Finance Technician - Accounts Payable (AP) | CLOSES 3/10/2025

The City of Crescent City is seeking a professional to join our Finance Department! Applicants are invited to join the City team as a Finance Technician - A/P. This is a full-time position with excellent benefits. This employee will divide their time between accounts payable and cash receipts/customer service. Candidates should have a minimum of two years of relevant experience or an associate's degree in finance, accounting, or a related field. Experience in accounts payable, cash handling, and government accounting is highly desirable. Applications will be accepted until MARCH 10, 2025 (end of business day); the selection process will include a written exam focusing on accounting, math, cash handling, and customer service. Candidates who pass the written exam may be invited to interview.

The approved pay range is $24.71 - $30.03 per hour. Benefits include CalPERS pension, health insurance (City pays 100% employee and 80% dependent coverage in CalPERS Gold plan), dental / vision/life insurance (City pays 100%), vacation, holidays, sick leave, and more. This position works at City Hall on a 9/80 schedule (Monday through Thursday 7:30 am - 5:30 pm, Fridays alternate 7:30 am - 4:30 pm one week and Friday off the second week).

Under general supervision by the Finance Director, performs complex technical finance duties. The primary function of this classification is to be responsible for accounts payable duties, including processing invoices, verifying the accuracy and compliance with established purchasing procedures, preparing checks, preparing 1099 and other reports and forms, maintaining records, reconciling general ledger accounts, and administering the City’s credit card and vendor account card programs. This classification also serves as the primary backup for the Account Clerk I and II positions, assisting with cash receipts and customer service in the Utility Billing office.

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ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS / KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:

The following duties are typical for this classification. Incumbents may perform some or all of the critical responsibilities listed below and/or may be required to perform additional or different duties from those set forth below to address business needs and changing business practices. Incumbents may be required to have all or some of the specialized knowledge, skills, and abilities listed. Management reserves the right to add, modify, change, or rescind the work assignments of different positions and to make reasonable accommodations so that qualified employees can perform the essential functions of the position.

· Sort and distribute City mail to appropriate departments;

· Prepare and maintain accounts payable documents and files, including electronic files;

· Review invoices, documents, and payment authorizations for accuracy and compliance with City purchasing policies;

· Post invoices to accounts payable system;

· Prepare and mail warrants;

· Review vendor statements and follow up with vendors and/or City staff to resolve discrepancies;

· Respond to vendor inquiries;

· Prepare warrant lists for City Council approval;

· Serve as Cal Card administrator and assist City employees with resolving Cal Card issues and other vendor account card programs;

· Prepare 1098 and 1099 forms annually;

· Report 1099 vendors to EDD as required;

· Reconcile subsidiary Accounts Payable ledger and general ledger accounts;

· Prepare reconciling journal entries as necessary;

· Maintain confidential records;

· Provide information and analysis to City management as requested, including confidential items;

· Prepare reports and analysis for year-end audit and other reports as requested;

· Serve as primary backup to assist Account Clerk I and Account Clerk II with cash receipts and customer service in the Utility Billing office;

· Perform other related work as required.

Knowledge of:

· Methods, principles, practices, terminology and documents used in bookkeeping and financial accounting work;

· Generally accepted accounting practices and principles;

· Governmental accounting practices and procedures, fund accounting and fiscal management;

· Modern office methods, practices, procedures and equipment, including filing systems, letter and report writing;

· Proficiency with spreadsheet and word processing software.

Skills and Ability to:

· Organize, prioritize and coordinate work activities and meet critical deadlines;

· Perform difficult and complex financial and clerical work requiring the use of independent judgment and initiative;

· Interpret, explain and apply applicable laws, codes, regulations and policies;

· Understand and execute oral and written instructions and apply guidelines to varied situations;

· Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, in the English language;

· Maintain records, analyze data and prepare accurate reports;

· Proficiently use applicable accounting, spreadsheet and word processing software applications, including working in Microsoft Office in a Windows environment;

· Make mathematical and financial calculations rapidly and accurately;

· Maintain good working relationships with employees, co-workers, benefit providers, other agencies and the general public;

· Use discretion in handling confidential matters and materials.

SUPERVISION: This position is supervised by the Finance Director and has no supervisory responsibilities.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Any combination equivalent to experience and education that could likely provide the required skills, knowledge and abilities would be qualifying. A typical way to obtain the skills, knowledge and abilities would be:

Education and Experience:

· High School Diploma or GED

· Associates degree or major coursework in Accounting, Business Administration or a related field.

OR

· Two (2) years of progressively professional and responsible experience in Accounting, Payroll or other related aspects of accounting; public agency experience preferred.

Certificates and Licenses:

Must possess an appropriate Motor Vehicle Operator’s License issued by the State Department of Motor Vehicles and be able to comply with current City insurance requirements.

Physical, Mental, Environmental, and Communication Demands:

Essential duties require physical, mental, environmental, and communication demands.

Physical Demands: Frequent sitting, bending, reaching, stooping, walking, and standing; sufficient manual dexterity, with or without reasonable accommodation, to operate standard office equipment, including computers and calculators; lift and carry files; grasp and hold writing materials, paper, and supplies.

Mental: Needs the ability to perform complex and challenging financial work and calculations accurately; good independent judgment and conflict resolution skills.

Environmental: Work is primarily performed in a standard office environment.

Vision: Sufficient vision or other powers of observation to read the fine print in financial reports, printed materials, statistical data and graphs, and computer screens;

Hearing: Sufficient clarity of hearing or other communication capabilities to maintain effective two-way communications in person and on the telephone;

Speech: Sufficient clarity of speech or other communication capabilities to effectively communicate clearly and concisely in person and on the telephone;

Writing: Sufficient to research, analyze, and compose a variety of professional and technical accounting and financial reports, documents, correspondence, and comprehensive, logical, well-organized, and factual reports and related documents;

Reading: Sufficient in understanding, comprehending, and interpreting financial and statistical data, federal, state, and local regulations and codes, and specific materials related to the position.