Accounting Specialist (Payroll)

ABOUT THE POSITION 
Under general supervision, the Accounting Specialist (Payroll) is responsible for managing technical and clerical routine tasks necessary to run full payroll cycles. This includes, but is not limited to: Review and correction of department timecards; preparation and processing of payroll, tax returns, and other reporting documentation related to payables and payroll matters; assist and respond to internal and external technical payroll related questions; ensure conformance with administrative policies and regulations; resolve payroll technical issues; recommend process improvements; reconcile employee insurance deductions with outgoing insurance premium payments; perform journal entries related to payroll corrections; and perform other related duties as required.

IDEAL CANDIDATE 
Ideal candidates will possess completion of college level coursework in basic accounting, economics, or finance, along with: strong attention to detail and financial analysis skills; proficiency in accounting softwares and Microsoft Excel; solid understanding of payroll administration, accounting, bookkeeping, financial reporting, reconciliation, and general ledger maintenance; and customer service experience.

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT
The Finance Department’s primary function is to ensure the financial integrity of the City of Goleta by providing superior financial services, maintaining the public trust, and promoting governmental efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability. The department is responsible for the maintenance of an effective financial accounting system, which accurately reflects the financial operations of the City and offers a framework for financial planning and analysis. The Finance Department also oversees and handles the investment program for the City and is now functioning as the City’s purchasing department. The primary goal is providing accurate, reliable, and timely financial information for City Council, City Manager, City staff, and outside requests using professional standards.The following duties are typical for positions in this classification. Incumbents may not perform all listed job functions, nor are all listed duties necessarily performed by everyone in this class depending upon business need and changing business practices:

• Reviews time records submitted by all departments to ensure conformance with appropriate contracts and administrative policies and regulations; verifies pay increases and computer file data for the current payroll period; reviews and edits documents; corrects errors and balances payroll for each pay period; confers with individual employees regarding changes in paychecks, time sheets, codings, or deductions.
•  Prepares payroll tax returns and other reporting documentation related to payable and payroll matters; prepares or processes insurance and other miscellaneous billings, payments for disability, terminations, retirement, and deferred compensation; compiles routine reports related to payroll activity.
•  Maintains accumulated leave records for all employees, including vacation, sick leave, holiday, compensatory time, and management leave; adjusts and corrects computer file records.
•  May explain health, life, and long term disability insurance and other benefits to new employees; may work with insurance companies to resolve problems for covered employees and notify employees of COBRA benefit and maintain related accounts.
•  Enters data and processes accounts payable checks, purchase orders, and business certificates and renewals.
•  Verifies claims, warrants, deposit slips, computer source documents, business certificate applications, and other records for arithmetical accuracy, consistency, and budget classifications requiring application of established coding and record keeping practices.
• Assembles, sorts, tabulates, codes, and files fiscal and statistical data; makes arithmetical calculations and verifies totals and extensions; performs data entry or maintains manual records to post, adjust, and balance accounts; allocates funds to correct accounts according to established procedure; balances and reconciles accounts.
•  Prepares and analyzes a variety of routine fiscal statements, reports, and schedules.
•  Collects and accounts for money; issues receipts; maintains cash drawer, and prepares deposits as required.
•  Prepares and otherwise processes various bills and invoices; prepares entries, tabulations, standard forms, and routine documents according to specific instructions; maintains related files; operates computers, calculators, and other standard office equipment as required.
•  Responds to inquiries in person or by phone, providing explanation of established procedures and work unit policies which may require the use of judgment; corresponds with vendors, businesses, or the public according to established procedure.
•  Performs a variety of general office support work such as organizing and maintaining various files, reports, forms, and specialized documents.
• Assists with updating and maintaining fixed assets information.
•  Assists in the purchasing of office supplies for the City; distributes and stores office supplies.
• Remains seated and work at computer terminal for prolonged periods; files documents in various locations and heights.
•  Provides vacation and temporary relief as required.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, AND TRAINING

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:

• High school graduate or equivalent and completion of college level coursework in basic accounting, economics, or finance.

Experience:

• Two years of increasingly responsible technical and clerical accounting experience which included routine fiscal record keeping, accounting, maintenance of automated financial and statistical records, public contact, and the application of policies and procedures in the performance of assigned tasks.

KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES

Knowledge of:

• Principles, methods and practices of fiscal and financial record keeping, including automated payroll systems.

• Modern office methods, practices, procedures and equipment, including computer hardware and software necessary for word processing, graphic presentation, mapping, and database management.

Ability to:

• Understand, interpret and apply the fundamental principles of accounting and general fiscal and financial record keeping practices in the performance of assigned tasks; maintain ledgers and journals; analyze fiscal data and draw logical conclusions.

• Perform difficult clerical and financial record keeping work; make arithmetic calculations quickly and with accuracy; reconcile differences within the automated record keeping system requiring an understanding of the relationship among accounting records and documents.

• Operate an office computer terminal and prepare manual and computerized financial reports; operate related office equipment.

• Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with those contacted in the course of work

• Remain seated and work at a video display terminal for prolonged periods and file documents in various locations and heights.

Salary : $32 - $40