Description
ABOUT US
The City of Palos Verdes Estates (PVE) is a beautiful coastal city with some of the best scenic views in all of Los Angeles County. PVE is an ideal location with low crime rates and housing density, preserved open space, rural character and endless outdoor activities. As the heart of the South Bay with numerous coves and easy local beach access, the community is a popular spot for beachgoers. The rolling hillsides offer picturesque hiking, while established neighborhoods combine scenic charm with a small-town flare. Residents contribute to a strong sense of community with many local events, community organizations, and neighborhood activities.
In addition to outdoor activities and beautiful views, PVE has multiple institutions that are integral to the community culture. As the oldest of the four cities on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, PVE is home to three architectural sites that have been officially named to the National Register of Historic Places including the Malaga Cove Plaza, Farnham Park Fountain and Mirlo Gate Lodge Tower. The Palos Verdes Golf Club, Palos Tennis Club, Palos Verdes Stables and Palos Verdes Beach and Athletic Club are all popular areas for residents to spend their time and connect with their community through activities ranging from horseback riding to golfing.
Palos Verdes Estates has something to offer everyone. With breathtaking ocean views and stunning natural landscapes, Palos Verdes Estates is continually recognized as one of the most desirable places to live in southern California, making it an ideal place to live, work and play.
THE ROLE
Under general direction, plans, oversees, coordinates, and carries out difficult and complex professional and technical duties of the City’s Finance Department for all City employees. This position is responsible for senior level assistance in the administration, development and interdepartmental coordination of the activities of the Finance Department and Risk Assessment including professional level work in the areas of staff development and safety; fiscal strategic planning, operational budgeting, capital project tracking and accounting, auditing, grant reporting, procurement, general accounting, and payroll.
THE DEPARTMENT
The Finance Department plays a vital role in the City’s financial health, overseeing daily operations to long-term fiscal planning. This team manages core financial functions, including budgeting for operations and capital projects, financial forecasting, policy development and investment oversight. The department also ensures smooth financial system administration and banking support.
The Department, led by the Finance Director, is a small but dedicated and experienced team of one full-time senior accountant and two full-time analysts. The Department is responsible for managing the City’s financial operations, including payroll and vendor payments, annual budget oversight, and long-term capital planning.
Duties
The Finance Analyst performs high level executive, administrative, and technical duties which may include, but are not limited to:
- Responsible for managing the full accounts payable cycle, including receiving and routing invoices for approval, verifying payment eligibility (contracts or purchase orders), batching and posting invoices for check runs, issuing payments, and preparing financial reports. This role also compiles check registers and completes the warrant register, incorporating both AP and payroll activity for City Council meetings.
- Prepare all bank reconciliations and maintainappropriate records; confirm journal entries are posted to the correct account and confirm the cash balance is accurate; responsible for preparing and recording journal entries to reflect financial activity across city funds. Duties include recording interest, deposits, and withdrawals, preparing quarterly interest allocations across all funds, and managing equipment replacement allocations and related journal entries.
- Perform internal audit of investments, revenues, expenditures, and miscellaneous revenues.
- Maintain, analyze and reconcile subsidiary and general ledger accounts.
- Assist in preparation of information for treasury functions.
- Assists with the preparation of the City’s payroll; audits time sheets and verifies for accuracy; inputs hours; verifies accuracy of employee compensation; calculates payroll deductions and retirement contributions and prepares related tax forms and reports; posts to the General Ledger;
- Interprets and explains payroll policies and procedures; provides technical assistance to City employees and departments.
- Research payroll information for employment verification and unemployment inquiries.
- Perform detail year-end functions. Prepare monthly and year-end revenues and expenditure journal accruals. Reconcile inter-fund and inter-agency accounts.
- Prepares requests for Proposal; reviews responses, and assists in staff reports related to contract award; Undertakes procurement activities for the sourcing of requested materials and equipment; Reviews purchases to ensure compliance with Federal, State and City procurement requirements; Reviews contracts for compliance with fiscal contract terms.
