Accountant I/II/Senior

The County of Ventura offers an attractive compensation and benefits package that includes:

• Merit Increases – New employees are eligible for an initial 5% merit increase within the pay range upon completion of at least 1,040 hours (approximately 6 months) assuming work meets satisfactory standards.  Subsequent merit increases within the pay range will be upon completion of each additional 2,080 hours (approximately one year) from the initial merit increase. 
• Educational Incentive - An educational incentive of 2.5% for completion of an associate's degree, 3.5% for completion of a bachelor's degree, OR 5% for completion of a graduate degree.  
• Bilingual Incentive – Based on agency need, proficiency levels by exam are $.69 per hour (Level I), $1.00 per hour (Level II), or $1.32 per hour (Level III). 
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Pay - A premium of $.47 per hour for a maximum of 80 compensated hours per biweekly pay period will be paid to employees in this classification who possess and maintain a valid, current CPA license or certificate.
• Flexible Workweek - A compressed work schedule (e.g., 9/80 workweek) may be available for some positions.
• Telework Schedule - A remote hybrid telework schedule may be available for some positions.
• Vacation Accrual – New regular, full-time employees shall accrue approximately 14 days of vacation a year for the first 10,400 hours or 5 years of service; vacation accruals increase at 5, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 20 years of service topping out at 26 days a year and 400 hours of vacation hours banked. 
• Annual Leave Redemption – After 14,560 hours of continuous County service an employee may elect to "cash in" or redeem up to 80 hours of vacation accrued in the same year after using 80 hours of vacation in the preceding 12 months. 
• Sick Leave - Full time regular employees accrue 3.08 hours of sick leave per bi-weekly pay period with an advance at hire of 40.04 hours which will be balanced at the completion of 13 bi-weekly pay periods. 
• Deferred Compensation - Eligible to participate in the County's 401(k) Shared Savings Plan and/or the Section 457 Plan. This position is eligible for up to a 3.00% match on your 401(k) contributions. 
• Health Plans–Full time employees are given a flexible credit allowance of up to $26,627 annually to offset the purchase of medical, dental, and/or vision insurance for you and your dependents.
  • Employee only - $463.99 per biweekly pay period
  • Employee plus one dependent - $834.32 per biweekly pay period 
  • Employee plus family - $1,024.11 per biweekly pay period  
• Flexible Spending Accounts - Pre-tax benefit towards eligible medical, dental and vision care and/or dependent care expenses.
• Pension Plan - Participation in the County's defined pension plan, which has reciprocity with CalPERS.
• Holidays - 13 paid days per year which includes a scheduled floating holiday.
• Additional Benefits - Tuition Reimbursement, Disability Plans, Employee Assistance Program, Life Insurance, Wellness Program.

OUR COUNTY AND COMMUNITY 

Ventura County is located on California's "Gold Coast," approximately 35 miles northwest of Los Angeles and 20 miles southeast of Santa Barbara. The County includes 42 miles of coastline which is home to the fol­lowing cities and points of interest: Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Ojai, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Santa Paula, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, and Ventura as well as national protected areas such as parts of the Angeles National Forest, Channel Islands National Park, and the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Ventura County’s beauty and weather combined with a wonderful quality of life are among the many reasons our residents choose to call Ventura County "home."

The County of Ventura employs nearly 10,000 staff members who serve Ventura County residents, all of whom have unique experiences and perspectives. Each of us has a responsibility to support diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the workplace and in our communities. Our County is proud to have a diverse workforce and providing a respectful and inclusive workplace is a priority and aligns with the County’s values.  
 
THE POSITION 

Under general supervision, receives training and learns to perform (I) or under direction, performs full range (II) to complex (Senior) accounting duties in assigned fiscal program areas; functional areas of responsibility include, but are not limited to, compliance review, budgeting, grant accounting, cost accounting and financial analysis/reporting duties. At the Senior level, may provide lead supervision to lower level professional, technical or clerical staff.
 

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:
 
Each successive level in the Accountant series is distinguished by scope of independence and responsibility.  The level of the position within the series is commensurate with the complexity of the assigned tasks.  If appointed at the lower level, incumbents may be promoted to the higher level without further examination upon meeting the minimum requirements, demonstrating satisfactory performance, and in accordance with business needs of the department.

Accountant I is the entry-level classification in the Accountant series, where the emphasis is on learning the fiscal operations and processes in the assigned fiscal program area(s), and on conducting duties and responsibilities that are limited in nature. Initially, under close supervision, incumbents perform the more routine duties while learning the assigned program area's fiscal policies, procedures, systems, operations and practices. As experience is gained, and over a period of time, incumbents will assume the increasingly responsible duties associated with the full journey level of the series.
 
Accountant II is the fully experienced/journey-level classification in the Accountant series, competent to independently perform the full range of duties assigned to the classification and is distinguished from incumbents in the lower level of the series by the performance of the full range of duties and the relative independence with which they perform their duties by applying their working knowledge of fiscal policies and procedures to different work situations, and referring only non-procedural questions to their supervisor.

Senior Accountant - This is the advanced journey level in the Accountant series; positions at this level perform more complex duties and responsibilities, exercising a significant level of independent judgment in the performance of their duties; work assigned to this advanced level requires a specialized technical or functional expertise beyond the journey level such as diverse accounting systems, extensive labor cost allocations and considerable financial analysis/reporting requirements; positions may also be assigned  direct or lead supervisory duties over lower level staff when such assignments are a formal organizational responsibility supervising at least three subordinate staff members.

DEPARTMENT/AGENCY: Various

APPROXIMATE SALARIES
Accountant I: $36.44 - $51.02/hourly
Accountant II: $40.49 - $56.68/hourly

Senior Accountant: $44.55 - $62.35/hourly

 Accountant I/II are represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and are eligible for overtime compensation. 

Senior Accountant is represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and is not eligible for overtime compensation.

Ideal candidates will possess the following competencies: 

• Adaptability & Flexibility – Responding positively to change and fluidly modifying behavior as the situation requires
• Attention to Detail – Accomplishing tasks thoroughly with concern for all elements involved, however small 
• Business/Technical Expertise – Skillfully applying specialized job-related knowledge
• Communication – Respectfully delivering pertinent, truthful, and timely information and comprehending information delivered by others
• Critical Thinking & Problem Solving – Analyzing and evaluating information, problems, and options with logic and good judgment  
• Data Analysis & Interpretation – Parsing quantitative or qualitative information for meaning, significance, and actionable conclusions
• Financial Sense – Apportioning and prioritizing the use of fiscal and material assets to maximize organizational effectiveness 
• Process Analysis & Improvement – Defining, assessing, and optimizing operations, workflow, and service delivery 
• Professional Integrity & Ethics – Demonstrating high standards of conduct and consistently adhering to sound moral principles  
• Project Management – Leading and coordinating participants and resources to ensure objectives are met on-time, on-budget, and according to specifications 
• Results Focus – Initiating tasks, meeting organizational goals, and committing to proficient accomplishments
• Team Orientation – Embracing a spirit of collaboration and a commitment to cooperating with others to achieve shared goals