Senior Accountant - Controller's Office; and Promotional

Position Overview

Are you interested in enhancing your accounting skills in a comprehensive work environment that provides high-quality training, welcomes diversity, and strives for inclusion?

Are you open to working in a constant learning environment and enhancing your accounting skills? Do you want a “bird’s eye” view of the accounting processes across a complex government organization with distinct departments?

The County of San Mateo is seeking well-qualified candidates for the position of Senior Accountant – Controller’s Office.

Senior Accountants in the Controller’s Office exercise a high degree of independent judgment on diverse and specialized projects and have significant accountability and ongoing decision-making associated with their work. While overseeing a significant accounting functional area, Senior Accountants perform complex professional accounting work relative to centralized and/or departmental County accounting procedures and records, and may direct the work of accounting professionals and support staff.

The current vacancies are in the General Accounting and Accounts Payable Division of the Controller’s Office. This division prepares Countywide financial reports, State Controller’s Transactions report, and Budget Schedules, reviews capital assets, and completes journal entries and month‑end and year‑end closing. The Division also responds to accounting questions from County departments.

• Three to five years of journey‑level accounting experience.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and a proven ability to effectively communicate with internal and external customers and stakeholders.
• Excellent technical skills in accounting, internal controls, and research analysis.
• Knowledge of GAAP.
• Experience in day‑to‑day governmental accounting and reporting.
• Experience supervising fiscal staff.
• Experience with project management.
• Ability to identify and implement process improvements.
• Ability to work independently, problem solve, and exercise sound judgment within established guidelines.
• Experience in accounting, including financial statements and auditing.

• Recommend the selection of professional staff and provide direction, supervision, training, work review, and/or evaluation of assigned professional and fiscal support staff on a project or ongoing basis.
• Train fiscal staff of other departments in accounting and system procedures.
• Coordinate and calculate month‑end and year‑end closings.
• Prepare journal entries and periodic reconciliations of general ledger, journal, subsidiary accounts, and bank statements.
• Compile and prepare financial statements, general and subsidiary ledgers, and supporting schedules; maintain expenditure and budgetary control accounts.
• Maintain varied departmental cost accounting records, disbursing funds to various accounts and/or billings for reimbursement as required.
• Provide technical support to internal auditors and governmental program auditors.
• Analyze programs and legislation to determine fiscal impact.
• Review and recommend improvements to accounting systems and procedures, and implement new or modified systems and procedures upon approval.
• Coordinate the development of updated procedures and procedural manuals and implement changes.
• Review documentation for accuracy and conformance to legal and procedural requirements.
• Maintain current knowledge of accounting and reporting requirements, policies, and procedures.
• Recommend accounting and reports changes to ensure compliance with governmental requirements and regulations.
• Represent the department in responding to inquiries concerning accounting methods and procedures, confer with department personnel on accounting questions and problems, and explain the implications of complex accounting matters to non‑financial managers and decision makers.
• Make verbal presentations and conduct trainings regarding accounting policies and procedures.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

• Basic supervisory principles and practices.
• Principles, practices, and terminology of general, fund, and governmental accounting.
• Principles and practices of business data processing, particularly as…