Account Clerk I/II

About the position: The City of Cypress is seeking a customer-focused professional to join the Finance team as an Account Clerk I/II. This position plays a key role in supporting the City's financial functions. Under direct supervision, this position performs a variety of accounting support tasks including accounts payable, reviewing purchase orders, reconciling records, and assisting with other financial functions. This journey-level role requires a strong understanding of accounting procedures, attention to detail, and the ability to work independently while providing excellent internal and external customer service.

The ideal candidate:

The ideal candidate is a dependable, detail-oriented professional who thrives in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment. They bring a strong foundation in accounting or finance, enjoy working with spreadsheets and systems, and take pride in delivering accurate and timely work. This individual communicates clearly, maintains confidentiality, and takes initiative to resolve issues while following established procedures. They are comfortable managing multiple priorities - whether it's reviewing accounts payable transactions, verifying purchase orders, reconciling expenditures, or assisting internal departments with finance related needs. A commitment to excellent customer service and a positive attitude are key to success in this role. Duties include, but are not limited to the following: Perform general accounting duties related to an assigned area. Prepare and balance daily deposits to City bank account. Receive revenues and issue receipts for business licenses, permits, and other incoming monies. Post receipts/disbursements to City trust account and balance monthly. Post and balance accounting transactions in financial accounting software. Research errors by checking previous transactions and make adjusting entries as required. Reconcile bank accounts. Audit check requisitions, conference expenditures, purchase order contracts, delivery requests, monthly expense reports, deposit refunds and invoices for accuracy, propriety and budget classification where guidelines are clearly established. Provide the public and employees with routine, factual information and direct callers to appropriate offices/people. Sort and distribute mail to appropriate departments. Order office supplies. Maintain accurate records and a filing system in accordance with policies and procedures. Process incoming cash receipts using computer terminal and cash drawer; reconcile cash drawer transactions daily. Audit unpaid contract payables for pricing errors; verify invoice amount with contract and contact vendor to request compliance with contractual obligation. File warrants/checks, cash receipts, revenue receipts, and other documents. Maintain and update fixed asset records/spreadsheets and budget information. Research for double payment errors. Verify statement balances. Assist in maintaining petty cash fund. Report expenditures. Assist in the processing and maintenance of business licensing. Perform other related duties as assigned.

Knowledge of:

Standard accounting principles and procedures; basic business math skills; filing and record keeping systems.

Ability to:

Interpret and apply policies, procedures, rules and regulations; maintain financial records and general filing systems; effectively operate office equipment, including personal computer with Windows-based software for word processing and spreadsheet applications; operate and reconcile cash register transactions; analyze data and draw logical conclusions; understand and follow verbal and written instructions; type accurately and proofread typed materials; communicate effectively verbally and in writing using tact and sound judgment in dealing with employees and the public; establish and maintain cooperative and effective work relationships with those contacted in the performance of required duties; plan and organize work to meet deadlines on a timely basis; perform job tasks with a minimum of supervision.

Experience, Education and Training:

A minimum of one year of experience performing standard accounting and clerical duties, including public contact experience, and High School Diploma or G.E.D. Experience in municipal accounting and expertise in Excel are highly desirable. The information you provide on this required supplemental questionnaire will be evaluated and used to determine your eligibility to participate in the next phase of the examination process. 1. Which statement below best describes the highest level of education you have completed? High school graduate, diploma or equivalent (GED) Associate degree Bachelor's degree Master's degree or higher 2. Do you have at least one (1) year of experience performing duties comparable to an Account Clerk I (e.g. processing financial transactions, maintaining records, supporting accounts payable/receivable)? Yes No 3. How many years of experience performing duties comparable to an Account Clerk I (e.g. processing financial transactions, maintaining records, supporting accounts payable/receivable) do you have? No experience Less than 1 year of experience 1 year but less than 2 years of experience 2 years but less than 3 years experience 3 or more years of experience 4. Do you have accounting experience working in a public agency (e.g. city, county, special district, or other government entity)? Yes No 5. If you answered "Yes" to the question above, please indicate your total length of accounting experience working for a public agency. No experience Less than 1 year of experience 1 year but less than 2 years of experience 2 years but less than 3 years experience 3 or more years of experience 6. Which of the following Accounts Payable tasks have your performed? (Select all that apply) Reviewing and routing invoices Matching invoices to purchase orders Coding invoices to appropriate accounts Verifying approvals prior to payment Identifying and resolving discrepancies Communicating with vendors or internal staff regarding invoice/payment issues Preparing payment batches or assisting with check runs Reconciling vendor statements Entering bankcard or credit card transactions for reconciliation Compiling data for reports or tracking purposes None of the above 7. Describe your most recent experience processing accounts payable invoices, including the volume you handled. In your response, include: approximate number of invoices processed (daily or weekly), your role in the process (e.g., data entry, purchase order matching, coding, reconciliation), and any issues you regularly handled. (e.g. discrepancies, missing approvals, vendor questions). 8. List the financial systems or ERP software you have used for accounts payable, and describe your level of proficiency in each. For each system, include: Name of the system, how you used it (e.g. invoice entry, coding, reconciliation, reporting), and your level of proficiency (basic, intermediate, advanced).