Accounting/Asst. Customer Service Representative

The City of Everett is accepting applications on an open/competitive basis for the Civil Service examination process for Accounting Assistant/Customer Service Representative. There is currently one vacant position within the Accounting Department. Note: additional departments across the city may utilize the Civil Service register for additional vacancies.

Why Everett?

Working for City government is personally rewarding for those looking to make an impact at the community level. As an employer, we advocate for employee professional growth and value work-life balance.

The City of Everett is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer, and our goal is to recruit and hire capable and engaged job candidates from a diverse range of backgrounds. We are committed to creating and supporting an inclusive and welcoming environment for all employees.

The City provides excellent benefits, including medical, dental, vision, a retirement pension through Washington State Department of Retirement Systems, and basic life insurance plans. Employees will also accrue vacation, sick, and holidays throughout the calendar year. For more information on benefits for this position, click here: AFSCME Benefit Guide

About the City

Located 25 miles north of Seattle and nestled between Port Gardner Bay and the Snohomish River, Everett is the largest city in Snohomish County. At a population of more than 112,000, Everett is a small, big city in the heart of the Pacific Northwest. Our community is experiencing extensive development on our waterfront and historic downtown with a vibrant arts culture, music scene, innovated dining, breweries, and much more. Pick your choice of recreation activity in the mountains or water and we have it. We are home to Everett Silvertips Hockey Club and the AquaSox minor-league baseball team. This is an exciting chapter in Everett's story, and you can be a part of it!  Learn more about Everett's exciting future!

About the Department

Accounting is a division of the Finance Department. The Accounting division provides timely, accurate, clear, and complete financial information to residents and other City departments. Activities include preparing annual financial statements, managing the general ledger, processing weekly vendor payments, preparing and filing state and federal payroll reports, maintaining the citywide accounts receivable system, maintaining citywide capital assets and inventory, and more.

About the Job

Depending on the needs of the department to which the Accounting Assistant/Customer Service Representative is assigned, the employees in this class perform clerical accounting, financial, customer service and office support work in the City Clerk/Treasurer, Utility Billing, Animal Services, or other City offices.  The assigned duties support functions such as cashiering, payroll, accounts receivable, accounts payable; tax, utility and miscellaneous billings; and issuing licenses and permits.  Employees perform varied clerical financial and accounting work involving work orders, purchase requisitions, purchase orders, billing procedures, invoices, taxes, licenses, insurance claims, collection activity, cashiering, filing, and indexing.  When not engaged in accounting, financial, or customer service activities, incumbents perform other related clerical duties.

The individuals assigned to this classification are responsible for maintaining confidential financial and customer account records following established accounting principles and standard operating procedures, compiling information, preparing spreadsheets and creating reports.   After training, work is performed with minimal supervision under a variety of circumstances.  Contacts are typically with other City employees, vendors, customers, and the general public in situations where considerable judgment, tact, and customer service skills are required.  Accuracy is critical as errors could have substantial impact on the City's financial transactions.  The work is largely governed by established rules and procedures, but employees are expected to use good judgment and maintain responsible behavior while handling a variety of situations.

For a full description of this position, please see the class specification on the City's website.

ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES OF WORK

• Process purchase requisitions, purchase orders, invoices or other authorized documents to facilitate payment to vendors for goods and services received by the City.

• Balance and/or reconcile transactions, accounts, deposits, and disbursements and perform the related data entry in accordance with standard practice and established accounting principles.

• If assigned to Utility Billing, coordinate with Public Works Department field personnel via work orders to resolve service and billing problems, to activate or deactivate water services, and to post delinquent account shut-off notices.

• Initiate contacts with or receive phone calls from customers regarding account activity and status, including delinquent accounts for purposes of making payment arrangements within established limits.

• Resolve problems, inaccuracies, and variances related to area of assignment, which may require in-person, telephone, mail and email contact with vendors, customers, the public, and City employees. Refer more difficult or complicated problems to the appropriate individual.

MINIMUM EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

• Requires a high school diploma or equivalent, AND

• Two (2) years of bookkeeping experience, AND

• One (1) year of daily customer service experience.

• Up to one (1) year of bookkeeping experience may be substituted with bookkeeping/accounting course work.

• Experience and/or course work in governmental accounting is highly desirable.

HOW TO APPLY

• Application materials may be accessed via http://www.everettwa.gov/careers.

• All applicants are required to complete and submit the following:
  1.The standard City of Everett Application Form.

2.Responses to the Supplemental Questionnaire for ACCOUNTING ASSISTANT/CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE.

• Applications must be submitted through the City's online application system by 5:00 p.m. on October 9, 2024 to be considered.  

• LATE, INCOMPLETE, FAXED, OR EMAILED APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

EXAMINATION STEPS

• The Supplemental Questionnaire is part of the application (weighed 30%). Answers must be detailed and will be blind rated.

• Responses to the supplemental questionnaire will be individually reviewed and evaluated.

• Top-scoring applicants will be called to an oral panel interview (weighted 70%), Tentatively scheduled for last week of October.

• All vacancies in this job class will be filled from the ranked Civil Service register established from the examination process for 12 months.

IMPORTANT NOTES

• A passing grade of 70.00 or higher is required on all parts of the screening process for placement on the ranked Civil Service eligible register.

• The examination process is designed to sample and measure the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities.

• Applicants claiming veterans' preference points in accordance with RCW 41.04.010 as amended and meeting eligibility criteria must submit form DD214 or other official military separation documentation that clearly indicates an honorable discharge from military service on or before the date filing closes.

• Extensive background checks will be conducted.

• New hires begin employment at the first step of the salary range.

• This job classification is represented by Everett Municipal Employees Local 113, AFSCME.

Filing Opens: September 25, 2024                                                                                                 Filing Closes: October 9, 2024

Open/Competitive                                                                                                                             A24072