Senior Accounting Assistant - Auditor Controller

Salary : $45,941.61 - $64,318.26 Annually
Location : Ventura County Government Center, CA
Job Type: Full-Time Regular
Job Number: 0405AUD-23AB (EO)
Department: Auditor-Controller
Opening Date: 12/26/2023
Closing Date: 1/12/2024 5:00 PM Pacific
Description
WHAT WE OFFER

• General Salary Increase - 3.50% effective 12/22/2024.
• Educational Incentive - An educational incentive of 2.5% for completion of an associate's degree, 3.5% for completion of a bachelor's degree, OR 5% for completion of a graduate's degree.
• Bilingual Incentive - Incumbents may also be eligible for bilingual incentive depending upon operational needs and certification skills.
• Vacation Accrual - Initially 14 days per year; after approximately 5 years of service increasing to 19 days a year; after approximately 11 years increasing to 20 days per year and then increasing 1 day a year through 15 years of service; topping out at 26 days per year after approximately 20 years of service with a maximum accumulation of 400 hours.
• Vacation Leave Redemption - After 14,560 hours (equivalent to 7 years) of continuous County service the ability to "cash in" or redeem up to 80 hours of vacation accrued in the same year after using 80 hours of vacation in the preceding 12 months.
• Deferred Compensation- Eligible to participate in the County's 401(k) Shared Savings Plan and/or the Section 457 Plan. This position is eligible for up to a 3% match on your 401(k) contributions.
• Health Plans - You are afforded a flexible credit allowance for purchasing medical, dental, and/or vision insurance from a group of authorized plans. Effective December 24, 2023, biweekly amounts will be $502 (employee only), $730 (employee plus one), and $905 (employee plus two or more).
• Flexible Spending Accounts - Choice of participation in the Flexible Spending Accounts which increase spending power through reimbursement of pre-tax dollars for IRS approved dependent care and health care expenses.
• Pension Plan - Both the County and employees contribute to the County's Retirement Plan and to Social Security. If eligible, reciprocity may be established with other public retirement systems, such as PERS.
• Holidays - 12 paid days per year which includes a scheduled floating holiday.

VENTURA COUNTY
Ventura County is located on California's "Gold Coast," approximately 35 miles northwest of Los Angeles and 20 miles southeast of Santa Barbara. Residents enjoy rolling hills and sweeping ocean views in a nearly perfect Mediterranean climate. The beauty and weather combined with a wonderful quality of life are among the many reasons our residents choose to call Ventura County "home."
Ventura County is a "general law" county, governed by a five-member, elected-by-district Board of Supervisors. The Supervisors appoint a County Executive Officer (CEO) to oversee the County budget, day-to-day operations, and to advise, assist, and act as an agent for the Board of Supervisors in all matters under the Board's jurisdiction. It focuses on serving its residents by promoting engagement, strategy, execution and accountability to include diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives to ensure that all employees are treated with respect and without discrimination, and to improve culturally appropriate outcomes for community members.
THE AUDITOR CONTROLLER'S OFFICE
By State Law, the Auditor-Controller is charged with the responsibilities normally associated with that of the Chief Financial Officer. The office is charged with the establishment and supervision of the accounting and financial operations of all activities under control of the Board of Supervisors. The Auditor-Controller provides the County with professional fiscal leadership to protect the interests of the citizens of Ventura County; promotes public oversight; and provides accountability. These services are performed in a customer oriented, efficient, economical, and effective manner.
THE POSITION
Under general supervision a Senior Accounting Assistant provides complex clerical support in the maintenance and processing of financial records and data entry/retrieval in manual and automated systems; functional areas of responsibility include cash receipts and disbursements; accounts receivable/billing; accounts payable and/or payroll; fixed asset accounting; and revenue distribution.
Senior Accounting Assistant is the advanced journey level in the Accounting Assistant series; positions at this level perform the most complex duties and responsibilities assigned to the series, exercising a significant level of independent judgment in the performance of their duties; work assigned to this advanced level requires a specialized technical or functional expertise beyond the journey level, such as processing complex transactions which require a specialized knowledge of multiple operational factors; positions may also be assigned functional, technical and lead supervisory duties over lower level staff when such assignments are a formal organizational responsibility, supervising at least three subordinate staff members.
There are currently three (3) open Senior Accounting Assistant positions. The three positions differ in that two Senior Accounting Assistants will be tasked with Accounts Payable functions while the third Senior Accounting Assistant will be tasked with Payroll functions.
The eligible list established from this recruitment may be used to fill future Regular, (including Temporary and Fixed Term), Intermittent, and Extra Help vacancies for this and similar vacancies with the Auditor-Controller's Office. There are two (2) vacancies within the Accounts Payable division and one (1) vacancy within the Payroll division of the Auditor-Controller's Office.
Senior Accounting Assistant is represented by the Service Employees' International Union (SEIU) and is eligible for overtime compensation.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE:OPENING DATE: Tuesday, December 26, 2023
CLOSING DATE: Friday, January 12, 2024, at 5:00 p.m.
APPLICATION REVIEW COMPLETE: Week of January 15, 2024
ONLINE WRITTEN EXAMINATION: Week of January 22, 2024
Examples Of Duties
Duties may include but are not limited to the following:
(For the positions within the Accounts Payable division)

