Utility Account Specialist

Salary: $26.78 - $32.56 Hourly
Location : Salem, OR
Job Type: Fulltime-Career
Job Number: 23-0027-04
Department: Public Works Department
Org: PW Ops Account Maintenance
Opening Date: 12/25/2023
Closing Date: 1/8/2024 11:59 PM Pacific
Job Summary
Calling all compassionate team players with a drive for a genuine customer service to apply! Come join our Public Works Utility Customer Care Team as a Utility Account Specialist! If you have a passion for helping people, are a natural problem solver, and are willing to learn, we would love to hear from you!
Learn and grow:
In this position you'll have the opportunity to build strong people skills working with a diverse customer base. You can substantially grow your network as you connect with other City professionals, outside organizations, and local service agencies. Need support growing your career? Pursue a mentorship from a colleague to develop skills and abilities towards your career goals. Supplement your skills by learning multiple systems and techniques to grow your knowledge!
What you will do:
Provide customer care and support for over 57,000 community-wide customer accounts on the phone (in a call-center environment), in person, and in writing. Support utility billing operations by reviewing billing data, performing simple to complex financial adjustments, maintaining the integrity of customer-related information, generating utility bills and notices, processing financial transactions, maintaining City assets by requesting inspections and investigations, and resolving customer utility-related issues.
What can we offer you for all your hard work?

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your family.
• Paid vacation and sick time in accordance with City policies.
• Competitive pay.
• Employer-paid PERS contribution of 6%.
• Opportunity for voluntary pre-tax contributions to a 457b account.
• Health care and dependent care flexible spending accounts.
• Voluntary long-term care.
• Employee wellness program.
• Employee assistance program.
• Employee health clinic.
• Position schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm.

What are the minimum qualifications?

• Must pass the pre-employment background check.
• May require an Oregon Driver's license and a driving record that meets the City of Salem's driving standards.
• Graduation from high school or GED, supplemented by two (2) year college or vocational courses in accounting, government accounting, bookkeeping, accounts reconciliation or business preferred.
• Three (3) years of progressively responsible bookkeeping or accounts reconciliation experience, preferably in municipal government, experience in accounting clerical procedures and one (1) year of experience in governmental accounting.
• Any combination of experience and training sufficient to support the knowledge, skills, and abilities required.

What you will bring along:

• Honesty and reliability
• Passion for helping others
• Positive approach to issues, focused on finding solutions
• Growth mindset

Did you know that the average American uses roughly 100 gallons of water per day?
Click here to take a tour of Salem's drinking water source.
About us:
The City of Salem is the second largest City in the State of Oregon. Located in the lush Willamette Valley, Salem is the capital city of Oregon with a population over 170,000. Centrally located, Salem is 47 miles south of Portland and an hour from the Cascade Mountains to the east and an hour from the ocean beaches to the west. Salem is an exceptional community for living and working with exciting new and comfortable well-established neighborhoods and carefully preserved historic buildings.
A full-service City, Salem has eight primary departments: Community Services, Finance, Fire, Enterprise Services, Legal, Police, Public Works, and Community and Urban Development. Several departments also have functional divisions within their department. The City has five labor unions and employs roughly 1,350 talented and dedicated staff members. The Urban Renewal Agency and the Salem Housing Authority are separate municipal corporations. The Agency contracts with the City for services and the Authority is led by the Housing Administrator within the Urban Development department.
Where can I find out more about the position?
Go to the menu option for Class Specifications and search for Accounts Specialist, Sr or view by
How can I apply?
The City of Salem invites individuals of all diverse communities and backgrounds to apply for our available job opportunities as we strive to provide the best service to everyone. The City of Salem is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all and has a culture that values diversity, equity, and inclusion. We believe that by welcoming differences, encouraging new ideas and views, listening to and learning from each other, we are better able to serve the community.
To apply, click on the green "Apply" button to complete your application. Hiring managers do not have access to view resumes as part of the application review process, please make sure to include how you meet the qualifications outlined in the class specification in your application.
Applicants that meet the minimum qualifications as outlined above but not selected for this position may be placed on an eligibility list, and candidates may be hired from the list. Eligibility lists are valid for six months. The City will send email notifications to eligible candidates about potential hiring opportunities so please ensure your email settings accept our system generated email notifications.
You may subscribe for automatic notification of job openings at the City through the - sign up today!
For more information about employment at the City of Salem, please visit our website at
For benefits information, please, go to:
01
What is your highest level of education? We encourage you to include supporting details in your application.

• N/A
• High school graduate or GED
• Some College, no degree
• Associate's degree
• Bachelor's degree
• Master's degree
• Doctorate's degree

02
How many combined years or college or vocational courses have you taken in accounting, government accounting, bookkeeping, accounts reconciliation, or business? We encourage you to include supporting details in your application.

• No college or courses taken
• Less than 1 year
• 1 year
• 2 years
• More than 3 years

03
How many years of professional administrative level experience do you have working in bookkeeping, accounting, or accounts reconciliation? We encourage you to include supporting details in your application.

• No experience
• Less than 1 year
• 1 year
• 2 years
• 3 years
• 4 years
• 5 years
• More than 6 years

04
How many years of experience do you have in governmental accounting? We encourage you to include supporting details in your application.

• No experience
• Less than 1 year
• More than 1 year

05
How many years of experience do you have with general office procedures and clerical assignments? We encourage you to include supporting details in your application.

• No experience
• Less than 1 year
• 1 year
• 2 years
• 3 years
• More than 4 years

06
How many years of experience do you have with billing and account management? We encourage you to include supporting details in your application.

• No experience
• Less than 1 year
• 1 year
• 2 years
• 3 years
• More than 4 years

07
How many years of experience do you have working with the public via phone, writing or in-person? We encourage you to include supporting details in your application.

• No experienc
• Less than 1 year
• 1 year
• 2 years
• 3 years
• More than 4 years

08
How many years of experience do you have with researching records and problem resolution for customers? We encourage you to include supporting details in your application.

• No experience
• Less than 1 year
• 1 year
• 2 years
• 3 years
• More than 4 years

09
How many years of experience do you have explaining policies and procedures to others? We encourage you to include supporting details in your application.

• No experience
• Less than 1 year
• 1 year
• 2 years
• 3 years
• More than 4 years

10
How many years of customer service experience do you have? We encourage you to include supporting details in your application.

• No experience
• Less than 1 year
• 1 year
• 2 years
• 3 years
• More than 4 years

11
How many years of experience do you have in a call center? We encourage you to include supporting details in your application.

• No experience
• Less than 1 year
• 1 year
• 2 years
• 3 years
• More than 4 year

12
How many years of experience do you have in a utility organization? We encourage you to include supporting details in your application.

• No experience
• Less than 1 year
• 1 year
• 2 years
• 3 years
• 4 or more years

13
Please select each software program you have one or more years of experience with. We encourage you to include supporting details in your application.

• No experience
• MS Excel/Word
• Customer Information Systems (CIS)
• Banking Software
• Accounting Software
• Billing Software

Required Question