Accountant/Auditor I

Salary : $73,028.33 – $88,786.08 Annually

Location : Santa Rosa, CA

Job Type: Full-Time

Job Number: 23/06-0420-O

Department: Auditor – Controller – Treasurer – Tax Collector’ Office (AUD)

Division: ACTTC General Accounting EFS 51301-11010101-10005

Opening Date: 06/14/2023

Closing Date: 7/17/2023 11:59 PM Pacific

Position Information

Join our team and become an Accountant/Auditor I in our Budget unit within the General Accounting Division!

Starting salary up to $42.54/hour ($88,786/year), a cash allowance of $600/month, and a competitive total compensation package!*

The Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office (ACTTC) is currently recruiting to fill an Accountant/Auditor position at either the I or II level. If you are interested in applying at either level of this opportunity, you must submit a separate application to the recruitment currently being conducted for those levels.

As an Accountant/Auditor I, you will perform a broad scope of accounting and auditing functions in support of County departments and other entities. Responsibilities may include:

• Performing internal control reviews, investigations, and compliance tests for various County entities
• Planning, organizing, and directing audits of County departments, special districts, and grants
• Interpreting and applying various accounting and financial laws and regulations
• Implementing Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) pronouncements
• Supporting countywide budget development
• Preparing a variety of accounting, budget, and financial reports
• Coordinating the direction, revision, and/or development of accounting systems and procedures
• Training clerical and technical personnel, including the assignment and evaluation of their work

The ideal candidate will possess:

• The ability to analyze, implement, and apply accounting standards, revenue and taxation code, government code, and other regulations
• Experience in governmental accounting and auditing, including preparation of complex financial reports
• Effective communication and relationship building skills
• A passion for accounting, and continual learning and improvement
• Advanced Microsoft Office Suite skills, especially Word and Excel

A Certified Public Accountant Certificate is highly desirable, but not required.

What We Offer

Working at the County of Sonoma offers expansive opportunities for growth and development, the ability to be a part of a challenging and rewarding work environment, and the satisfaction of knowing you’re working to better our communities. You can also look forward to flexible work arrangements and excellent benefits* including:

• A hybrid telework schedule that meets the needs of our staff, department operations, and the communities we serve may be available depending on the assignment
• Eligibility for a salary increase after 1,040 hours (6 months when working full-time) for good work performance; eligibility for a salary increase for good performance every year thereafter, until reaching the top of the salary range
• Competitive vacation and sick leave accruals, 12 paid holidays, and an additional 8 floating holiday hours per year
• County paid 100% premium contribution for the majority of employee-only and employee + family health plan options
• An annual Staff Development/Wellness Benefit allowance of up to $1700 and ongoing education/training opportunities
• County contribution to a Health Reimbursement Arrangement to help fund post-retirement employee health insurance/benefits
• Retirement fully integrated with Social Security
• May be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) of Paid Parental Leave after 12 months of County employment

*Salary is negotiable within the established range. Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice. Additional information can be found in the and our

This recruitment is being conducted to fill an Accountant/Auditor I position in the Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office. This employment list may also be used to fill future full-time, part-time, or extra-help (temporary) positions as they occur during the active status of the list. Qualified County employees who wish to be considered for future positions should consider applying to this recruitment.

APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE BE COMPLETED.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience: any combination of education and experience which would provide an opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed above. Normally, either possession of a four year college degree in accounting, finance, economics, management or business administration (or possession of a Certified Public Accountant’s Certificate) and one year of professional audit and/or accounting experience (comparable to Accountant I or II or Accountant/Auditor Trainee).

OR

Six years experience in governmental auditing and/or accounting, including one year of professional audit and/or accounting experience (comparable to Accountant I or II or Accountant/Auditor Trainee) AND 12 semester units or 16 quarter units of accounting, including Principles of Accounting, Intermediate Accounting, Advanced Accounting, Governmental Accounting, Cost Accounting or Auditing would provide such opportunity.

License: Possession of a valid driver’s license at the appropriate level including special endorsements, as required by the State of California, may be required depending upon assignment to perform the essential job functions of the position.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Working Knowledge of: general and governmental accounting principles and practices: generally accepted auditing standards, including governmental auditing; laws and regulations controlling County fiscal operations; principles of personnel and public administrations: and automated accounting systems and personal computer applications.

Ability to: apply general and governmental accounting principles and practices; utilize generally accepted auditing standards, including governmental auditing; establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with coworkers, administrative management staff, department heads, and others; problem solve, research, and use fiscal documents: plan, manage, and perform auditing and accounting tasks; direct the work of clerical and technical staff; prepare clear and concise reports and other correspondence; communicate effectively, both orally and writing; adapt to changing work situations as a result of regulations, laws, and requests; explain County financial processes and systems to others: and perform mathematical calculations rapidly and accurately.

Selection Procedure & Some Helpful Tips When Applying

• Your application information and your responses to the supplemental questions are evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the entire selection process.
• You should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application. Be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions.
• You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position for which you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, list out each position separately.
• Failure to follow these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.

Please visit to review more detailed information about the hiring process, including the application process, examination steps, and department selection process.

APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE BE COMPLETED.

Responses to supplemental questions will be scored using position-specific criteria. Please provide specific and detailed responses of a reasonable length to allow for a thorough assessment of your qualifications. Responses that state “See Resume” or “See Application” may be considered insufficient and therefore may not be scored.
The selection procedure will consist of the following examination:

An Application & Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination (weight 100%) will be conducted to evaluate each applicant’s application and supplemental questionnaire for satisfaction of minimum qualifications (pass/not pass); and for educational coursework, training, experience, knowledge, and abilities which relate to this position. Each applicant will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Relevance of work history, related experience, and achieved level of education and/or training as described in the application and responses to the supplemental questions.