- Coordinate and assist auditors during annual audits; conduct internal audits; analyze and audit transactions for City programs and activities and prepare related reports.
- Assist in the preparation and maintenance of the City's annual operating and capital budgets; prepare cash flow and expenditure projections; provide personnel costs from salary projections; assist with the preparation of statistical financial projections; prepare necessary work papers for annual budget.
- Monitor and prepare cost reports for State and Federal grants; review and audit grant contracts and other documents to ensure grant compliance.
- Plan, direct and participate in the analysis and preparation of financial statements, budget documents and a variety of financial and grant reports.
- Assist with assessment of district fiscal operations and fiscal planning.
- Participate in the development and implementation of departmental goals, objectives, policies and priorities.
- Serve as a resource to City departments; act as liaison between the division of assignment and grantors; provide information regarding a variety of accounts, revenues and expenditures.
- Provide technical assistance and training to City staff in matters related to financial accounting, procurement, budget administration, and payroll.
- Assist/prepare various reports to federal, state, county, and other governmental agencies.
- Maintains petty cash; verifies payments and prepares deposits.
- Verifies claims, warrants, deposit slips, insurance reports and other records for accuracy, consistency and budget classification; assembles, sorts, tabulates, codes and files fiscal data; makes arithmetical calculations and verifies totals and extensions; performs data entry or maintains manual records, as required, to post, adjust and balance accounts; allocates funds to correct accounts; balances and reconciles accounts; generates reports and audits for accuracy.
- Processes a variety of internal fiscal transactions including invoice payments, expense reimbursements; maintainsappropriate City and vendor records, contractor purchase orders and payment, posts and proofs general journal entries, as needed.
- Conduct fixed asset inventory of department assets and maintain all records related to fixed asset schedules, including infrastructure assets.
- Perform department’s records management functions in accordance with adopted retention schedule.
- Perform various related duties as required.
Qualifications
Any equivalent combination of training, education, and experience, which provides the individual with the required knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the job is qualifying. Examples of ways a candidate can obtain the required experience and education include:
Experience and Education:
- Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major course work in Finance, Business Administration, public administration, or a related field.
- Two years of responsible related experience, preferably in a municipal finance setting.
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Other Characteristics:
- Knowledge of principles and procedures of accounting, auditing, and budgeting.
- Knowledge of data processing systems and applications.
- Knowledge of applicable laws regulating governmental accounting and fiscal operations.
- Knowledge of utilization and care of various types of office machinery and equipment.
- Knowledge of financial and statistical reporting.
- Knowledge of journal and ledger accounting systems.
- Knowledge of City policies and procedures involved in the preparation and processing of payroll and accounting records.
- Knowledge of statistical concepts.
- Ability to operate a variety of automated office machines including a calculator, copier, adding machine, personal computer or typewriter.
- Ability to coordinate eyes, hands, feet and limbs in performing slightly skilled movements such as data entry.
- Ability to exert light physical effort in sedentary light work, typically involving lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling, sitting and/or walking.
- Ability to maneuver and steer equipment and machinery requiring simple, but continuous adjustments, such as the operation of an automobile.
- Ability to provide guidance to staff.
- Ability to analyze problems that arise in functional areas and recommend solutions.
- Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide.
- Ability to calculate decimals, percentages and fractions.
Additional Information
Licenses, Certificates; Special Requirements:
- Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid California Driver’s license.
Physical Requirements:
- Prolonged periods of sitting within a typical office environment.
- Ability to walk short distances throughout the office.
- May require driving to different locations.
- May perform work involving lifting, pushing and/or pulling of objects which may weigh up to approximately 50 pounds.
- Intermittently twist to reach office equipment, write, or use a keyboard; bend, squat and kneel when filing; walk and stand when operating office equipment.
- General use of standard office equipment, including a computer and computer screen for extended periods of time.
- Hear and talk with the public in person and over the telephone.
- Handle occasional stressful situations.
The City of Palos Verdes Estates is an Equal Opportunity Employer
We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as an individual with a disability or other applicable legally protected characteristics.
