Job Abstract

WHAT WE OFFER General Salary Increase - 3.50% effective 12/22/2024. Educational Incentive - An educational incentive of 2.5% for completion of an associate's degree, 3.5% for completion of a bachelor's degree, OR 5% for completion of a graduate's degree. Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Incentive – An incentive of five percent (5%) of your base salary may be paid for an active CPA Certification. This incentive may not be combined or in addition to the educational incentive. Bilingual Incentive ...

Description

WHAT WE OFFER

General Salary Increase - 3.50% effective 12/22/2024.

Educational Incentive - An educational incentive of 2.5% for completion of an associate's degree, 3.5% for completion of a bachelor's degree, OR 5% for completion of a graduate's degree.
Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Incentive – An incentive of five percent (5%) of your base salary may be paid for an active CPA Certification. This incentive may not be combined or in addition to the educational incentive.
Bilingual Incentive - Incumbents may also be eligible for bilingual incentive depending upon operational needs and certification skills.
Annual Leave – 208 hours per year, increasing to 288 hours after 5 years of service.
Annual Leave Redemption – The ability to "cash in" or redeem up to 100 hours of Annual Leave per year after using 80 hours in the preceding twelve months.
Deferred Compensation- Eligible to participate in the County's 401(k) Shared Savings Plan and/or the Section 457 Plan. This position is eligible for up to a 3% match on your 401(k) contributions. Following five (5) years of continuous County service, and an additional 2% non-elective contribution will be made to the 401(k) plan.
Health Plans – You are afforded a flexible credit allowance for purchasing medical, dental, and/or vision insurance from a group of authorized plans. For Plan Year 2024, tier one for employee only is $502 per pay period, tier two for employee plus one is $730 per pay period and tier three for employee plus family is $905 per pay period.
Flexible Spending Accounts - Choice of participation in the Flexible Spending Accounts which increase spending power through reimbursement of pre-tax dollars for IRS approved dependent care and health care expenses.
Pension Plan - Both the County and employees contribute to the County's Retirement Plan and to Social Security. If eligible, reciprocity may be established with other public retirement systems, such as PERS.
Holidays - 12 paid days per year which includes a scheduled floating holiday.

THE AUDITOR-CONTROLLER'S OFFICE
By State Law, the Auditor-Controller is charged with the responsibilities normally associated with that of the Chief Financial Officer. The office is charged with the establishment and supervision of the accounting and financial operations of all activities under control of the Board of Supervisors. The Auditor-Controller provides the County with professional fiscal leadership to protect the interests of the citizens of Ventura County; promotes public oversight; and provides accountability. These services are performed in a customer oriented, efficient, economical, and effective manner.

THE POSITION
The Financial Reporting and Management Division is responsible for central fiscal oversight of all County departments to ensure fiscal accuracy and transparency.

Under general supervision (I), direction (II), or under general direction (Senior), the Finance Analyst conducts studies to evaluate existing fiscal controls, accounting standards, and/or legislative impact for the Financial Management Section of the Auditor-Controller's Office; performs countywide oversight duties; develops recommendations/strategies to address structural accounting issues and options.

Each successive level in the Finance Analyst series is distinguished by the scope of independence and responsibility with the level being commensurate with the complexity of tasks, special projects and studies assigned.

IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate will possess knowledge of GAAP concepts, be familiar with fund accounting, and have a desire to expand their accounting knowledge. They should also be comfortable mentoring a team and articulating technical concepts clearly and concisely to diverse audiences.

Finance Analyst I
At the entry level, the emphasis is on learning the operations and processes related to Financial Management and Reporting conducting simple to moderate fiscal studies that are limited in scope and complexity. Work typically involves a well-defined segment of a major program or is guided by well precedented projects. As experience is gained, and over a period of time, incumbents will assume the increasingly responsible duties associated with the full journey level of the series; however, formal assignment to the journey level is at the discretion and approval of management.

Finance Analyst II
This is the fully experienced journey-level competent to independently perform the full range of duties assigned and conducts fiscal studies that are difficult in nature requiring an in-depth and practical knowledge and skill in applying this knowledge to the analysis and development of new solutions, methods, approaches or procedures.

