Accountant 1

About the Department

Position Duties

Why It's a Great Opportunity:

In this key role with the Office of the Superior Court Clerk, you will be directly supporting the department in the Clerk’s Office financial operations across a variety of accounting functions, including accounting transactions, reconciliations, compliance with accounting principles, billing, payments, cash disbursements, trust account management, and other related activities.  You will also oversee the operation and input of various financial systems and have opportunities to recommend improvements to existing processes and procedures. This role offers the opportunity to apply your accounting knowledge while developing your analytical, technical, and problem-solving skills.

This position will give you a great opportunity to launch or advance your professional accounting career while gaining broad experience in government finance and developing the judgment and technical skills needed to progress in the accounting profession. Your efforts here are much more than accounting; you’ll be supporting our department’s initiatives that directly affect our communities.

Why It's a Great Department: 

The Clerk of the Superior Court's work provides vital administrative services that support and serve the community through maintaining the records of all cases filed in the Superior Court. We are an essential service helping people navigate through unfamiliar territory during challenging times with knowledge and empathy, creating safe spaces for residents of the county.

Learn more about the Clerk of the Superior Court on our website.

How to be Successful in the Role: 

We are looking for someone with a strong accounting background who is organized, detail-oriented, analytical, and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment. You should be someone who takes ownership of your work, can manage multiple priorities, and approaches challenges with curiosity and sound judgment.

This isn't simply a "process the numbers" job. You'll need to ask, "Does this number make sense?" We are looking for a problem solver who can identify and reconcile balancing issues, provide guidance, and research and resolve fiscal questions and issues.

Strong communication skills are equally important. You'll work with people at different levels of financial and accounting knowledge, so you'll need to explain financial information clearly and in a way that is accessible to your audience. You'll also be expected to identify possible resolutions and strategies and help others understand the path forward.

Strong Excel and computer skills are also important to success in this role, as you will work with financial data, spreadsheets, accounting systems, and other technology to analyze information, identify discrepancies, and complete work accurately and efficiently.

Finally, your exceptional writing skills will be an important asset as you develop and document clear, meaningful, and comprehensive procedures that support consistent and effective financial operations.

Your Future in this Role:

We have many strategic initiatives and projects in flight, and you will have the ability to immediately contribute to the team’s success. You will be guided through the process with coaching-focused managerial support, a team that wants you to be successful in your role, and an organizational culture that encourages continuous learning and professional development.

This is an opportunity to make an impact today while building the skills and experience that can support your long-term career in accounting and public service.

Core Daily Responsibilities:

This announcement is not intended to reflect all duties to be performed by our next team member, but shall present a descriptive list of the range of duties that may be performed.  To view the complete classification, click here.

Minimum Qualifications

• Additional education or experience may substitute for the recruiting requirements on a month-to-month basis, for a maximum of two years of the educational requirement.
• A resume and cover letter are required for this position. Applications without a resume and cover letter will not be considered.
• Graduation from a four-year college or university with major coursework in accounting or related field AND
• One or more years of professional accounting experience.
• Washington State Certification as a Certified Public Accountant may be substituted for the educational and experience requirements.

As a condition of employment, the applicant will need to authorize and complete a background check. Information received from the background check is reviewed on a case-by-case basis and will not necessarily remove an applicant from consideration.

Other Qualifications

How to Apply:

Our Recruitment Practices:

This is a competitive and meritorious selection process. Pierce County applications are reviewed by human hiring staff in accordance with the qualifications listed for the position. Pierce County understands applicants may use AI tools when preparing application materials. We recognize these tools can make the process easier; however, we ask that everything you submit genuinely reflects your own experience, skills, knowledge, and writing style. 

During the interview process, you may be asked to demonstrate your skills, including writing and subject knowledge, and to speak to your experience in your own voice. Applicants should be prepared to respond to interview questions without relying on AI-generated responses or reading prepared answers from a screen. Any misrepresentation may result in disqualification or separation.

Applicants whose qualifications most closely align with the County’s needs will be eligible for further consideration. Notification of application status typically occurs within two to three weeks after the closing date. Some applicants may receive short notice to participate in additional selection steps, which may include assessments, phone screens, or interviews. 

Upon offer, compensation is based on a range of job-related factors, including the requirements of the role, your skills and experience, and internal pay equity. 

Our Welcoming Workplace Commitment: 

Pierce County is committed to fostering a Welcoming Workplace where employees are supported, respected, and able to thrive. We believe a strong public workforce is representative of the community it serves and that fair and just access to opportunity strengthens public service. 

Guided by the County Executive’s Forward Together mission, Pierce County works to build communities that are safe, welcoming, and connected. This same commitment shapes how we recruit, develop, and retain our employees. County employees make a direct and visible impact in the lives of residents every day, and we invite you to join us in helping keep Pierce County a place people are proud to call home.

Benefits

Employee benefits are not just about the kind of services you get, they are also about how much you may have to pay out of pocket. Pierce County offers a competitive benefits package that offers flexibility and peace of mind. We are proud to offer Employee Resource Groups, a focus on professional development in our Leadership Training Program, and a County Book Club. 

We understand that your life revolves around more than just your career and that your priority is making sure that you and your family maintain health and financial security. That's why choice is a key component of our benefits package. We have a selection of health and retirement plans, paid leave, staff training and other compensation benefits that you can mix and match to meet your current and future needs.

Our benefits:

Vacation (Annual Leave)
After approximately six months, employees receive six days of vacation leave. 
Since we value your experience, the amount of vacation you can accrue increases the longer you work with us. Vacation accrues on a bi-weekly basis for full-time employees as follows:

Vacation Accruals:
During years 1-3, 12 Days
During years 4-7, 16 Days
During years 8-13, 20 Days
During years 14-18, 23 Days
During years 19, 24 Days
During years 20, 25 Days
During years 21, 26 Days
During years 22, 27 Days
During years 23, 28 Days
During years 24, 29 Days
During years 25 & thereafter, 30 Days

A maximum of 45 days may be carried from one year into the next.
Pro-Rated for Part-Time based on % of 1.0 FTE.

Military Leave:
Pierce County has a proud history of supporting the armed forces and provides members of the armed forces with up to 21 days paid military leave per state fiscal year.

Holidays:
Some full-time employees are entitled to eleven paid holidays as follows:   

Agency Information