Principal Account Clerk - Fire Department

Job Description

Our diverse and inclusive workforce of more than 7,000 employees play a key role in the success of San José, the heart of the Silicon Valley. All City of San José employees work together as one team to make San José a vibrant, innovative, and desirable place to live and work. Visit here to learn more about our One Team Leadership Values and Expectations, including quality and excellent customer service and here to learn more about San José.

The City of San José is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants for all job openings will be considered without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status or any other consideration made unlawful under any federal, state or local laws. The City of San José is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to job applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at 408-535-1285, 711 (TTY) , or via email at CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov .

About the Department

The San José Fire Department's (SJFD) mission is to serve the community by protecting life, property, and the environment through prevention and response. SJFD is a high-volume, high-performance, “all hazard” fire department, responding to approximately 93,000 calls for service each year from 33 Fire Stations. SJFD’s service area includes a number of high-hazard occupancies, including an international airport; a general aviation reliever airport; five major hospitals (including two trauma centers, and five emergency departments); the SAP Center, home of the NHL’s San Jose Sharks (17,500 capacity); PayPal Park, home of MLS’s San Jose Earthquakes (18,000 capacity); San José State University (the oldest public institution of higher education on the West Coast) with a student population of 33,409; three super regional malls; approximately 100 high-rise structures; and the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

The EMS Division, within the Bureau of Emergency Medical Services and Training, provides leadership and oversight of the Department's emergency medical services system. The EMS Division is responsible for clinical care, infection control, public health preparedness, quality improvement, workforce development, community paramedicine, and regulatory compliance in support of high-quality patient care and the health and safety of Department personnel.

For more information on the San José Fire Department (SJFD), please visit the website here.

Position Duties

The San José Fire Department is currently recruiting to fill one (1) Principal Account Clerk vacancy in the Bureau of Administrative Services. The Accounts Payable (AP) Principal Account Clerk will serve as the Fire Department’s primary oversite for the procurement card program that consists of regular and emergency users. In addition, this position is responsible for performing the review and reconciliation of all cardholder accounts. The Principal Account Clerk will also oversee payment processing for all department utilities. Other assigned duties will include special payment demand request, petty cash reconciliation, and refund requests. Please note that the position may not include all the duties listed, nor do the examples cover all the duties which may be performed. The salary range for the Principal Account Clerk classification is $80,196.48 - $97,624.80 annually. This salary range includes an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable compensation. The actual salary shall be determined by the final candidates’ qualifications and experience.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience

Completion of high school, General Educational Development (GED) Certificate, or

California Proficiency Certificate AND three (3) years of accounting clerical experience, including one

(1) year in the performance of reviewing and balances ledgers, processing and reviewing revenues, payments, or requisitions, or serving as a timekeeper and processing payroll.

Acceptable Substitution

A bachelor’s degree in a related field from an accredited college or university may be substituted for the required experience.

Other Qualifications

The ideal candidate will possess the following competencies, as demonstrated in past and current employment history.

Job Expertise - Demonstrates knowledge of and experience with applicable professional/technical principles and practices, Citywide and departmental procedures/policies and federal and state rules and regulations.

Communication Skills - Communicates and listens effectively and responds in a timely, effective, positive, and respectful manner; written reports and correspondence are accurate, complete, and current; well-organized, legible, concise, neat, and in proper grammatical form.

Computer Skills - Experienced with common business computer applications including, but not limited to, MS Outlook, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, MS Access, and MS Excel.

Customer Service - Demonstrates ability to anticipate internal and external customers' needs and deliver services effectively and efficiently in a timely, accurate, respectful and friendly manner.

Decision Making - Identifies and understands issues, problems, and opportunities; uses effective approaches for choosing a course of action or developing appropriate solutions.

Flexibility - Makes effective decisions and achieves desired results in the midst of major changes in responsibilities, work processes, timeframes, performance expectations, organizational culture, or work environment.

Problem Solving - Approaches a situation or problem by defining the problem or issue; determines the significance of problem; collects information; uses logic and intuition to arrive at decisions or solutions to problems that achieve the desired outcome.

Reliability - Completes quality work assignments in a timely and efficient manner; fulfills responsibilities and maintains confidentiality as appropriate.

Team Work & Interpersonal Skills - Develops effective relationships with co-workers and supervisors by helping others accomplish tasks and using collaboration and conflict resolution skills.

Additional Information:

Employment Eligibility: Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in this country. Please be informed that the City of San Jose will NOT sponsor, represent or sign any documents related to visa applications/transfers for H1-B or any other type of visa which requires an employer application.

You must answer all job-specific questions to be considered for this vacancy or your application will be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Applicants are expected to write their own essays/responses.

Please note that applications are currently not accepted through CalOpps or any other third party job board application system.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this, or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment.

Please allow adequate time to complete the application and submit before the deadline or the system may not save your application. If your online application was successfully submitted, you will receive an automatic confirmation email to the email address you provided. IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE THE CONFIRMATION, please email CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov and we will research the status of your application.

AI and the Hiring Process

We recognize that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming part of daily life and can be a valuable tool for learning, research, and professional growth. We encourage candidates to use AI responsibly as a support in preparing application materials, live assessments, and interviews. However, we value authenticity, accuracy and truthfulness. Application responses and interview answers must reflect your own knowledge, skills, and experiences. While AI can supplement preparation, it cannot replace the originality and judgment we look for in our employees. This ensures fairness, transparency, and equity for all applicants in the hiring process.

The City of San Jose offers a wide range of core health benefits including Medical, Dental, Vision, Employee Assistance Program, Life Insurance, Disability, and Savings Plans. Please visit the City's benefits pagefor detailed information on coverage, cost, and dependent coverage.

For information on the City’s Retirement Plan(pension for full-time employees), please visit the Office of Retirement Services website. You will be able to view information based on different Sworn/Federated job classification.

In additional to the benefits above, there is an additional perks siteto explore further benefits of working for the City of San Jose like paid leave, educational reimbursements, and holiday pay are specific to the job classification and union membership.

Closing Date/Time: 10/9/2026 11:59 PM Pacific