Salary : $67,600.00 - $98,945.60 Annually
Location : Riverside
Job Type: Regular
Job Number: 26-77412-09
Department: Auditor Controller
Division: County Payroll
Opening Date: 08/25/2026
Closing Date: 9/1/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

For questions regarding this position, please contact the Recruiter listed in the Supplemental Information section.
ABOUT THE POSITION
The Auditor-Controller's Office in Riverside County seeks an Accountant I/II for its Payroll Unit located in Riverside, CA.

The Payroll Division of the Auditor-Controller's Office is responsible for payroll processing, accounting, and reconciliations. The Division is comprised of the Payroll Operations Unit and the Accounting/Reconciliation Unit. The objective of the Payroll Operations Unit is to process payroll timely and accurately. The function of the Payroll Accounting/Reconciliation Unit is to remit payroll and report to state and federal agencies quarterly, reconcile the bi-weekly payrolls and maintain accurate records and reconciliations of all transactions relating to the payroll processes, and report all retirement earnings and contributions to CalPERS. The division's primary mission is to timely and accurately pay over 26,000 County employees bi-weekly. In addition to ensuring accurate reporting of taxable earnings, withholdings, and retirement earnings, we verify they are in compliance with County requirements, IRS regulations, and state and federal rules and regulations.

The Accountant I/II performs professional payroll accounting work in support of county-wide payroll processing, including reconciling multiple payroll funds and CalPERS accounts, supporting payroll interface activities and general ledger entries, reconciling payroll transactions, calculating overpayments, preparing Treasury Cash Receipts deposits, processing payroll tax payments, managing fringe benefit taxation of County-owned vehicles, and preparing and correcting wage and tax statements such as W-2 and W-2C. The position participates in special projects, audit requests, and variance analysis, and utilizes PeopleSoft HRMS and Financials extensively to research, analyze, and validate payroll data. The Accountant I/II reviews guidelines, procedures, laws, union contracts, employer pension contribution reporting requirements, FLSA rules, payroll taxation standards, and payroll accounting practices to ensure proper implementation of payroll policies and procedures and prepares documents and reports using Word and Excel. The role requires strong analytical skills to identify, document, and resolve variances, analyze data, draw logical conclusions, and communicate findings effectively in writing and orally. Additionally, they review new or revised payroll laws and assist with implementing required changes, assisting on designated assignments, and drafts and reviews desk procedures to support consistent and compliant payroll operations.

The most competitive candidates will have experience with government fund reconciliation and familiarity with county financial documents such as cash receipts, vouchers, and journal entries, along with dependable Excel skills and a strong sense of accountability. Candidates with experience using enterprise-level payroll systems, particularly PeopleSoft HRMS for data entry, inquiry, and queries, as well as PeopleSoft Financials, will be highly competitive. Experience with CalPERS reporting and payroll taxation is a plus.

The Accountant I is a natural progression underfill for the Accountant II. Incumbents are expected to promote to Accountant II after obtaining one year of experience as an Accountant I, meeting the education requirement and obtaining a satisfactory performance evaluation. Failure to promote to the Accountant II class will result in incumbents being returned to their former County classification or new hires being released prior to the end of their probationary period.

The Accountant II is distinguished from the Senior Accountant classification in that the latter is the advanced journey and lead level class in the series. Incumbents perform complex accounting and auditing assignments requiring an extensive technical knowledge and the exercise of a greater degree of independent judgment than the Accountant II class.
The level at which this position is filled is based on the candidate's qualifications and at the department's discretion.
Salary Range:

Accountant I = $32.50 - $45.09 Hourly

Accountant II = $34.29 - $47.57 Hourly
5% added premium pay for those who possess a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), and/or Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA).

**ALL APPLICANTS MUST UPLOAD A COPY OF THEIR TRANSCRIPTS AS PROOF OF ACCOUNTING SPECIALIZATION COMPLETED AT AN ACCREDITED COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY. **
Meet the Team!
EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL DUTIES
• Establish, review, revise, and maintain controls on fiscal recordkeeping functions in an assigned unit.
• Examine and analyze fiscal recordkeeping systems and procedures.
• Examine, analyze, and verify fiscal documents (e.g., vouchers, warrants, requisitions, purchase orders, receiving records, and invoices).
• Prepare trial balances, reconciliations, work sheets, and schedules.
• Prepare a variety of accounting, statistical, and narrative reports.
• Review, evaluate, and may assist in the preparation and maintenance of the budget and internal controls.
• Prepare recommendations for the installation of new or revised accounting and cost systems, procedures, and records.
• Analyze the classification and distribution of income and expenditures to proper accounts.
• Develop complex rate or cost models.
• Track, report, and reimburse routine federal or state grants.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
ACCOUNTANT I: $32.4984 - $45.0880 hourly
OPTION I
Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree in accounting, or another field of study that included at least 18 semester or 27 quarter units in accounting, finance, auditing, taxation, financial reporting, business finance, financial statement analysis, or external and internal reporting, or closely related coursework.

