Accounting Technician I-II

Position Description

Come Grow with Us!

The City of Tulare is excited to announce the addition of an Accounting Technician I-II position. This is a unique opportunity to become an entry-level (Accounting Technician I) or journey-level (Accounting Technician II), member of our Finance Department.

The selected candidate will assist other accounting personnel in performing a wide variety of responsible clerical and technical accounting duties in the preparation, maintenance, and processing of accounting records and financial transactions, including utility billing, accounts payable, and accounts receivable.

If you’re interested in pursuing a career in governmental accounting, we encourage you to apply!

RECRUITMENT OVERVIEW:

The City of Tulare is a vibrant and steadily growing community with a population of 70,693 located in the heart of California's Central Valley. The organization, staffed with 400 full-time employees, enjoys a culture of fiscal conservatism, collaboration, teamwork and dedication to public service and our community.

To be considered for this position applicants must submit an application with detailed information in each section of the application: Education, Work Experience, Certificates and Licenses, and Skills. In addition to submitting a detailed application, applicants are required to respond to the supplemental questions associated with the application. Your responses to the supplemental questions will be used to help us evaluate your qualifying knowledge, skills, and abilities. Resumes may be attached but will not be accepted in lieu of a complete, detailed application or in lieu of detailed responses to the supplemental questions. Applicants that meet the minimum qualifications will be invited to interview for the position.

WRITTEN EXAM:
If we determine that you meet the minimum requirements for the position you will be invited to take a written exam which is the first phase of our recruitment process.

The exam will consist of a multiple-choice format with the following content categories:

*Ability to Handle Money
*Ability to Make Change
*Bank Reconciliation
*Interpersonal Skills

For planning purposes, we are including reference to the written exam. Additional details regarding the exam will be sent via email, to qualified applicants after our screening process is complete on or after July 25 th at 5 p.m.

INTERVIEW:

Applicants that achieve a minimum passing score of 70% on the written exam will be eligible to participate in the interview phase.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Under direct or general supervision, assists other accounting personnel in performing a wide variety of responsible clerical and technical accounting duties in the preparation, maintenance, and processing of accounting records and financial transactions, including utility billing, accounts payable, and accounts receivable; and performs related work as required.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

Receives direct or general supervision from assigned supervisory or management personnel. No direct supervision of staff is exercised. May exercise technical and functional direction over assigned staff.

CLASS CHARACTERISTICS

Accounting Technician I : This is the entry-level class in the paraprofessional accounting technician series. Initially, under direct supervision, incumbents perform work in the areas of routine billing, accounting, and financial duties related to customer accounts for water, solid waste, and sewer services. Incumbents have frequent contact with the public providing customer services associated with utility payments, requests for service, responding to complaints, providing information, and working closely with field operations to assess needed repairs, new accounts, or account terminations.

Accounting Technician II : This is the journey-level class in the paraprofessional accounting technician series. Incumbents are cross trained to perform the full range of technical work in all of the following areas: accounts receivable and/or accounts payable, in addition to performing a variety of record keeping, reconciliation, and report preparation activities. This class is distinguished from Payroll Specialist in that the latter performs duties specifically related to the payroll function. This class is further distinguished from the Accountant classification in that the latter is a professional level requiring completion of a four-year degree.

SALARY RANGES

Accounting Technician I: $ 4,357.19 - $ 5,296.19 / Mo.

Accounting Technician II: $ 4,814.22 - $ 5,851.71 / Mo.

Examples of Essential Functions

Management reserves the rights 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.

When performing the Water/Solid Waste/Sewer Billing assignment:

• Handles customer inquiries and complaints in person or by telephone; interprets policies and procedures and explains service fees, rates, and procedures; makes billing arrangements; researches questions and complaints and follows up as required; takes and processes service requests.
• Operates specialized computer billing systems; prepares and sends bills; sets up new accounts and prepares closing bills for cancelled service; issues credit to accounts as necessary; reviews bills prior to sending them to third-party vendors.
• Receives customer payments in person or by mail; makes change and issues receipts; balances cash receipts, processes mail payments, develops totals by adding checks and receipts using a 10-key, scans bar code payments, and manually enters non-bar code payments.
• Gathers, checks, and tabulates data used in the preparation of records and reports; researches background information and account histories.
• Performs customer service for City utility customers involving billing issues, new accounts, and cancellations; issues new account numbers, completes forms, and posts to the system; researches requests for account balances.
• Receives and posts payments for utility bills, business licenses, building, parking, and water service permits, bin rentals, and development impact fees; issues and sells parking passes; types business licenses.
• Sorts, audits, and matches utility bills and payment checks; posts payment to the system.
• May provide assistance to other City departments.

