Accounting Technician I/II

Accounting Technician I/II

Salary

$80,958.72 - $103,533.72 Annually

Location

1500 Warburton Ave., Santa Clara, CA

Job Type

Full-Time

Job Number

55-26-216/217

Department

Finance

Opening Date

11/06/2026

Closing Date

11/20/2026 4:00 PM Pacific

FLSA

Non-Exempt

Bargaining Unit

8

Weighting Plan

100% Oral, Qualifying Written

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Description

The Department:

The Finance Department administers the financial affairs of the City of Santa Clara, including City-owned public utilities. The department is comprised of five divisions, Administrative Services, Budget and Treasury, Accounting, Municipal Services, and Purchasing. Together these divisions carry out the mission of the Finance Department to ensure that the financial/fiscal activities of the City are performed, recorded, and presented in compliance with professional and ethical standards.

The Position:

Accounting Technician I

This is the entry-level class within the Accounting Technician series in the classified service. Performs routine accounting and payroll duties including maintaining financial and payroll records, processing transactions, and assisting with reconciliations and reports. Interfaces with other City departments, auditors, business entities, governmental jurisdiction and general public to exchange information related to assigned financial or payroll function. Performs related duties as assigned.

Accounting Technician II

This is the second level classification in the Accounting Technician series. Performs advanced paraprofessional accounting and payroll duties including maintaining financial and payroll records, processing and reconciling transactions, and preparing related reports and documentation. Interfaces with other City departments, auditors, business entities, governmental jurisdiction and general public to exchange information related to assigned financial or payroll function. May perform more complex processing and reconciliation work and related duties as assigned.

This Recruitment is for the Payroll and General Ledger Unit within the Accounting Division.

Additional Information:

Applications must be filled out completely (e.g. do not write "see resume, NA, or personnel file."). Years of experience are considered on the basis of full-time-equivalent experience (2080 hours per year). To receive consideration for the screening process, candidates must submit a 1) Cover Letter and 2) Resume. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Application packets may be submitted online through the "Apply Now" feature on the job announcement at www.santaclaraca.gov. Applications must be submitted by the filing deadline of November 20, 2026 at 4:00 PM.

THIS RECRUITMENT MAY BE USED TO FILL MULTIPLE POSITIONS IN THIS, OR OTHER DIVISIONS OR DEPARTMENTS BESIDES THE POSITIONS LISTED ABOVE. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN EMPLOYMENT IN THIS CLASSIFICATION, YOU SHOULD APPLY TO ENSURE YOU ARE CONSIDERED FOR ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT MAY UTILIZE THE APPLICANTS FROM THIS RECRUITMENT. MEETING THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS DOES NOT GUARANTEE ADMITTANCE INTO THE EXAMINATION PROCESS. ONLY THE MOST QUALIFIED CANDIDATES WHO DEMONSTRATE THE BEST COMBINATION OF QUALIFICATIONS IN RELATION TO THE REQUIREMENTS AND DUTIES OF THE POSITION WILL BE INVITED TO TEST OR INTERVIEW. APPLICANTS WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR POSITIONS ADHERING TO ALL APPLICABLE CITY POLICIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO CMD 033- EMPLOYMENT OF RELATIVES.

The annual salary range for Accounting Technician I is $80,958.72 - $103,533.72. The annual salary range for Accounting Technician II is $84,953.64 - $108,894.12. This position may be filled at or near the minimum of the salary range.

Minimum Qualifications

Accounting Technician I

Minimum Education Requirements:

• Graduation from high school or possession of a GED.

Minimum Experience Requirements:

• Two (2) years of work experience in Finance/Accounting (accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, or general accounting);
• Experience with electronic spreadsheet and word processing programs; and
• Experience with online financial systems.

Acceptable Substitution:

College coursework in a related field may be substituted for the required work experience in Finance/Accounting on a year for year basis.

License/Certifications:

None

Desirable Qualifications:

• Experience with on-line financial and/or payroll systems;
• Experience with PeopleSoft Financial or Human Resources/Payroll Systems.

Other Requirements:

• Must be able to perform all of the essential functions of the job assignment.
• May be required to work unusual hours and weekends in the performance of their duties.

