half of the nation's winter vegetables, as well as extensive renewable resources, such as geothermal, wind, and solar. Off‑road enthusiasts are drawn to the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation area, and the Colorado River is a popular destination for watersports, including fishing, boating, and water skiing. Fans of the popular movie, The Return of the Jedi, will recognize the Algo Dones Sand Dunes, where the movie was filmed.