Career Opportunity

Accountant IV (1657) - Citywide Examination

Recruitment: REF36386O

Published: January 29, 2024

Apply using SmartRecruiters, the City and County of San Francisco's application portal.

About:

THIS IS A CITYWIDE EXAM

San Francisco is a vibrant and dynamic city, on the forefront of economic growth & innovation, urban development, arts & entertainment, as well as social issues & change. This rich tapestry of culture and ideas is sustained by our City's commitment to heighten the quality of life for the diverse population of San Franciscans and residents of the greater Bay Area. Our employees play an important role not only in making our City what it is today, but also in shaping the future of San Francisco.

Specific information regarding this recruitment process are listed below:  

• Application Opening: December 29, 2023
• Application Deadline: January 30, 2024

Important Note: Transcripts must be submitted along with application or emailed to karena.phung@sfgov.org by the filing deadline to verify accounting courses completion per the minimum qualifications. Failure to submit transcript will result in disqualification from the examination process. Refer to the qualifications for additional experience and education verfication information. 

Role description

According to Civil Service Commission Rule 109, the duties specified below are representative of the range of duties assigned to this job code/class and are not intended to be an inclusive list.

1. Performs highly complex accounting functions consistent with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).

2. Supervises, plans, directs and coordinates workload and assignments for professional accounting, administrative and clerical staff. Assigns, manages, and evaluates fiscal accounting work including budget preparation, purchasing activities, payroll and general ledger analyses, accounts receivables, payables, grants, bonds, revenue, cost allocation, capital assets, expenditures, and other accounting activities.

3. Researches, analyzes and implements accounting rules and regulations as stipulated by Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB), Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) or other regulatory agencies.

4. Plans, directs and performs analysis and reconciliation of fiscal and accounting records and reports from automated financial information systems. Reviews transactions to conform with existing fiscal and legal requirements.

5. Supervises staff in reviewing financial documents, accounting reports of receipts, disbursements and encumbrances affecting various funds and accounts to ensure conformance with budget and fiscal procedures, existing laws, ordinance and other fiscal requirements.

6. Coordinates annual audits and investigations of City departments, concessionaries and public service enterprises to ensure conformance with accounting procedures, forms, lease and insurance requirements. May perform ad hoc audits as needed.

7. Analyzes and interprets complex accounting procedures, prepares recommendations for their revision, participates in development and installation of accounting and fiscal procedures and methods.

8. May lead in or participate in the identification or preparation of functional processing and reporting requirements, end-user testing training and documentation, and related procedures and policies for financial processing and reporting systems. May act as liaison between accounting staff, financial staff, and information systems staff.

9. Develops ad hoc reports by direct access or through extracted data using various data files or databases. Presents and explains reports orally and in writing to management, accounting staff, and other stakeholders.

10. Plans and conducts meetings related to accounting issues, professional skills, and informational issues; assists in problem solving.

11. Evaluates staff performance by setting goals, objectives while providing feedback. Identifies staff needs and recommends or provides appropriate training for professional growth and career development.

12. Initiates and maintains contact with key departmental staff and other parties in order to keep abreast of complex accounting and financial information.

13. Supervises the identification, creation and maintenance of accounting codes and structures to ensure accurate recording, reporting and control in financial systems.

14. Performs special projects and other duties as assigned.

How to qualify

These minimum qualifications establish the education, training, experience, special skills and/or license(s) which are required for employment in the classification. Please note, additional qualifications (i.e., special conditions) may apply to a particular position and will be stated on the exam/job announcement.

Education and Experience:

1. Requires a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, preferably with major course work in accounting, finance, business administration or a closely related field. Such education must include at least eighteen (18) semester units or twenty-four (24) quarter units of coursework in accounting; AND

Six (6) years of professional accounting experience which includes analysis or problem solving. Experience must include: Working with automated financial system (preferably a government system), performing difficult and responsible accounting and reporting work, preparing financial records, reports, and financial statements, in compliance with General Accepted Accounting Principles. Experience must include two (2) years of verifiable experience supervising subordinate staff. OR

2. City and County of San Francisco Employees with six (6) years of professional accounting experience including experience as a 1652 Accounting II or 1654 Accountant III. Experience must include two (2) years of verifiable experience supervising subordinate staff.

