PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT

Salary: $65,569.00 Annually
Location : New Orleans, LA
Job Type: Probationary
Job Number: 11194/0418
Department: Finance Department
Opening Date: 10/28/2024
Closing Date: Continuous
Kind of Work
Professional, specialized and some supervisory work in summarizing, recording, analyzing, categorizing and interpreting financial data. Work includes ensuring that all liabilities for city funds are paid as well as recorded in accordance with the city charter and state law in the Finance Department's accounting bureau. Employees in this class perform special studies, prepare financial statements, analyze data and implement recommendations; and related work as required.
Minimum Qualifications

1. A Bachelor's Degree in accounting from an accredited college or university* or a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university in another field with at least twenty-four (24) semester hours in accounting.*
2. Three (3) years of professional Governmental Fund Accounting or Governmental Fund Auditing experience. This experience must have included preparing or auditing governmental financial fund level and government wide financial statements for a large governmental agency in accordance with Governmental Auditing Standards.

Note : The Department of Civil Service reserves the right to determine the relatedness of the degree and/or experience. Professional experience must have been earned in a position that required a Bachelor's degree upon entrance.
* Prior to appointment, the hiring agency is required to verify education claimed by the applicant to qualify for this classification. If selected for hire, applicants must provide original documents of their qualifying credentials to the hiring agency prior to their start date in this job classification.
Kind of Examination
A rating of training and experience, weighted 100%. All related previous experience will be considered for qualification purposes, however credit on the rating of training and experience will only be given for experience gained within the last ten (10) years.
Note : Additional credit will be granted for possession of a Certified Public Accountant or Certified Internal Auditor Certification.
This is an original entrance examination.
General Information
THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER AND DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE ON THE BASIS OF RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, NATIONAL ORIGIN, GENDER, AGE, PHYSICAL OR MENTAL DISABILITY, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, CREED, CULTURE, OR ANCESTRY. REQUESTS FOR ALTERNATE FORMAT OR ACCOMMODATIONS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO SHANA PARKER AT (504) 658-3516 OR TTY/VOICE AT (504) 586-4475 or (504) 658-4020.
DOMICILE REQUIREMENTS FOR EMPLOYMENT : Domicile requirements are currently waived for the purpose of application. However, all new full-time employees hired into this classification on or after January 1, 2013 must be domiciled in Orleans Parish within 180 days of hire. Airport and public safety employees are excluded from this provision.
Additional exceptions to the domicile requirement may be made on a case-by-case basis. We encourage you to apply for this position and discuss your need for a domicile exception during the interview process.
DOMICILE REQUIREMENTS FOR EMPLOYMENT (SEWERAGE AND WATER BOARD) :
Domicile requirements are currently waived for the purpose of application**. Residency requirements are waived for all Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans positions vacant and advertised for at least 90 days. Employees hired under this waiver remain exempt from the city's residency requirement for the duration of their employment at the Sewerage and Water Board. (La R.S. 33:4076). **Additional exceptions to the domicile requirement may be made on a case-by-case basis. We encourage you to apply for this position and discuss your need for a domicile exception during the interview process.
BACKGROUND CHECK: The hiring department will conduct interviews of qualified individuals prior to requesting a criminal background check, and no job application submitted prior to such interview shall inquire into an applicant's criminal history. If this position is subject to a background check for any convictions related to its responsibilities and requirements, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background investigation including criminal history. Criminal history will not automatically disqualify a candidate.
APPLICATIONS: Applications will not be accepted if received after the closing date or after the stated maximum number of applications has been received, as specified on this announcement. All minimum qualification requirements for examinations must be met by the final filing date unless otherwise specified on this announcement. PAPER APPLICATIONS must be submitted on the official application form AND MUST BE RECEIVED IN THE DEPARTMENT OF CITY CIVIL SERVICE, 1340 POYDRAS STREET, SUITE 900, NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, BEFORE THE CLOSE OF BUSINESS ON THE FINAL FILING DATE.
DELAY IN THE MAIL: The Department of City Civil Service cannot be responsible for failure of the applicant to receive an admission slip to an examination or for failure of the Department to receive material mailed by the applicant. Applicants should notify the Department of City Civil Service in writing of any address changes
The minimum age limit is 18 years for any class of work requiring hard physical labor, operation of or proximity to hazardous machinery, exposure to hazardous chemicals, or participation in any other processes or procedures which are prohibited or limited by the Louisiana State Child Labor Law.
WORKING TEST PERIOD: Effective August 1, 2023, the working test (probationary) period for all positions in the classified service is one year.
SUBSTANCE ABUSE TESTING: The City of New Orleans has a comprehensive program of substance abuse testing. Candidates for employment for certain positions where the health, welfare and/or safety of the public, co-workers and the individual employee is at risk will have to undergo pre-employment substance abuse screening. Candidates for all other original entrance positions will have to undergo an unannounced substance abuse screening during their working test period. For further information, see Civil Service Rule V, Section 9.
A MEDICAL EXAMINATION is required for all original entrance probationary appointments to ACTIVE classifications, and may be required for re-employment, promotions and/or transfers.
A MEDICAL SCREENING , which may result in a medical examination, is required for all original entrance probationary appointments to non-active classifications.
GOOD MORAL CHARACTER is required of all applicants. Any applicant may be disqualified if his/her character or past employment record is found to be unsatisfactory as determined by the Department of City Civil Service. Forgery, misrepresentation of facts, or cheating on examinations is punishable by disqualification, fine and other penalties.
IMPORTANT : Applicants who are licensed to drive should have a current license on their person for purposes of identification during all phases of an examination. In lieu of such license, the Department of City Civil Service may require that applicants have some form of picture identification.
VETERANS PREFERENCE: On original entrance examinations, veterans (as defined in Article X, Section 10(2) of the Constitution of the State of Louisiana), disabled veterans, certain spouses and parents of veterans shall receive additional credit if claimed as provided on the Veterans Preference claim form which can be obtained in this office. To obtain credit, this form must be submitted with the required proof (at the minimum, a DD214) before the final filing date.
HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA AND GENERAL EQUIVALENCY DIPLOMA (GED) must be issued by a state Department of Education or an institution recognized by a state Department of Education. Certificates of completion, high school diplomas and GED from institutions not recognized by a state Department of Education, and high school diplomas from foreign countries are not acceptable.
ACCREDITED COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES: An accredited college or university is an institution that is accredited as a college or university by an organization that is recognized by the USDE (United States Department of Education). College diplomas from foreign countries will be accepted if the applicant submits a statement of educational equivalency from one of the evaluation services accepted by the Department of Civil Service. A list of the accepted evaluation services can be found on the National Association of Credential Evacuation Services (NACES) website (
EXPERIENCE:
Applicants will not receive credit for unpaid work unless specified on the job announcement.
Partial credit only will be given for related part time employment.
Civil Service reserves the right to determine which degrees, education, or other credentials are related or closely related.
Experience credit will be granted for related provisional appointments (internal applicants).
PROFESSIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERIENCE: The Civil Service Department defines this experience as experience gained in a position that required a Bachelor's Degree upon entrance.
OFFERS OF EMPLOYMENT OR PROMOTION:
Prior to appointment, the hiring agency is required to verify education, driver's license, and/or professional licenses/certifications claimed by the applicant to qualify for this classification. If selected for hire, applicants must provide original documents of their qualifying credentials to the hiring agency prior to their start date in this job classification.
Offers of employment or promotion are required to be withdrawn for applicants who are found to have misrepresented their credentials during the application process.
Revised 1/91, 4/03, 7/05, 2/07, 8/10, 2/12, 8/15, 6/16, 1/17, 1/19, 2/23, 8/23, 3/24, 6/24.
Employment with the City of New Orleans brings many great benefits.
Want work-life balance?

