Portland Fire & Rescue Accounting Technician

Full Job Description

Job Appointment: Full time, regular

Work Schedule: Monday -Friday, 7:00am-3:30pm.

Work Location: The current schedule for this position is hybrid. Employees are expected work on site 50% of the time. The City is reevaluating a return-to-office (RTO) policy which could change in-person requirements with notice. The hiring manager for this position will have more up to date information at the time of all verbal/contingent offers. In-person work will be conducted at 1300 SE Gideon St, Portland, OR 97202. Remote work must be performed within Oregon or Washington. For more information, click here.

Benefits: Please check our benefit tab for an overview of benefit for this position.

Union Representation: This classification is represented by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Local 189 (AFSCME) collective bargaining agreement. Applicants start at the entry salary rate. If you are an AFSCME represented employee, see labor agreement for additional information or talk to your union representative. You can view the labor agreement here: Current City Labor Agreements.

Language Pay Premium Eligible: This position is or may be eligible for Language Pay Differential for qualifying employees.

Application Material: Please click APPLY to submit your application via the City of Portland’s online portal. You will need respond to the supplemental questions and attach a resume.

Classification Summary:
The Accounting Technician reviews invoices and supporting documentation for proper authorization and conformance to requirements; enter invoices to the City’s financial accounting system; processes and distributes progress payments; answers payment inquiries from vendors; follow up on and resolves related problems. Issues purchase orders; purchases goods and services for assigned Bureau. Provides information in the form of reports, summaries, graphs, and charts; utilizes spreadsheets and other tools for recording, summarizing, and displaying data; generates and distributes various reports. Enters or applies cash receipts to customer accounts to the accounting system. Reviews completed accounting forms for accuracy of coding and completeness of information; adjusts accounts following established guidelines and procedures; corrects posting errors through appropriate journal entries; prepares and updates financial records. Processes specialized information, reports, and forms, such as for fees, billing, project tracking, retirement system, deferred compensation, payroll, etc.; enters information into the financial accounting system or other systems. Establishes and maintains non-accounting records; files and retrieves a variety of financial documents, contracts, and other documents.

The Accounting Technician is expected to carry out day-to-day responsibilities subject to the direction and regular review by more senior accounting, financial, or management personnel.

Portland Fire & Rescue Vacancy:
This position is responsible for the administrative processing, review, and support of the Portland Fire & Rescue Prevention Division, customer account database. Reporting to the Supervisor I, this position will support approximately 50 PF&R staff. The ideal candidate will be a conscientious team player with customer service etiquette, who is willing to assist in a fast-paced environment, focusing on account creation and accounts receivable. This team member will represent the City of Portland as our main contact for invoice questions.

As an Accounting Technician for Portland Fire & Rescue, you will:

• Reviews transaction processing and verification, subject to review by more senior accounting, financial, or management personnel.
• Reviews invoices and supporting documentation for proper authorization and conformance requirements; answer payment and invoice questions from customers; follow up on and resolve related issues and complaints.
• Issue purchase orders; purchases goods and services for the PF&R Prevention Division.
• Provides information in the form of reports, summaries, graphs, and charts; utilizes spreadsheets and other tools for recording, summarizing, and displaying data; generates and distributes various reports.
• Reviews completed accounting forms for accuracy of coding and completeness of information; adjusts accounts following established guidelines and procedures; corrects posting errors through appropriate journal entries; prepares and updates financial records.
• Processes specialized information, reports, and forms, such as for fees, billing, project tracking, retirement system information, deferred compensation, payroll, etc.; enters information into the financial accounting system or other systems.
• Establishes and maintains non-accounting records; files and retrieves a variety of financial documents, contracts, and other documents.
• Provides training to PF&R staff on the Fire Inspection Accounting database guidelines and procedures to be followed; answers employee questions on transactions, processes, and procedures; provides service to customers where appropriate.

Questions?

Requirements

The following minimum qualifications are required for this position:

1. Knowledge of basic math, and basic principles and practices of accounting and bookkeeping.
2. Ability to provide effective customer service, including using tact and diplomacy when responding to questions or concerns.
3. Ability to enter and verify data using computerized systems with various software applications.
4. Ability to communicate effectively while explaining procedures to others, both verbally and in writing.
5. Ability to collaborate and work within a diverse team environment to problem solve.

Qualifications

• Resume
  • Note: Do not include your age, date of birth, or the dates you attended or graduated from school. Only provide this information if it is specifically requested to meet job requirements or to follow federal, state, or local laws or rules.
• Answer to the Supplemental Questions (click on the Questions tab to preview the questions)

Veteran documents to request for Veteran Preference (ex, DD214-Member 4, VA Benefit Letter, etc.) Effective January 1, 2026, the State of Oregon law ORS 408.225 - 408.238 is amended to expand eligibility for Veterans’ Preference to current and former Oregon National Guard service members.

If applicants are existing state or former Oregon National Guard servicemembers, they are encouraged to attach appropriate documentation to their future recruitment applications.

Update: As of March 3, 2025, if you have already submitted veteran documents and qualified for preference, you do not need to resubmit them for future recruitments.

To update or remove veteran preference for this recruitment or from your profile, contact the recruiter listed in the job announcement.

Application Tips:

• Your responses to the supplemental questions should include details describing your education, training and/or experience, and where obtained, which clearly reflects your qualifications for each of the numbered items in the "To Qualify" section of this announcement.
• Your resume should support the details described in your responses to the supplemental questions.

How We Determine Pay: The City of Portland is covered by the Oregon Equal Pay Act.

Your salary is determined based on the experience listed in your resume that is directly related and equivalent to the position for which you are applying.

It is strongly encouraged to include any transferable experience (paid or unpaid regardless of how recent) to ensure your offer is reflective of all your relevant experience.

• Do not attach materials not requested.
• All completed applications for this position must be submitted no later than on the closing date and time of this recruitment.
• All applications must be submitted via the City's online application process. E-mailed and/or faxed applications will not be accepted.
• You can use AI tools to assist with your job application, but please make sure to personalize your responses to supplemental questions. Avoid copying and pasting; instead, use AI to generate ideas and then tailor them to reflect your own experiences and skills.

• An evaluation of each applicant's training and paid and unpaid experience, as demonstrated in their resume and supplemental questions, weighted 100%.
• Your resume and responses to the supplemental questions will be the basis for our evaluation of your qualifications for this position. Incomplete or inappropriate information may result in disqualification.
• You have 14 days from the notice of the minimum qualification evaluation results to let us know if you like to review and discuss your evaluation result. Please read the City of Portland Administrative Rule 3.01 for complete information.
• Additional evaluation may be required prior to establishment of the eligible list and/or final selection.

• Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications will be placed on the equally ranked eligible list.

• Hiring bureau will review and select candidates to interview.

• A start date will be determined after all conditions of employment have been met.

Additional Information

Click here for additional information regarding the following:

• Veteran Preference
• ADA, Pregnancy, and Religious Accommodations
• Work Status
• Equal Employment Opportunity