ABOUT THE POSITION:
The Accountant/Auditor is a full-time position. There are currently two Accountant/Auditor vacancies. One position is assigned to the Revenue Division and the other is assigned to the Administration Division of the City of Monterey Finance Department. The ideal candidate will possess excellent technical, customer service, and organizational skills and an understanding of generally accepted accounting principles. Moreover, the successful candidate will be detail-oriented, and innovative, and enjoy collaborating with other team members and interacting with the public.
The Finance Department's goals are to proactively manage the City's financial functions in a manner that maintains the City's fiscal integrity, addresses its long-range financial needs, provides timely, accurate, and user-friendly financial information, and provides outstanding products and services to its customers.
***Oral Board Interviews are Tentatively Scheduled for Thursday, June 27, 2024***
ABOUT THE CITY OF MONTEREY:
Nestled along California's Central Coast, the City of Monterey is known for its natural beauty, rich cultural heritage, hospitality, and sense of community. The City of Monterey is a full-service charter city operating under a Council-Manager form of government. The City of Monterey is a full-service city that provides police, fire, public works, planning, recreation, and parks services and operates its own conference center, sports center, parking, and marina facilities.
WE TAKE CARE OF OUR EMPLOYEES:
The City of Monterey offers a competitive benefits package to full-time employees. Some of these benefits include a Health Spending Fund, Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance, Vacation Accruals, Sick Leave, 15 Paid Holidays, Education Incentive Pay, Tuition Reimbursement Programs, CalPERS Retirement, and more!
Application Process
A limited number of applicants who clearly show that they most closely meet the needs of this position in terms of training, experience, education, and other job-related characteristics will be accepted to participate in the selection process. This process will include evaluation and initial screening of the standard on-line City application to determine which candidates progress to the next phase of the recruitment process. The subsequent selection process may include a written test/written exercise, performance exercise, panel interview, and a final departmental interview. As a condition of employment, the selected candidate may be required to successfully pass a physical exam including a drug screen, a Livescan fingerprint background check, and a reference check. The Human Resources Department reserves the right to make changes to components of the examination process.
Candidates who successfully complete all phases of this recruitment process will be placed on an eligibility list. The eligibility list is active for 12-months and may be used to fill additional positions including lower-level positions determined to have similar duties and requirements.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER:
The City of Monterey provides outstanding servicesto the public and is deeply committed to a community and workforce that is inclusive, equitable, and diverse. We welcome and encourage applications from all qualified applicants, including underrepresented minorities that contribute to the diversification and enrichment of ideas and perspectives. The City of Monterey does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, or based on an individual’s status in any group of class protected by applicable federal, state or local law.
SUMMARY: Under general direction, to perform a variety of governmental accounting, auditing, and/or data processing functions in the maintenance of accounting records for City departments, programs and special funds.
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS: The Accountant/Auditor is the third level of the accounting series. It differs from the lower class of Accounting Specialist in that the Accountant/Auditor interprets policies for staff and the general public and performs higher level accounting functions including general ledger and compiling and analyzing financial data for compliance with regulations and policies. The Accountant/Auditor differs from the next higher class of Senior Accountant in that the latter is a management level classification and performs the most advanced and complex accounting tasks within the Finance Department.

Examples of Duties

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: Essential functions, as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, may include any of the following representative duties, knowledge, and skills. Factors such as regular attendance at the job are not routinely listed in job descriptions, but are an essential function. Essential duties and responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Perform basic accounting activities, including general ledger, accounts payable and receivable, payroll, grants, and special funds.
• Perform work in compliance with state and federal regulations, City policies and procedures, and government accounting standards.
• Maintain and reconcile accounting records, research financial issues, and resolve discrepancies within scope of authority and training; duties may vary according to job assignment.
• Maintain financial records and associated accounting systems.
• Process transactions, update accounts, compile documentation, and generate reports; review and validate data.
• Maintain additional accounting and technical transaction databases as needed; review and process payroll data.
• Compile, summarize, and analyze financial data, and prepare and file special financial reports.
• Monitor accounting documents for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with City policies and practices.
• May provide training and assistance to subordinate staff.
• Support the relationship between the City of Monterey and the general public by demonstrating courteous and cooperative behavior when interacting with citizens, visitors, and City staff.
• Maintain confidentiality of work-related issues and City information.
• Perform other job-related duties within the scope of this job classification as assigned.

Typical Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Education: Completion of a Bachelor’s degree from a college or university in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a closely related field.
Experience: Two (2) years experience in governmental accounting.
An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.
LICENSE AND CERTIFICATION:

• Must possess a valid California Driver’s License upon time of appointment and be insurable with the City’s standard insurance rate, unless otherwise approved by appointing authority.

Supplemental Info

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:
Knowledge of:

• City policies and procedures.
• State and federal laws, statutes, rules, and regulations governing municipal accounting functions.
• Generally Accepted Accounting Principles for Public Sector financial management.
• Business and personal computers, and financial spreadsheet software applications.

