Location
Description
WHY JOIN THE REDWOOD CITY TEAM?
We offer a wide range of meaningful career opportunities with potential for growth, training and development, competitive salaries, flexible work schedules, paid time off, and robust benefits. The Redwood City team is guided by the core values of excellence, integrity, service, collaboration, inclusion and innovation. Inherent in these values is a great organizational culture based on trust, strong and supportive leadership, respect, risk- taking, empowerment, and effective communication.
The community is known for its inclusivity, strong engaged neighborhoods, and civic pride. The City works diligently to maintain positive and productive relationships with community partners, together providing outstanding services, programs and opportunities for residents and businesses. This mix of tradition and progress, community and diversity, makes Redwood City an extraordinary place to work and call home. If you’re looking to grow your career as a part of a hard-working and fun Finance Department team that fosters innovation, creativity, and collaboration, we hope you’ll apply.
ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT
Redwood City’s Finance Department shares an exceptional spirit of camaraderie, always finding ways to bring fun and laughter into the financial backbone of the organization. The Department manages payroll; accounts payable; accounting; compliance with the purchasing ordinance; budget preparation and annual financial reporting; and treasury management, including investments and debt administration. Team members practice a strong work ethic and attention to detail; celebrate innovation; and seek out continuous improvements to strengthen quality of service and internal controls and streamline processes.
ABOUT THE POSITION
The City of Redwood City is recruiting for a dynamic individual to fill the position of ACCOUNTANT In the Finance Department, which provides financial support services to an organization with annual expenditures of over $300 million.
This position will report to a Senior Accountant and will be responsible for areas within general accounting and accounts payable. The selected candidate will provide the department with highly responsible technical and professional staff support.
Ideal Candidate
Will have progressively responsible experience in general governmental accounting. Moreover, this will be a person who: enjoys participating in team projects; communicates clearly, both orally and in writing, and interacts well with a variety of people using team building skills and proactive communication; is a problem solver, not necessarily by solving problems as they arise, but by identifying and analyzing issues before they become major problems; is knowledgeable in all Microsoft Office products, especially Excel and PowerPoint; is able to apply generally accepted accounting principles; has strong analytical abilities; has experience working with outside auditors and preparing financial statements; wants to develop and broaden existing skills and experience; is creative and has the ability to take risks and admit mistakes; and has a sense of humor.
A few typical responsibilities include, but are not limited to:- Maintain accurate records of all municipal capital assets in compliance with GASB and other regulatory standards.
- Prepare and reconcile capital asset schedules, ensuring timely recording of acquisitions, disposals, and depreciation.
- Monitor capital project accounts and ensure costs are properly capitalized.
- Support the development of asset management policies and assist in annual financial statement reporting.
- Oversee daily operations of the accounts payable function, ensuring timely and accurate processing of vendor invoices and payments.
- Review and approve AP transactions for accuracy, proper coding, and compliance with municipal policies.
- Develop and document standard operating procedures (SOPs) for AP and capital asset processes in the ERP environment.
- Train end users and provide ongoing support to staff adapting to new system functionality.
- Identify opportunities for automation, improved reporting, and streamlined financial processes.
- Assist with month-end and year-end close, including journal entries and reconciliations related to AP and capital assets.
- Support external audits by preparing schedules, reconciliations, and documentation.
- Maintain compliance with municipal financial policies, government accounting standards, and audit requirements.
- Provide financial analysis and reporting to support decision-making by management.
- Other related duties as assigned.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:
Education:
- Education equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in accounting or business administration.
- Experience equivalent to five years in a paraprofessional or professional accounting or related field that provides the requisite knowledge to succeed in this position.
Licenses & Certificates:
- Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid California driver’s license.
- General and municipal accounting and auditing standards, principles, practices, methods and procedures.
- Microsoft Office applications, including Microsoft Teams.
- Enterprise Resource Systems (ERP), such as Oracle or Tyler Munis
- Applicable laws and regulations of public finance and fiscal operations.
- Financial administration practices and concepts.
- Operate modern office equipment including computer equipment.
- Operate a motor vehicle safely.
- Analyze and interpret financial and accounting records; examine, prepare and verify financial statements, reports and documents.
- Represent the City and Department effectively in contacts with representatives of other agencies, City departments, and the public.
- Learn, interpret and apply laws, rules and regulations, including GASB pronouncements, regarding accounting and auditing practices in relation to the maintenance of accounting transactions and financial records.
- Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
- Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
- Organize work, establish priorities, and meet deadlines.
- Monitor and analyze budgets, both revenue and expenditure.
- Deliver quality work products.
- Work and think proactively and positively.
- Analyze systems for improvements in efficiencies, quality, and accuracy.
Special Instructions
A City application and responses to the supplemental questions are required. Applications must be filled out completely. Failure to complete the application and supplemental questions will disqualify the applicant from the recruitment process. Failure to list work experience, education or training or stating “See Resume” in the work experience section of the application will be considered an incomplete application and subject to disqualification. Resumes may be attached separately, but resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a City application.
A City application and supplemental questionnaire are required. Prior to appointment, candidates will be required to pass a background check (at no cost to the candidate) including the following:
- Criminal History Check
- Credit Check
- DMV Check
- Fingerprint Check
- References
* Note: internal candidates may be required to complete the above-mentioned requirements.