Substitution:

A Master’s degree in accounting, business administration, computer information systems, public policy, or a closely related field may be substituted for one year of work experience.

Verification of Experience 

Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education verification is required, information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at https://sfdhr.org/how-verify-education-requirements

Note: Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

All work experience, education, training and other information substantiating how you meet the minimum qualifications must be included on your application by the filing deadline. Information submitted after the filing deadline will not be considered in determining whether you meet the minimum qualifications.

Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed City and County of San Francisco application.

Applications completed improperly may be cause for ineligibility, disqualification or may lead to lower scores

Required Documentation:

1. Resume
2. Cover Letter
3. Transcript(s) confirming accounting courses completed - please note only accounting coursework 3 units or more are qualifying. QuickBooks and Excel courses are not qualifying. 

Notes regarding Verification of Education and Experience:

1. A degree from a U.S. or foreign college or university not currently listed on accreditation websites may require that an evaluation of the degree must be received by the filing deadline. The evaluation must state that the degree has equivalency as described in the minimum qualifications.
For information on "How to obtain equivalency certification", please visit: https://sfdhr.org/sites/default/files/documents/Job-Seekers/How-to-Verify-Education-Requirements.pdf

 2. Experience must be professional in level and scope.  Experience as an Account Clerk, Sr. Account Clerk, Principal Account Clerk, for example, may not qualify unless it meets the guidelines defined in Civil Service Rule 109 and 110.

 3. Incumbency in Class 1654 Accountant III or admission to a previous examination administration does not guarantee admission in this process.  This determination is governed by the terms of this announcement.

SELECTION PROCEDURES: After application submission, candidates deemed qualified must complete all subsequent steps to advance in this selection process, which includes the following:

Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire (Qualifying): 

Candidates will be prompted to complete a Supplemental Questionnaire as part of the online employment application. This Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire is designed to obtain specific information regarding an applicant's experience in relation to the Minimum Qualifications or this position. Applicants must also complete the official application. It is essential that applicants provide complete information in identifying their education, experience and training. The Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire will be used to evaluate if the applicant possesses the required minimum qualifications.

Written Multiple-Choice Examination (Weight 40%):
Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications will be invited to participate in a written multiple-choice examination designed to measure their relative knowledge, skill and ability levels in job- related areas including:  Extensive knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP); Extensive knowledge of Government Accounting; Analytical and decision-making ability; Supervisory ability; and Ability to communicate clearly and effectively in writing. 

Qualified applicants will be notified by email of the exact time, date and location of the examination.  Requests for an alternative test date may be considered in limited circumstances and must be submitted to the analyst listed in the announcement within five (5) calendar days of the test date.  Candidates must pass the written exam in order to move forward in the examination process. 

Supervisory Test Battery: (Weight: 25%)

Candidates will be invited to participate in a computer-based examination designed to measure competencies in job-related areas which may include but not be limited to: Problem Solving; Leadership; Decision Making; Interpersonal skill; Human Resources Management; Team Building; Communication & Conflict Management. For more information about this Supervisory Test (and a suggested reading list) please visit: https://sfdhr.org/sites/default/files/documents/Exam-Information/11676-Supervisory-Test-Battery.pdf

A passing score must be achieved on the Supervisory Test Battery in order to continue in the selection process.

This is a standardized examination, and, therefore, test questions and answers are not available for public inspection or review. Scores attained on the Supervisory Test Battery will be valid and 'banked' for three years, starting from the date of the examination. This means that, during this three-year time period, you will not be required to take the Supervisory Test Battery.

