Probation Accountant II - Promotional

County-of-Sonoma-; Santa Rosa (CA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

County of Sonoma is seeking a Probation Accountant II to ensure accurate financial records and compliance with reporting requirements within the Probation Department. The role involves fund and grant accounting, invoicing, and budget support in a collaborative government setting.

Ideal candidates will have accounting experience, knowledge of government accounting standards, and strong Excel skills. A CPA or related degree plus experience in local government accounting is highly valued.

Qualifications

• College degree in accounting, finance or business administration withAccounting, including Principles of Accounting, Intermediate Accounting, Advanced Accounting, Governmental Accounting, Cost Accounting or Auditing.
• CPA certification with one year of experience in a local government accounting or auditing position.
• Six years of Account Clerk experience, including three years as an Accounting Technician or higher with Sonoma County and related accounting coursework.

Responsibilities

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

Skills

Accounting knowledge

Financial reporting

Budgeting

Excel

Communication

Education

Accounting degree or related

CPA certification

Tools

QuickBooks

Financial management systems

Job description

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

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.

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.

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.

Additional Information

It is the policy of law enforcement and legal offices and departments, in the County of Sonoma, that candidates complete a thorough background investigation process prior to employment. This policy is imperative to keep the department’s employees and the public safe and to maintain high standards in the law enforcement community. Candidates referred to departments for a selection interview are typically required to sign authorization and release forms enabling such an investigation. Failure to sign prescribed forms will result in the candidate not being considered further for that vacancy. Reference information will not be made available to candidates.

The background investigation will include a thorough assessment of a candidate’s personal, employment, educational, criminal, and credit history. The investigation may include but is not necessarily limited to: the use of prescription and/or other drugs, reports from former employers, friends, family members, educational institutions, law enforcement agencies, credit reports, court reports, public records search, and/or other relevant sources. Candidates must be honest and forthcoming about information that may arise during the background process. Deception during any portion of this process is grounds for disqualification, even after employment.

All candidates will be required to take a pre-employment medical examination. The pre-employment medical examination will include drug testing as part of the medical examination for all applicants and for all current employees who are offered employment with the Offices/Departments. Additionally, candidates may be required to take a pre-employment psychological examination. The results of these examinations and the background investigation shall be confidential and shall not be available to the candidate for review. Failure to pass the background investigation will eliminate a candidate from the employment process. You may also review the Job Classification Screening Schedule to determine the requirements for this position.

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