Finance Clerk

City-of-Orange,-C; Placentia (CA); On-site; USD 48,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Orange invites applications for a Finance Clerk in the Finance Department. This full-time position provides support for accounts payable, accounts receivable, utility billing, and business licensing, handling routine to complex financial tasks under supervision.

The role requires accuracy, knowledge of basic accounting, data entry, and customer service to assist residents and City departments; prior experience with accounting systems is preferred, with opportunities for career growth.

Qualifications

• Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth grade and one year of responsible administrative support experience.
• Experience in financial/accounting record-keeping is preferred.
• Ability to process accounts payable and receivable and utility billing tasks.

Responsibilities

• Performs routine to complex accounting support duties for accounts payable, accounts receivable, utility billing, and business licensing.
• Balances and maintains manual and computerized accounting records; prepares reports.
• Receives payments, processes deposits, and maintains ledgers and journals.
• Prepares invoices, tracks payments, and maintains vendor W-9 information as needed.
• Assists customers and City departments with account-related inquiries and issues.

Skills

Accounting

Accounts payable

Accounts receivable

Billing

Education

High School Diploma

Tools

Accounting software

Job description

The City of Orange Finance Department is looking for its next Finance Clerk!

IMPORTANT RECRUITMENT INFORMATION:

This recruitment will close on October 21, 2026, or upon receipt of 150 applications, whichever occurs first.

Please save the following tentative dates:

Application Review: October 21-23, 2026
Written Exam: October 23-26, 2026
Panel Interviews: Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Department Selection Interviews: Week of November 9th

Under direct or general supervision, performs a variety of routine to complex technical and administrative account support duties in the preparation, maintenance, and processing of accounting records and transactions, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, utility billing, and/or business licensing, in addition to balancing and maintaining manual and computerized accounting and financial records; and performs related work as required.

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.

When performing the accounts receivable assignment:

• Processes periodic invoice requests; creates and maintains new payor accounts.
• Receives and balances cash receipts and general ledger debits; allocates revenue to proper cost accounts; posts revenue; prepares bank deposits and related reports.
• Receives mail and direct payments from the public and from other City departments, balances monies received, and prepares receipts.
• Processes City-wide returned checks and contacts customers as appropriate; prepares delinquent item reports, initiates and monitors delinquent processing for collection; prepares and processes year-end write-offs for un-collectable accounts.
• Maintain and update IRS W-9 information of vendors for IRS 1099 year end tax reporting and processing.

When performing the accounts payable assignment:

• Processes payments in batches and logs batch reports as appropriate; processes warrant writing on a weekly basis; prepares documentation for payment; confers with vendors as necessary; enters and verifies data into the automated accounts payable system to produce payment; may prepare manual checks; prepares payments for mailing and files copies with backup.
• Audits, verifies, codes, and batches accounts payable transactions; matches purchase orders, packing slips, and invoices; researches discrepancies and unauthorized purchases; checks allocations against department budget appropriations; prepares payment requests; balances and maintains retention accounts; liquidates purchase orders; processes purchasing requisitions for the assigned department.
• Sets up new vendor accounts; obtains necessary information and paperwork from vendors; prepares vendor invoice tracking; inputs vendor invoices and prints checks; totals and balances accounts.
• Maintains credit card accounts; processes receipts and reconciles to credit card statements.
• Processes miscellaneous receipts.
• Transmits weekly warrant file to the bank.
• Reviews source documents for accuracy, receipt of necessary information, and compliance with rules, regulations, and procedures; determines proper handling for compliance.
• Receives vendor inquiries via telephone, fax, or mail; resolves any issues, problems, or requests using established procedures.
• Prepares centralized bank deposits and reports for the Investment Revenue Officer. Maintains warrant control log for check stock.
• Processes "orders to withhold personal income tax" on behalf of the Federal Franchise Tax Board and IRS.
• Maintains signature authorization listing used to verify payment authorization signatures.
• Verifies bankruptcy information of vendors; participates in audits of vendors and other City departments; maintains vendor W-9 information for 1099 processing.

When performing the utility billing assignment:

• Accepts and processes payments at the front counter, over the phone, and by mail, in cash, by check, or by credit card; makes change as necessary and maintains cash drawer as appropriate; processes automatic customer account debits through electronic bank transfers; balances payments and posts transactions in the accounting system daily.
• Sets up new accounts or closes out terminated accounts; notifies customers of excessive usage and initiates work orders to investigate for high consumption, potential leaks, or broken utility meters; calculates and processes billing adjustments due to leaks, penalty adjustments, or overestimating.
• Sends out late and final notices, collection notices, and performs necessary collections and delinquency processing.
• Maintains current billing book by downloading reads, printing and investigating problem accounts (e.g., high reads, missing reads, etc.); generates investigation list for the Customer Service Crew.
• Maintains accurate billing information through data entry, calculations, and verifications.