Accounting Technician II

Minimum Education Requirements:

• Graduation from high school or possession of a GED.

Minimum Experience Requirements:

• Three (3) years of work experience in Finance/Accounting (accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, or general accounting);
• Experience with electronic spreadsheet and word processing programs; and
• Experience with online financial systems.

Acceptable Substitution:

College coursework in a related field can be substituted for the required work experience in Finance/Accounting on a year for year basis, up to two (2) years.

License/Certifications:

None

Desirable Qualifications:

Experience with PeopleSoft Financial or Human Resources/Payroll Systems.

Other Requirements:

• Must be able to perform all of the essential functions of the job assignment.
• May be required to work unusual hours and weekends in the performance of their duties.

Follow this link to view the entire Class Specification for the Accounting Technician I classification, which includes more information on Typical Duties and Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.

Follow this link to view the entire Class Specification for the Accounting Technician II classification, which includes more information on Typical Duties and Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.

Candidates must attain a passing score on each phase of the examination process to qualify for the Eligible List. A department interview may be required prior to appointment.

Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in this country. Please be informed that the City of Santa Clara will not sponsor, represent, or sign documents related to visa applications/transfers for H1B or any other type of visa which requires an employer application.

If applying for Accounting Technician I, you may qualify for:

VETERAN'S PREFERENCE POINTS: This position qualifies for Veteran's Preference Points. Applicants who have separated from service (Active Duty Status) must submit proof of honorable discharge (Form DD214) with their application at time of filing or will be ineligible to have points added to their final score.

If applying for Accounting Technician II, you may qualify for:

PERMANENT CITY EMPLOYEES PREFERENCE POINTS: Current permanent employee candidates who receive a passing score on the examination will have an additional five (5) points added to their final score.

The City of Santa Clara is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants for all job openings will be considered without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status or any other consideration made unlawful under any federal, state or local laws. The City of Santa Clara is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to job applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at (408) 615-2080 or HumanResources@santaclaraca.gov.

City of Santa Clara Benefit Summary Overview for Bargaining Unit #5, 7, & 8

Employees Association

This summary provides a brief overview of the City of Santa Claras benefits available to Bargaining Unit #5, 7, & 8 employees in 2026. In the event of any conflict between the information in this summary and the applicable official plan documents, City Managers Directives (CMDs), Personnel and Salary Resolution, or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the applicable official plan documents, CMDs, Personnel and Salary Resolution, or MOU will prevail over this summary. Benefits are subject to change.

Retirement:

• Membership in the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS)

• Classic Employees: 2.7% @ age 55 formula - employee pays 8.00% of gross pay, minus $61 bi-weekly

• New Employees: 2.0% @ age 62 formula - employee pays 7.00% of gross pay

• Medicare and Social Security (FICA)

• Employee pays 6.20% up to $11,439 (Social Security) and 1.45% (Medicare) of gross pay

Health Insurance:

• The City contributes up to 100% of the premium of the Kaiser (Region 1) plan for Employee Only and Employee + 1 Dependent plans, and up to 90% of the premium of the Kaiser (Region 1) plan of the Employee + 2 or More Dependents plan
• Employees electing health coverage with premiums above the City health contribution will pay additional premium costs from salary on a pre-tax basis
• No cash difference is paid if an employee elects a plan cheaper than the max City contribution
• To be eligible for the City's contribution toward health, employees must be on a paid status for at least 80 hours in the month prior to the month of coverage
• The City's contribution is prorated based on scheduled hours for part time employees
• Coverage is effective as early as the first day of the month after date of hire
• Employees hired on or after 1/1/2022 who opt-out of City-offered health insurance and provide annual attestation and acceptable proof of alternative required coverage for themselves and their tax family, if applicable, are eligible for a cash-in-lieu amount of $250/month. Contact Human Resources for more details

Dental Insurance:

• Choice of two Delta Dental plans; enrollment is mandatory
• City pays lowest cost employee only plan; additional cost is paid by employee
• Coverage is effective as early as the first day of the month after date of hire

Vision Insurance:

• Choice of two VSP plans
• City pays lowest cost employee only plan; additional cost is paid by employee
• Coverage is effective as early as the first day of the month after date of hire

Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association (VEBA):

