- Accounting Technician - $83,892 - $101,964 DOE/DOQ, plus excellent benefits
- Senior Accounting Assistant - $74,184 - $90,168 DOE/DOQ, plus excellent benefits
- Accounting Assistant I/II - $61,080 - $81,780 DOE/DOQ, plus excellent benefits
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Apply by Tuesday, January 13, 2026, at 5:00 p.m., for first consideration
The City of San Rafael has one (1) vacancy in the Finance department, to be filled at either the Accounting Technician, Senior Accounting Assistant, or the Accounting Assistant I/II classifications, depending on candidate qualifications and experience. An eligibility list will be created for each classification .
In the event that this position creates a vacancy due to promotion, the City reserves the right to use this recruitment's eligibility list to fill Senior Accounting Assistant and Accounting Assistant vacancies.
THE CITY is focused on enhancing our community members’ quality of life through well-designed services and a positive workplace culture. San Rafael is the economic and cultural heart of Marin County, and its high quality of life is centered on its commercial districts, engaged neighborhoods, active lifestyle, and natural environment. San Rafael, with a population of approximately 60,000, is a full-service city with a City Council/City Manager form of government with 12 departments, more than 400 employees, and a fiscal year 2025-2026 annual budget of approximately $192 million. The City’s vision is to be a vibrant economic and cultural center reflective of its diversity. The City Council is engaged and seeks to strengthen the urban and commercial areas as well as sustain the beautiful natural environment.
San Rafael’s Organizational culture framework is an initiative called “Together San Rafael.” City employees are our greatest asset, and we seek talented individuals with diverse backgrounds who are creative, curious, and excited about a challenge. We are a results-driven team focused on the needs of community members. The Together San Rafael initiative is focused on modernizing City services and increasing the engagement of employees. This initiative recognizes the interconnectedness of the customer and employee experience.
THE POSITION
The roles in the Accounting series support the City’s finance team by performing complex accounting tasks, preparing and reconciling financial data, assisting with the payroll and budget processes, and delivering responsive customer service.
IDEAL CANDIDATE
The ideal candidate for the Accounting Technician classification has a solid background in the municipal accounting process and regulatory compliance, can prepare clear and accurate financial reports, has some experience with payroll software, Excel, and payroll processing, and communicates effectively while working collaboratively and maintaining confidentiality when handling sensitive information.
The successful candidate will have experience supporting month-end, quarterly, and year-end accounting and reporting activities, and may assist with payroll-related filings, labor cost analysis, and audit support. This role requires knowledge of accounting principles, internal controls, financial reporting and office systems, applicable laws, and customer service practices, along with the ability to perform technical accounting tasks. The successful candidate will be able to analyze and interpret financial data, use specialized software, explain policies, provide responsive service, work effectively with diverse groups, and carry out duties safely and efficiently.
The ideal candidate for Senior Accounting Assistant is a capable and knowledgeable accounting professional who is trained in assigned functional areas and able to work with greater independence and responsibility. They confidently handle more complex accounting tasks such as reconciliations, troubleshooting discrepancies, preparing reports, and managing sensitive public and vendor interactions. This successful candidate will bring strong organizational skills, sound judgment, and a customer-service mindset, and may assist with training others, improving processes, or supporting system updates. They are dependable, detail-focused, and contribute to efficient and accurate accounting operations across the organization.
The ideal candidate for Accounting Assistant I/II is a detail-oriented and reliable individual with a basic understanding of accounting and clerical processes who is eager to support day-to-day financial operations. At the I level, they are comfortable working with close supervision while learning standard procedures for processing items such as accounts payable, cash receipts, deposits, business licenses, or payroll. At the II level, they demonstrate increased independence, accuracy, and efficiency in maintaining records, reconciling documents, entering data, and assisting with routine reports. This successful candidate values teamwork, provides courteous customer service, and is proficient with office technology and data entry.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Accounting Technician - review the full classification description and requirements HERE
- Senior Accounting Assistant - review the full classification description and requirements HERE
- Accounting Assistant I/II - review the full classification description and requirement HERE
EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE
Accounting Technician
Any combination of experience and training that would provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required knowledge and abilities would be:
- Experience: Two years of increasingly responsible technical level experience in accounting or finance to demonstrate possession of the required knowledge and abilities. Experience performing fiscal record keeping or accounting work in a government finance environment is desirable.
- Training: Equivalent to an Associate’s degree from an accredited college in business, accounting, finance or a related field.
Senior Accounting Assistant
- Any combination of experience and training that would provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required knowledge and abilities would be:
- Experience: Three years of experience similar to that of Accounting Assistant II with the City of San Rafael.
- Education: An Associate of Arts with course work in accounting or bookkeeping.
- Supplemental course work in accounting, office management, computer science or related field is desirable.
- License or Certificate Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid California driver’s license.
Accounting Assistant I/II
- For AA I: High school diploma or general education degree (GED) with some course work in accounting preferred;
- For AA II: an AA preferred; two years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS
May need to possess a valid California driver’s license as required by the position.
