Senior Accountant

Salary : $126,212.32 - $153,420.80 Annually

Location : Throughout the County of Santa Clara, CA

Job Type : Full-Time

Job Number : 25-B76-A

Department : County-Wide Recruitment

Opening Date : 10 / 21 / 2025

Closing Date : 11 / 4 / 2025 11 : 59 PM Pacific

Bargaining Unit : 92

Description

Under direction, to plan, organize and perform complex professional level accounting, budget, and fiscal work of significant impact to a department, agency or organization and may supervise and provide direction and daily oversight to professional, technical and support staff.

Note : Candidates who meet the employment standards will be invited to take the Written Examination tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, December 3, 2025 at 6pm.

Typical Tasks

• Plans, organizes and directs the work of subordinate employees engaged in the preparation and maintenance of varied accounting and financial programs, including budgets, accounting ledgers, payroll, fixed assets systems and grant and program accounting;
• Performs the more complex accounting work involved in maintaining budgets and accounting controls and preparing detailed financial reports in conformance with County, State, Federal and other reporting requirements;
• Coordinates activities with representatives of other jurisdictions, County departments, internal and external auditors, vendors and others;
• Coordinates activities such as development of procedures, fiscal year-end closing, and preparation of financial statements;
• Serves as consultant by responding to inquiries concerning accounting methods and procedures;
• Confers with department personnel on accounting questions and problems;
• Prepares procedures manuals for the accounting system;
• Develops and implements policies and procedures;
• Recommends the selection of subordinate professional and clerical staff and evaluates their performance;
• Provides orientation and training to subordinate employees as well as fiscal staff of other departments and special districts in accounting and system procedures;
• Plans and allocates resources;
• Prepares reports with recommendations;
• Maintains and reconciles a variety of ledgers, registers, journals and other records necessary for the accounting activities of the assigned unit;
• Reviews documentation submitted for accuracy and conformance to legal and procedural requirements;
• Maintains accurate records and files related to areas of assignment;
• Maintains current knowledge of accounting and reporting requirements, policies and procedures related to assigned unit; recommends accounting and reports changes to ensure compliance with governmental requirements and regulations;
• Makes verbal presentations and conducts training on accounting policies and procedures;
• Explains the implications of complex accounting matters to non-financial managers and decision makers;
• May be assigned as a Disaster Service Worker, as required;
• Performs related work as required.

Employment Standards

Sufficient education, training and experience to demonstrate the possession and direct application of the following knowledge and abilities.

And

Four (4) years of professional experience in accounting or auditing work.

Possession of a Master's Degree in Accounting, Master's Degree in Business Administration with emphasis in Accounting, or Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license, may substitute for one (1) year of experience.

And

Six (6) years of professional experience in accounting or auditing work, at least four (4) years of which should be at a level equivalent to an Accountant III with the County of Santa Clara.

Special Requirements

Knowledge of :

Ability to :

The County offers comprehensive first-class medical, dental, and vision benefits plans for County employees and their dependents, including plans with no deductibles, no co-pays, no co-insurance, and no prescription drug co-pays. Learn more

The County also offers generous paid time off with significant vacation, sick time, and 13 paid County holidays annually! Details are included in the with the bargaining unit applicable to the job classification.

In addition to the amazing perks above, the County also offers the additional benefits below.

Retirement Benefits

The County offers robust retirement plans including a (similar to the private sector's 401(k) plan) and the In addition to lifetime retirement income available through the CalPERS pension plan, the 457(b) Deferred Compensation plan provides a great way to save for retirement and supplement the defined benefit pension available to employees. These plans help our employees build a plan for their future and contribute to their family's long-term financial well-being.

Health Flexible Spending Account

The empowers employees to manage healthcare expenses efficiently with tax-free contributions (up to $3,200 for the 2024 calendar year). Secure tax-free solutions for your healthcare expenses and enjoy the flexibility to manage your healthcare finances effectively with the HFSA.

Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP)

The enables employees to utilize tax-free funds for dependent care services, facilitating a convenient and cost-effective approach for managing your dependent care expenses. The County also offers the , an employer-funded DCAP, for employees with annual income under $120,000.

Life and AD&D

The County offers life and disability benefits including , Insurance, These benefits ensure financial security and income support when you and your family need it most.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

The County prioritizes employee mental health and well-being and offers a top-tier through Concern providing confidential counseling sessions covering stress, anxiety, relationships, grief, as well as financial / legal services, personal coaching, child and elder care referrals, and comprehensive crisis support.

Employee Wellness

The offers free wellness programing, fitness classes and resources; including Elevate My Wellness an all-in-one platform designed to elevate your well-being journey.

Education Reimbursement

A generous program is available, including Education Reimbursement for employees seeking additional training and professional development.

NOTE : Benefit and Retirement information may vary from bargaining unit to bargaining unit. Due to changes in State Law, current pension provisions described in the union contracts are not automatically applied. Specific pension benefits for new hires who start on or after January 1, 2013 may be different than indicated in the union contracts.

Click here to access all Memoranda of Understanding and most recent Summary of Changes.

01

Please answer the following questions. Completion of the following supplemental questions is REQUIRED and is an integral part of the evaluation process. Initially, it will be used to determine minimum qualifications. For those applicants meeting the employment standards, this information will be critical in the subsequent competitive assessment to identify those candidates to be invited to continue in the examination process. Your responses to the questions may also be reviewed and scored in a Competitive Rating evaluation process based on pre-determined rating criteria. Your answers should be as complete as possible, as no additional information will be accepted from applicants once the Competitive Rating evaluation has begun. A response of "see resume" or "see application" will deem your application incomplete. Include a detailed description of your work experience in the following format for EACH employer referenced, in each answer :

a) Employer name(s)

b) Job title(s)

c) Start / end dates of employment

d) Total hours worked per week

e) Description of task(s) performed Do you understand the requirement to provide complete answers in order to determine relevant experience for each area in question?

02

What is the highest level of education you have completed?

03

Do you possess a Bachelor's or higher level degree in any of the following fields?

04

If you selected "Closely Related Field" as a response to the question above, please specify the field in which you received your Bachelor's Degree.

If none, type N / A.

05

Do you possess twelve (12) semester units or fifteen (15) quarter units in accounting and / or auditing?

06

Please list the accounting and / or auditing courses you have completed.

Responses must include the following required information : - Name of school or educational institution and

If no courses were completed, type N / A.

07

Are you a Certified Public Accountant (CPA)? If so, please attach a copy of your certification.

08

How many years of professional experience in accounting or auditing work do you have?

09

Please describe your professional experience in accounting or auditing work.

Responses must include the following required information :

If none, type N / A.

10

How many years of experience do you possess that is equivalent to the County of Santa Clara's Accountant III classification? View Accountant III Job Spec Here :

11

Describe your experience that is equivalent to Santa Clara County's Accountant III classification.

View Accountant III Job Spec Here :

Responses must include the following required information :

If none, type N / A.

12

How many years of experience do you possess compiling and maintaining a wide variety of fiscal, accounting, financial and budgetary data?

13

Describe your experience compiling, maintaining wide variety of fiscal, accounting, financial and budgetary data.

Responses must include the following required information :

If none, type N / A.

14

How many years of experience do you have supervising accounting staff and / or training employees?

15

Describe your experience supervising accounting staff and / or training employees.

Responses must include the following required information :

If none, type N / A.

16

Select the following areas of Accounting that you have experience in :

17

If you selected areas of Accounting experience in the question above, describe your experience in those selected areas.

Responses must include the following required information :

If none, type N / A.

18

Select the following applications in which you have experience in :

19

If you selected any of the applications above, please describe your experience in those applications.

Responses must include the following required information :

If none, type N / A.

20

How did you find out about this job?

21

If you selected an event / fair or other in the question above, please specify. If not, type n / a.

Required Question