Probation Accountant II - Promotional

County of Sonoma; Santa Rosa (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

County of Sonoma is seeking a Probation Accountant II to join the Probation Department. The position involves maintaining accurate financial records, preparing reports, invoicing, and budget monitoring for various funds and grants.

The successful candidate will have government accounting experience, CPA or progress toward it, and strong Excel skills. The role emphasizes reconciliation, reporting, and collaboration with department staff to ensure compliance with state and federal requirements.

Qualifications

• Experience with professional accounting duties including reconciliations, reporting, and analysis.
• Knowledge of grant accounting, special revenue funds, and state/federal reporting requirements.
• Experience assisting with budget preparation, monitoring expenditures, and maintaining financial records.
• Proficiency with financial management systems and Excel.

Responsibilities

• Track and reconcile revenues and expenditures for special revenue funds and grants.
• Prepare monthly invoices, operating transfers, and financial reports.
• Provide accounting support to Probation Industries including invoicing and reconciliations.
• Monitor salary and benefit expenditures and maintain department-wide budget spreadsheets.
• Assist with budget preparation, financial estimates, and rate development.
• Perform year-end closing activities and maintain asset schedules.

Skills

Accounting

Budgeting

Financial reporting

Excel

Analytical thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in accounting/finance

Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

Tools

QuickBooks

Gov accounting software

Job description

Position Information

This recruitment is promotional only. You must presently be a full or part-time regular or probationary County of Sonoma, Community Development Commission, Sonoma County Fairgrounds, or Sonoma County Water Agency employee in order to apply for this position.

The Probation Department has requested a county-wide promotional certification to fill a Probation Accountant II position. Qualified County employees who wish to be considered for future positions should consider applying to this recruitment. This employment list may also be used to fill future full-time or part-time positions as they occur during the active status of the list.

About the Position

As a Probation Accountant II with the Probation Department, you will work collaboratively with department staff and management to ensure accurate financial records and compliance with applicable reporting requirements. Additional responsibilities will include:

• Tracking and reconciling revenues and expenditures for special revenue funds and grants


• Preparing monthly invoices, operating transfers, and financial reports in accordance with state and federal reporting requirements


• Providing accounting support to Probation Industries, including invoicing, reconciliations, financial reporting, and product ordering


• Monitoring salary and benefit expenditures and maintaining department-wide budget spreadsheets


• Assisting with budget preparation, financial estimates, and rate development for various budget units


• Performing year-end closing activities, including reconciling accounts payable and receivable, processing transfers, and ensuring accurate financial records


• Maintaining long-range special revenue fund balance reports and capital asset and replacement schedules


• Developing indirect cost rates and preparing financial reports and analyses

The ideal candidate will possess strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills, along with excellent attention to detail and the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines. They will demonstrate initiative, sound judgment, and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively with staff at all levels. They will also possess many of the following:

• Experience performing professional accounting duties, including financial reconciliations, reporting, and analysis


• Knowledge of grant accounting, special revenue funds, and state and federal financial reporting requirements


• Experience assisting with budget preparation, monitoring expenditures, and maintaining financial records


• Proficiency with financial management systems, preferably Sonoma County financial systems, and QuickBooks


• Intermediate to advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including SUMIF functions, VLOOKUP, and PivotTables


• Strong communication and interpersonal skills


• The ability to research and resolve accounting discrepancies, maintain accuracy, and adapt to changing priorities

Minimum Qualifications

Education & Experience: Any combination of education and experience which would provide opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed. Normally, either possession of a college degree in accounting, finance or business administration with at least 12 semester or 16 quarter units of Accounting, including Principles of Accounting, Intermediate Accounting, Advanced Accounting, Governmental Accounting, Cost Accounting or Auditing;

OR

possession of a Certified Public Accountant Certificate, and one year of experience in a position comparable to Accountant I in a local government agency or one year of experience in a professional level auditing or accounting position which demonstrates exposure to the many different facets of accounting theory and application;

OR

six years of Account Clerk experience including three years as an Accounting Technician or higher with Sonoma County and at least 9 semesters or 12 quarter units of college level accounting credit, would provide such opportunity.

License: Possession of a valid driver's license at the appropriate level including special endorsements, as required by the State of California, may be required depending upon assignment to perform the essential job functions of the position. The position advertised in this announcement does not require possession of a valid California Driver's License.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Considerable knowledge of: accounting theory, principles, and practices, and their application to a wide variety of accounting transactions and problems with a particular reference to governmental accounting.

Working knowledge of: modern office management procedures, practices, and equipment, particularly as they apply to accounting operations; laws ordinances and regulations governing the financial operations of the County and its departments; data processing applications to accounting procedures.

Ability to: analyze and evaluate accounting data; perform mathematical computations including percentages, discounts, interest, profit and loss, and other calculations applicable in a financial operation; prepare complex financial reports; establish new accounting systems; plan, schedule, assign, coordinate, and supervise the work of subordinate employees if required by nature of assignment; communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing; prepare clear and concise fiscal reports; adjust to workload changes and work under pressure to meet deadlines.

Selection Procedure & Some Helpful Tips When Applying

• Your application information and your responses to the supplemental questions are evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the entire selection process.


• You should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application. Be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions.


• You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position for which you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, list out each position separately.


• Failure to follow these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.

Please visit Getting a Job with the County of Sonoma to review more detailed information about the hiring process, including the application process, examination steps, and department selection process.

Responses to supplemental questions will be scored using position-specific criteria. Please provide specific and detailed responses of a reasonable length to allow for a thorough assessment of your qualifications. Responses that state, \"See Resume\" or \"See Application\" may be considered insufficient and therefore may not be scored.

The selection procedure will consist of the following examination:

An Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination (weight 100%) will be conducted to evaluate each applicant's application and supplemental questionnaire for satisfaction of minimum qualifications (pass/not pass); and for educational coursework, training, experience, knowledge, and abilities which relate to this position. Personally identifiable information (PII) is removed from the standard application fields and applicable attachments. This PII blind screening practice redacts a candidate's personal information that could potentially influence or bias the scoring process. Personal information includes the applicant's name, former last name, address, phone number, email, driver's license number, school name, education start and end dates, age, date of birth, gender, and race. This PII blind screening practice helps contribute to a fair and equitable examination process.

Each applicant will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Relevance of work history, related experience, and achieved level of education and/or training as described in the application and responses to the supplemental questions.

Candidates demonstrating possession of the minimum qualifications will be placed on an employment list in order of most qualified to least qualified based on the achieved score received in the Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination which evaluates the education, training, experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, and other qualifications that you demonstrate in your application and/or response to the supplemental questionnaire. Please be aware that resumes and cover letters are not typically evaluated in the Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination. Scores may be adjusted based on such factors as the number of candidates, anticipated vacancies, past practice, and natural breaks in the scores achieved by this group of candidates.

The County of Sonoma values diversity and is dedicated to creating a workplace environment that provides individuals with a sense of belonging. We are committed to having a diverse workforce that is representative of the communities we serve. The County is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer where all aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance, and business need.

HR Analyst: CA

HR Technician: KK