The Superior Court of California in San Mateo County is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Court Senior Accountant – Exempt.
Under direction the Senior Accountant plans, oversees, coordinates, and monitors a significant accounting functional area in the Court’s Finance Office. The Senior Accountant may assign, direct, review, and evaluate the work of accounting professional and support staff and will perform complex professional accounting work.
The Senior Accountant is either the supervisory and/or the advanced specialist level in the professional accountant series. Incumbents in this class exercise a high degree of independent judgment on diverse and specialized projects and have significant accountability and ongoing decision making associated with their work. Incumbents may identify and implement full accounting systems, initiate modifications to fiscal recordkeeping systems, make projections of revenues and expenditures, and participate in the budgeting process. Senior Accountants model a culture of transparency, accuracy, and clarity in all matters of the Court.
The ideal candidate will have:
- The ability to effectively communicate both verbally and in writing with staff in the Superior Court and County Departments, and with external stakeholders.
- Experience in day-to-day governmental accounting and reporting.
- Experience supervising fiscal staff.
- Experience with project management.
- The ability to identify and implement process improvements.
- The ability to work independently, problem solve, and exercise sound judgment within established guidelines.
Examples Of Duties
Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Provide direction, supervision, training, and work review to and evaluation of assigned professional and fiscal support staff on a project or ongoing basis.
- Provide input into staff selection decisions and disciplinary matters.
- Prepare and maintain control and subsidiary accounting records involving a variety of transactions and accounts and prepare trial balances and financial reports.
- 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 and maintain expenditure and budgetary control accounts.
- Review, analyze, and adjust budgets for Court funds.
- 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.
- Apportion monies, including secured, unsecured, impounded, redeemed, and other taxes.
- Review and claim for referral of tax, grant, or other monies and prepare claims for reimbursement from various State or funding agencies and/or programs.
- Analyze programs and legislation to determine fiscal and budgetary impact and prepare budgetary appropriation transfers and supplemental budgets.
- Review and recommend modifications to accounting systems and procedures and upon approval, implement new or modified systems and procedures.
- Perform related duties as assigned.
Qualifications
Education Requirement:
This classification requires the successful completion of a minimum of twelve semester units of college level accounting coursework.
Experience and Education:
In addition to the required 12 semester units of college level accounting coursework, any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required knowledge and skills is:
- Equivalent to graduation from a four-year college or university with major coursework in accounting, finance, business administration, or a closely related field and one year of journey level accounting experience.
Knowledge of:
- Basic supervisory principles and practices.
- Principles, practices, and terminology of general, fund, and governmental accounting.
- Principles and practices of business data processing, particularly as related to the processing of accounting information.
- Principles of public finance.
- Applicable laws regulating public fiscal operations.
- Budgeting principles and terminology.
- Auditing and financial reconciliation principles and methods.
Skill/Ability to:
- Plan, direct, review, and evaluate the work of assigned staff.
- Train others in work procedures.
- Review, analyze, post, balance, interpret, and reconcile complex financial data and accounts.
- Develop and implement accounting systems and procedures.
- Verify the accuracy of financial data and information.
- Ensure proper authorization and documentation for disbursements.
- Interpret and apply complex financial procedures and legal documents.
- Exercise sound independent judgment within established policy guidelines.
- Prepare and direct the preparation of clear, concise, and complete financial reports and statements, audit reports, and audit work papers.
- Make accurate mathematical and statistical calculations.
- Establish and maintain effective working relationships.
Application/Examination
Open & Promotional. Anyone may apply. Current employees of the Superior Court of California in the County of San Mateo with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in classified regular, probationary, extra-help/limited term positions prior to the final filing date will receive five points added to their final passing score.
The examination process will consist of an application screening (weight: pass/fail) based on the candidates' application and responses to the supplemental questionnaire. Candidates who pass the application screening will be invited to a panel interview (weight: 100%), which may include a writing exercise or brief accounting exam given before the interview.
Depending on the number of applicants, an application appraisal of education and experience may be used in place of other examinations or further evaluation of work experience may be conducted to group applicants by level of qualification. All applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through any subsequent phase of the examination. All examinations will be given in San Mateo County, California and applicants must participate at their own expense.
IMPORTANT: Applications for this position will only be accepted online. If you are currently on the County's website, you may click the "Apply" button. If you are not on the County's website, please apply at https://jobs.smcgov.org/.
Responses to the Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted in addition to the standard County employment application form. A resume will not be accepted as a substitute for the required application materials. Online applications must be received by the Human Resources Department before midnight on the final filing date.
Recruitment Schedule (Tentative)
Final Filing Date: June 8, 2026, at 11:59 PM
Application Screening: June 16-18, 2026
Combined Civil Service and Departmental Panel Interviews: July 7 and/or 8, 2026
About San Mateo County
San Mateo County is centrally located between San Francisco, San Jose, and the East Bay. With over 750,000 residents, San Mateo is one of the largest and most diverse counties in California and serves a multitude of culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse communities.
The Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo, as an employer, is committed to advancing equity to ensure all employees are welcomed in a safe and inclusive environment. The Court seeks to hire, support, and retain employees who reflect our diverse community. We encourage applicants with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply.
The Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo is an equal opportunity employer. We seek to hire, support, and retain employees who reflect our diverse community.
Note: The Human Resources Department of the County of San Mateo is conducting this recruitment on behalf of the Superior Court. This position is with the Superior Court of California in San Mateo County.
Analyst: Chet Overstreet (05232026) (Court Senior Accountant - Exempt – X003)