Senior Finance Analyst
This is the advanced journey level and conducts the most complex fiscal studies that require a significant level of independent judgment requiring a specialized technical or functional expertise including performance of duties in a project management capacity. Supervisory duties over lower level staff may also be included.

PAYROLL TITLES AND APPROXIMATE ANNUAL SALARIES:
Finance Analyst I: $75,660.36 - $103,465.48 annually
Finance Analyst II: $84,067.08 - $117,693.89 annually
Senior Finance Analyst: $92,473.78 - $129,463.29 annually

NOTE: If appointed at the lower level, incumbent may be promoted to the higher level without further examination upon meeting the minimum requirements, demonstrating satisfactory performance, and in accordance with the business needs of the department.

The Financial Analyst I is a Management non-exempt classification and eligible for overtime compensation. The Financial Analyst II and Senior are Management exempt classifications and not eligible for overtime compensation.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
OPENING DATE: Thursday, May 16, 2024
CLOSING DATE: Continuous and may close at any time; therefore, the schedule for the remainder of the process will depend upon when we receive a sufficient number of qualified applications to meet business needs.
REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS: Applications will be reviewed on a weekly basis beginning the week of May 20, 2024.

Examples Of Duties

Duties at the I level are limited in nature, initially under close supervision, relate to routine tasks and include assisting and/or learning about the fiscal policies, procedures, systems, operations, and functions in the Financial Management Section. At the II and Senior levels tasks are more complex and performed with more independence.

Duties may include, but are not limited to the following:

Assigned Financial Management oversight of financial activities of agencies with complex funding streams and operations; responsibilities include, but are not limited to reviewing and monitoring of budgets, reviewing and monitoring non-operating funds, reviewing and monitoring of current financial activities based on current trends and historical data; recommends adjustments, if necessary; making sure that the financial activities are in compliance with GAAP or Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB), and in accordance with existing legislation, ordinance or any board actions;
Reviews and make comments or suggestions on Board Letters taking into consideration the fiscal impact of any recommendation therein and verifying corresponding mandates or legislations referred thereto;
Reviews and centrally approves various documents in the County’s financial management system, VCFMS, including journal vouchers (JV), internal exchange transactions (IET), cost accounting (CAM), and budget documents (APEB, BGRV), provide technical advice to Countywide departments to ensure accurate financial reporting in compliance with GAAP, GASB statements, Government Codes, legislation, local ordinances, Board actions, rules and regulations;
Takes on a mentorship role with junior staff, guiding them with a focus on personal and professional growth;
Prepares materials and leads Countywide training classrooms on accounting guidance and the following VCFMS documents; Fixed Asset Acquisitions (FA), journal vouchers (JV), internal exchange transactions (IET), cost accounting (CAM), and budget documents (APEB, BGRV);
Interprets new legislations or pronouncements released by authoritative bodies such as GASB, state and federal entities, ordinances and instructions;
Researches and analyzes changes in legislation, GASB, State Controller's Manual, Governmental Accounting, Auditing and Financial Reporting, Federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidelines and the County Budget Act;
Coordinates external audits and prepares the trial balances, financial statements, and related sufficient audit evidence for the County or outside agencies as required;
Advises and coordinates with departments/agencies on new accounting structure, classifications, internal controls and reporting requirements;
Assigned special projects;
Assists with the financial reporting of the County's capital assets;
Assists with the annual Countywide Cost Allocation Plan review, rates and service fees review and other cost desk related assignments as required;
Performs other related duties as required.

In addition to the above duties, the Senior Finance Analyst may also perform the following duties:

Plans, leads, schedules, assigns and monitors the work of assigned professional and technical staff in assigned fiscal program area;
Evaluates and reviews accounting policies and reporting systems for large County agencies or groups of agencies for compliance with regulations and reporting requirements;
Interprets and advises staff and management on new legislation or pronouncements released by authoritative bodies such as GASB, state and federal entities, ordinances and instructions;
Reviews the work of accounting and programming staff in managing, developing or modifying procedures;
May develop and coordinate internal training programs for staff;
Lead for preparation of the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report; and
Performs other related duties as required.

