Fire Accounting Assistant I/II/Senior

Full Job Description

WHAT WE OFFER

The County of Ventura offers an attractive compensation and benefits package that includes:

Merit Increases – New employees are eligible for an initial 5% merit increase within the pay range upon completion of at least 1,040 hours (approximately 6 months) assuming work meets satisfactory standards.

Subsequent merit increases within the pay range will be upon completion of each additional 2,080 hours (approximately one year) from the initial merit increase.

Educational Incentive - An educational incentive of 2.5% for completion of an associate's degree, 3.5% for completion of a bachelor's degree, OR 5% for completion of a graduate degree not required for the classification.

Bilingual Incentive – Based on agency need, proficiency levels by exam are $.69 per hour (Level I), $1.00 per hour (Level II), or $1.32 per hour (Level III).

Vacation Accrual – New regular, full-time employees shall accrue approximately 14 days of vacation a year for the first 10,400 hours or 5 years of service; vacation accruals increase at 5, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 20 years of service topping out at 26 days a year and 400 hours of vacation hours banked.

Annual Leave Redemption – After 14,560 hours of continuous County service an employee may elect to "cash in" or redeem up to 80 hours of vacation accrued in the same year after using 80 hours of vacation in the preceding 12 months.

Sick Leave - Full time regular employees accrue 3.08 hours of sick leave per bi-weekly pay period with an advance at hire of 40.04 hours which will be balanced at the completion of 13 bi-weekly pay periods.

Deferred Compensation - Eligible to participate in the County's 401(k) Shared Savings Plan and/or the Section 457 Plan. This position is eligible for up to a 3.00% match on your 401(k) contributions.

Health Plans–Full time employees are given a flexible credit allowance of up to $25,558 annually to offset the purchase of medical, dental, and/or vision insurance for you and your dependents.

• Employee only - $509 per biweekly pay period
• Employee plus one dependent - $779 per biweekly pay period
• Employee plus family - $983 per biweekly pay period

Flexible Spending Accounts - Pre-tax benefit towards eligible medical, dental and vision care and/or dependent care expenses.

Pension Plan - Participation in the County's defined pension plan, which has reciprocity with CalPERS.

Holidays - 12 paid days per year which includes a floating holiday.

Additional Benefits Available - Tuition Reimbursement, Disability Plans, Employee Assistance Program, Life Insurance, Wellness Program.

THE DEPARTMENT

The mission of the Ventura County Fire Protection District (commonly known as the Ventura County Fire Department) is to anticipate and respond to the dynamic public safety needs of a diverse community of about 840,000 people.

This includes not only fire prevention, but also education, response, and communication.

Our wide-ranging response area covers 848 square miles and includes all unincorporated areas along with the cities of Ojai, Port Hueneme, Moorpark, Camarillo, Santa Paula, Simi Valley, and Thousand Oaks.

Composed of approximately 658 dedicated men and women, the Ventura County Fire Department is an all-hazard, full-service special district operating under the Fire Protection District Law of 1987. The Ventura County Board of Supervisors serves as the district’s Board of Directors.

THE POSITION

Under immediate supervision at the I level or general supervision at the II and Senior levels, the Accounting Assistant maintains and processes accounts payable financial transactions, entering and retrieving data and information into manual or technology systems.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

Each successive level in the Accounting Assistant series is distinguished by scope of independence and responsibility.

The level of the position within the series is commensurate with the complexity of the assigned tasks.

If appointed at the lower level, incumbents may be promoted to the higher level without further examination upon meeting the minimum requirements, demonstrating satisfactory performance, and in accordance with business needs of the department.

Accounting Assistant I is the entry-level classification in the Accounting Assistant series, where the emphasis is on learning the Fire Department’s fiscal operations and processes for accounts payable, and on conducting duties and responsibilities that are limited in nature.

Initially, under close supervision, incumbents perform the more routine duties while learning the fiscal policies, procedures, systems, operations and practices.

As experience is gained over time, incumbents will assume the increasingly responsible duties associated with the full journey level of the series.

Accounting Assistant II is the fully experienced journey-level classification in the Accounting Assistant series. Incumbents are competent to independently perform the full range of duties assigned.

The II is distinguished from incumbents at the I level of the series by the performance of the full range of accounts payable duties and the relative independence with which they perform their duties by applying their working knowledge of fiscal policies and procedures to different work situations referring only non-procedural questions to their supervisor.

