Accountant II

Job Title:  Accountant II
 
Open Date:  November 19, 2025
Close Date:  Open Until Filled – First Review will take place December 8, 2025
 
Salary:  $7,021 - $7,941/month plus benefits – FLSA Exempt
 
RECRUITMENT DESCRIPTION: 
The City of Ellensburg has a vacancy for a full-time Accountant II in the Finance Department.       
 
The Accountant II will contribute to the success of the Finance Department by performing all duties and responsibilities in an accurate, efficient, and service-oriented manner.
 
This position performs intermediate to complex budget and accounting duties and provides technical support to employees across the organization.  Most of the work is performed independently and the employee will receive assignments and guidance from the Accountant III (financials) as well as other senior finance staff.
 
CORE VALUES:
All employees are expected to model and foster the City of Ellensburg’s core values in the performance of their duties and their interactions while representing the City and serving the community. The values of Compassion (we care), Courage (we do the right thing), and Conviction (we work hard) promote and maintain a high level of service and are the tie that binds all City employees together, across departments.
 
QUALIFICATIONS:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

REQUIRED EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance
• Three (3) years of increasingly responsible professional accounting experience
• A bachelor’s degree in another field may be considered with additional experience and training in accounting or finance if it provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities to accomplish the professional/governmental accounting functions required of this position. 
• Please Note: An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered in lieu of some of the requirements above, as determined by Management.

• Applicants must agree to a credit check and be in good credit standing with no debts currently assigned to collections, and a credit history that reflects no pattern of instability. The applicant must not have a pending garnishment or judgment which may cause undue hardship while employed with this agency, with the exception of child support.  The hiring authority shall review the applicant’s credit history and determine eligibility for employment on a case-by-case basis.  Prior to hire, the candidate is required to pass a background check.

• Public sector accounting
• Payroll processing
• Experience with BARS and GASB
• Bilingual English/Spanish

• Thorough knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB), and Budget and Accounting Reporting Systems (BARS) for municipalities.
• Thorough knowledge of the following: methods, procedures, and terminology used in accounting activities; financial and statistical record keeping techniques; internal control procedures; and management information systems; City policies/procedures and state/federal laws, rules, and regulations related to assigned accounting activities.   
• Ability to apply accounting principles to prepare financial reports and detailed accounting records; must be able to perform mathematical calculations rapidly and accurately; ability to interpret, implement, and train others about financial procedures that conform to state and federal regulations.
• Ability to organize and prioritize multiple concurrent work assignments on a regular basis and meet deadlines; able to maintain accurate accounts and records.
• Must be confident in one’s skills and abilities; must be able to work independently with minimal direction.
•  Ability to positively and effectively interact with diverse individuals to accomplish a common goal and establish courteous and collaborative working relationships with City employees, employees of State and Federal agencies, and the general public; communicate in a clear and confident manner, orally and in writing; work well in a busy team environment.
• Ability to handle confidential and highly sensitive matters; must use good judgment when.  dissemination of confidential or sensitive information is required.
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journal, technical procedures, or governmental regulations; ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals; ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the public in a clear, concise, and professional manner.
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals and to apply basic concepts of algebra and geometry.  Ability to compute interest, discounts, rate, ratio, percentages, area circumference, volume, and to draw and interpret bar graphs.