OPTION II
Certification: Possession of a valid certificate as a Certified Public Accountant or Certified Internal Auditor.

OPTION III
Education: Completion of 90 semester or 135 quarter units from an accredited college or university with a major in accounting, or another field of study that included at least 18 semester or 27 quarter units in accounting, finance, auditing, taxation, financial reporting, business finance, financial statement analysis, or external and internal reporting, or closely related coursework.

Experience: One year equivalent to the County of Riverside Accountant Trainee classification.

OPTION IV
Education: Completion of 90 semester or 135 quarter units from an accredited college or university with a major in accounting, or another field of that study that included at least 18 semester or 27 quarter units in accounting, finance, auditing, taxation, financial reporting, business finance, financial statement analysis, or external and internal reporting, or closely related coursework.

Experience: Three years of paraprofessional accounting experience equivalent to the County of Riverside Accounting Technician classification series.
ACCOUNTANT II: $34.2858 - $47.5678 hourly
OPTION IEducation: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree in accounting, or another field of study that included at least 18 semester or 27 quarter units in accounting, finance, auditing, taxation, financial reporting, business finance, financial statement analysis, or external and internal reporting, or closely related coursework. (One year of experience as a professional accountant with the County of Riverside may substitute for the 18 semester or 27 quarter units of specialized coursework.)

Experience: One year of professional level accounting experience equivalent to a County of Riverside Accountant I classification.

OPTION IICertificate: Possession of a valid certificate as a Certified Public Accountant or Certified Internal Auditor.

Experience: One year of professional level accounting experience equivalent to a County of Riverside Accountant I classification.

ALL OPTIONSKnowledge of: Accounting principles and practices; principles and procedures of governmental accounting; general business law and budgeting methods; principles of good office management and effective supervision; computerized data processing.

Ability to: Analyze data and draw logical conclusions; maintain records and prepare accounting, statistical, and narrative reports; supervise the work of others; establish and maintain effective working relationships; communicate effectively both orally and in writing.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
For questions regarding this recruitmentFor specific questions regarding this position, contact Genesis Ochoategui at or call (951) 955-4593. Please allow 1-2 business days for response to general inquiries.
APPLICATION INFORMATION

Veteran's Preference
The County has a Veterans Preference Policy applicable to new hires. To qualify, attach the required documents to your job application. Documents include a copy of your (or your spouse's) Member-4 Form DD-214 indicating dates of service. For spousal preference, and as applicable, the following documents: a copy of your marriage certificate, spouse's death certificate, a letter of spouse's disability and/or letter of service-related death (if available) from the U.S. Veteran's Administration. For privacy reasons, it is recommended that you remove your social security information from the document(s). A Human Resources Representative will review the materials and determine if you qualify for veterans' preference. For complete details and documentation requirements, please review the Veterans Preference Policy, C-3 here:
Reasonable Accommodations
The County of Riverside is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). Qualified individuals with disabilities who need a reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process should contact the recruiter for the position noted above. For additional information and/or to obtain the appropriate form for requesting a reasonable accommodation, please visit the Disability Access Office web page located at:
Work Location and Telework
In-person attendance is the standard work expectation for County of Riverside assignments. Certain assignments may be eligible for a hybrid telework schedule; however, telework arrangements are subject to management approval, operational needs, and/or may be modified or discontinued at any time. Employees who telework are expected to be able to report to their assigned worksite on short notice or as operational needs require. Unless otherwise specified for a particular position, employees are expected to reside in California following appointment. Limited exceptions may apply. Applicants should contact the assigned recruiter for additional information regarding work location expectations, telework eligibility, and residency requirements.
Proof of Education
If using education to qualify or when requested by the recruiter, upload a copy of any license(s), official/unofficial transcript(s), degrees, and/or related employment documents to your NeoGov account at the time of application and before the closing date. Official or unofficial transcripts will be accepted.

If your education was completed outside of the United States, you will need to provide a copy of your Foreign Education Equivalency evaluation from a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services () or Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. ().
Work Authorization Requirement
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application. The County of Riverside does not participate in visa sponsorship programs, including H1-B visas, and will not provide sponsorship for any employment-based visas.