Senior Accountant

Water Replenishment District; Lakewood (CA); On-site; USD 95,000 - 139,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

CalPERS pension

Health insurance

Deferred compensation and matching

Paid holidays

Job summary

Water Replenishment District of Southern California is accepting applications for a Senior Accountant. The role provides advanced professional accounting and financial analysis, supporting districts’ financial records, reports, and systems in accordance with GAAP.

The position may lead cross-functional projects and guide junior staff, with responsibilities spanning budgeting, payroll, audits, and management reporting.

Qualifications

• Graduation from a 4-year college with a major in accounting/finance/business; 5+ years of professional accounting experience, preferably in public agency.
• Strong knowledge of GAAP and financial reporting requirements.
• Experience with budgeting, multi-year forecasts and cash flow analyses.
• Ability to manage payroll cycle and ensure compliance with laws and regulations.

Responsibilities

• Perform complex accounting work and financial analyses; prepare journal entries, reconciliations and GAAP-compliant financial reports.
• Prepare budget analyses, revenue/expenditure projections and multi-year cash flow analyses.
• Maintain and reconcile special funds, contracts and debt schedules; monitor invoices and payments.
• Oversee payroll processing, deductions, benefits, and payroll reporting; ensure compliance with tax laws and GASB standards.
• Produce management reports and budgets; assist audits and prepare audit schedules.
• Coordinate audits; prepare year-end adjusting entries and closing entries.

Skills

GAAP knowledge

Budgeting

Financial analysis

Payroll management

Internal controls

Education

Bachelor's degree in accounting/finance/business

Tools

Excel

ERP software

General ledger system

Job description

General Purpose

The Water Replenishment District of Southern California (WRD or District) is a California Special District responsible for managing and protecting local groundwater resources for over 4 million residents. As a local government agency, WRD ensures that a reliable supply of high-quality groundwater is available through the use of stormwater capture and recycled water.

WRD is seeking a Senior Accountant who will under direction, performs a full range of complex, professional accounting and financial analysis in the preparation and maintenance of the District’s financial records, reports and systems; provides a basis for sound operational and financial planning through financial review, analysis, monitoring, reconciliation and maintenance of assigned financial accounts, programs and activities; and performs related duties as assigned.

This position is an advanced professional journey-level classification of the finance/accounting family that serves as an experienced resource to District managers and staff. This class performs professional accounting and financial work ranging from moderate difficulty to complex. Assignments require the use of professional judgment and a thorough knowledge of accounting principles and financial management practices.

A Senior Accountant may be assigned lead responsibility for cross-functional projects and may guide the work of lower-level professional and technical accounting staff.

Senior Accountant is distinguished from Accountant in that an employee in the former class performs more complex accounting and analyses of greater significance and impact on the operations and management of the District. Senior Accountant is further distinguished from Manager of Finance and Administration in that an incumbent in the latter class is responsible for planning, organizing, managing and overseeing District accounting and finance activities.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

The duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to their class.

Assignments May Include, But Are Not Limited To

• Performs complex and technical accounting work in the maintenance and analysis of records of revenues, expenditures and special program/project funds; prepares analyses, schedules, summaries, journal entries and reconciliations to produce accurate periodic financial reports in accordance with GAAP; reviews and reconciles monthly bank statements and cash receipts to the general ledger; analyzes cost data and prepares project accounting reports; reconciles postings to source documents; audits and processes a variety of accounting documents; reviews, edits and approves purchase orders and direct pay requests.
• Prepares budget analyses, revenue and expenditure projections, long-range fiscal plans and supporting schedules; monitors and reports on budget and revenue account status; reviews and processes requests for budget adjustments; assists in reviewing budget figures and compiling budget data and information; prepares multi-year cash flow analysis; develops databases and analyzes financial information; answers questions and compiles special reports for departmental use in budget tracking and reporting; drafts, reviews and revises budget issue papers and staff reports; prepares budget presentations.
• Performs the more technical and complex accounting work in the administration and maintenance of special fund accounts and contracts; balances and reconciles expenditures against invoices; calculates and prepares various tax reports; monitors and prepares periodic reports on special funds and expenditures; develops and maintains debt schedules; generates annual invoices, tracks payments and initiate payments to vendors; initiates draw-downs of federal grant monies to reimburse District departments and prepares drawdown reconciliation reports; administers accounting records for special fund obligations and indebtedness; conducts special expenditure analyses and audits to ensure full reimbursement of District costs in connection with special fund expenditures.
• Manages and oversees the full payroll cycle, ensuring the accurate and timely processing of employee compensation, deductions, benefits and payroll-related transactions; reviews and reconciles payroll records and general ledger accounts; prepares and reviews payroll-related journal entries and reports; ensures compliance with applicable federal and state tax laws, CalPERS retirement reporting requirements, Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) standards, District policies and applicable labor agreements; researches and resolves complex payroll discrepancies and provides technical guidance on payroll-related matters.
• Prepares or assures the preparation of a variety of accounting and other statistical and narrative reports/statements required by federal, state and local agencies and management; assures that funds are budgeted, controlled, accounted for, reconciled and audited according to acceptable accounting practices and legal requirements; reviews financial transactions to assure conformance to District, local, state and federal policies, rules, regulations and codes; develops financial information for department and District annual reports.
• Coordinates and assists with annual and special audits; prepares audit schedules; analyzes, reconcile and prepares revenue and expenditure accounts and prepares year-end adjusting entries, accruals and closing entries.