The Senior Accounting Assistant is the advanced journey level in the Accounting Assistant series performing the most complex accounts payable duties and responsibilities assigned to the Accounting Assistant series and exercising a significant level of independent judgment in the performance of their duties.

Work assigned to this advanced level requires specialized technical or functional expertise beyond the journey level, such as processing complex accounts payable transactions which require specialized knowledge of multiple operational factors.

AGENCY/DEPARTMENT

Ventura County Fire Protection District/Ventura County Fire Department

APPROXIMATE SALARIES

Accounting Assistant I: $21.00 - $29.41 per hour

Accounting Assistant II: $23.33 - $32.67 per hour

Senior Accounting Assistant: $25.67 - $35.94 per hour

The Accounting Assistant I/II/Senior classifications are represented by the Service Employee's International Union (SEIU) and are eligible for overtime compensation.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

OPENING DATE: February 13, 2026

CLOSING DATE: February 27, 2026, at 5:00 p.m.

Requirements

Duties may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Learns to (I)/receives, reviews and verifies (II/Sr.) invoices and packing slips for authorization of expenditures, accuracy of amounts and accounts charged, and conformance to rules and procedures;
• Learns to (I)/ performs (II/Sr.) posting functions by hand or on the computer by inputting accounts payable data to appropriate accounts, journals, or ledgers;
• Learns to (I)/compares (II/Sr.) data on the documents with back-up information in order to substantiate claims;
• Learns to (I)/verifies (II/Sr.) the signatures of persons authorizing the expenditures by maintaining and reviewing the index files;
• Performs simple arithmetical computations to perform three way matching verifying materials received and/or services provided to those billed on invoices against purchase agreements/contracts;
• Sorts, batches and files accounts payable data/records;
• Logs and codes data according to prescribed accounts payable procedures; retrieves documents from files and sets up new files as requested;

At the Senior level only may perform the following duties:

• Receives, reviews and verifies claims, invoices, and receiving documents for authorization of payments, accuracy of amounts and accounts charged, and conformance to rules and procedures;
• Performs accounts payable posting functions on the computer by inputting accounting data to appropriate accounts, journals, or ledgers;
• Edits daily operational reports for discrepancies or rejects; prepares adjustment entries to reconcile with the master control accounts;
• Provides oral and/or written reports to management as required by abstracting data from the Ventura County Financial Management System (VCFMS) and various Fire Department accounting and statistical records;
• Troubleshoots on computer system errors, provides system maintenance support for the Fire Department accounts payable team, and creates/modifies the file structure to enhance report generation;
• Balances the subsidiary accounts payable ledger totals to the Auditor-Controller's financial status reports; prepares periodic detail and summary reports on accounts payable status as requested;
• Performs complex calculations by examining records, integrating multiple rules and regulations, and comparing the outcomes using different methods of calculation;
• Sorts, batches and files accounts payable data/records
• Performs related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

These are the entrance requirements to the examination process and ensure neither continuance in the process nor placement on an eligible list.

EDUCATION, TRAINING, and EXPERIENCE

Accounting Assistant I

Any combination of education and experience which has led to the acquisition of the required knowledge, skills and abilities.

Accounting Assistant II

Any combination of education and experience which has led to the acquisition of the required knowledge, skills and abilities.

An example of qualifying education and experience includes:

Two (2) years financial, statistical, or fiscal record keeping with some accounts payable experience; or one (1) year as an Accounting Assistant I with the County of Ventura.

Senior Accounting Assistant

Any combination of education and experience which has led to the acquisition of the required knowledge, skills and abilities.

An example of qualifying education and experience includes:

Four (4) years of experience in financial, statistical, or fiscal record keeping with considerable accounts payable experience; or two (2) years as an Accounting Assistant II with the County of Ventura.

Education/Experience Substitution

Three units of college-level accounting coursework OR twelve (12) units of college-level general coursework may be substituted for up to one (1) year of the required experience at the II and Senior levels if the required accounts payable experience is demonstrated.

NOTE: If you are substituting education for experience (up to one year), verification of the college-level coursework is required.

