City of Dana Point is hiring: Accountant in Dana Point

The City of Dana Point is seeking a talented, highly motivated, and customer-oriented individual to join the Administrative Services Department.

The ideal candidate will be a proactive team player with strong communication skills and a commitment to providing excellent service in a positive and collaborative work environment. Candidates with governmental accounting experience are strongly encouraged to apply.

First Review of Applications: Monday, October 27, 2025

Salary Range: $79,020 - $112,116 Annually

Examples of Essential Duties

• Perform professional accounting work including preparing a variety of financial and statistical reports, reconciling bank accounts, and preparing cash control.
• Audit and analyze accounting transactions; post receipts to the general ledger including accounts payable and receivable, employee payroll, fringe benefits, and fixed assets; audit journal entries.
• Assist with annual audit; provide financial statements and records.
• Prepare year-end financial reports; analyze revenue and expenditure reports; summarize discrepancies.
• Assist in the development, implementation and modification of accounting and auditing systems and programs; recommend modifications as appropriate.
• Participate in the development of the City’s budget and assist in compiling the departmental bi-annual budget.
• Maintain and oversee administration of the fixed asset program.
• Perform comprehensive financial activity studies as directed; prepare monthly reports on investment performance.
• Attend and participate in professional group meetings; stay abreast of new trends and innovations in the field of accounting and finance.
• Participate in a variety of clerical and technical accounting functions; provide assistance to City staff and the public as necessary.
• Research and audit a variety of reports, records and documents to reconcile ledgers and journals and to produce a variety of specialized reports; may develop report formats and utilize varied databases.
• Perform accounts payable check processing; verify and answer questions related to proper coding, proper authorizations and available budget.
• Record interest revenue and prepare interest allocations for distribution of pooled revenue; post year-end revenue accruals; analyze and reconcile City revenues such as property taxes, transient occupancy taxes, and sales taxes.
• Assist with preparing the year-end close of City books; assist in preparing annual audit book containing all schedules requested by auditors.
• Assist with fixed assets accounting procedures, contract procedures, miscellaneous holding accounts and purchasing requirements consistent with public contract code.
• Assist in monitoring various accounts, verifying availability of funds and classification of expenditures; research and analyze transactions to resolve concerns.
• Oversee reconciliation of City bank accounts to the general ledger on a monthly basis, inclusive of providing support for fiscal agent and investment reconciliation; monitor cash flow and make banking transfers as necessary; may monitor and coordinate City investments.
• Record and verify a variety of complex financial transactions; prepare and maintain records and a variety of periodic and special financial, accounting and statistical reports.
• Assist with updating City records and procedures in assigned areas pursuant to changes in law, City policies and procedures, Memoranda of Understanding, and other pertinent rules and regulations.
• Identify and recommend opportunities for improving service delivery methods, procedures, and effectiveness of City financial operations.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Knowledge of:

• Professional accounting principles and practices.
• Principles and procedures of financial record keeping and reporting.
• Laws regulating public finance.
• Practices and techniques of automated and manual financial and accounting document processing and record keeping.
• Office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and applicable software applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, and databases.
• Records management principles and practices.
• Safe work principles and practices.
• Pertinent federal, state and local laws, codes and regulations.

Ability to:

• Perform a variety of professional accounting duties.
• Apply federal, state, and local laws and regulations pertaining to accounting and auditing work.
• Examine and verify a wide variety of financial documents and reports.
• Prepare a variety of complex and routine financial statements, reports, and analyses.
• Apply accounting principles to the maintenance of financial and accounting transactions and the audit of financial records.
• Collect, evaluate and interpret information and data.
• Make sound, independent decisions within established policy and procedural guidelines.
• Organize work, set priorities and meet multiple deadlines.
• Recommend improvements in financial record keeping systems.
• Maintain accurate records and files of work performed.
• Operate office equipment including computers and supporting word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Education and Experience

• A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a major in accounting, business or public administration, finance administration, or a closely related field and three years of professional accounting experience. Some governmental accounting experience is desired.