Accountant I, LACERA (General Accounting)

This examination will remain open until the needs of LACERA are met and may close without prior notice. EXAMINATION INFORMATION: 9-0415-T, Bul#25-20 TYPE OF RECRUITMENT: Open Competitive Job Opportunity BENEFITS: Benefits include a cafeteria benefit plan, annual leave, defined benefit retirement plan, Deferred Compensation Plan (457) savings plan, 13 paid holidays per year, savings plan, a hybrid work schedule, tuition reimbursement and a ride share program. ABOUT LACERA: The Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association (LACERA) administers and manages the $87+ billion retirement fund for the County of Los Angeles. We provide retirement, disability, and death benefits to eligible County Employees and their Beneficiaries, and collect, deposit, invest, and manage retirement funds collected from the County, Outside Districts, and County Employees. LACERA is one of the largest county retirement associations in the United States with over 194,000 Members. Our Membership is comprised of individuals from a diverse range of careers, age groups, and ethnicity - all contributing to the greater welfare of Los Angeles County. LACERA is located in Gateway Plaza at 300 North Lake Avenue in the beautiful City of Pasadena. The building is easily accessible from the Foothill Freeway (210) and the Metro Lake Station. We offer convenient free parking for staff members in our secure structure adjacent to the building in addition to a robust rideshare program providing commuting alternatives such as ride-matching, vanpool, carpool, parking services and more. Prioritizing health, well-being, and sustainability, Gateway Plaza is a Class “A” office building, LEED Gold Certified and EPA Energy Star Certified. With a Walkability Score of 91, LACERA staff members are able to easily enjoy the approximately 150 shops, food, and dining options that make up the popular South Lake Avenue District. Our Members dedicate their careers contributing to the welfare of Los Angeles County. For their service, the County contributes to their promised benefits, and LACERA is dedicated to serving them in return throughout their career and their life afterwards. LACERA Mission: To produce, protect, and provide the promised benefits to our members. LACERA Vision: Empowering our members to enjoy a healthy and secure retirement. LACERA Values: Accountability, Collaboration, Inclusivity, Innovation, Integrity, Transparency Our Core Values: I ACT (Integrity, Inclusivity, Innovation, Accountability, Collaboration, and Transparency), serve as our cultural guide and foundation in meeting our mission. As a member-focused government agency, we abide by our core values to ensure the public's trust, operate efficiently and cost effectively, and provide our members their promised benefits. If you are interested in being part of this rewarding team, LACERA invites you to apply! ABOUT THE POSITION: Accountant I’s are primarily allocated to either the General Accounting or Investment Accounting Section of the Financial and Accounting Services Division and are responsible for performing journey-level professional accounting work for LACERA. Incumbents assigned to the General Accounting Section perform under the general supervision of a higher-level accounting professional. The General Accounting Section is comprised of three (3) units: Disbursements, Reconciliation, and Reporting & Compliance. Incumbents are responsible for performing a variety of financial accounting, cost accounting, and information technology systems accounting assignments in connection with the overall operation of a moderate scale accounting system requiring a professional level of knowledge of general accounting principles and practices. One position is also allocated to Retiree Healthcare Division. Vacancy Information: There are currently two (2) vacancies in the General Accounting Section of the Financial and Accounting Services Division. The resulting eligible register will be used to fill both current and future vacancies throughout Financial and Accounting Services Division and Retiree Healthcare Division. Work Schedule: This full-time position is required to work a 5/40 schedule (e.g. an eight (8) hour day, Monday through Friday) for at least the first twelve (12) months of employment. LACERA offers a hybrid work environment and this position may be eligible to telework up to two (2) days per week. CERTIFICATION BONUS: Any permanent, full-time employee working in this classification possessing a valid Certified Public Accountant (CPA) by the California Board of Accountancy is entitled to a Certification Bonus equal to two (2) salary schedules (approximately 5.5%) as provided by the Los Angeles County Step Pay Plan. To view the complete job description and benefits for this classification, please see the link: Accountant I, LACERA The job description is being reviewed to determine if a California driver's license is necessary. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: Completion of twenty-one (21) semester units or thirty-two (32) quarter units of accounting, including at least two (2) courses in advanced subjects such as cost accounting, governmental accounting, financial accounting, or auditing in an accredited college or university -AND- Either two (2) years of professional accounting or auditing experience, or three (3) years of responsible technical accounting experience. PHYSICAL CLASS: 2 - Light. Physical effort which may include occasional light lifting to a 10-pound limit, and occasional bending, walking, stooping or squatting. Incumbents sit for extended periods of time. Work is performed in an office environment in a controlled climate. Other Requirements: Applicants must be able to perform the essential functions of this classification, with or without a reasonable