Candidates demonstrating possession of the minimum qualifications will be placed on an employment list in order of most qualified to least qualified based on the achieved score received in the Application & Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination which evaluates the education, training, experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, and other qualifications that you demonstrate in your application and/or response to the supplemental questionnaire. Please be aware that resumes and cover letters are not typically evaluated in the Application & Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination. Scores may be adjusted based on such factors as the number of candidates, anticipated vacancies, past practice, and natural breaks in the scores achieved by this group of candidates.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

A background investigation is required prior to employment. Candidates referred to departments for a selection interview are typically required to sign authorization and release forms enabling such an investigation. Failure to sign prescribed forms will result in the candidate not being considered further for that vacancy. Reference information will not be made available to applicants.

Additional requirements, such as successful completion of a physical exam, drug screen, etc., may apply, depending on the duties and responsibilities of the position. If you receive a conditional job offer for the position, the requirements upon which the offer is contingent will be outlined in the conditional job letter. You may also review the to determine the requirements for this position.

HOW TO APPLY

Applications are accepted online at Paper applications may be submitted by person, fax (707-565-3770), email, or through the mail. All applications and appropriate supplemental information as outlined in the job bulletin must be RECEIVED by the time and date specified on the first page of this job announcement. Applications received after the recruitment closes will not be accepted.

The County of Sonoma values diversity and is dedicated to creating a workplace environment that provides individuals with a sense of belonging. We are committed to having a diverse workforce that is representative of the communities we serve. The County is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer where all aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance, and business need.

HR Analyst: BH
HR Technician: RR

IMPORTANT NOTE: Benefits described herein do not apply to Extra Help positions.

COUNTY OF SONOMA BENEFITS: MANAGEMENT*

These are some of the excellent benefits the County offers:

Paid Time Off: Competitive vacation accrual and sick leave accruals; additional management leave annually; 12 paid holidays, and an additional 8 floating holiday hours per year; and may be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) of Paid Parental Leave after 12 months of County employment.

Health Plan: Choice of five health plans (a PPO, EPO, HMO, and two deductible HMOs) with a County paid premium contribution.

Cash Allowance: In addition to monthly salary, a cash allowance of approximately $600 per month.

Retirement: Fully integrated with Social Security. For more information regarding eligibility, retirement contributions, and reciprocity with prior public service, please visit

IRS 457 Plan: Pre-tax employee contribution up to the IRS annual maximum.

Retiree Medical: County contribution to a Health Reimbursement Arrangement to help fund post-retirement employee health insurance/benefits.

Plus excellent dental, vision, disability, life insurance, professional development, and more.

For answers to specific questions regarding the employment process and more details about benefits or retirement, please contact Human Resources at Additional details about benefit and compensation packages can be found in the MOUs located at For specific information about health and welfare benefits including plan options, coverage, and premium amounts go to or, contact the Human Resources’ Risk Management-Benefits Office at or

*IMPORTANT NOTES: Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice.

01

How did you first learn about this opportunity?

• Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG)
• California State Association of Counties (CSAC)
• CalJobs
• Careers in Government
• College or University
• Craigslist
• DiversityJobs
• Employee of Sonoma County
• Facebook
• Glassdoor
• Google Jobs
• GovernmentJobs.com
• Handshake
• Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Sonoma County
• Indeed
• Instagram
• Job Fair
• La Voz
• Latino Service Providers
• LinkedIn
• Los Cien
• Minority Organization or Group
• Municipal Management Association of Northern California
• Press Democrat
• sonoma-county.org/www.yourpath2sonomacounty.org
• Sonoma County Human Resources Office
• Sonoma County Job Line
• Start Here!
• Twitter
• Veterans Services Office
• Women’s Organization or Group
• Workplace Diversity
• Other Internet Site
• Other Publication

02

Please indicate if you would also be interested in future part-time or extra-help (temporary, intermittent, or seasonal employment) positions should they become available. Check all that apply.

• I would also like to be considered for future part-time positions
• I would also like to be considered for future extra-help positions
• I am only interested in full-time positions

03

This eligible list may be used for future bilingual (English/Spanish) positions. Please indicate if you are interested in bilingual positions, and your level of proficiency.

• Yes, I have basic (conversational) English/Spanish bilingual skills
• Yes, I have fluent (reading, writing, and conversational) English/Spanish bilingual skills
• No, I do not have English/Spanish bilingual skills, and/or I do not wish to be considered for a bilingual position

04

For this question and all subsequent questions, please provide sufficient information to allow for a thorough evaluation of your qualifications. Responses to supplemental questions may be scored using specific criteria and may be reviewed by hiring managers.
The minimum qualifications for this position require a combination of coursework and experience. Please describe how you meet the minimum qualifications for this position. Normally, this would include:

• Possession of a four-year college degree in accounting, finance, economics, management, or business administration (or possession of a Certified Public Accountant’s Certificate) AND one year of professional audit and/or accounting experience
  OR
• Six years experience in governmental auditing and/or accounting, including one year of professional audit and/or accounting experience AND 12-semester units or 16 quarter units of accounting, including Principles of Accounting, Intermediate Accounting, Advanced Accounting, Governmental Accounting, Cost Accounting or Auditing

05

Please provide a detailed example of a complex accounting/financial report you prepared that required you to interpret and apply various laws and regulations, analyze data, collaborate with others, draw conclusions, and form recommendations.

06

Please describe your experience advising, consulting, and conferring with internal and external customers and/or auditors. Provide a specific example that best highlights your abilities, and describe the actions you took to address the situation.

07

Please describe your experience implementing new Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) pronouncements or other comparable newly used accounting requirements. Detail your work related to the implementation and describe any challenges you overcame as well as lessons you learned as part of the process.

Required Question