Assistant Division Director

Under the division director's supervision, this position oversees personal property assessment activities. The primary goals are to ensure fair and uniform vehicle assessments, comply with regulations, generate revenue, and communicate promptly with Fairfax County residents. This position will supervise the operational areas of vehicle assessments and processing, DTA main call center, correspondence section, the vehicle tax evaders program, audits for the State of Virginia Personal Property Tax Relief Act (PPTRA), and military vehicle tax exemptions. Also reviews various vehicle tax categories and maintaining high customer service standards while pursuing effective training initiatives. Manages all vehicle assessment appeals, ensuring standardized methods and follow-up, and interprets the Virginia tax code and county ordinances to resolve disputes. Responsibilities include maintaining records, preparing reports, and compiling data for management.

Illustrative Duties

(The illustrative duties listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all-inclusive list. A complete list of position duties and unique physical requirements can be found in the position description.)

Serves as a key member of the DTA leadership team;

Assists the Division Director in administration of various Tax Administration Programs and participates in agency-wide and cross-agency initiatives;

Participates in annual and quarterly budget preparation for the division budget;

Takes responsibility for coordination and production of required information for external and internal audits, and studies by the Board’s auditor; Participates in establishing division goals and objectives;

Manages functions and vendor relationships with an unrelenting focus on utilizing technology and data analytics to improve customer service, drive down costs, and to enhance digital offerings;

Assists in overseeing the administration of the County’s primary revenue producing programs ensuring the timely and accurate assessment, billing and/or collection of various taxes and fees;

Proactively anticipates changes to operations and policies;

Formulates office policies and standard operating procedures and monitors implementation; 

Hires, trains, and instructs subordinates on tax, licensing statutes, ordinances, valuation and related directives;

Recommends and implements audit standards, review and quality control measures for the division; Participates in developing performance standards; Assigns, reviews and supervises the work of subordinate staff;

Initiates and oversees comprehensive division-wide training and development programs;

Prepares revenue estimates and submits recommendations to superiors on matters related to administration of current and proposed tax and licensing programs; Coordinates with other County agencies to assure consistency in policies regarding the assessment and collection of taxes; Analyzes and evaluates accounting procedures and recommends methods of improvements;

Prepares various types of correspondence that includes responding to inquiries from the public, County Executive, and the Board of Supervisors; Reviews legislature proposals and develops office procedures to implement new laws;

Recommends changes to the County Code;

Meets with vendors in response to their various requests; Coordinates the development, approves, and monitors implementation of new or revised automated programs initiated in support of Division requirements;

 Provides technical guidance and assistance to the Division staff, general public and business representatives on tax matters and negotiates settlement of controversial issues;

Ensure systems and processes are designed to appropriately and effectively maximize tax compliance;

Supports implementation of the agency’s strategic plans and initiatives in cooperation with agency leadership;

Ensures programs and business operations comply with Federal, State and County laws and regulations, and accreditation standards; 

Assumes overall supervision of the Division in the absence of the Director; and performs such other related duties as required.

Required Knowledge Skills and Abilities

(The knowledge, skills and abilities listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all- inclusive list.)

Extensive knowledge of public administration principles; management methods and practices to include government budgeting, human resources, contracts administration and business operations;

Extensive knowledge of the laws and procedures of local and state tax administration; Considerable knowledge of real estate, personal property, and Business, Professional and Occupational License (BPOL) assessment techniques;

Knowledge of and ability to perform statistical and quantitative analyses;

Knowledge of accounting techniques, principles and practices; Knowledge of organization management and personnel administration;

Ability to plan, organize, train, coordinate and direct the work of professional, technical, and administrative personnel; 

Ability to work in a fast-paced environment without sacrificing excellent service quality; Ability to direct and coordinate the activities of a division with diverse functions and programs; 

and Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with supervisors, contemporaries, subordinates, and other government personnel and the public.

Employment Standards

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Any combination of education, experience, and training equivalent to the following:(Click on the aforementioned link to learn how Fairfax County interprets equivalencies for "Any combination, experience, and training equivalent to")
Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor’s degree in finance, public administration, business administration, or a related field with coursework in accounting and quantitative analysis. Four years of increasingly responsible professional financial or local/state tax administration experience, including three years of experience supervising professional and support staff.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
The appointee to this position will be required to complete a criminal background check and a credit check to the satisfaction of the employer.

This position is emergency/essential services personnel. (Required to report for duty during inclement weather and/or other emergencies.)     

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience leading, managing, and monitoring major programs and initiatives for assessment and enforcement of Virginia and Fairfax County tax laws.
• Experience interpreting complex tax issues and providing advice and assistance to taxpayers.
• Solid understanding of the tax assessment process.
• Experience in facilitating resolution of complex technical issues amongst external and internal stakeholders.
• Proven track record providing excellent customer service.
• Experienced in contributing to strategic planning, business process improvement efforts, implementation, and change management.
• Experience in conducting complex analysis of operations.
• Experience in preparing and editing staff reports and correspondence/documents for public distribution.
• Experience leading and/or managing a large organization.
• Experience with Personnel Management (especially in a public service environment).
• Experience presenting complex issues to large and small groups.
• Ability to negotiate, problem solve and deliver creative solutions.
• Prior experience working in a local, and/or municipal government environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Job is generally sedentary in nature; however, job entails sitting, walking, standing, bending, and handling materials with manual dexterity. Ability to lift up to 10 lbs. Ability to input, access, and retrieve information from a computer. Ability to communicate with others verbally and in writing. All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:
Panel Interview and may include a practical exercise.

The population of Fairfax County is very diverse where 38.7% of residents speak a language other than English at home (Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo-European, and others) and we encourage candidates bilingual in English and a foreign language to apply to this opportunity.

Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce.  

Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. Contact 703-324-4900 for assistance. TTY 703-222-7314. DHREmployment@fairfaxcounty.gov. EEO/AA/TTY.