When performing the business licensing assignment:

• Maintains the business license database; researches new businesses and notifies them of licensing requirements; mails application materials; processes closing accounts; reviews and reconciles payment ledger against database of notices; verifies bankruptcy information and performs other research about business and property information; initiates work orders for inspectors as needed.
• Calculates necessary fees; accepts and processes payments at the front counter, over the phone, and by mail, in cash, by check, or by credit card; makes change as necessary and maintains cash drawer as appropriate; balances payments and posts transactions in the accounting system daily.
• Prepares monthly renewal, second, late, final, and delinquent notices.
• Balances month end work and researches, compiles, enters, and classifies data for new business input.
• Participates in the implementation of new business license rates.

When performing all assignments:

• Performs a variety of routine to complex administrative and technical account support duties related to accounts receivable, accounts payable, utility billing, business licensing, and/or department-specific technical account duties, including posting, balancing, adjusting, and maintaining manual and computerized account and financial records according to established policies and procedures.
• Verifies, posts and records a variety of financial transactions; prepares and maintains databases, records, and a variety of periodic and special financial, accounting and statistical reports; generates reports by computer and balances them appropriately.
• Enters and retrieves information and data using standard word processing and spreadsheet software, as well as accounting, financial, and other electronic information systems specific to the department to which assigned.
• Maintains a variety of ledgers, registers, and journals according to established account policies and procedures; reconciles transactions and data as directed; records changes and resolves differences; maintains the accuracy of accounting and financial records.
• Generates and assists in the preparation of monthly, quarterly, and year-end financial, summary and technical reports.
• Performs general office support duties such as opening and routing mail and deliveries; preparing correspondence; filing and record keeping; duplicating and distributing various written materials; and ordering and keeping inventory of office supplies.
• Assists customers, departments, and employees by providing answers and information regarding specific account information, discrepancies, general accounting procedures, and or department specific issues and problems; researches issues regarding specific transactions; and updates related files and departments on action items; may dispatch maintenance crews to assist with emergencies.
• May initiate a variety of work orders for other personnel in the department to which assigned.
• May provide direction and training to lower-level or less experienced staff in area of assignment.
• May assist with the year-end closing process.
• Assists supervisor(s) with special projects as required.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Knowledge of:

• Terminology and practices of financial and account document processing and record keeping, including accounts receivable, accounts payable, utility billing, and business licensing.
• Business arithmetic and basic financial and statistical techniques.
• Record-keeping principles and procedures.
• Modern office practices, methods, and computer equipment.
• Computer applications related to work, including word processing and spreadsheet software.
• English usage, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and punctuation.
• Techniques for providing a high level of customer service by effectively dealing with the public, vendors, contractors and City staff.

When performing all assignments:

• Performs a variety of routine to complex administrative and technical account support duties related to accounts receivable, accounts payable, utility billing, business licensing, and/or department-specific technical account duties, including posting, balancing, adjusting, and maintaining manual and computerized account and financial records according to established policies and procedures.

Ability to:

• Perform detailed account and financial office support work accurately and in a timely manner.
• Respond to and effectively prioritize multiple phone calls and other requests for service.
• Interpret, apply, and explain policies and procedures.
• Compose correspondence and reports independently or from brief instructions.
• Make accurate arithmetic, financial, and statistical computations.
• Enter and retrieve data from a computer with sufficient speed and accuracy to perform assigned work.
• Establish and maintain a variety of filing, record-keeping, and tracking systems.
• Understand and follow oral and written instructions.
• Organize own work, set priorities and meet critical time deadlines.
• Operate modern office equipment including computer equipment and specialized software applications programs.
• Use English effectively to communicate in person, over the telephone, and in writing.
• Use tact, initiative, prudence, and independent judgment within general policy, procedural, and legal guidelines. Establish, maintain, and foster positive and harmonious working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Education and Experience:

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

Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth (12th) grade and one (1) year of responsible administrative support experience; experience in financial/accounting record-keeping preferred.

Must possess mobility to work in a standard office setting and use standard office equipment, including a computer; vision to read printed materials and a computer screen; and hearing and speech to communicate in person, before groups, and over the telephone. This is primarily a sedentary office classification although standing in work areas and walking between work areas may be required. Finger dexterity is needed to access, enter, and retrieve data using a computer keyboard or calculator and to operate standard office equipment. Positions in this classification occasionally bend, stoop, kneel, reach, push, and pull drawers open and closed to retrieve and file information. Employees must possess the ability to lift, carry, push, and pull materials and objects weighing up to 25 pounds.

Disaster Service Worker:

All employees of the City of Orange are designated by both State law and City ordinance to be “Disaster Service Workers.” In the event of a declared emergency or any undeclared emergency or natural disaster that threatens the life, health and/or safety of the public, employees may be assigned to assist rescue and relief workers. Such assignments may be in locations, during hours and performing work significantly different from the employees’ normal work assignments and may continue through the recovery phase of the emergency.

City Mission, Vision, and Values:

Incumbents in all City positions are expected to exhibit the behavior characteristics reflected in the City’s Mission, Vision, and Values statements in the performance of their duties: The City of Orange is committed to excellent service for our residents, businesses, and visitors. As an organization, the City of Orange is the leader in delivering the highest level of service to meet current and future needs of the community. The City’s values include Teamwork, Excellence, Accountability, and Transparency.