Human Resource Services
Alameda Skyline

Senior Accountant

Recruitment #17-0138-01

Introduction

THIS IS A NEW ASSEMBLED EXAMINATION. The eligible list resulting from this examination will cancel any existing list and may last approximately one year, but can be extended.

Applications must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing. Applications will only be accepted online.

 

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE: A properly completed Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted with each application. Applications and Supplemental Questionnaires must be in the possession of the Human Resources Services Department by 5:00:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing. Failure to submit the Supplemental Questionnaire will result in disqualification.

 

VACANCIES: There are currently vacancies in the Probation Department and the Social Services Agency. This recruitment may also be used to establish an eligible list for other Senior Accountant vacancies throughout Alameda County.

DESCRIPTION

THE DEPARTMENTS:

The Alameda County Probation Department is an essential element of the County’s system of public protection and human services. The Department’s role is to reduce the impact of crime in the community by providing accurate, comprehensive and timely information and recommendations to the Courts, providing community-based sanctions and treatment for offenders, and working cooperatively with law enforcement agencies and community organizations with similar objectives. The Department provides a wide range of mandated and discretionary investigative, advisory, and supervisory services to adult and juvenile probationers pursuant to State law and the County Charter.

 

The Alameda County Social Services Agency (SSA) is comprised of 2,400 employees working collectively and in partnership with community-based organizations to serve the needs of the community.  Services are provided through four departments:  Agency Administration, Adult & Aging and Services, Children and Family Services, and Workforce Development Board. The Agency assists approximately 11.3 percent of Alameda County's residents.  Benefits programs contribute over $278 million to the local economy through cash assistance and CalFresh (formerly known as Food Stamps).  Every month, more than 52,000 people receive CalWORKs (assistance for families with children), CalFresh and General Assistance.  Every month health insurance is made available to more than 78,000 people through the Medi-Cal program. More than 11,000 frail, elderly and disabled individuals receive in-home care, adult protection and support managing their affairs monthly and 16,000 seniors will receive services through the Area Agency on Aging throughout the year. 3,700 children are in foster care.  More than 1,600 reports of child abuse or neglect are filed with SSA each month.  Emergency shelter is made available to 415 people nightly. 

 

THE POSITION:

The Senior Accountant, under direction, performs professional accounting work in a department with a moderately complex fiscal record keeping function, acts as the lead worker over a portion of a departmental accounting program with a varied and complex fiscal record-keeping system; prepares a variety of complex accounting, statistical, and narrative reports; and does related work as required.

For a detailed listing of the position of Senior Accountant duties, please see the complete job description at the following link: Senior Accountant Job Specification.

 

IDEAL CANDIDATE:

In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications listed below, the ideal candidate will have demonstrated a track record of the following:

- Strong knowledge of Accounting, Finance and Banking

- Experience with reconciliation and analysis

- Good supervisory skills and ability to work independently

- Complete assignment accurately and on time

- Team oriented

- Good communication skills

- Strong computer skills (ex. Microsoft Office - Excel and Word) with software experience with programs (ex. Oracle)

- Ability to multi-tasks

- Work efficiently and effectively and meet deadlines

 

 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Either I

The equivalent of one year of full time experience as an Accountant in the Alameda County classified service. (Non-classified includes District Attorney’s Office, Hospital Authority, and the Consolidated Courts.)

Or II

The equivalent of five years full-time increasingly responsible professional accounting, auditing or administrative experience which included significant accounting/fiscal duties and responsibilities. (Possession of a Bachelor’s degree with specialization in accounting or a closely related field may be substituted for two years of the required experience.)

NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:

Knowledge of:

• General and governmental accounting and auditing principles, theory, and procedures.
• Business office practices.
• Working knowledge of computer spreadsheet and word processing applications.
• Computerized accounting systems to track accounting transactions and to generate/retrieve financial reports.
• Principles of personnel management.

Ability to:

• Interpret and apply business and governmental laws and regulations.
• Analyze and problem solve.
• Exercise judgment.
• Organize and direct the work of others.
• Establish and maintain cooperative relationships with others.
• Prepare comprehensive, clear, and concise accounting and statistical reports.
• Communicate effectively in writing.
• Communicate effectively orally.

EXAMINATION COMPONENTS

THE EXAMINATION WILL CONSIST OF the following steps:

1. A review of the candidates’ applications to verify possession of minimum requirements. Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process.