• Approves a large amount of payment documents submitted daily by County agencies/departments in the Ventura County Financial Management System (VFMS);
• Receives, reviews and verifies claims, invoices, and/or payroll documents for authorization of expenditures, accuracy of amounts and accounts charged, and conformance to rules and procedures;
• Makes complex sales tax computations to ensure correct reporting;
• Communicates with County departments/ agencies and/or vendors to resolve payment document related issues;
• Performs special handling check distribution daily;
• Processes interface checks weekly;
• Reconciles vendor statements and works with other departments on outstanding items; and
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

(For the position within the Payroll division)

• Reviews, audits, and inputs employee federal and state tax withholding certificates; employee direct deposit certificates; and employee deductions requests into the automated payroll system (PeopleSoft/VCHRP);
• Pre-audits the work of others (e.g., time and work reports, child support payments, payroll, welfare payroll) to ensure proper coding, account classification, cost and fund distribution, and compliance with state or federal guidelines and procedures;
• Performs posting functions by hand or on the computer by inputting accounting or payroll data to appropriate accounts, journals, or ledgers;
• Organizes and files payroll records;
• Receives, reviews and verifies claims, invoices, and/or payroll documents for authorization of expenditures, accuracy of amounts and accounts charged, and conformance to rules and procedures;
• Edits daily operational reports for discrepancies or rejects; prepares adjustment entries to reconcile with the master control accounts;
• Performs complex calculations (e.g., back pay) by examining the individual case records, integrating multiple rules and regulations, and comparing the outcomes using different methods of calculation;
• Balances the subsidiary ledger totals to the Auditor-Controller's financial status reports; prepares periodic detail and summary reports on account status as requested;
• Performs biweekly audit of timesheets and validation of time reporting under collective bargaining agreement rules and regulations;
• Responds to and compiles payroll records to fulfill records requests;
• Balances, records, verifies, and audits payroll transactions to the general ledger funds and accounts;
• Performs account liabilities reconciliations, tax levies, garnishments, general ledger transactions, and accounts payable claims for accuracy and completeness;
• Performs special handling check distribution;
• Mails, sorts, and distributes biweekly paychecks;
• Provides oral and/or written reports to supervisors as required by abstracting data from various agency accounting and statistical records;
• Verifies the signatures of persons authorizing the forms or expenditures by maintaining and reviewing the index files;
• Compares data on the documents with back-up information in order to substantiate claims; and
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Typical Qualifications
These are entrance requirements to the examination process and assure neither continuance in the process nor placement on an eligible list.
EDUCATION, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE
Any combination of education and experience which has led to the acquisition of the required knowledge, skills and abilities. An example of qualifying education and experience includes:
Four (4) years of experience in financial, statistical, or fiscal record keeping; or two (2) years as an Accounting Assistant II with the County of Ventura.
Education/Experience Substitution
Three (3) units of college-level accounting coursework OR twelve (12) units of college-level general coursework may be substituted for up to one (1) year of the required experience.
DESIRED
(For the positions within the Accounts Payable division)

• Experience working in an automated accounting software system, such as VCFMS.
• Experience in Accounts Payable and Procurement procedures.
• Knowledge of sales tax rules and regulations.
• Ability to review, reconcile and verify reports.

(For the position within the Payroll division)

• Working knowledge of principles and techniques involved in payroll preparation, calculations, reconciliation, and reporting.
• Knowledge of payroll related accounting principles, labor contracts and their impact on payroll.
• County, Federal and state compensation standards, and reporting procedures.
• Education and experience maintaining payroll related accounts within an accounting system such as VCHRP.
• Ability to read, research and understand collective bargaining agreement rules and regulations (Union MOAs).

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:
If you are substituting education for experience (up to one year), verification of the college-level coursework is required. Transcripts or grade reports from an accredited college or university which reflect passing grades in the required subject areas must be submitted to County Human Resources no later than 5:00 p.m. three (3) days past the closing date of this recruitment. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. Degree(s) from a foreign institution require an academic credential evaluation to determine the U.S. equivalency.
If the name on this documentation is different from the name on your application, include documents that show the name change (e.g., a marriage certificate).
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS and ABILITIES
Thorough knowledge of:

• Operations, services and activities of a comprehensive fiscal program;
• Basic bookkeeping and record keeping principles, practices, and techniques;
• The operating financial accounting system;
• The codes, forms, procedures, rules and regulations applicable to the processing and recording of fiscal transactions;
• The department/agency account structure and operational requirements;
• Principles of lead supervision and training;
• Pre-audit methods and procedures;
• Electronic data processing equipment uses and limitations.

Skill in:

• The operation of a 10-key number keypad or calculator;
• Use of computers and related technology including software applications specific to the work performed;
• Perform complex mathematical calculations.

Ability to:

• Plan, lead, assign and review the work of staff;
• Make arithmetic calculations with speed and accuracy;
• Make arithmetic calculations for applying sales tax;
• Learn codes and classifications used in account maintenance;
• Use computer printouts and prepare data in the proper format;
• Understand and apply rules and regulations related to fiscal record keeping and accounting functions;
• Understand the relationship among accounting records and documents;
• Recognize discrepancies or problems in accounts and make corrections;
• Research a problem or question to a successful conclusion;
• Prepare financial summaries and maintain ledgers and journals;
• Be organized and detail oriented;
• Provide customer service;
• Communicate effectively both verbally and in writing; and
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Recruitment Process
FINAL FILING DATE: Applications must be received by County of Ventura Human Resources in Ventura, California, no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, Jan...