PROMOTIONAL EXAMINATION

70009-170

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT

http://www.suffolkcountyny.gov/Departments/Civil-Service

· LAST FILING DATE: JANUARY 29, 2025

· WRITTEN TEST DATE: MARCH 1, 2025

· COUNTY ANNUAL SALARY $74,124

· GRADE 29

· USUAL ANNUAL SALARY $105,000

· SALARIES VARY BY JURISDICTION

SPECIFICATION # 0223

APPLICATION PROCESSING FEE and FEE WAIVER

The application-processing fee is $40. Application may be made via the internet at www.suffolkcountyny.gov/Departments/Civil-Service. Payment must be made by VISA or MasterCard credit card and there will be an additional convenience fee of $1.95. An acknowledgement of receipt of application will be sent to all internet applicants via e-mail. The application processing fee is non-refundable and non-transferable.

The application processing fee may be waived for Suffolk County residents who are veterans, active duty military, members of the reserves or National Guard, auxiliary police, firefighters, members in good standing of a local fire district or ambulance company, members of a Volunteer Fire Department and volunteer CERT members. Internet applicants should complete the “Request for Application Fee Waiver and Certification” form online. All claims for application fee waiver are subject to verification.

DUTIES

An employee in this class directs the operations of various accounting units engaged in authorizing payments, maintaining accounting and statistical records and processing payrolls and checks. The scope of responsibilities varies with the size of the department; in a medium-size department, the position includes responsibility for the development of accounting systems and methods for departmental financial operations, while in a large complex department the incumbent does not have overall responsibility for the development of such systems and methods but assists in the implementation and makes recommendations for new or revised accounting systems and methods within the unit(s) under supervision. Work is performed under the general supervision of a Chief Accountant or another high level administrator and is reviewed through observations, consultations and review of reports. Does related work as required.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

To be eligible, a candidate must now be serving and have served on a continuous basis with permanent or contingent permanent competitive status as a Payroll Compliance Examiner for at least one (1) year or as a Senior Accountant or Senior Auditor for at least two (2) years in the jurisdiction in which the candidate seeks promotion immediately preceding the written examination date. Provisional time immediately preceding a permanent appointment to the same title(s) will be credited.

SCOPE OF THE EXAMINATION

The written test will cover knowledge, skills, and/or abilities in such areas as:

1. Preparing written material;

2. General accounting;

3. General auditing;

4. Governmental accounting;

5. Understanding and interpreting tabular material;

6. Administrative supervision.

Note: The use of calculators is recommended for this examination.

Note: The New York State Department of Civil Service has not prepared a test guide for this examination. However, candidates may find information in the publication 'General Guide to Written Tests' helpful in preparing for this test. This publication is available online at: https://www.cs.ny.gov/testing/testguides.cfm.

NOTES

1. Should it become necessary to amend any part of this announcement, the Department of Civil Service reserves the right to make such amendment on the Department’s web page without notification to applicants. The most current copy of this announcement is available during the filing period at www.suffolkcountyny.gov/Departments/Civil-Service.

2. Expanded Description of the examination subtests.

3. Candidates who apply for this examination and who have not heard from the Suffolk County Department of Civil Service by February 26, 2025 are advised to contact the department before the written test date at (631) 853-5500.

N.Y.S.

DATE PREPARED: January 2, 2025

GENERAL CONDITIONS PROMOTIONAL ANNOUNCEMENT

1. Application may be made using the Suffolk County Application for Promotional Examination (Form CS-203).

2. Applicants may complete a “Request for Application Fee Waiver and Certification” form and submit it with Form CS-203.

3. Unless otherwise stated, candidates must meet the minimum qualifications by the date of the written test, or last filing date in the case of training and experience evaluations. Unless otherwise stated, part-time experience will be pro-rated.

4. Candidates found ineligible to compete in the written examination may appeal to the Department of Civil Service for reconsideration prior to the last filing date appearing on this announcement. Appeals received on or after the last filing date will not be considered.

5. Candidates who fail the examination, or who fail to appear for the examination as scheduled, will be eliminated from further consideration for purposes of this competition. Unless otherwise specified, the final rank order of the eligible list will be determined on the basis of the scores received on the written test, plus seniority and veterans' credits where appropriate.

6. Eligible applicants will be notified when and where to appear for examination. If an application is rejected, due notice will be sent.

7. Unless specifically prohibited by the examination instructions, candidates are permitted to use quiet, hand-held, solar or battery-powered calculators. Devices with typewriter keyboards, spell-checkers, personal digital assistants, address books, language translators, dictionaries and any similar devices are prohibited.

8. Eligible lists resulting from promotional examinations are only certified to the jurisdiction in which a candidate is employed. In accordance with Section 52 of the Civil Service Law, for county service, first consideration in appointment will be given to employees in the department where a vacancy occurs after which appointments will be made from the general eligible list.

9. When an examination is prepared and rated by the Suffolk County Department of Civil Service, the provisions of the Suffolk County Civil Service Rules dealing with the rating of examination will apply.

10. When the examination is prepared and rated by the New York State Department of Civil Service in accordance with Section 23-2 of the Civil Service Law, the provisions of the New York State Civil Service Rules and Regulations which deal with the rating of examination will apply.

11. The eligible list established as a result of this examination will remain in force for at least one year and may be extended by the Department of Civil Service for a maximum of four years. Changing conditions may make it necessary to certify to future vacancies at higher or lower salaries than those announced.

12. Information regarding eligibility for veterans' credits appears on the promotional application form.

13. For each six months of continuous permanent competitive service within the jurisdiction, to a maximum of 20 years, .10 credits for seniority will be added to the scores of passing candidates only.

14. Inquiries may be made as to character and ability and all statements made by candidates are subject to verification. Some employers may require the candidate to be fingerprinted and to pass a background investigation.

15. Candidates must be medically, physically and psychologically capable of performing the duties of the job. Candidates who are appointed to positions in the Suffolk County service may be required to pass qualifying medical and/or physical and/or psychological evaluations.

16. Saturday Sabbath Observers and handicapped persons: If special arrangements for testing are required, indicate this on your application.

17. No smoking is permitted in the building or on the grounds of the examination site.

18. If you will be on active military duty with the armed forces of the United States on the date of this test, please contact the Department of Civil Service before the last filing date appearing on this announcement for alternate test date information.

19. Multiple Examinations Scheduled for the Same Date: If you have applied to take a written test announced by either one or several local jurisdictions (county, towns, city) scheduled to be held on the same test date as this written test, you must notify each of the local jurisdictions no later than two weeks before the test date, so they can make arrangements for taking all test at one test site. All examinations for positions in State government will be held at a State examination center. If you have any questions please call the Suffolk County Department of Civil Service at (631) 853-5500.

20. For information regarding a weather-related cancellation of this examination, please refer to our website at www.suffolkcountyny.gov/Departments/CivilService and click on the “Weather Related Exam Cancellations” link. Civil Service Announcements are shown at the bottom of that page.

Suffolk County Department of Civil Service

725 Veterans Memorial Highway

William J. Lindsay County Complex, Bldg. # 158

P. O. Box 6100

Hauppauge, NY 11788-0099

Phone (631) 853-5500