Principal Accountant

Principal Accountant

The City of Pomona is seeking an experienced and highly skilled accounting professional to join the Finance Department as a Principal Accountant. This recruitment is open to both external applicants and eligible City employees. In this key role, the Principal Accountant performs advanced and specialized governmental accounting duties, oversees critical accounting processes and programs, and supports the Finance Department's leadership team. The position is responsible for complex financial analysis, budgeting, auditing, financial reporting, and accounting activities related to the Successor Agency, Pomona Public Financing Authority, and capital improvement projects.

The ideal candidate will possess extensive knowledge of general and governmental accounting principles, financial reporting, budgeting, auditing, and applicable federal, state, and local regulations. Successful candidates will demonstrate exceptional analytical skills, sound professional judgment, and the ability to identify and implement improvements to accounting systems, processes, and procedures. The ideal candidate will also be an effective communicator who can explain complex financial information, develop positive working relationships, and independently manage high-level administrative and analytical assignments. Experience with Successor Agency activities, capital improvement projects, bond financing, and governmental audits is highly desirable.

The City of Pomona offers meaningful public service work, opportunities for professional growth, and an excellent benefits package, including:

• 4/10 work schedule (Fridays off)
• 6% education incentive pay for a master's degree or higher
• 80 hours of Executive Leave in addition to vacation and sick leave
• Competitive salary with a 5% increase effective October 1, 2026

If you are ready to advance your accounting career and contribute to the City's continued financial strength and accountability, we encourage you to apply.

Minimum Qualifications To Apply

Any combination equivalent to experience and training that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities would be qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge, skills, and abilities would be:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in accounting or a related field.
• Five (5) years of responsible accounting experience, including two (2) years government accounting experience.

Licenses:

• Must possess or obtain a valid CA Class "C" driver's license.
• Desirable, not required: Possession of a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license.

Core competencies to excel in this position include:

• Mathematical facility: Performing computations and solving mathematical problems
• Critical thinking: Analytically and logically evaluating information, propositions, and claims
• Customer focus: Attending to the needs and expectation of customers
• Teamwork: Collaborating with others to achieve shared goals
• Allocating resources: Prioritizing the use of fiscal and material resources to maximize organizational effectiveness
• Professional & Technical Expertise: Applying technical subject matter to the job

Essential Duties

• Provide professional, specialized, complex, and advanced journey level staff assistance and coordination in support of accounting functions and programs.
• Participate in the development and implementation of complex, new, or revised accounting programs, systems, procedures, and methods of operation.
• Participate in the preparation and administration of budgets; provide fiscal forecasting; maintain and monitor appropriate budgeting and expenditure controls.
• Research, collect, compile, and analyze information from various sources on a variety of specialized accounting topics; prepare comprehensive accounting records, reports, and summaries to present and interpret data, identify alternatives, and make and justify recommendations.
• Audit account numbers and balance appropriations available for financial demands and purchase orders; review account balances and entries for errors; make journal entries.
• Review staff reports and resolutions for the Successor Agency and CIP; make corrections to staff reports and res