• 15 paid holidays in 2024.
• 13 paid vacation days per year including during your first year of employment. Additional bonus vacation days the longer you are employed.
• 13 paid sick days per year including during your first year of employment. Additional bonus sick days the longer you are employed.
• Use or lose your days, off? Not here! You can roll an unlimited number of unused sick days and up to 45 unused vacation days to the next year.
• We pay you for unused vacation and sick days when you leave City government.
• Depending on your job, your department may also offer remote work, flexible schedules, and/or shift work.

Thinking of starting a family or adding to your family?

• We offer 12 weeks of paid time off for bonding with a newborn, adopted, or fostered child. This is in addition to your sick and vacation leave. Full-time employees with one year of service qualify for this program.

Need insurance for you and/or your family?

• We offer healthcare plans as low as $60.31 biweekly for individual employees. Our plan covers medical, prescription drugs, dental, and vision. Hate going to the doctor's office? It also includes access to telemedicine. Plan members can also opt to cover their children, spouses and same or opposite sex registered domestic partners.
• We also offer a Flexible Spending Account that can reduce taxes for employees by allowing for pre-tax contributions for healthcare, childcare, and commuter costs.
• A completely free $25,000 life insurance policy is also available for all full-time employees.

Have student loan debt?

• The City of New Orleans is a qualified employer under the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF).

Are you part of the FIRE (Financially Independent/Retire Early) movement? Don't want to work forever? We have options to help.

