Accounting Specialist I

THE COUNTY:

Established in 1853, Alameda County has a population of over 1.6 million residents making it the second largest county in the Bay Area and the seventh largest in the State. The County encompasses 14 cities including Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Dublin, Emeryville, Fremont, Hayward, Livermore, Newark, Oakland, Piedmont, Pleasanton, San Leandro, and Union City as well as six unincorporated communities and rural areas that span a total of 738 square miles.

 

Alameda County employs approximately 9,000 employees working in 21 different agencies and departments and has an annual budget of over $3 billion. As a major urban County, Alameda delivers a full spectrum of services, including general government and internal services, health care, social services, public works, criminal justice, and other public safety services for its community.

 

The County celebrates the rich diversity of its workforce, which in large measure, reflects the cultural and ethnic diversity of the community it serves. The County’s mission is to enrich the lives of its residents through visionary policies and accessible, responsive, and effective services. Its vision is to be recognized as one of the best counties in which to live, work, and do business.

THE POSITION:

Under direction, to perform difficult and complex accounting clerical work in connection with the maintenance of financial records and the preparation of financial reports; and to do related work as required.

 

Incumbents in the class of Accounting Specialist I are in a specialized, accounting class. This class is distinguished from incumbents in the class of Account Clerk II in that the former performs duties in connection with the largest County accounting system, such as in the Auditor Agency, Public Works Agency, Health Care Services Agency and Social Services Agency. Incumbents in the class of Accounting Specialist I may direct the work of others, but the class of Accounting Specialist I is not considered a supervisory class. Incumbents may process sensitive documents, such as employee claims. Accounting Specialists I are required to apply accounting principles in establishing and revising accounting procedures and in analyzing fiscal data. The duties of Accounting Specialists I require the ability to work without direct supervision and with some authority to deviate from established work methods when doing so.

The class is further distinguished from the class of Accounting Technician in that the latter class supervises employees.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications below, the idea candidate will possess the following critical attributes:

• Ability to analyze data in large accounting systems; 
• Ability to put new knowledge, understanding or skill to practical use on the job;
• A keen attention to detail - able to identify and correct errors;
• Demonstrated knowledge of general and governmental accounting and bookkeeping principles and practices;
• Ability to work cooperatively with others inside and outside the organization;
• Demonstrated proficiency using commonly used spreadsheet programs;
• Ability to multitask and manage competing work priorities, time and resources; and
• Skill as a clear and effective communicator.  

For more detailed information about the job classification, visit: Accounting Specialist I (#1314)

THE VACANCIES:

We are currently recruiting to establish a countywide eligible list that will be used by any County department or agency needing to fill a vacancy in this classification. There are immediate vacancies within the County Administrator's Office/Risk Management, General Services Agency, Health Care Services Agency, Information Technology Department/Registrar of Voters, Probation Department, Office of Child Support Services, Sheriff's Office, Social Services Agency and the Treasurer-Tax Collector.

The equivalent of one year of full-time experience in the class of Account Clerk II or in an equivalent or higher level clerical class, or the equivalent of two years of full-time experience in the class of Account Clerk I in the Alameda County classified service. (Non-classified includes District Attorney’s Office, Hospital Authority, and the Consolidated Courts.)


The equivalent of three years of full-time responsible financial record-keeping experience. (Completion of a bookkeeping or accounting curriculum in a recognized business or accredited junior college may be substituted for two years of the required experience on a year-for-year basis.)

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

NOTE: The level and scope of the following knowledge and abilities are related to duties listed under the “Examples of Duties” section of this specification.

Knowledge of:

• The purposes, methods, and practices of financial record-keeping work.
• General governmental accounting and bookkeeping principles and procedures.
• Modern office methods and equipment, including commonly used computer spreadsheet programs.

Ability to:

• Locate and provide basic analysis of data found in large accounting systems, such as those maintained by large County agencies, Auditor Agency, or Treasurer-Tax Collector's Office.
• Prepare periodic and special financial reports.
• Identify and correct errors in a variety of mathematical computations and financial documents.
• Work independently in the absence of specific instructions.
• Operate standard office equipment.
• Apply rules and regulations to specific cases.
• Establish and maintain cooperative relations with the public.

THE EXAMINATION WILL CONSIST OF THE FOLLOWING STEPS:

1. A review of applicant's application and supplemental questionnaire to verify possession of minimum qualification.  Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process;
2. A pass/fail written test. Those candidates who pass the written test will move to the final step in the process;
3. A pre-recorded video oral interview, weighted at 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 recruitment.  

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED EXAMINATION STEPS.

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.

For more information on the Civil Service Selection process, please visit the “What You Need to Know” section of our website, www.acgov.org/hrs.

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 & Well-Being

• Medical – HMO & PPO Plans
• Dental – HMO & PPO Plans
• Vision or Vision Reimbursement
• Share the Savings
• Basic Life Insurance 
• Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage for eligible employees) 
• County Allowance Credit
• Flexible Spending Accounts - Health FSA, Dependent Care and Adoption Assistance
• Short-Term Disability Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Voluntary Benefits - Accident Insurance, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity and Legal Services
• Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

• Retirement Plan - (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
• Deferred Compensation Plan (457 Plan or Roth Plan)

For your Work/Life Balance

• 12 paid holidays
• Floating Holidays
• Vacation and sick leave accrual
• Vacation purchase program
• Catastrophic Sick Leave
• Group Auto/Home Insurance
• Pet Insurance
• Commuter Benefits Program
• 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
• 1^st 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.

 

All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @jobaps.com, @acgov.org, Noreplyalamedacountyhr@acgov.org and Noreply@jobaps.com 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 boxes Noreply@jobaps.com and noreplyalamedacountyhr@acgov.org are routed to unmonitored mailboxes. 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 job announcement for the recruitment for which you have applied.

 

Monique Hill | Personnel Services Program Manager, Recruitment and Selection
Human Resource Services, County of Alameda
510-208-4841 or email Monique.Hill@acgov.org
www.acgov.org/hrs

 

 

 DISASTER SERVICE WORKER

All Alameda County employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law.  Employment with the County requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect.  Employees are required to report to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Alameda County has a diverse workforce, that is representative of the communities we serve, and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.  All aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance and business need. Alameda County does not discriminate in employment on the basis of, race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors protected under federal, state and local law. Alameda County celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive, and welcoming workplace environment.