Accounting Technician

ACCOUNTING TECHNICIAN

OFFICE OF FINANCE AND BUDGET

$58,649.76-$82,110.09 Annually (DOQ)

CONTRACT POSITION

THIS POSITION IS CONTRACTED FOR A ONE (1) YEAR TERM

Initial salary placement is generally made between the start and mid-point of the posted range. New hires are not eligible to start at the maximum of the posted range.

LACDA Overview

The Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA) is a dynamic, innovative agency created in 1982 by the Board of Supervisors. The LACDA’s core pillars include housing and community development programs that benefit the unincorporated Los Angeles County areas and various incorporated cities that participate in LACDA programs. Funded primarily with federal grants, the LACDA is an industry leader in sponsoring new solutions to housing and forming partnerships with private and public agencies. To find out more about the LACDA, please visit our web site at www.lacda.org.

Division Overview

The Office of Finance and Budget is responsible for the preparation and administration of the agency’s budget and its review process; providing timely financial information to the public, Board of Supervisors/Commissioners, Executive Office, and agency divisions; and identifying and implementing best practices, allocation methodologies, cash management, debt administration, capital assets, financial reporting, and the efficient use of public investments.

Position Overview

Under general supervision, performs a variety of routine to complex technical and administrative account support duties in the preparation, maintenance, and processing of accounting records and transactions, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, and collections processes; performs a variety of financial processing activities including vendor and accounts payable payment production; establishes and maintains detailed and accurate vendor, landlord, tenant and financial records; processes payroll including insurance, retirement, and leave accrual adjustments; maintains detailed and accurate employee and financial records; and performs related duties, as assigned.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES

The below statements are intended to describe the general nature and scope of work performed by this position. This is not a complete listing of all responsibilities, duties and/or skills required. Management reserves the right to add, modify, change, or rescind the work assignments of different positions and to make reasonable accommodations so that qualified employees can perform the essential functions of the job.

• Prepares, reviews, maintains, and reconciles a variety of accounting and financial transactions and reports; reviews financial records and reports for accuracy; posts and reconciles journals; prepares journal entries related to accruals, reversals, corrections, write-offs, expense transfers, prepaid expenses, wire transfers, labor reallocations, and invoice adjustments.
• Maintains a variety of ledgers, registers, and journals according to established policies and procedures; reconciles transactions and data as directed; records changes and resolves differences; maintains the accuracy of accounting and financial records.
• Tracks and monitors changes and problems in the financial reporting system and informs accounting staff of system status; serves as liaison with other departments to resolve system problems.
• Audits, verifies, codes, and batches accounts payable transactions; processes claim vouchers and purchase order requisitions; researches and resolves discrepancies and unauthorized payment requests and purchases; confers with vendors and departments as necessary; reconciles and updates vendor accounts with payments and balances.
• Reviews, prepares, and processes cash receipts and disbursements; counts, verifies, and reconciles cash and check payments and related receipts; scans and stores cash receipts; prepares and verifies bank deposits.
• Generates and assists in the preparation and distribution of monthly, quarterly, and year-end financial summary and technical reports; identifies and resolves problems related to the Authority’s financial reporting.
• Generates correspondence and responds to a variety of customer, vendor, and staff questions and complaints in person and over the telephone; researches and resolves problems; makes appropriate adjustments to accounting data and documentation.
• Follows internal control procedures; reviews, recommends, and implements approved internal controls, office procedures, and related systems.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Essential Knowledge and Abilities:

Knowledge of:

• Terminology and practices of financial and account document processing and record keeping, including accounts receivable, accounts payable, and payroll.
• Business arithmetic.
• Recordkeeping principles and procedures.
• Methods and techniques of reconciling and balancing financial and payroll documents.
• General accounting methods and internal control procedures.
• Practices and procedures for receiving, recording, and disbursing payment.
• Applicable federal, state, and local laws, codes, regulations, and ordinances, as well as industry standards and best practices relevant to the assigned area of responsibility.
• Techniques for providing a high level of customer service by effectively dealing with the public, vendors, contractors, and Authority staff
• The structure and content of the English language, including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Modern equipment and communication tools used for business functions and program, project, and task coordination, including computers and software programs relevant to work performed.

Ability to:

• Perform detailed account and financial support work accurately and in a timely manner.
• Review financial documents for completeness and accuracy.
• Review, post, balance and reconcile financial transactions.
• Make accurate arithmetic, financial, and statistical computations.
• Establish and maintain a variety of filing, recordkeeping, and tracking systems.
• Understand, interpret, and apply all pertinent laws, codes, regulations, policies and procedures, and standards relevant to work performed.
• Use tact, initiative, prudence, and independent judgment within general policy, and procedural guidelines.
• Independently organize work, set priorities, meet critical deadlines, and follow-up on assignments.
• Effectively use computer systems, software applications relevant to work performed, and modern business equipment to perform a variety of work tasks.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing, using appropriate English grammar and syntax.
• Establish, maintain, and foster positive and effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Education and Experience:

Any combination of education and/or experience that provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the essential functions of the position. Additional experience, as outlined below, may be substituted for required education on a year-for-year basis.

Education:

• Equivalent to an associate degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in accounting, finance, business administration, or a related field.

Experience:

• Three (3) years of increasingly responsible experience in the preparation, maintenance, and processing of account records including accounts payable, accounts receivable, or related experience.

Desirable Qualifications:

Desirable Qualifications are used to identify relevant knowledge, skills, and abilities as determined by business necessity. These criteria are considered desirable qualifications and are not intended to serve as minimum requirements for the position. Applicants who possess these qualifications will not automatically be selected.

• Experience performing accounting functions within a public agency
• Experience utilizing PeopleSoft for accounting functions
• Experience processing high-volume Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable entries