Financial Office Professional Senior

County of Santa Barbar; Santa Barbara (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

County of Santa Barbara’s Child Support Services Department seeks one full-time Financial Office Professional Senior in Santa Barbara or Santa Maria. The role involves complex fiscal record keeping, budgeting support, and compliance with governmental accounting standards.

Ideal candidates demonstrate strong Excel/Word skills and customer service acumen. Applicants should have three years in financial office roles, a valid CA driver’s license, and the ability to work independently or in a team

Qualifications

• Three years of Financial Office Professional or financial clerical experience, two at journey level.
• Possession of a valid California Driver’s License at time of appointment.
• ACE values: accountability, customer-focus, efficiency, demonstrated in past work.

Responsibilities

• Performs difficult financial/accounting record keeping, general clerical, and related tasks.
• Audits figures, postings, and documents for accuracy and proper coding.
• Understands government accounting concepts including GAAP and GASB, and applies related policies and procedures.

Skills

Accounting expertise

Customer service

Time management

Communication skills

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Word

Outlook

Team player

Attention to detail

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Department Promotional Opportunity:

This position is limited to the regular employees of the Child Support Services Department.

The County of Santa Barbara's Child Support Services Department is seeking one (1) full-time Financial Office Professional Senior located in either Santa Barbara or Santa Maria.

We are accepting applications to establish one employment list to fill current and future vacancies in multiple locations within the County (Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Lompoc, etc.) for full-time and part-time positions. Please make sure you select on your application which location(s) and department(s) you are willing to accept current and future employment.

Under supervision, the Financial Office Professional Senior performs difficult financial/accounting record keeping, general clerical, and other related tasks.

IDEAL CANDIDATE

• Excellent financial/accounting/bookkeeping skills
• Excellent customer service skills
• Strong time management skills
• Good oral and written communication skills
• Ability to learn new tasks quickly
• Ability to prioritize and complete time-sensitive tasks
• Knowledge with Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Excel, Word, etc.)
• Ability to work well independently and as a team player
• Self-motivation and overall, a positive attitude
• Ability to complete work accurately and pay attention to details

1. Performs difficult financial/accounting record keeping, general clerical, and other related tasks in an assigned work area.
2. Applies an in-depth or broad understanding of technical or specialized program information, regulations, procedures, and/or operations associated with difficult fiscal record keeping and clerical work related to an assigned accounting, budget, or financial management support function.
3. Applies an understanding of the fundamentals of general, governmental, and cost accounting; Santa Barbara accounting principles and practices; double-entry accounting; Santa Barbara County accounting policies, codes, regulations, and procedures; chart of accounts; and financial/accounting computer systems.
4. Audits figures, postings, and documents for correct entry, mathematical accuracy, and proper coding.
5. Applies knowledge of the basic concepts and practices of internal controls, fraud prevention measures, and fiduciary responsibility.
6. Uses cost accounting principles, including cost centers, setting rates, and restricted funds.
7. Applies basic understanding of governmental accounting concepts, including GAAP and GASB.

• Three years of Financial Office Professional or financial clerical experience, two of which were at the FOP II or journey-level; or the equivalent; AND
• Mastery of the following job-related FOP – I, II, and Senior competencies are required upon entry to this class for successful performance of essential function and for demonstration of the County's ACE (accountability, customer-focus, and efficiency) values.

Additional Qualifications:

Possession of a valid and appropriate California Driver’s License at time of appointment.

Application & Selection Process

• Review Applications and Supplemental Questionnaire to determine those applicants who meet the employment standards (minimum qualifications) based on information provided on their application.
• Application Ranking: Applications that meet the employment standards will be evaluated and scored. Candidates’ final score and rank on the eligibility list will be determined by the information provided on their application. This process may be eliminated if there are fewer than 11 qualified candidates.

Candidates must receive a percentage score of at least 70 on the Application Ranking assessment to be placed on an employment list. An adjustment may be made to raw scores based on factors listed in Civil Service Rule VI. Those candidates who are successful in the selection process will have their names placed on the employment list for a minimum of three months. At the time the employment list is established, all candidates will receive written notice of their score on the exam(s), rank on the employment list, and exact duration of the employment list.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS

The County of Santa Barbara is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants. Qualified individuals with disabilities who need reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process should contact the recruiter listed on the job posting. We require verification of needed accommodation from a professional source, such a Medical Provider or a learning institution.

Background Check

This position has access to federal tax information (FTI) and is thus subject to the provisions of IRS Publication 1075 Tax Information Security Guidelines for Federal, State and Local Agencies, which include criminal history background investigations every 5 years, subsequent arrest notification and citizenship verification through e-Verify.

Recruiters will communicate with applicants by e-mail during each step in the recruitment process. Applicants are reminded to check spam filters continuously during the Recruitment & Selection Process steps listed above to ensure they do not miss the required deadlines.

Disaster Service Worker

Pursuant to Governmental code section 3100, all employees with the County of Santa Barbara are declared to be disaster service workers subject to such disaster service. Activities as may be assigned to them by their superiors or by law.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Statement

The County of Santa Barbara provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants and prohibits discrimination, harassment, and retaliation of any type with regard to any characteristic or status protected by any federal law, state law, or Santa Barbara County ordinance. The County continues to be committed to a merit-based selection process and to eliminating barriers to attracting and retaining top qualified candidates. The County has a long-standing practice of providing a work environment that respects the dignity of individual employees and values their contributions to our organization.

APPLICATION DEADLINE

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Friday, September 25, 2026 at 4:59 p.m. PST, postmarks not accepted. You can view job postings and apply online 24 hours a day at www.sbcountyjobs.com.