The Supervisory Test Battery may be used for many other classes; therefore your test score may be applied to one or more of these classes if you choose to apply to future recruitments. If the selection process for the future announcement is held within one year of the date of this examination and it includes the Supervisory Test Battery, your score will be automatically applied to that announcement, However, after one year, you have the option to either (a) apply your test score to the other announcement or (b) re-take the Supervisory Test Battery. Re-testing is permitted no sooner than one year from the date of the examination and only in association with your eligibility for another announcement for which the Supervisory Test Battery is used.

Please note that, should you re-test, your re-test score would become your official score since it is the most recent.

Oral/Performance Examination (Weight 35%):
Candidates will be tested to determine their relative knowledge, skill and ability levels in job-related areas including:  Analytical and Decision-Making ability; Supervisory ability; Interpersonal skills; Skilled in the use of financial systems; Skilled in the use of personal computers; Ability to communicate in writing clearly and effectively; Oral communication skills. 

Total weight for Supervisory, Written and Oral/Performance components: 100%                                    
Candidates must achieve passing scores on all selection procedures in order to be ranked on the eligible list. 

Tentative  Examination Administration Dates:

• Written Examination - February 2024
• Supervisory Test Battery - March 2024
• Oral/Performance Examination - Late March/April 2024 

What else should I know?

Eligible List/Score Report: A confidential eligible list of applicant names that have passed the civil service examination process will be created, and used for certification purposes only. An examination score report will be established, so applicants can view the ranks, final scores and number of eligible candidates. Applicant information, including names of applicants on the eligible list, shall not be made public unless required by law. However, an eligible list shall be made available for public inspection, upon request, once the eligible list is exhausted or expired and referrals resolved. The eligible list/score report resulting from this civil service examination process is subject to change after adoption (e.g., as a result of appeals), as directed by the Human Resources Director or the Civil Service Commission.

The duration of the eligible list resulting from this examination process will be 12 months, and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director.

Terms of Announcement and Appeal Rights: Applicants must be guided solely by the provisions of this announcement, including requirements, time periods and other particulars, except when superseded by federal, state or local laws, rules or regulations. [Note: The correction of clerical errors in an announcement may be posted on the Department of Human Resources website at https://careers.smartrecruiters.com/CityAndCountyOfSanFrancisco1/ .] The terms of this announcement may be appealed under Civil Service Rule 110.4. Such appeals must be submitted in writing to the Department of Human Resources, 1 S Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103-5413 by close of business on the 5th business day following the issuance date of this examination announcement. Information concerning other Civil Service Commission Rules involving announcements, applications and examination policies, including applicant appeal rights, can be found on the Civil Service Commission website at http://sfgov.org/civilservice/rules.

Information Regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco:

• Copies of Application Documents
• Conviction History
• Disaster Service Worker 
• Diversity/Equal Employment Opportunity
• Employee Benefits Overview
• Information About the Hiring Process 
• Reasonable Accommodation
• Right to Work
• Seniority Credit in Promotional Exams
• Veterans Preference

How To Apply

Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process. Visit https://careers.smartrecruiters.com/CityAndCountyOfSanFrancisco1/ and begin the application process.

• Select the “Apply Now” button and follow instructions on the screen

Applicants may be contacted by email about this recruitment and, therefore, it is their responsibility to ensure that their registered email address is accurate and updated. Also, applicants must ensure that email from CCSF is not blocked on their computer by a spam filter. To prevent blocking, applicants should set up their email to accept CCSF mail from the following addresses (@sfgov.org, @sfdpw.org, @sfport.com, @flysfo.com, @sfwater.org, @sfdph.org, @asianart.org, @sfmta.com, @sfpl.org, @dcyf.org, @first5sf.org, @famsf.org, @ccsf.edu, @smartalerts.info, and @smartrecruiters.com).

Applicants will receive a confirmation email that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received.

Job Analyst Information: If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the job analyst, Karena Phung at Karena.Phung@sfgov.org

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.