• Interpreting and applying state and federal accounting rules and regulations, and City policies.
• Monitoring financial documents, and assuring compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Reviewing interrelated financial and technical records, and identifying and reconciling errors.
• Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with co-workers.
• Communicating effectively verbally and in writing.

• Standing & Walking – Primarily sedentary classification although standing in work areas and walking between work areas may be required.
• Sitting - Ability to work in a seated position at a computer station for extended periods of time.
• Lifting - Ability to safely lift up to 20 pounds; this requirement includes bending at knees to facilitate proper lifting techniques.
• Manual Dexterity - Ability to perform multiple work activities requiring a significant level of physical and mental coordination, such as operating a computer keyboard; copying, and adding machines.
• Visual – Ability to read printed materials and view a computer screen for long periods.
• Hearing and Speech - Ability to communicate in person, before groups, and over the telephone.
• Mobility – Ability to work in a standard office setting and operate a motor vehicle to visit various meeting sites, reach, carry, push, pull, stoop, and bend.

Education Incentive Program: If you have a college degree, you may qualify for 5% premium pay on base salary (for a Baccalaureate degree) or 7.5% premium pay (for a Master's degree) upon completion of probation if your classification does not require one.
Bilingual Pay: $100 per month stipend ($1,200 per year), for up to ten (10) GEM represented employees who meet the testing criteria for being bilingual in Spanish.
Bicycle Commuter Program: An employee who regularly commutes by bicycle between home and work may be reimbursed for some of their bicycle commuting expenses. With receipts, an employee can be reimbursed up to $20.00 for each "qualifying month" and up to $240 in a calendar year.
Tuition Reimbursement: $1,000 per fiscal year.

Deferred Compensation: City will match employee paid contributions to a maximum of $100.00 per month.

Retirement: CalPERS 2.7 % @ 55 with highest year formula is provided for current City of Monterey employees or new employees who were hired prior to January 1, 2013 and who are currently active or have been active within six months of the date of hire in the CalPERS retirement system. The employee retirement contribution for these employees is 11% and is deducted on a pre-tax basis.The retirement formula for new employees who do not meet the criteria stated above is 2% @ 62 with highest three year compensation. The employee retirement contribution for these employees is 7.75% and is deducted on a pre-tax basis. The City participates in the Medicare portion of Social Security.

Health Plan Spending Fund: A minimum of $914.82 per month up to $2,540 per month, dependent upon level of participation (cash-in-lieu of benefits is $300) may be used to purchase medical benefits for the employee and dependents through the PERS Health Plan Program, dependent dental, additional life insurance, dependent care, and/or health care expenses through a Section 125 Flexible Spending Account.

Dental: Fully paid employee premium by the City.

Vision: Fully paid premium for employee and eligible dependents.

Life Insurance: $20,000 policy paid by the City, with an option to purchase additional coverage up to $350,000.
Short Term / Long Term Disability Plan: The City provides a Short Term/Long Term Disability Plan.

Flexible Spending Account: The Section 125 Plan provides for an employee to set pre-tax dollars aside, through a payroll deduction, for reimbursement of health care and dependent care expenses.

Group Legal: Subject to provider limitations, the City will continue to provide a Group Legal Services Plan for employees represented by GEM through an employee-paid premium. Participation in the program shall be voluntary and consistent with the provider's requirements that the potential pool of participants must include a minimum of 200 employees
City Recreation Program Fees: Resident Rates for City Recreation classes and programs for employees and immediate family household members.
Voluntary Unpaid Leave: With advance approval, an employee may take up to forty (40) hours of unpaid leave per calendar year.

Fitness Pass: Fitness Pass Program available to use the City of Monterey Sports Center.
Fitness Activity Plan: Employees are eligible to participate in a Fitness Activity Plan where they work out off-duty in exchange for leave time accrued in a Fitness Leave bank. Each year, a maximum of 40 hours can be accrued (10 hours per quarter) with a maximum of 80 hours allowed in the bank. The Fitness Leave bank does not have cash value, and time accrued has no expiration date.
Employee Assistance Program: Fully paid confidential counseling and referral service for employee and eligible dependents.

Holidays: 14 paid days annually plus 1 floating holiday.

Sick Leave: 12 days per year.

Vacation: 1-5 years/10 days; 6-10 years/15 days; 11-15 years/ 17 days; 15 years/20 days; 20 years/23 days.

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Candidate selected will serve up to one-year probationary period.
• Candidates who pass the testing process will be placed on an eligibility list. This list may be used to fill additional positions (including subordinate positions) that become available during the life of the list.
• This bulletin is for informational purposes only and does not supersede rules regulations, ordinances and resolutions currently in effect.
• Pursuant to the Immigration Reform Act of 1986, employees must show proof of identity and eligibility to work in the United States.
• The City of Monterey is an Equal Opportunity Employer.