Supervising Accountant

The Position

Bargaining Unit: Local 21 – Supervisory Management

Contra Costa County delivers vital services that improve the quality of life for more than a million residents. We’re looking for mission‑driven finance leaders who value people, precision, and public service. As a Supervising Accountant, you’ll lead a team, own complex accounting operations, and help departments make sound, data‑informed decisions. If you thrive on building strong controls, streamlining processes, and developing staff, this is your opportunity to have county‑wide impact.

Supervising Accountants provide advanced professional accounting expertise and day‑to‑day leadership for assigned programs such as general ledger, grants and special revenue, budget development and monitoring, property tax/apportionment, and financial reporting. You will interpret evolving standards (GAAP/GASB), improve workflows, and partner with department leaders and the Auditor‑Controller to ensure timely, accurate, and transparent stewardship of public funds.

About the Department of Conservation and Development (DCD). The Department is headed by a Director and includes five divisions:
Current Planning, Policy Planning, Building Inspection Services, Business and Information Services, and Housing and Community Improvement. DCD serves the entire County of Contra Costa and its main office is in Martinez. We are seeking to fill one Supervising Accountant role within DCD to support programs that promote safe buildings, equitable housing, and sustainable communities across the county.

• Collaborative – coordinates with the Auditor‑Controller’s Office, Purchasing, and program staff to align priorities, resolve issues quickly, and keep workflows moving across departments.
• Results‑oriented – manages concurrent closings, audits, apportionments, and reporting deadlines where late or incomplete work impacts services and compliance.
• Solutions‑focused – modernizes processes and implements practical improvements to improve efficiency and accuracy.
• Technology‑proficient – leverages county systems and drives continuous process improvement.
• A strong leader – leads a team responsible for daily operations; provides coaching, workload management, and performance feedback to sustain quality and meet deadlines.

• Lead accounting operations for the department and set clear priorities.
• Supervise and develop the accounting team through coaching, feedback, and quality review.
• Oversee the preparation of a wide variety of journals, transfer of funds and other financial documents.
• Produce a variety of reports and perform complex financial, statistical, budgetary, tax, and accounting analyses.
• Ensure timely processing of the Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable transactions.
• Perform reconciliations of benefit‑related accounts and resolve variances promptly.
• Evaluate and redesign processes to boost efficiency, controls, and service quality.

• You will work with people who care deeply about public service and continuous improvement.
• You will use your accounting and problem‑solving skills to streamline processes and boost efficiency.
• You will advance your skills via cross‑functional assignments and process‑improvement efforts.
• You will exercise independent judgment over priorities, decisions, and outcomes for your unit.

• Lead through uncertainty, set directions, and make decisions with incomplete information to establish clear paths forward.
• Manage diverse stakeholder interests and work effectively with parties who have strong positions and rigorous requirements.
• Balance competing priorities to navigate a fast‑paced environment with multiple deadlines and deliverables.
• Maintain audit readiness and respond to internal and external audit requests.

• Critical Thinking – analytically and logically evaluating information, propositions, and claims.
• Delivering Results – meeting organizational goals and customer expectations and making decisions that produce high‑quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks.
• Innovative Problem Solving – identifying and analyzing problems to propose new ways…