Other Duties

• Works directly with staff from other departments to resolve technical and professional accounting issues and problems; provides guidance to other accounting support staff in performing accounting entries; assists staff of other departments in conducting queries and generating special reports; designs and creates custom financial reports.
• Responds to staff, managers, auditors and other governmental agencies on a variety of requests relating to District accounting information and records.
• Performs special studies, analyses and projects as assigned.
• Evaluates District operating policies, procedures, ordinances and agreements as needed; interprets and applies state and federal policies, procedures, laws and regulations and makes recommendations as to their application to District functions.

Qualifications

• Theory, principles, practices and terminology of general, fund, and governmental accounting including financial statement preparation, internal control and methods of financial control and reporting.
• District policies and procedures for cash control, accounts payable processing and payroll reporting.
• Internal control and audit principles and practices.
• Principles and practices of cost accounting.
• Principles and practices of public agency budgeting.
• Methods, practices, documents and terminology used in financial recordkeeping.
• Federal, state and local laws, regulations and court decisions applicable to assigned areas of responsibility.
• Principles and practices of business data processing particularly related to the processing of accounting and financial information.
• The operations, requirements and codes of the District’s automated general ledger system.
• The uses of spreadsheets and other standard financial and business software.
• Standard office procedures and practices.

Ability To

• Operate a computer and utilize advanced functions of spreadsheet and other standard financial and business software.
• Analyze and make sound recommendations on complex financial data and operations.
• Organize, set priorities and exercise sound independent judgment within areas of responsibility.
• Plan and evaluate financial systems and practices and make sound recommendations for improvement.
• Understand, interpret, explain and apply, state and federal laws and regulations governing accounting, reporting and recordkeeping.
• Verify the accuracy of financial data and information.
• Perform complicated mathematical calculations and analyses.
• Ensure proper authorization and documentation for disbursements.
• Analyze, post, balance and reconcile complex financial data and accounts.
• Prepare clear, concise and comprehensive financial statements, reports and other written materials.
• Communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Exercise sound independent judgment within general policy guidelines.
• Exercise tact and diplomacy in dealing with sensitive and complex issues and situations.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with District management, employees, representatives of other governmental agencies, special fund administrators and others encountered in the course of work.

Education, Training And Experience

A typical way of obtaining the knowledge, skills and abilities outlined above is graduation from a four-year (4) college or university with a major in accounting, finance, business administration or a closely related field; and at least five years of progressively responsible professional accounting experience, preferably in a public agency; or an equivalent combination of training and experience.

Licenses, Certificates, Special Requirements

A valid California driver’s license is preferred. If driving on behalf of the District, the employee must maintain insurability under the District’s vehicle insurance policy.

Compensation

The salary range for this classification is $95,001.00 to $139,171.00 yearly.

Final candidates must be able to prove legal U.S. residency, pass a background check, and a physical exam.

The District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

WRD offers an exceptional benefits package, inclusive of the following:

• CalPERS pension
• Deferred compensation and matching
• Social Security
• Paid medical plans through Anthem and Kaiser
• Paid dental insurance through Delta Dental
• Paid employee assistance program
• Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA)
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• 9/80 Remote/Hybrid work schedule for eligible positions
• Life insurance
• Short and Long-term disability
• Represented employees receive paid vacation and sick leave.
• Management employees receive paid annual leave.
• Paid holidays
• Optional, employee paid long-term care insurance

For purposes of employment, temporary employees and interns are not eligible for any benefits unless required by law. Pursuant to state law, temporary employees and interns are eligible for 40 hours of paid sick leave in accordance with the District’s sick leave policy after completion of 90 calendar days of employment. Any unused hours of sick leave will be forfeited as of December 31st. A new accrual of 40 hours will be provided at the start of the calendar year. Upon completion of the internship assignment, unused sick leave will be lost.