Job Description

Accounting Assistant II

Salary Grade: C1-43 (II)

Starting Salary: $5,257.40 per month

Full Salary Range: $5,257.40 - $7,049.86 per month

The Foothill-De Anza Community College District is currently accepting applications for the classified position above. We are looking for an Accounting Assistant II.

Foothill-De Anza Community College District Mission Statement: The mission of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District is student success. We are driven by an equity agenda and guided by core values of excellence, inclusion, and sustainability. Every member of our district contributes to a dynamic learning environment that fosters student engagement, equal opportunity, and innovation in meeting the various educational and career goals of our diverse students. We are committed to providing an accessible, quality undergraduate education dedicated to developing a broadly educated and socially responsible community that supports an equitable and just future for California.

JOB SUMMARY: Under general supervision, this position will perform a full range of technical work in recordkeeping, reconciliation and accounting support activities including process payment requests into Banner per District Board Policy, GAAP and Accounts Payable procedures, sort and distribute physical mail, process multiple check runs, sort and distribute email from the Accounts Payable email account, review and audit submitted ProCard statements, cash receipts including preparing deposits, petty cash, contact staff, faculty, administrators, students and vendors to resolve issues with payment requests, and other duties as assigned.

DEFINITION: Under immediate (I) or general (II) supervision, performs a variety of routine to complex technical and administrative accounting support duties in the preparation, maintenance, and processing of accounting records and transactions; and performs related duties as assigned.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED: Receives immediate (I) or general (II) supervision from an administrative supervisor or manager. Exercises no supervision of staff.

CLASS CHARACTERISTICS: This is the journey-level class in the Accounting Assistant series. Incumbents perform the full range of technical work in recordkeeping, reconciliation, and accounting support activities. Incumbents at this level are distinguished from the entry level by performing the full range of duties as assigned, working independently on regular assignments, and exercising judgment in applying guidelines, processes, policies, and procedures when performing tasks and making decisions. Incumbents at this level receive only occasional instruction or assistance as new or unusual situations arise and are fully aware of the operating procedures and policies of the work unit. This class is distinguished from the Accounting Technician in that the latter is responsible for more complex and higher-level technical accounting work, and exercises a higher level of discretion and independent judgment. Positions at the II-level are normally filled by advancement from the I-level after completion of additional coursework and two years of experience; progression to the II-level is automatic unless there is documented non-satisfactory work performance. When filled from the outside, the employee is required to have at least two years of prior related experience that allows the employee to meet the qualification standards for the II-level.

EXAMPLES OF TYPICAL FUNCTIONS (Illustrative Only):

• Verifies, posts, balances, and adjusts a variety of financial transactions, according to established policies and procedures; reconciles transactions and data as directed; records changes and resolves differences; maintains the accuracy of accounting and financial records.
• Maintains a variety of ledgers, registers, and journals, according to established accounting policies and procedures; enters and retrieves information and data using standard word processing and spreadsheet software, as well as accounting, financial, and other related software applications and databases specific to the District or to the department to which assigned.
• Prepares bank deposits; places stop-payments on lost or stale-dated checks; voids checks and posts corrections.
• Reviews invoices, statements, vouchers, purchase orders, reimbursement claims, and other requests for payment for accuracy, completeness, and adherence to established policies; researches and resolves or refers discrepancies; processes regular check runs using software applications; prepares wire transfers using proprietary online banking system; and prepares manual checks.
• Prepares cash boxes for student events; reviews cash handling procedures with student club officers; counts, verifies, and reconciles cash received; obtains supporting documentation for cash receipts and issues receipts; processes and posts cash receipts and cash disbursements.
• Generates and assists in the preparation of monthly, quarterly, year-end, and special financial, accounting, statistical, summary, and technical reports; provides support to the annual budget and financial audit processes by: verifying account numbers, object codes, and dollar amounts, and inputting the data into the budget system for the new fiscal year; and providing external auditors with requested documents.
• Obtains and verifies required documentation from vendors in order to set up new vendor accounts; issues vendor codes.
• Performs general office support duties such as opening and closing office; sorting and distributing mail and routing deliveries; printing, folding, stamping, and mailing checks; preparing correspondence; filing and recordkeeping; duplicating and distributing a variety of written materials; and ordering and keeping inventory of office supplies.
• Assists faculty, staff, students, and other customers by providing answers and information regarding account status, discrepancies, general accounting procedures, proper forms, and/or department-specific issues and problems; researches issues regarding specific transactions; and updates related files and departments on action items.
• Performs related duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS: Incumbents at the Accounting Assistant I level may exercise some of the knowledge and abilities listed below in a learning capacity.

Knowledge of:

• Basic accounting practices, procedures and terminology.
• Business arithmetic and basic financial and statistical techniques.
• Recordkeeping principles and procedures.
• Modern office practices, methods, and computer equipment and applications related to work, including word processing and spreadsheet, office productivity, and specialized software applications.
• English usage, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and punctuation.
• Techniques for providing a high level of customer service by effectively dealing with the public, students, and District staff, including individuals of diverse academic, socio-economic, ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds, disability, and sexual orientation.

Ability to:

• Demonstrate understanding of, sensitivity to, and respect for the diverse academic, socioeconomic, ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds, disability, and sexual orientation of community college students, faculty and staff.
• Perform detailed accounting and financial office support work accurately and in a timely manner.
• Respond to and effectively prioritize multiple phone calls and other requests for service.
• Learn, interpret, apply, and explain policies and procedures.
• Make accurate arithmetic and financial computations.
• Enter and retrieve data from a computer with sufficient speed and accuracy to perform assigned work.
• Establish and maintain a variety of filing, recordkeeping, and tracking systems.
• Understand and follow oral and written instructions.
• Organize own work, set priorities, and meet critical time deadlines.
• Operate modern office tools and equipment, including computers, printers, calculators, telephones, office productivity software, and specialized software applications.
• Use English effectively to communicate in person, over the telephone, and in writing.
• Understand scope of authority in making independent decisions.
• Follow established policies, procedures, and standards to make sound decisions.
• Establish, maintain, and foster positive and effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Understanding of, sensitivity to, and respect for the diverse academic, socio-economic, ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds, disability, and sexual orientation of community college students, faculty and staff.
• Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be: For Accounting Assistant II: In addition to the above, completion of 12 semester units or 18 quarter units of college-level coursework in accounting, finance, or a related field, AND two (2) years of experience performing duties equivalent to Accounting Assistant I in the District.

APPLICATION PACKET: A District on-line application on http://hr.fhda.edu/careers/. A cover letter addressing your qualifications for the position. A current resume of all work experience, formal education and training. For full-consideration, all application packets must be received by 11:59 pm on the closing date.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: Position: Full-Time, Permanent, 12-months per year. Starting date: As soon as possible upon completion of the search process. Excellent benefits package which includes medical coverage for employee and eligible dependents, dental, vision care, employee assistance program, long term disability, retirement benefits and basic life insurance.