Accountant-Payroll

The Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC/Commission), established through California State law, oversees funding and coordination of all public transportation services within Riverside County. The Commission’s responsibilities have grown in the over 41 years since its inception from coordinating highway and transit planning and identifying projects for state and federal funding to responsibility for all aspects of region-wide planning for Riverside County’s mobility and operating toll facilities. Join an amazing team at RCTC and help plan and deliver transportation solutions!

QUALIFICATIONS:

Required: Equivalent to graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in accounting, finance, business or public administration, or a closely related field and three (3) years of responsible professional accounting and payroll experience, preferably in the public sector. Additional experience can substitute for the required education on a year-for-year basis.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

Under general direction, performs complex professional and confidential accounting work; plans and performs the daily operations and activities of a variety of payroll and accounting functions, including performing complex and technical accounting, general ledger accounting, and financial reporting; assists in the implementation of internal control procedures and ensures accounting standards are met; coordinates and provides support for the annual audit; and performs related work as required.

This is a journey-level professional accounting classification. The incumbent performs day-to-day payroll accounting processing, reporting, and record keeping activities and is responsible for providing complex professional accounting support to the Senior Accountant, Accounting Supervisor and Deputy Director of Finance in a variety of areas. Responsibilities include payroll and general ledger accounting processing functions, in addition to reconciliation and report preparation activities. This class is distinguished from the Senior Accountant in that the latter has oversight responsibility for organizing, assigning, and reviewing the work of assigned staff involved in accounting operations.

EXAMPLES OF TYPICAL JOB FUNCTIONS (Illustrative Only):

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 job.

• Performs, implements, and maintains, payroll processing and accounting systems to ensure timely and accurate processing of payroll transactions including salaries, benefits, garnishments, taxes, and other deductions.
• Audits, reconciles, and maintains employee payroll records in the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System and ADP payroll reporting system.
• Performs, reviews, and reconciles, the bi-weekly payroll, including bi-weekly and monthly employee benefit reporting (timesheets, withholding information, benefit accruals, etc.).
• Performs, reviews, and reconciles bi-weekly retirement and monthly health reports in the my|CalPERS self-service website.
• Reviews and reconciles various bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual internal, federal, and state payroll reports within mandated time frames (W-2s, DE9/9C, etc.).
• Processes and maintains confidential agency and employee information.
• Processes and monitors payroll and accounting activities of the assigned work unit; recommends improvements and modifications and prepares various journals and reports on payroll and accounting operations and activities, including workload and workflow statistics.
• Performs and assists with the planning and organizing payroll assignments of accounting staff in the Finance Department; trains staff in work procedures; provides policy guidance and interpretation to staff.
• Maintains payroll and general ledger internal control procedures and ensures that accounting standards are met.
• Participates in the reconciliation and maintenance of the general ledger and subsidiary ledgers to a variety of source documents and forms; prepares a wide variety of journal entries.
• Assist with the fiscal year end accrual processing activities, including preparing various journals and reports and reconciliation of various general ledger accounts.
• Supports the preliminary and annual audit by providing information and answers to the auditors; prepares and reviews audit entries and schedules; provides assistance to the Deputy Director of Finance and Chief Financial Officer.
• Prepares and maintains a variety of accounting records and reports related to the general ledger; performs complex reconciliations and analyses; posts information for assigned accounting activities to the general ledger.
• Maintains the operations of assigned modules on the ERP System; responds to end user ERP problems; provides technical support to end users by investigating and troubleshooting ERP problems with the information technology consultant and/or software vendor for resolution.
• Researches and responds to inquiries and requests in support of senior management staff; prepares and presents reports and other correspondence to staff as necessary.
• Attends and participates in professional group meetings; stays abreast of regulations, and new trends and innovations in the field of public agency finance, accounting, and payroll; researches emerging products and enhancements and their applicability to RCTC needs.
• Receives, investigates, and responds to difficult and sensitive problems and complaints in a professional manner; identifies and reports findings and takes necessary corrective action.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE OF:

• Principles, practices, and methods of public and governmental accounting, finance, and auditing, including general ledger, accounts payable, payroll, and fund and cost accounting and their application to public agency operations.
• Principles and practices of payroll preparation and management; policies and procedures related to payroll, time reporting, and benefit plans; federal, state, and local laws and regulations related to payroll processing, withholding, and reporting, including public agency financial operations.
• Payroll functions including preparation, balancing, internal control, and payroll taxes.
• Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and Governmental Accounting Standards Board Statements for public sector accounting.
• Accounting source documents including budgets, contracts, expenditures, encumbrances, revenues, special ledger, general ledger, project cost, and related accounting procedures.
• Principles and practices of business organization and public administration.
• Record keeping principles and procedures.
• Modern office practices, methods, and computer equipment and applications related to work, including word processing and spreadsheet software.
• English usage, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and punctuation.
• Techniques for providing a high level of customer service by effectively dealing with the public, vendors, contractors, RCTC staff and staff of member agencies in person and over the telephone.

ABILITY TO:

• Assist in developing and implementing goals, objectives, practices, policies, procedures, and work standards.
• Plan, organize, administer, coordinate, review, evaluate, and personally participate in comprehensive and complex accounting and payroll functions.
• Prepare and maintain clear and accurate payroll and accounting records, financial reports, correspondence, policies, procedures, and other written materials.
• Analyze complex payroll, accounting, and fiscal issues and recommend resolutions.
• Verify the accuracy of payroll and financial data and information.
• Interpret, apply, explain, and ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local policies, procedures, laws, and regulations.
• Establish and maintain a variety of filing, record keeping, and tracking systems.
• Organize and prioritize a variety of projects and multiple tasks in an effective and timely manner; organize own work, set priorities, and meet critical time deadlines.
• Enter and retrieve data from a computer with sufficient speed and accuracy to perform assigned work.
• Operate modern office equipment including computer equipment and specialized software applications programs.
• Use English effectively to communicate in person, over the telephone, and in writing.
• Use tact, initiative, and prudence within general policy, procedural, and legal guidelines.
• Establish, maintain, and foster positive and effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

PHYSICAL & ENVIRONMENTAL ELEMENTS:

Must possess mobility to work in a standard office setting and use standard office equipment, including a computer; vision to read printed materials and a computer screen; and hearing and speech to communicate in person and over the telephone. This is primarily a sedentary office classification although standing in and walking between work areas may be required. Finger dexterity is needed to access, enter, and retrieve data using a computer keyboard or calculator and to operate standard office equipment. Positions in this classification bend, stoop, kneel, reach, push, and pull drawers open and closed to retrieve and file information. Employees must possess the ability to lift, carry, push, and pull materials and objects up to 25 pounds.

This is primarily a sedentary classification, and the employee works in an office environment with moderate noise levels, controlled temperature conditions, and no direct exposure to hazardous physical substances. The employee interfaces with staff, management, other departmental representatives, transportation and government officials, business representatives, and the general public in explaining RCTC policies and requesting and providing information.