SENIOR ACCOUNTANT

Salary: $7,739.33 - $9,883.47 MonthlyLocation : Torrance, CAJob Type: Permanent Full-timeJob Number: 24111243Department: FINANCEOpening Date: 01222025Closing Date: Continuous DESCRIPTIONThe City of Torrance Finance Department welcomes applications for Senior Accountant!The City of Torrance is seeking a technically outstanding professional with highly developed supervisory and interpersonal skills to oversee accounting functions within the Finance Department.Note: The most recent Memorandum of Understanding for Torrance Professional and Supervisory Association includes increases in pay ranges effective June 1, 2025, July 12, 2026, and July 11, 2027.The Senior Accountant is responsible for monitoring, analyzing, and forecasting revenues and expenditures, processing journal transactions, audits, and assuring City operations are in conformance with generally accepted procedures, government accounting standards board, contract provisions and established guidelines. This individual verifies and appraises the reliability of accounting activities, records statistical data; examines and recommends changes in various phases of the City's fiscal and statistical operations; assists departments with capital projects funds; and review contracts with vendors, including insurance requirements and compliance with contract specifications. The position will have oversight of several operations and staff. The Senior Accountant also assists in the preparation of the City's annual budget and interacts with consultants, attorneys, and bank officials regarding financial issues. This individual will be responsible for preparing and reviewing the monthly and quarterly financial reports, Comprehensive Annual Financial Report and Single Audit Report. Performs related work as required. QUALIFICATION GUIDELINESEducation and ExperienceAny combination of education and experience that would have provided the required knowledge and skills is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and skills would be: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a degree in Accounting or a related Field (such as Business Administration or Public Administration) which includes a minimum of 24 semester units in accounting courses required by accounting majors;ORPossession of a Certified Public Accountant certificate for the State of California;ORHave passed the CPA qualifying test that is recognized by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.ANDThree years of recent and responsible accounting or auditing experience, preferably for a government agency or in the performance of financial audits of local government entities.Ideal CandidateThe addition to the minimum qualifications, the ideal candidate will possess:Technical mastery of auditing and accounting, with an understanding of municipal operations and automated financial systems;Extraordinary excel skills, including vlookups and pivot tables, and ability to handle and process large amounts of data and data analysis;Analytical skills such as fluctuation analysis and ability to work independently;Excellent written and verbal communication, and accustomed to communicating with upper management; andStrong supervisory and interpersonal skills with a desire to coach and mentor staff. HOW TO APPLY & EXAM PROCESS Interested candidates must submit an online application and supplemental questionnaire at The application filing period opens Wednesday, January 22, 2025. First round of applications will be reviewed on February 3, 2025Only those candidates who best meet the City and Department's needs will be invited to participate in the examination process, which will consist of the following components: Oral Exam Weight: 100% (Tentatively scheduled on February 13, 2025) SPECIAL NOTES The City of Torrance is a welcoming and culturally-rich community. As a pillar of public service, we strive to be an employer of choice by attracting and retaining a talented workforce where people of diverse backgrounds, cultures, religions, and lifestyles are valued. Our mission is to create an inclusive environment where our staff are empowered to perform at their highest level and contribute towards making a positive impact.The City is an equal opportunity employer and works towards building collaborative teams from all walks of life without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, ancestry, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state andor local law. Come join us to help cultivate a workplace that welcomes and celebrates the diversity of our employees!Applicants with disabilities who require special testing arrangements must contact Human Resources prior to the examination date(s). If you have a disability for which you require an accommodation, please contact us at (310) 618-2915 no later than five (5) business days before the test date. For further information, click here As a condition of employment, candidates must pass a background check and a pre employment medical examination. The provisions of this announcement do not constitute an expressed or implied contract, and any provisions contained in this announcement may be modified or revoked without notice.BENEFIT SUMMARY FOR TORRANCE PROFESSIONAL AND SUPERVISORY ASSOCIATION (TPSA)Note: Not all benefits listed may be applicable to all positions with in the unit. Please refer to the MOU for specifics. Health, Dental, Vision and Life Insurance (sec. 4.1)Effective 1619, the City's monthly contribution for health insurance is as follows: Employee Only Employee +1 Employee +2 or moreFull Time 597.68 1140.36 1595.96Part- time(hired prior to 1108) 484.21 912.20 1249Part-time(hired after 1108) 356.16 619.92 828.82The City's monthly contribution for vision insurance is $3.33The City's monthly contribution for dental insurance is $33.71EE only and $67.42EE +1 or moreThe City provides a Cash In-Lieu payment of $400 per month for eligible full-time employees for as long as the employee opts-out of medical coverageCity provides a $50,000 life insurance policyPremiumCertification Pay (sec. 3.2)Varies by position and assignment. Please see section 3.2 for further information.Educational Incentive Program (Sec. 3.3)Building Inspection Supervisors: 4% of base pay for ICC certificate in one of the certified areas. (Additional 2% for each additional