• Pension, Pension, Pension! Depending on your job you can participate in one of several pension systems and enjoy this great benefit.
• You can also participate in a Deferred Compensation Plan (457b) which allows you to defer up to $23,000 of your pretax income each year to supplement your retirement savings.

Let's talk pay

• We offer competitive pay including pay increases based on the length of your employment. We also offer special pays for educational advancement, professional certifications and specialized work assignments.

Love to learn?

• Our Employee Growth and Development Division offers free courses in over 50 topics including Leadership, Personal Finance, Conflict Management, Excel, Managing Stress, and Business Writing.

We take care of our employees during emergencies

• Employees who work during emergencies receive extra pay.
• Employees who can't work due to emergency related workplace closures continue to receive their normal pay.

Want to make a difference?

• We need you! Make an impact on our community through your work in City government!

These benefits apply to employees of the City of New Orleans. Employees of Sewerage and Water Board enjoy many of these same benefits, but some benefits offered may vary. A listing of benefits available to Sewerage and Water Board employees can be found
This description of benefits is intended to be informational and does not create a contractual entitlement to any listed benefit. The employee welfare and pension plan documents and applicable law govern the eligibility, vesting, and schedule of benefits, and the above description does not alter or interpret the plan documents or applicable law.
01
The supplemental questions are a very important first step in our screening process. Therefore, you are required to complete these questions so that we may initially determine your eligibility for this position. A lack of detail and explanation in the supplemental questions and in your application may result in disqualification for this position. This means you will be ineligible for further consideration in this recruitment process. Please check "yes" to show that you have read and understand this statement.

• Yes
• No

02
Do you have a Bachelor's Degree in accounting from an accredited college or university?

• Yes
• No

03
If you have a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university, you must provide the following information:a. the name of the institute that issued the degree,b. your college major, and c. date of graduation (month and year).Failure to provide this information will result in the disqualification of your application for this position.If you do not have a Bachelor's Degree type N/A.
04
If you have a Bachelor's Degree, from an accredited college or university, in another field with at least twenty-four (24) semester hours in Accounting, you must provide the following information:a. the name of the institute that issued the degree,b. your college major, and c. the institute which you earned your twenty-four (24) credit hours in Accounting.Failure to provide this information will result in the disqualification of your application for this position.If you do not have a Bachelor's Degree type N/A.
05
How many semester hours in Accounting have you successfully completed?

• 0-11 credit hours
• 12-23 credit hours
• 24-35 credit hours
• 36-47 credit hours
• 48 or more credit hours

06
College diplomas from foreign countries will be accepted if the applicant submits a statement of educational equivalency from one of the evaluation services accepted by the Department of Civil Service. A list of the accepted evaluation services can be found on the National Association of Credential Evacuation Services (NACES) website ( check "yes" to show that you have read and understand this statement.

• Yes
• No

07
Prior to appointment, the hiring agency must verify all educational credentials used to qualify for this classification.If you have a Bachelor's Degree in another field with at least twenty-four (24) semester hours in Accounting you will need to submit a copy of your transcript before you can be placed on the Eligible List.If you are selected for hire, prior to your start date in this classification, you will be required to submit to the hiring agency proof of your college degree indicating your college major. Failure to submit your education credentials to the hiring agency prior to you start date will disqualify you for employment in this classification. Please check "yes" to show that you have read and understand this statement.

• Yes
• No

08
Do you have either a CPA or CIA license?

• I have a CPA Certification.
• I have a CIA Certification.
• I do not have a CPA or CIA Certification.

09
How many months and/or years of verifiable full-time professional work experience which included preparing or auditing governmental financial fund level and government wide financial statements for a large governmental agency in accordance with Governmental Auditing Standards?

• None
• Less than 6 months
• 6 months to less than 12 months
• 1 year to less than 2 years
• 2 years to less than 3 years
• 3 years to less than 4 years
• 4 years to less than 5 years
• 5 years to less than 6 years
• 6 years to less than 7 years
• 7 years to less than 8 years
• 8 years to less than 9 years
• 9 years to less than 10 years
• 10 years or more

10
Describe all your full-time, paid work professional experience as a Governmental Fund Accounting or Governmental Fund Auditing experience. This experience must have included preparing or auditing governmental financial fund level and government wide financial statements for a large governmental agency in accordance with Governmental Auditing Standards. Your description must include where this experience was obtained, the dates the work was performed, and a brief description of the work performed. Failure to describe your experience in detail could result in disqualification for this position. If you do not have this type of experience, type in "None".
11
If you were referred by a City of New Orleans employee, please list his or her name. Please list one name only.If you were NOT referred by a City of New Orleans employee, please type "N/A."
Required Question