accommodation. DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS: • Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Economics, or Finance. • A valid Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license issued by the California Board of Accountancy. • Demonstrated experience at a public retirement system, endowment fund, or public employer that sponsors a pension plan performing professional accounting, auditing, or financial statement reporting and internal control compliance. • Demonstrated experience in reconciling complex accounts, closing monthly general ledgers, and performing monthly financial statement preparation. • Demonstrated interpersonal skills using tact, patience, and courtesy, and customer service skills. To receive credit for the above desirable qualifications, your application must clearly describe your experience. Knowledge of: Generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and practices including cost accounting, governmental accounting, and/or auditing; internal controls; tax reporting; Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) and other standard setting body pronouncements, including applicable laws, rules and regulations; treasury and banking management and applicable laws, rules and regulations; federal and state tax laws related to pension payments and payroll and disbursement withholdings and accounts payable processing; and ACH transactions; interpersonal skills using tact, patience, and courtesy; customer service skills; principles and applications of the Microsoft Office Applications such as Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams, Project, and accounting and reporting software. Ability to: Communicate clearly and effectively, orally and in writing; exercise initiative and independent judgment when applying defined accounting principles, policies and procedures; research general accounting issues and provide recommendations for resolution; follow new and/or amended GASB or similar financial reporting pronouncements and/or commercial banking regulations; prepare monthly and annual financial and accounting reports; perform responsibilities with minimum supervision; manage multiple priorities/projects; establish and maintain effective working relationships with other staff internally and externally including actuaries, banks, auditors, and/or other consultants; assist with special/ad hoc projects; plan and organize own work. Those applicants, who meet the Minimum Requirements AND most closely match the desired qualifications, will be invited to participate in the examination process. EXAMINATION CONTENT: This selection process will consist of: Part I: A evaluation of application information and the desirable qualifications weighted 30%. Only qualified applicants, as determined under Part I, will be invited to continue in the selection process under Part II. Part II: A multiple-choice assessment of competencies required for this job weighted 70%. We will assess the candidate's knowledge and skills related to accounting principles, accounting operations, accounting math, general computer skills, Microsoft Excel, teamwork, interpersonal skills, workload management, and problem solving. MULTIPLE CHOICE AND/OR SIMULATION ASSESSMENTS ARE NOT REVIEWABLE BY CANDIDATES PER CIVIL SERVICE RULE 7.19. TRANSFER OF TEST COMPONENTS: • Applicants who have taken identical components recently (within 12 months) for other exams will have their scores automatically transferred to this examination. • This assessment contains test components that may be used in the future for new examinations and your test responses may be transferred. TESTING ACCOMMODATIONS: If you require an accommodation to fairly compete in any part of the assessment process, you will be given the opportunity to make a request when completing your application. Please note that you may be required to submit documentation from a qualified medical provider or other qualified professional to support your request for a testing accommodation. CANDIDATES MUST ACHIEVE A PASSING SCORE OF 70 PERCENT OR HIGHER ON EACH OF THE WEIGHTED PORTIONS OF THE EXAMINATION IN ORDER TO BE PLACED ON THE ELIGIBLE REGISTER, WHICH IS VALID FOR 12 MONTHS. Those candidates which are determined eligible for hire under the Los Angeles County's Civil Services Rules may be invited to the selection process which may be comprised of a selection interview and/or job-related assessments. SELECTIVE CERTIFICATION: In accordance with TITLE 5—PERSONNEL, APPENDIX 1 (Civil Service Rule 11.03) of the Los Angeles County Code, selective certification will be used for some positions that require special skills and/or training. A Selective Certification may be established for the following areas of accounting: • Accounts Payable Specific knowledge of and experience with the specialized functional areas may be the subject of a selection interview and/or job-related assessments as a result of the Selective Certification lists. If you wish to be considered in any of the areas above, please clearly indicate the specialized experience in your application and Supplemental Questionnaire. EXAMINATION NOTIFICATIONS: All notifications including invitation letters will be sent electronically to the email address provided on the application. It is important that you provide a valid email address. Please add cchan@lacera.gov and info@governmentjobs.com to your email address and list of approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam/junk/clutter mail. Test scores/results cannot be given over the telephone. DO NOT select 'Off' under Email Preferences within your profile or click 'Unsubscribe' on our notices if you would like LACERA to notify you regarding your application status, test schedules, and other important information pertaining to your candidacy for this position. LACERA will not consider claims of not viewing or receiving