When performing the Accounts Payable/Accounts Receivable assignment:

• Maintains and reconciles a variety of ledgers, reports and account records; examines and corrects accounting transactions to ensure accuracy.
• Prepares a variety of routine fiscal reports, statements, and schedules; prepares new year, mid-year, and year end reports.
• Establishes and maintains complete files and records related to assigned function.
• Prepares and posts journal entries.
• Produces routine daily mainframe computer reports and accounts payable checks.
• Sorts, audits, matches, and distributes invoices from vendors and service providers; confers with vendors regarding purchase orders, invoices, and payments; reviews statements for accuracy and completeness; processes invoices for approval for payment; prepares payments for mailing.
• Monitors and balances various accounts verifying availability of funds and classification of expenditures.
• Posts transactions to accounts payable system; verifies, corrects, and balances accounts payable system; generates checks; validates checks; matches checks to vouchers; mails checks to vendors.
• Maintains current vendor information including 1099 information.
• Gathers, checks, and tabulates data used in the preparation of records and reports; researches background information and account histories.
• Enters and retrieves information using standard word processing and spreadsheet software.
• Performs a variety of general clerical duties including typing, maintaining files and records, processing mail and ordering supplies; distributes mail and supplies to appropriate departments.
• Assists customers, departments, and employees by providing fiscal information, explaining procedures, and answering questions.
• Reconciles various bank accounts making adjustments due to cancellations and corrections.
• Prepares monthly automatic billing, creates invoices, runs invoice report, posts, and prints report and invoices; prepares for mailing and creates backup copy for City files.
• Assists professional accounting staff with special projects as required.
• Performs related duties as assigned.

Qualifications / Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS

Knowledge of:

• Billing as related to water meters and functions.
• Modern office practices, methods and computer equipment.
• Computer applications related to the work, including word processing and spreadsheet applications.
• Records management principles and practices.
• Business arithmetic and statistical techniques.
• English usage, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and punctuation.
• Techniques providing a high level of customer service to the public and City staff, in person and over the telephone.

Accounting Technician II, in addition to the above:

• Terminology and practices of financial and accounting document processing and record keeping, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, purchasing, and business licensing.
• Work with accounts that are past due to make payment arrangements
• Set up utility accounts
• Ability to Post utility adjustments to the general ledger and make journal entries
• Assist with Business License and Purchasing

Ability to:

• Respond to and effectively prioritize multiple phone calls and other requests for service.
• Interpret, apply, and explain policies and procedures.
• Compose correspondence and reports independently or from brief instructions.
• Establish, maintain, and research files.
• Make accurate arithmetic and financial computations.
• Enter and retrieve data from a computer with sufficient speed and accuracy to perform assigned work.
• Organize own work, set priorities, and meet critical time deadlines.
• Operate modern office equipment including computer and handheld equipment and software programs.
• Use English effectively to communicate in person, over the telephone, and in writing.
• Use tact, initiative, prudence, and independent judgment within general policy, procedural and legal guidelines.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees and those contacted in the course of the work.

Accounting Technician II, in addition to the above:

• Perform detailed accounting and financial office support work accurately and in a timely manner.
• Create, work in, and maintain spreadsheets

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

Any combination of training and experience which would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be:

Accounting Technician I : Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth (12th) grade.

Accounting Technician II : Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth (12th) grade. Equivalent to the completion of two years of college (equivalent to 60 semester units) with major course work in accounting, finance, business administration, or a closely related field is desirable.

Accounting Technician I : One year of responsible clerical experience.

Accounting Technician II : In addition to the above, one (1) year of experience in processing financial documents, maintaining financial or accounting records, or billing and collections.

Licenses and Certifications:

• Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid Class C California driver’s license.

Additional Information

Physical Demands

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 work areas and walking between work areas may be required. Finger dexterity is needed to access, enter and retrieve data using a computer keyboard, typewriter keyboard or calculator and to operate standard office equipment. Positions in this classification occasionally 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 necessary to perform job functions.

Environmental Elements

Employees work in an office environment with moderate noise levels, controlled temperature conditions and no direct exposure to hazardous physical substances. Employees may interact with upset staff and/or public and private representatives in interpreting and enforcing departmental policies and procedures.

• Members of the California Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS). In accordance with the California Public Employees Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA), the City of Tulare will offer the following retirement benefit (2.0% at 62) to new PERS members beginning January 1, 2013 with three (3) years final compensation. Existing PERS members with no break in service will receive the 2.5% at 55 formula with single highest year.
• City pays a portion of the employee and dependent coverage costs of group medical, dental and vision insurance. An opt-out plan is also available.
• Life insurance - $20,000 coverage.
• 10 working days vacation per year. Additional days based on years of service.
• 12 days sick leave per year.
• 15 holidays annually: 12 city observed holidays, plus birthday credit and 2 in-lieu holidays.
• Flexible benefit program - IRS Section 125 Plan.
• Deferred compensation plan - 457 Plans available.
• City sponsored employee health care clinic - Services include: general medical care and health and wellness coaching. No deductibles, co-pays, or out-of-pocket expenses.

Closing Date/Time: 7/22/2025 11:59 PM Pacific

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• City of Tulare

• 559-684-4204

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