2. A review of the Supplemental Questionnaire to determine the best qualified; only the best qualified candidates will be invited to the oral interview process.

3. An oral interview which will be weighted as 100% of the candidates' final examination score. The oral interview may contain situational exercises.

CANDIDATES MUST ATTAIN A QUALIFYING RATING ON EACH PORTION OF THIS EXAMINATION.

We reserve the right to make changes to the announced examination components.

Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit. Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position. Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position, in which case, the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position. Other recruitments may be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies, or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work.

To learn more about our recruitment and selection process, please visit the “What You Need to Know” section of our website, www.acgov.org/hrs

Selection Plan

Applicants will be informed via email with reasonable notice in advance of any examination process which will require their attendance. The following dates are tentative and subject to change based on the needs of the Agency:

TENTATIVE SELECTION PLAN

Deadline for Filing:

Monday, May 15, 2017

Review of Minimum Qualifications:

Friday, May 19, 2017

Review of Supplemental Questionnaire for Best Qualified:

Friday, May 26, 2017

Oral Interviews:

Wed & Thurs,  June 14 & 15, 2017

*WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED RECRUITMENT & SELECTION PLAN*

Alameda County and the Human Resource Services Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination and/or selection process to accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities and/or medical conditions in accordance/compliance with the State Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Alameda County’s Reasonable Accommodation Policy and applicable statutes. To request an accommodation due to a disability/medical condition during this or other phases of the examination/selection process, please contact the assigned Human Resources Representative listed on the job announcement before the last date of filing. Alameda County requires applicants to provide supporting documentation to substantiate a request for reasonable accommodation. In order to qualify for a reasonable accommodation, applicants must have a disability/medical condition pursuant to the ADA, FEHA and applicable statutes.

For more information regarding our Reasonable Accommodation procedures, please visit our website, www.acgov.org/hrs.

BENEFITS

Alameda County offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that affords wide-ranging health care options to meet the different needs of a diverse workforce and their families. We also sponsor many different employee discount, fitness and health screening programs focused on overall well being.  These benefits include but are not limited to*:

For your Health & Welfare Benefits

  • Medical – HMO & PPO Insurance
  • Dental – PPO & DHMO Insurance  
  • Vision
  • Basic Life Insurance 
  • Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage) 
  • County Allowance (Employer Credit)
  • Health Flexible Spending Account
  • Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
  • Accident, Critical Illness & Hospital Indemnity
  • Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

  • Short-term Disability Insurance
  • Long-Term Disability Insurance
  • Retirement Plan – (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
  • Deferred Compensation Plan

For your Work/Life Balance

  • 11 paid holidays
  • Vacation and sick leave accrual
  • Vacation purchase program
  • Management Paid Leave**
  • Group Auto/Home Insurance
  • Commuter Benefits Program
  • Group Legal
  • Guaranteed Ride Home
  • Employee Wellness Program (e.g. At Work Fitness, Incentive Based Programs, Gym Membership Discounts)
  • Employee Discount Program (e.g. theme parks, cell phone, etc.)
  • Child Care Resources
  • 1st United Services Credit Union 

*Eligibility is determined by Alameda County and offerings may vary by collective bargaining agreement.  This provides a brief summary of the benefits offered and can be subject to change.

** Non-exempt management employees are entitled to up to three days of management paid leave. Exempt management employees are entitled to up to seven days of management paid leave.

Conclusion

All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @acgov.org and alamedacountyHR@acgov.org as accepted addresses to any email blocking or spam filtering program you may use. If you do not do this, your email blocking or spam filtering program may block receipt of the notices regarding your application for recruitments. You are also strongly advised to regularly log into your County of Alameda online application account to check for notices that may have been sent to you. All email notices that will be sent to you will also be kept in your personal online application account. You will be able to view all of your notices in your online application account by clicking on the 'My applications' button on the Current Job Openings page.

Please take the steps recommended above to ensure you do not miss any notices about a recruitment for which you have applied. The County of Alameda is not responsible for notices that are not read, received, or accessed by any applicant for a County recruitment.

NOTE: All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box alamedacountyHR@acgov.org are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. If you have questions please go to our website at www.acgov.org/hrs. You may also contact the Human Resources Analyst listed on the bulletin for the recruitment for which you have applied.

Debra Robinson-Harris, Human Resources Analyst
Human Resource Services, County of Alameda
Debra.Robinson@acgov.org
(510) 272-6437

Alameda County is an Equal Opportunity Employer