Accountant I

Note: Current Employees must use the career section to apply for this position.

The mission of Yakima County Government is to provide accessible, responsive and responsible public service through leadership and teamwork committed to understanding and meeting public needs.

Our Values:

• Integrity

• Common Sense

• Innovation

• Accountability

Position Data:

Accountant I-J23-U00-HRegularNon-Exempt (eligible for overtime)

Overview:

Pay Range: $32.25 - $40.91 per hour (Non-Bargaining Pay Plan, C41 Step 1-13)
Hiring Range: $32.25-34.23 (Non-Bargaining Pay Plan, C41 Step 1-4 DOQ)

Job Closing Date: February 17, 2026

There is one Accountant I opening with the Yakima County Auditor's Office. This payroll position performs professional level accounting activities and assists in developing policies and procedures to ensure compliance to federal and state statutes and regulations as it applies to the issuance processing of payroll.

Benefits included in position:
-Health Care Benefits (Medical, Dental, Vision, Basic Life and Basic LTD)
-Retirement Benefits
-Paid Vacation
-Paid Holidays
-Paid Sick Leave

Note: This is a Non-Bargaining unit position.

This recruitment may be used to fill future vacancies that occur within 90 days of the closing of this position. (This excludes Yakima County Sheriff's Office and Department of Corrections)

Responsibilities:

Essential Duties:

Responsible for performing all accounting activities necessary to process multiple payrolls by carrying out responsibilities for payroll preparation, processing, and operations for Yakima County. 

Assists the Manager with ensuring the payroll function is in conformance with federal, state, and local law, codes, and guidelines. Supports in identifying payroll process improvements in operations, procedures, policies, and methods while leveraging industry best practices.

Collaborates with the financial division to analyze, audit, and reconcile the financial information in payroll liability accounts. Position is responsible for confirming the balancing of payroll liability accounts within a complex accounting system and resolving payroll discrepancies in collaboration with the Finance Division.

Processes and verifies advanced and complex quarterly and year-end payroll processing for government, monitoring the latest changes in legislation and regulations that impact the close of one year and the beginning of the next within established critical deadlines to avoid significantly harsh penalties.

Generate, processes, maintains and accurately transmits advanced and complex financial reports for Department of Retirement Systems (DRS), Teamster’s Pension, Child Support (DSHS), Union Dues, employment taxes, state taxes, garnishments and levies, and other mandates within established critical deadlines to avoid significantly harsh penalties. May transmit complex financial correction reports as required and may respond to inquiries as requested.

Analyzes and evaluates complex financial information of payroll liability accounts and performs duties including balancing and controlling earnings and deduction totals, calculating and preparing general ledger entries, calculating, preparing payroll inputs, inspecting automated system output such as registers and standard to complex reports, determining and correcting out-of-balance conditions, preparing and filing tax reports, gathering payroll data, and researching and preparing special reports for management, calculating military and jury duty pay, and processes garnishments and levies.

Balances payroll journal lines, payroll registers, payroll deduction registers, ad-hoc payments and verifies accuracy and compliance of voluntary deductions, involuntary withholdings, employee taxes and employer paid benefits.

Develops division work standards for implementation by staff.   Develops payroll accounting operational procedures, interprets, and ensures compliance with federal and state statutes and rules that apply to payroll and provides instruction to others. 

Develops, tests, and implements new and/or updated system processes and improvements as assigned. In addition, position will research  new financial management system features, evaluating which ones should be adopted by Yakima County, and implementing and testing those that are added.

Represents the Auditor before governmental agencies on issues related to Payroll processing.

Acts as an ongoing liaison with other County Departments, local, state and federal government officials, private organizations and the public concerning payroll functions.

Other duties required.  

Education & Experience:

Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance or related field; OR the equivalent combination of education and experience, which provides knowledge, skills and abilities sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job; auditing experience; proficiency with Microsoft Word and Excel/Spreadsheet computer programs.

Required:  

• valid WA State Driver’s license and proof of insurance, if requested; and,

• successful completion of a financial background investigation and general employment verification.

Preferred:

• auditing experience;

• Governmental accounting experience;

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance or related field; and,

• Workday configuration experience.

Equipment Used: computer, printer, automated financial systems and other software as required, copier, calculator, other general office equipment, and passenger vehicle.

Working Conditions: This position is rated as Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body.  Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time.  Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met. 

Environment: travel and may be required to work outside of standard business hours.

Physical Demands: bending, handling, reaching, sitting, standing, walking, fingering, hearing, talking, and visual acuity.

Intellectual Demands: ability to multitask, confidentiality, ability to work under pressure, ability to articulate and communicate information in conversations, ability to follow written instruction, and ability to follow verbal instruction.

Knowledge:

• laws, rules and regulations related to payroll processing;

• practices and procedures and operational methods used in financial offices;

• Generally Accepted Accounting Principles;

• Governmental and fund accounting theories and principles;

• methods of research, investigation and financial document analysis;

• advanced accounting and mathematical calculations methods;

• computer word processing, data processing and spreadsheet applications;

• file maintenance techniques, and

• customer service and team building concepts. 

Skills (and abilities):

• interpreting, applying and explaining law, rules and regulations related to the payroll function;

• performing advanced mathematical calculations;

• close examination to detail and accuracy;

• supervising, assigning and monitoring the work of others;

• interpreting policies, procedures, laws and regulations;

• researching, gathering and analyzing data;

• communications, oral and written, sufficient to exchange or convey information to others and receive work direction;

• maintaining confidentiality relating to all payroll information;

• analyzing legal & financial information and preparing sound recommendations;

• preparing complex financial documents and reports;

• using office equipment such as phones, copiers, calculators and fax machines;

• using a personal computer and related software applications including keeping financial systems in balance/reconciled; and,

• establishing and maintaining effective interpersonal relationships with County and other officials, at all organizational levels and with the public.

“AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER”
Minorities, Females, Protected Veterans and the Disabled are encouraged to apply.

Yakima County ensures equal employment opportunities regardless of a person’s age, color, creed, sensory, mental or physical disability, genetic information, marital status, national origin, political belief, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, and military status, or any other protected status under federal or state statute.

PAY TRANSPARENCY NONDISCRIMINATION PROVISION
The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish the information.

Disabled applicants may request accommodation to participate in the job application and/or selection process for employment. Please contact Human Resources for further information.

Yakima County is a qualified Public Service entity for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. For more information, go to  or contact your federal loan servicer.

In compliance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, Yakima County will hire only United States citizens and aliens lawfully authorized to work in the United States.

Yakima County is an E-Verify Employer.