ACCOUNTANT

GENERAL DEFINITION

This is accounting work at the full performance level recording, adjusting, categorizing, summarizing and analyzing financial data needed to facilitate financial planning and control by municipal agencies. Employees in this class follow city-wide and departmental accounting procedures, directives, and guidelines in researching and analyzing financial data and account status, make estimates of expenditures and accounts receivable, and prepare a variety of accounting reports. Work may include providing technical direction to a small clerical staff performing accounting support services. Employees report to administrative or technical superiors.

TYPICAL EXAMPLES OF WORK (ILLUSTRATIVE ONLY)

Researches and analyzes account status; prepares account adjustments to manual and computerized records; annotates records to explain and summarize adjustments; searches account histories to locate imbalances and incorrect entries; cross references adjustments to source documents and related files; prepares and reconciles balances of accounts; compares and reconciles totals maintained on computerized and manual files.

Compiles, summarizes, and analyzes financial data concerning accounting transactions, expenditures, and accounts receivable; performs basic statistical analyses to determine trends, estimates, and significant changes; prepares narrative reports to explain findings.

Distributes expenditures, encumbrances, receipts, and receivables according to set schedules; distributes cost data according to pre-established cost accounting system; prepares financial reports of operation.

Prepares statements, reports, and invoices for submission to federal, state, and quasi-governmental agencies; summarizes, reconciles, and cross-references city accounting records maintained for funding or oversight agencies.

Examines accounting source documents and account entries for conformance to standard accounting principles, departmental and city-wide procedural directives and guidelines, and legal or budgetary restrictions; posts and enters accounting data to manual and computerized financial recordkeeping and control files; monitors the entering of data to manual and computerized records.

Gathers and compiles supporting detail for computing invoices, tax, and public services billings; calculates liabilities; prepares original and adjusted billings; enters billing information into computer and manual files.

May provide technical direction to a small staff engaged in reviewing and recording memoranda, accounting transactions, and other financial documents; examines accounting records to ensure that all data has been correctly and consistently recorded; identifies and corrects incorrect entries and other clerical errors.

Determines the format of accounting records of financial transactions and account balances; works with data processing personnel to computerize departmental accounting control systems and to modify existing accounting record data processing.

Performs related work a required.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

KNOWLEDGE OF:

· accounting principles, practices, and procedures

· accounting and accounting related terminology commonly used in governmental accounting

· the principles and practices of governmental accounting

· arithmetic and statistical principles and practices as commonly applied in the accounting field

· the application of data processing techniques to the maintenance of accounting records

SKILL IN:

· the maintenance of accurate accounting records and their arithmetic and statistical manipulation

ABILITY TO:

· learn the legal regulations and city directives governing the municipal accounting system and to apply them in departmental accounting operations

· supervise the work of clerical employees engaged in maintaining and reviewing accounting records

· examine and analyze financial records

· utilize a personal computer in the maintenance of accounting records and in preparation of reports

· prepare and interpret a variety of accounting statements and reports

MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE (The following statement represents the minimum training and experience standards which will be used to admit or reject applicants for tests. Applications submitted by candidates for this class will be reviewed based on training and experience requirements as approved on 7/18.)

EDUCATION:

Completion of a bachelor's degree program at an accredited college or university with major course work in accounting.

AND

EXPERIENCE:

One year of accounting experience.

OR

Any equivalent combination of education and experience determined to be acceptable by the Office of Human Resources that has included the completion of a bachelor’s degree.

PHYSICAL AND MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS

Ability to physically perform the duties and to work in the environmental conditions required of a position in this class.

Class Established - 1/53

Spec. Revision - 12/00

Spec. Revision:

CSC - 12/02; Ad Board - 01/03

Latest Spec. Revision:

CSC – 6/18

Ad. Board – 7/18