Principal Accountant - Environmental Services Department

The Environmental Services Department is currently seeking to fill one (1) full-time Principal Accountant vacancy. Reporting to the Division Manager, the Principal Accountant in ASD serves as the technical lead in finance and accounting for the department and its three major Utility Funds: Wastewater, Municipal Water, and Solid Waste Management (with a total annual O&M budget of close to $500m and a CIP of over $1 billion over the next 10 years). This position serves a critical role in the department’s success and financial stewardship of ratepayer funds. The Principal Accountant serves as a technical liaison with the City Finance Department, leads specialized accounting functions, day-to-day operations of a team of 14 professional employees, including six direct reports, as well as full-service accounting programs.

The Principal Accountant’s responsibilities include but are not limited to: 

• Direct and manage a team of 14 accounting professionals.
• Mentor staff and build a team environment.
• Recruit staff and prepare annual performance appraisals.
• Oversee the timekeeping, procurement, accounts payable, accounts receivable, fixed asset accounting and other disbursements for the department.
• Calculate and prepare the department’s internal Cost Allocation Plan in compliance with OMB-87.
• Manage the annual year end close and financial audit for the production of the City’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) for three major government enterprise funds.
• Manage the year-end close and financial audit for two single audits (SBWR, CWFA).
• Manage the year end close and financial audit for the Wastewater Treatment Funds and production of the Annual Basic Financial Statements.
• Manage the accounting and administration for the Master Agreement(s) for the Wastewater Funds that includes allocating costs to six other participating agencies.
• Manage the Annual Revenue Program for the Regional Wastewater Facility to allocate costs to participating agencies and rate payers.
• Set Sewer and Storm rates that are complaint with Prop 218 requirements.
• Oversee and manage the cash flow to forecast requirements for a Line of Credit and refunding with debt issuance.
• Manage and oversee annual bond compliance reporting and surveillance calls by rating agencies.
• Oversee and manage debt issuance for the department’s for two enterprise funds (Wastewater and Muni Water) which includes a 10-year, $2 billion capital improvement program for the Regional Wastewater Facility. 
• Use budget experience to oversee the development of the CIP Source and Use documents and use other budget documents for financial forecasting.
• Provide professional and technical advice and recommendations on accounting pronouncements, standards, policies, and procedures.
• Support special rate studies as the subject matter expert on rate setting and allocation of costs.
• Act as the liaison between the department and the City’s centralized Finance Department.
• Act as the expert for various financial software used by the department such as FMS and Gravity.
• Implement the new GASB 103 and DOJ ADA WCAG.
• Level AA Compliance requirements for year-end.
• Be familiar with the requirements of Public, Private, Partnerships (P3) and the associated P3 accounting requirements.
• Attend various committee meetings such as TAC, TPAC, and the CWFA.
• Take on other assignments as needed.

Salary Range

Salary range for this classification is: 

$125,671.52 – $191,880.78 annually

This salary range includes an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable compensation. Actual salary will be determined based on the selected candidate’s qualifications and experience.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Completion of a Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university with an emphasis in Accounting, Finance, or a closely related field, including eighteen semester units of accounting.

Experience: Five years of increasingly responsible professional experience in accounting or financial management including two years of supervising professional accountants.

Required Licensing: Possession of a valid State of California Class C driver’s license. 

• If selected, the Conditional Offer of Employment may be contingent upon you providing proof of a valid State of California driver’s license, and an assessment of your California DMV Employer Pull Notice (EPN) as per the DMV Release of Driver Record Information form. Failure to pass the DMV Pull Notice assessment will deem you ineligible for employment.

Other Qualifications

The ideal candidate will possess the following competencies, as demonstrated in past and current employment history.

Job Expertise – Demonstrates knowledge of and experience with applicable professional/technical principles and practices, Citywide and departmental procedures/policies and federal and state rules and regulations; demonstrates knowledge of generally accepted accounting and auditing principles (GAAP), including governmental accounting as established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Government Accounting Standards Board.

Analytical Thinking – Approaches a problem or situation by using a logical, systematic, sequential approach.

Communication Skills – Effectively conveys information and expresses thoughts and facts clearly, orally and in writing; demonstrates effective use of listening skills; displays openness to other people’s ideas and thoughts.

Computer Skills – Experienced with common business computer applications including but not limited to: MS Outlook, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, MS Access, and MS Excel.

Fiscal Management – Understands the relationship of the budget and resources to the strategic plan.

Planning – Acts to align own unit’s goals with the strategic direction of the organization; Defines tasks and milestones to achieve objectives, while ensuring the optimal use of resources to meet those objectives.

Problem Solving – Approaches a situation or problem by defining the problem or issue; determines the significance of problem; collects information; uses logic and intuition to arrive at decisions or solutions to problems that achieve the desired outcome.

Supervision – Sets effective long and short-term goals based on a good understanding of management practices; establishes realistic priorities within available resources; provides motivational support; empowers others; assigns decision-making and work functions to others in an appropriate manner to maximize organizational and individual effectiveness.

Teamwork & Interpersonal Skills – Develops effective relationships with co-workers and supervisors by helping others accomplish tasks and using collaboration and conflict resolution skills.

Selection Process

The selection process will consist of an evaluation of the applicant’s training and experience based on the application and responses to all the job specific questions. You must answer all questions to be considered or your application may be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Only those candidates whose backgrounds best match the position will be invited to proceed in the selection process. Additional phases of the selection process will consist of one or more interviews.

If you have questions about the duties of these positions, the selection or hiring processes, please contact Adrienne.Pea@sanjoseca.gov. 

Additional Information:

Employment Eligibility: Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in this country. Please be informed that the City of San Jose will NOT sponsor, represent or sign any documents related to visa applications/transfers for H1-B or any other type of visa which requires an employer application.  

You must answer all job-specific questions to be considered for this vacancy or your application will be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Applicants are expected to write their own essays/responses.  

Please note that applications are currently not accepted through CalOpps or any other third party job board application system.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this, or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment.

Please allow adequate time to complete the application and submit before the deadline or the system may not save your application. If your online application was successfully submitted, you will receive an automatic confirmation email to the email address you provided. IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE THE CONFIRMATION, please email CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov and we will research the status of your application. 

AI and the Hiring Process

We recognize that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming part of daily life and can be a valuable tool for learning, research, and professional growth. We encourage candidates to use AI responsibly as a support in preparing application materials, live assessments, and interviews. However, we value authenticity, accuracy and truthfulness. Application responses and interview answers must reflect your own knowledge, skills, and experiences. While AI can supplement preparation, it cannot replace the originality and judgment we look for in our employees. This ensures fairness, transparency, and equity for all applicants in the hiring process. 

How to Apply 

The requisition # for this job posting is 202601586. To view the full job announcement and apply for this position, please go to: www.sanjoseca.gov/citycareers 

PLEASE NOTE: YOU MUST APPLY & SUBMIT YOUR JOB APPLICATION AT www.sanjoseca.gov/citycareers IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED FOR A CITY OF SAN JOSE JOB OPPORTUNITY.  

If you have questions about the duties of this position, the selection or hiring processes, please contact Adrienne Pea at Adrienne.Pea@sanjoseca.gov.