• Submit your transcripts or grade reports from an accredited college or university which shows your name and reflect passing grades in the required subject.
• Attach education verification documents to your online application or submit to katie.reynolds@venturacounty.gov within three business days of the recruitment closing.
• If you need additional time to submit transcripts, contact the analyst conducting the recruitment for an extension at katie.reynolds@venturacounty.gov.
• Unofficial transcripts are acceptable.
• Degree(s) from a foreign institution require an academic credential evaluation to determine the U.S. equivalency.
• If the name is different on the transcripts from your application, documentation needs to be submitted showing the name change.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

NOTE: Effective written communication skills must be demonstrated in the completion of the employment application and supplemental questionnaire

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, and ABILITIES:
Knowledge (I/II) to thorough (Sr.) knowledge of:

• operations, services and activities of the fire Department accounts payable program;
• basic bookkeeping and record keeping principles, practices, and techniques;
• the Ventura County Financial Management System (VCFMS);
• the codes, forms, procedures, rules and regulations applicable to the processing and recording of accounts payable transactions;
• the Fire Department account structure and operational requirements;
• pre-audit methods and procedures;
• electronic data processing equipment uses and limitations.

Skill in:

• use of computers and related technology
• use of the Ventura County Financial Management System (VCFMS)
• including software applications specific to the work performed.
• Beginning to intermediate proficiency with Microsoft Excel

Ability to:

• make arithmetic calculations with speed and accuracy;
• learn the Fire Department account structure and operational requirements;
• use computer printouts and prepare data in the proper format;
• understand and apply rules and regulations related to fiscal record keeping and accounting functions;
• understand the relationship among accounting records and documents;
• recognize discrepancies or problems in accounts and make corrections;
• research a problem or question to a successful conclusion;
• prepare financial summaries and maintain ledgers and journals;
• communicate effectively both verbally and in writing; and
• establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

At the Senior level:

• Knowledge of principles of lead supervision and training;
• Ability to plan, lead, assign and review the work of staff.

Additional Information

Applications must be received by County of Ventura Human Resources in Ventura, California, no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, February 27, 2026.

To apply on-line, please refer to our website at www.ventura.org/jobs.

If you prefer to fill out a paper application form, please call (805) 654-5129 for application materials and submit them to County of Ventura Human Resources, 800 South Victoria Avenue, L-1970, Ventura, CA 93009.

NOTE TO APPLICANTS

It is essential that you complete all sections of your application supplemental questionnaire thoroughly and accurately to demonstrate your qualifications.

A resume and/or other related documents may be attached to supplement the information in your application and supplemental questionnaire; however, it/they may not be submitted in lieu of the application.

LATERAL TRANSFER OPTION

If presently permanently employed in another "merit" or "civil service" public agency/entity in the same or substantively similar positions as is advertised, and if appointed to that position by successful performance in a "merit" or "civil service" style examination, then appointment by "Lateral Transfer" may be possible.

If interested, please click here (Download PDF reader) for additional information. SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE – qualifying

All applicants are required to complete and submit the questionnaire for this examination at the time of filing.

The supplemental questionnaire may be used throughout the examination process to assist in determining each applicant's qualifications and acceptability for the position.

Failure to complete and submit the questionnaire may result in the application being removed from consideration. APPLICATION EVALUATION – qualifying

All applications will be reviewed to determine whether or not the stated requirements are met. Those individuals meeting the stated requirements will be invited to continue to the next step in the screening and selection process.

WRITTEN EXAMINATION - 100%

An un-proctored, internet-based job-related written exam will be conducted to evaluate participating candidates' knowledge of math/accounting knowledge, computer knowledge, reading comprehension, filing and comparison for successful performance on the job.

Candidates must earn a score of seventy percent (70%) or higher to qualify for placement on the eligible list. ELIGIBLE LIST

Applicants successfully completing the examination process may be placed on an eligible list for a period of one (1) year.

The eligible list established from this recruitment may be used to fill future Regular (including Temporary and Fixed-Term), Intermittent, and Extra Help vacancies for this and similar positions.

There is currently one (1) Regular vacancy within the Ventura County Fire Department Business Services Bureau.

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION

A thorough pre-employment, post offer background investigation which may include inquiry into past employment, education, criminal background information and driving record may be required for this position.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

The County of Ventura is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

For further information about this recruitment, please contact Katie Reynolds via email at katie.reynolds@venturacounty.gov .