certificate, up to max of 12%). Failure to maintain certification results in loss of 2% for each year's delay of recertification.Disability Insurance (sec. 4.1)Employee receives 23 base pay after elimination period (14 consecutive days for STD and 180 consecutive days for LTD)Retirement (sec. 4.2)PERS 2@55Employees hired prior to 11092010, City pays 7% EPMC*Employees hired on or after 11092010, pay 7% EPMC**Employer Paid Member Contribution (EPMC)PERS 2@62"New members" hired on or after 1012013, pay (50%) of normal cost with three year average final compensation.Deferred Compensation (sec 4.3)Eligible to participate in a voluntary 457 plan. Required participation in Retirement Health Savings Plan (RHSP). Upon retirement or separation from City: 600 sick and 300 vacation will be deposited in RHSP. Sick LeavePersonal Leave (sec. 4.5)Accrue 6 hours per monthMaximum Accrual: 600 hours.Holidays (sec. 4.6)13 paid holidays for all classifications except Sr. Librarian - (New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Lincoln's Birthday, Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving Day, day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day & New Year's Eve). Paid holidays for *Senior. Librarian- New Year's Day, Martin Luther King's birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Eve. (Lincoln's and Washington's birthday, Veteran's day and day after Thanksgiving - provided leave is taken on a rotational basis (subject to Dept. Head approval). VacationAnnual Leave (sec. 4.7)(Accrual rate per month):Years 1 -2 : 6.55 hours; Years 3 - 4: 7.88 hours; Years 5 - 9: 10.55.hours; Years 10 - 20: 13.90 hours; Years 21 - 24: 15.22 hours; Year 25+: 15.88 hours Maximum Accrual: up to the amount earned over the preceding 36 monthsBereavement Leave (sec. 4.8)Up to three (3) working shifts with pay per death (Additional 2 work shifts for deaths that occur out of state or in excess of 300 milesFamily-School Partnership Leave (Sec. 4.10)40 hours (max 8 hours per month) unpaid per calendar year (employees may use accrued vacation or comp time)Uniform Allowance (Sec. 4.14)$500 voucher: Animal Control Supervisor, Police Operations Supervisor, Forensic Identification Specialist, Senior Forensic Identification Specialist and Forensic Supervisor (payable in September of each year).$250 voucher: granted twice (2) per calendar year for Transit Supervisor Night Shift Differential (sec. 5.3)5% over base pay when ½ or more of the shift is worked after 4:00 p.m.7 ½% when ½ or more of the shift is worked after midnightSr. Librarian - 10% above average base hourly when ½ shift is worked after 3:00 p.m. Safety Shoes (Sec. 6.4.B)Allowance of $125 each 6 months of employment (paid June and December), for those required to wear safety shoes.01 The following supplemental questions will be used to evaluate your qualifications for the position for which you are applying. Resumes are encouraged but will NOT be used in lieu of the application or supplemental questions. Please read each question carefully and provide a thorough and complete response. Do NOT state "see resume" or "see application" to respond to any of the following questions. Failure to respond to all questions will be considered an incomplete application and may not be considered for further processing. Do you understand the foregoing? Yes No 02 I UNDERSTAND that I am required to describe IN DETAIL my qualifying experience in the Work Experience Section of my application. In addition to including my qualifying experience, I UNDERSTAND that I should list ALL JOBS, regardless of duration, including part-time jobs, military service and any volunteer experience during my entire work history.I UNDERSTAND that when providing my work history, ALL DATES should be UPDATED, starting with my most recent job.I UNDERSTAND that answers that I provide to the supplemental questions should be reflected in the Work Experience Section of my application.I UNDERSTAND that if I am currently employed by the City of Torrance, I MUST provide my appropriate job classificationtitle and provide a description of my duties in the Work Experience Section of my application.I have read these statements in their entirety and understand them completely and to their fullest. Yes No 03 Do you have a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Business Administration, or Finance? Yes No 04 Do you possess a California Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license? Yes No 05 If no, have you passed the CPA qualifying test that is recognized by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants? Yes No 06 How many years of experience do you have in accounting or auditing? None Less than 1 year More than 1 year but less than 3 years More than 3 years but less than 5 years More than 5 years 07 Do you have experience with accounting or auditing in a government agency? Yes No 08 How many years of experience do you have with automated financial systems? None Less than 1 year More than 1 year but less than 3 years More than 3 years but less than 5 years More than 5 years 09 What is your level of proficiency using automated accounting systems? Basic Intermediate Advanced 10 Briefly describe your experience with automated financial systems. 11 Do you have supervisory experience in an Accounting environment? (Supervisory is defined as organizing, planning and overseeing day to day operations, including supervising staff and evaluating staff work performance.) Yes No 12 How many years of supervisory experience do you have? None Less than 1 year More than 1 year but less than 3 years More than 3 years but less than 5 years More than 5 years 13 How many years of experience do you have in performing financial andor accounting analysis? None Less than 1 year More than 1 year but less than 3 years More than 3 years but less than 5 years More than 5 years 14 How many years of experience do you have in preparing Financial and Cash Flow Statements? None Less than 1 year More than 1 year but less than 3 years More than 3 years but less than 5 years More than 5 years 15 What is your level of proficiency using computerized spreadsheets such as Excel? Basic Intermediate Advanced 16 Please describe your experience in organizing financial data using computerized spreadsheets. Required Question

Created: 2025-02-16