Typical Qualifications

These are entrance requirements to the examination and assure neither continuance in the process nor placement on the eligible list.

EDUCATION, TRAINING and EXPERIENCE
Considerable education and experience which has led to the acquisition of the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.

The required knowledge, skills, and abilities can also be obtained by a Bachelor's degree with at least eighteen (18) semester units of accounting coursework including:

Upper-division Managerial Accounting;
Six (6) units of upper-division coursework in the business administration field;

AND

Finance Analyst I
Four (4) years of progressively responsible professional experience as an accountant, auditor, or analyst which included responsibilities for accounting, financial reporting, or auditing.

Finance Analyst II
Five years (5) of progressively responsible professional experience as an accountant, auditor, or analyst which included responsibilities for accounting, financial reporting or auditing; OR one (1) year as a Finance Analyst I for the County of Ventura.

Senior Finance Analyst
Six years (6) of progressively responsible professional experience as an accountant, auditor, or analyst which included responsibilities for accounting, financial reporting or auditing with one (1) year of which must be at the Project Leader level OR two (2) years as a Finance Analyst II for the County of Ventura.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Ability to train users in the operation of financial systems
Possession of strong analytical skills
Experience with accounting for capital assets
Experience utilizing Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
Project management experience

NOTE: The ability to communicate effectively in writing must be demonstrated in the completion of the employment application and supplemental questionnaire.

Verification of the required college degree and 18 semester units of accounting coursework is required. Transcripts or grade reports from an institute of higher learning recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation which include your name, grades, units per class, and that the courses were completed is to be submitted to County Human Resources within three (3) business days of the closing date of this recruitment. If they are not submitted, your application may be screened out and you may not be allowed to continue in the process. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. If you need additional time to submit transcripts, please contact the recruitment analyst referenced near the bottom of this bulletin.

If the name on the documentation is different from the name on your application, include documents that show the name change.

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING: Applicants who attended a college or university that is accredited by a foreign or non U.S. accrediting agency must have their educational units evaluated by an educational evaluation service.

DESIRED

Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license.
Experience with:
- Reviewing, analyzing and interpreting changes in legislation affecting governmental financial operations;
- Financial Accounting using GAAP in a government environment;
- Ability to perform variance analyses;
- Reconciling financial data from multiple sources;
- Preparation of audited financial statements;
- Working knowledge of large automated financial systems;
- Experience leading, building, training and coaching teams.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, and ABILITIES

Knowledge (I/II) to thorough (Sr.) knowledge of:

Operations, services and activities in assigned fiscal program area;
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP);
Laws and regulations affecting governmental financial operations;
Application of automated systems for financial reporting and accounting purposes;
Fiscal monitoring and control methods;
Budgeting methods, techniques and processes;
Project management methods and processes.

Skill in:

Applying financial principles and regulations to assigned fiscal program area;
Reconciling financial statements, bank statements and other accounts;
Preparing financial statements and other reports;
Use of computers and related technology including software applications specific to work performed, such as Microsoft Office applications including Word and Excel;
Time management, setting priorities, planning and organizing work and delegating when necessary.

Ability to:

Perform complex analytical and critical examination of fiscal operations and activities;
Train users in the operation of financial systems;
Exercise sound judgment;
Understand interrelationships among financial records and documents;
Analyze financial/accounting data and draw logical conclusions;
Analyze and evaluate administrative and abstract accounting concepts and procedures;
Review, analyze and interpret changes in legislation;
Understand, interpret and apply professional principles, standards and procedural requirements;
Evaluate and reconcile financial data from multiple financial accounting systems and other sources;
Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing;
Conduct meetings to obtain agreement;
Resolve issues and transfer knowledge in areas of responsibility; and
Establish and maintain effective working relationships with a diverse group of people and work effectively with accounting staff Countywide.