• City contributes $50.00 a month toward employees VEBA account
• Account funds may be used to pay for qualified medical expenses after separation from the City and after age 50 (pre-tax)

Life Insurance:

• City pays for $15,000 of Basic Life Insurance coverage
• Coverage is effective the first of the month after one calendar month of employment
• Additional optional insurance may be purchased by the employee for the employee, spouse, domestic partner, and/or dependent children

State Disability Insurance (SDI):

• Employee pays 1.3% of gross pay (includes Paid Family Leave)
• 7 day waiting period. Weekly paid leave for absences due to non-work related injuries/illnesses. Benefit is based on past earnings. Refer to edd.ca.gov for more information

Paid Family Leave (PFL):

• Up to 8 weeks of benefits within a 12-month period to care for a family member or to bond with a new child
• No waiting period. Weekly paid leave benefit. Benefit is based on past earnings. Refer to edd.ca.gov for more information

Long Term Disability (LTD) Insurance:

• Benefit is 2/3 of basic wage up to $7,500; max of $5,000/month
• City pays $.558/$100 of insured earnings
• 30 calendar day waiting period
• Coverage is effective the first of the month after one calendar month of employment

Deferred Compensation:

• Voluntary plan through Nationwide Retirement Solutions
• Employee may contribute up to the lesser of the IRS maximum or 100% of gross compensation into a pre-tax 457(b) account or a post-tax Roth 457(b) account (or a combination of the two accounts) subject to IRS rules

Flexible Spending Account (IRS Section 125 Plan):

• Employee may contribute up to $3,400 per year in pre-tax dollars to a health care spending account
• Employee may contribute up to $7,500 per year in pre-tax dollars to a dependent care spending account
• Employee may contribute up to $340 per month in pre-tax dollars to a commuter benefit plan

Vacation:

• Vacation is accrued bi-weekly, cannot use vacation during first 6 months of City service

• For 1 - 4 years of service: 10 days (80 hours)/year

• For 5 - 9 years of service: 15 days (120 hours)/year

• For 10 - 15 years of service: 21 days (168 hours)/year

• For 16 - 20 years of service: 22 days (176 hours)/year

• For 21+ years of service: 24 days (192 hours)/year

• Maximum vacation accrual is 420 hours

• Once per year, employees can elect to convert up to 40 hours of accrued vacation to cash to be paid out the following calendar year

Sick Leave:

• Sick leave is accrued bi-weekly for equivalent of 96 hours per calendar year with no maximum accrual

• Up to 48 hours/year of accumulated sick leave may be used for family illness

• Up to 40 hours/year of accumulated sick leave may be used for personal leave

• Employee may convert sick leave to vacation once per calendar year (annual maximum conversion is 96 hours sick to 48 hours vacation)

• Partial sick leave payoff provision on retirement depending on years of service

Non-Management Leave:

• 40hours of non-management leave credited to employees each January 1st
• New employees hired between January 1st and June 30th receive 40 hours of non-management leave their first year
• New employees hired between July 1st and December 31st receive 20 hours of non-management leave their first year
• Unused non-management leave may not be carried over from one calendar year to the next

Compensatory Time Off (CTO):

• Employees may accrue CTO in lieu of overtime hours (maximum accrual is set by department)
• 16 hours of CTO is credited to employees each January 1st (prorated if hired after January 1st)

Holidays:

• Seventeen paid eight-hour holidays per year (13 & 4 holidays between 12/25 to 1/1 of following year)

Reimbursements/Allowances (for specific classifications):

• Raingear: $150 per fiscal year for eligible classifications
• Safety Boots: $275 per fiscal year for eligible classifications
• Walking Shoes: $120 per fiscal year for eligible classifications (See MOU for details)
• Tools: $500 per fiscal year reimbursement for Auto Foreperson classification
• Phone allowance of $80/month for Senior Key Customer Representative(s) and Key Customer Representative(s) job classifications

Bilingual Pay:

• Certified bilingual employees are eligible for $55/bi-weekly bilingual pay

Night Differential Pay:

• Librarians and library support employees whose regular assignments are to City libraries are eligible for 5.0% night differential pay for all hours worked between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. so long as they work a minimum of 2 consecutive hours between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m.
• All other employees are eligible for 5.0% night differential pay for all hours worked between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. so long as they work a minimum of 2 consecutive hours between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m.