notification to be a valid reason for late test administration or rescheduling of a test component. Those candidates which are determined eligible for hire under the Los Angeles County's Civil Services Rules may be invited to the selection process which may be comprised of a selection interview and/or job-related assessments. ELIGIBLE INFORMATION: The names of candidates receiving a passing grade will be placed on the register in the order of their score group for a period of twelve (12) months following the date of promulgation. APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION: Application must be submitted online. Applicants can check the status of their applications at any time by logging into their account on www.governmentjobs.com. The acceptance of an employment application depends upon whether or not an applicant has provided adequate information that clearly demonstrates meeting the Minimum Requirements for the position as stated above. Please complete the application and supplemental questionnaire thoroughly and completely. Information provided in the supplemental questionnaire must be reflected in the application to be considered. Failure to provide complete information on the employment application and on the supplemental questionnaire will impact the assessment of an applicant's qualifications and acceptance in the selection process. Applications submitted without the complete work history and the supplemental questions completed in their entirety will be rejected as incomplete. 'See application' or 'See resume' or copy and paste of work experience is not sufficient or qualifying responses. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of the completed application or supplemental questionnaire. In the space provided for education, include the names and addresses of schools attended, and number of credits, degree, and/or certificate(s) earned. In order to receive credit for any college course work, or college degree, such as an Associate, Bachelor, Master, Doctorate degree, or for completion of a certificate program, you must include a legible copy of the official diploma, official and/or unofficial transcripts, or an official letter from the accredited institution which shows the area of specialization or official certificate(s) at the time of filing or within ten (10) business days from application submission date. Applicants must provide the appropriate attachments during application submission, email the documentation to humanresources@lacera.gov within ten (10) business days of filing. Please include the examination title and number on the documentation. Failure to provide the appropriate documentation may result in your application being rejected as incomplete and will be removed from consideration. Your employment history should be listed in order beginning with the most recent. For each job held, provide the name and address of your employer, your job titles, beginning and ending dates, description of work performed, and reason for leaving. If you have worked in more than one position for one employer, list each job title and/or area of assignment separately on the application to demonstrate your experience in various assignments/occupational areas. Part-time experience will be evaluated on the basis of its fractional equivalent of a 40-hour workweek. All required experience must be paid. This position may require working evenings, weekends, and holidays. TO APPLY ONLINE GO TO:www.lacera.com and click on the Careers link. Faxed, emailed, or hardcopy (paper) applications will not be accepted. COMPUTER AND INTERNET ACCESS AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES: For candidates who may not have regular access to a computer or the internet, applications can be completed on computers at public libraries throughout Los Angeles County. Candidate(s) who complete examination process with acceptable results will be considered by the Department hiring authority. Upon an offer of employment, a comprehensive background investigation will be conducted, which includes verification of experience, and/or education, credit history, and fingerprinting through the California Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. IMPORTANT NOTE: Please note that ALL information included in the application materials is subject to VERIFICATION at any point during the examination and hiring process, including after an appointment has been made. FALSIFICATION of any information may result in DISQUALIFICATION or RESCISSION OF APPOINTMENT. Utilizing VERBIAGE from the Classification Specification, Minimum Requirements, and/or Desirable Qualifications serving as your description of duties WILL NOT be sufficient to demonstrate that you meet the requirements. Doing so may result in an INCOMPLETE APPLICATION, and you may be DISQUALIFIED. Applications may be rejected at any stage of the examination process. SPECIAL INFORMATION: Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance (FCIHO) LACERA is a Fair Chance employer. Except for a very limited number of positions, you will not be asked to provide information about a conviction history unless you receive a contingent offer of employment. LACERA will make an individualized assessment of whether your conviction history has a direct or adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job, and consider potential mitigating factors, including, but not limited to, evidence and extent of rehabilitation, recency of the offense(s), and age at the time of the offense(s). If asked to provide information about a conviction history, any convictions or court records which are exempted by a valid court order do not have to be disclosed. Requests for accommodation: humanresources@lacera.gov Teletype Telephone: (800) 899-4099 Department Contact Name: Connie Chan Department Email: cchan@lacera.gov Apply tot his job Apply To this Job