At the Senior level:
Thorough knowledge of: principles of lead supervision and training; methods of effective team building; different instructional and coaching techniques.

Ability to: plan, organize and direct the work of professional and technical staff.

Recruitment Process

FINAL FILING DATE: This is a continuous recruitment and may close at any time; therefore, apply as soon as possible if you are interested. Your application must be received by County of Ventura Human Resources in Ventura, California, no later than 5:00 p.m. on the closing date.

To apply on-line, please refer to our web site at www.ventura.org/jobs. A paper application can be obtained by calling (805) 654-5129. Our address is County of Ventura Human Resources, 800 South Victoria Avenue, L-1970, Ventura, CA 93009.

NOTE: If presently permanently employed in another "merit" or "civil service" public agency/entity in the same or substantively similar position as is advertised, and if appointed to that position by successful performance in a "merit" or "civil service" style examination, then appointment by "Lateral Transfer" may be possible. If interested, please click here for additional information.

Note to Applicants: Sufficient information must be provided under the Education/Work Experience portion of the application and supplemental questionnaire to thoroughly and accurately demonstrate your qualifications to determine eligibility. A resume may be attached to supplement your responses in the above-referenced sections; however, it may not be submitted in lieu of the application.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE – Qualifying
All applicants are required to complete and submit the questionnaire for this examination at the time of filing. The supplemental questionnaire may be used throughout the examination process to assist in determining each applicant's qualifications for the position. Failure to complete and submit the questionnaire may result in the application being removed from further consideration.

APPLICATION EVALUATION – Qualifying
All applications will be reviewed to determine whether the stated requirements are met. Applicants meeting the stated requirements will be invited to continue to the next step in the examination process.

TRAINING and EXPERIENCE EVALUATION
A Training and Experience Evaluation (T&E) is a structured evaluation of the job application materials submitted by a candidate, including the written responses to the supplemental questionnaire. The T&E is NOT a determination of whether the candidate meets the stated requirements; rather, the T&E is one method for determining who are the better qualified among those who have shown that they meet the stated requirements. In a T&E, applications are either scored or rank ordered according to criteria that most closely meet the business needs of the department. Candidates are typically scored/ranked in relation to one another; consequently, when the pool of candidates is exceptionally strong, many qualified candidates may receive a score or rank which is moderate or even low resulting in them not being advanced in the process.

NOTE: The selection process will likely consist of an Oral Exam, which may be preceded by or replaced with a score from a Training and Experience Evaluation (T&E), contingent upon the size and quality of the candidate pool. In a typical T&E, your training and experience are evaluated in relation to the background, experience and factors identified for successful job performance during a job analysis. For this reason, it is recommended that your application materials clearly show your relevant background and specialized knowledge, skills, and abilities. It is also highly recommended that the supplemental questions within the application are completed with care and diligence. Responses such as "See Resume" or "Refer to Resume" are not acceptable and may disqualify an applicant from further evaluation.

ORAL EXAMINATION – 100%: A job-related oral examination may be conducted to evaluate and compare participating candidates' knowledge, skills, and abilities in relation to those factors which job analysis has determined to be essential for successful performance of the job. Applicants must earn a score of seventy percent (70%) or higher to qualify for placement on the eligible list.

If there are three (3) or fewer qualified applicants, an examination will not be conducted. Instead, a score of seventy percent (70%) will be assigned to each application, and each applicant will be placed on the eligible list.

ELIGIBLE LIST
Applicants successfully completing the examination process may be placed on an eligible list for a period of one (1) year.

The eligible list established from this recruitment may be used to fill current and future Regular (including Temporary and Fixed Term), Intermittent, Extra-help vacancies for this and similar vacancies within the Auditor Controller's Office. There is currently one (1) Regular vacancy within the Auditor Controller's Office.

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: A thorough pre-employment, post-offer background investigation which may include inquiry into past employment, education, criminal background information, and driving record may be required for this position.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
The County of Ventura is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

For further information about this recruitment, please contact Esmeralda Oseguera via e-mail at Esmeralda.Oseguera@ventura.org or by telephone at (805) 477-7268.