Standby Pay:

• Employees in the classification of Electric Utility Programmer Analyst, Electric Utility Network Administrator, and Senior Energy Systems Analyst are eligible for standby pay of $100/week when assigned to work standby

Tuition Reimbursement Program:

• Up to $2,000 per fiscal year for tuition reimbursement

Employee Assistance Program:

• Confidential counseling to employees and dependents. Up to maximum of five (5) consultations per family member per incident per year
• City paid benefit

Retiree Medical Reimbursement Program:

• Employees who retire from the City with at least ten (10) years of service shall receive reimbursement to help cover retiree single health insurance premiums. The reimbursement maximum includes the PEMHCA minimum.
• Up to age 65, retirees are eligible for reimbursement up to $438/month in 2026 (amount adjusted annually)
• After age 65, retirees are eligible for reimbursement up to $262/month in 2026 (amount adjusted annually)

01

Each applicant must complete this supplemental questionnaire as a part of the application screening and selection process. The information you provide will be reviewed and used to determine your eligibility to move forward in the selection process. Incomplete responses, omissions, stating "see resume" or partial information may result in disqualification from the selection process. Do you agree to answer each supplemental question completely, and in your own words (without the use of generative Artificial Intelligence tools, including but not limited to Chat GPT, Microsoft AI, or any other AI tool), and that your responses can be verified from information included within your application?

• Yes
• No

02

Please select the option below that best describes how you meet the minimum qualifications for Accounting Technician I.

• I have graduated from high school or possess a GED; and have two (2) years of work experience in Finance/Accounting (accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, or general accounting); Experience with electronic spreadsheet and word processing programs; and Experience with online financial systems.
• I have graduated from high school or possess a GED; and have completed one (1) year of college coursework in a related field; One (1) year of work experience in Finance/Accounting (accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, or general accounting); Experience with electronic spreadsheet and word processing programs; and Experience with online financial systems.
• I have graduated from high school or possess a GED; and have completed two (2) years of college coursework in a related field; Experience with electronic spreadsheet and word processing programs; and Experience with online financial systems.
• I do not meet the minimum experience qualifications.

03

Please select the option below that best describes how you meet the minimum qualifications for Accounting Technician II.

• I have graduated from high school or possess a GED; and have three (3) years of work experience in Finance/Accounting (accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, or general accounting); Experience with electronic spreadsheet and word processing programs; and Experience with online financial systems.
• I have graduated from high school or possess a GED; and have completed one (1) year of college coursework in a related field; and two (2) years of work experience in Finance/Accounting (accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, or general accounting); Experience with electronic spreadsheet and word processing programs; and Experience with online financial systems.
• I have graduated from high school or possess a GED; and have completed two (2) years of college coursework in a related field; One year of work experience in Finance/Accounting (accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, or general accounting); Experience with electronic spreadsheet and word processing programs; and Experience with online financial systems.
• I do not meet the minimum education qualifications.

04

Please describe how your education and experience meet the minimum qualifications of this position.

05

Please select which position you are applying for:

• Accounting Technician I
• Accounting Technician II
• Both positions

06

Please select any preference points you may be eligible for:

• Veteran's Preference Points (must submit proof of honorable discharge (Form DD214 with application).
• Permanent City Employees Preference Points
• None

07

The following may be required from you: • Must be able to perform all of the essential functions of the job assignment. • May be required to work unusual hours and weekends in the performance of their duties. Are you able to adhere to the requirements?

• Yes
• No

08

The Accounting Technician position can be responsible for handling Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Cash and Investment, General Ledger, or Payroll. Please provide a summary of your work experience and highlight elements of your career that you believe are especially relevant to this position.

09

Describe your computer & software skills/experience. What applications are you familiar with?

10

Please describe your experience with analyzing, reconciling, and maintaining financial data?

11

Describe your experience with payroll processing, payroll reconciliations, and ensuring the accuracy of payroll records.

Required Question

Employer City of Santa Clara

Address 1500 Warburton Ave.

Santa Clara, California, 95050

Phone 408-615-2080

Website http://www.santaclaraca.gov