Administrative Operations Officer - Property Tax Administration

Pierce County, WA•Tacoma, WA

50d•Hybrid

About The Position

This is a hybrid position with 2-3 days in office depending on business needs. Position Summary Why It's a Great Opportunity: As a seasoned leader with experience in public administration, finance, or property tax systems, you will oversee core functional areas of the department ensuring legal compliance with state mandated property tax and records laws while managing the agency's daily operations and staff. You are central to delivering legally mandated services under Washington State law and ensuring the integrity of property tax administration across Pierce County. You will exercise broad decision-making authority over priorities, workflows, and interpretation of policies. In the absence of the Deputy or the elected Assessor-Treasurer, you will serve as the senior-most point of contact, empowered to make office-wide operational decisions to ensure business continuity. Why It's a Great Department:? The Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer's Office is responsible for the mass appraisal of real and personal property throughout Pierce County, which is the foundation for assessing, calculating, and collecting property taxes. Our mission is to deliver exceptional service to the community through equitable and efficient property valuation and the collection of property tax revenue supporting essential services across Pierce County. We are recognized for our integrity, strong teamwork, and commitment to serving the public with professionalism and respect. We foster a stable and collaborative work environment, offer a competitive salary and benefits package, and take pride in being part of an organization that genuinely cares about its customers and employees. To learn more about our office, visit our website. How to be Successful in the Role: We are looking for someone with empathy, patience and a general knowledge of legal documents, property tax RCWs, and Department of Revenue property taxes rules and reporting. Someone with exceptional communication in verbal and written form as you will regularly correspond with legal partners, mortgage companies, and various stakeholders. Someone who is a highly organized, mission-driven professional with: A strong background in public administration, finance, or property tax systems Demonstrated leadership in complex government operations Experience overseeing multi-disciplinary teams and legally mandated functions Ability to manage risk, maintain compliance, and drive service excellence A collaborative mindset and excellent communication skills Your Future in this Role: Throughout the onboarding process, you will meet with the Managers and Supervisors, regularly to discuss expectations, set goals, identify priorities, and gain familiarity with current policies, procedures, and strategic measures. Pierce County offers professional development, robust online learning, direct feedback from the Deputy and Assessor-Treasurer., and other training opportunities throughout your career to ensure your success.

Requirements

Six (6) years of progressively responsible experience in an administrative position requiring budgetary, personnel, and program management skills AND
Must include two (2) years of supervisory experience. (required)
Postsecondary education in business or public administration or a related field may substitute for up to four (4) years of the required experience on a year-for-year basis.
An equivalent combination of education and experience that clearly demonstrates the ability to perform the essential duties of the position may be considered.
As a condition of employment, the applicant will need to authorize and complete a background check. Information received from the background check is reviewed case-by-case and will not necessarily remove an applicant from consideration.

Nice To Haves

Experience in local government administration and legislative processes, with knowledge of Title 84 RCW and Title 458 WAC related to property taxation, assessments, exemptions, levies, appeals, and public fund administration.

Responsibilities

Serve as a member of the leadership team and act as the department lead in the absence of the Deputy or elected Assessor-Treasurer.
Collaborate with leadership to ensure operations align with standardized policies, processes, and procedures to maintain continuity of service.
Oversee programs and functions responsible for property tax administration, public services, financial management, and levy and tax rate operations and public-facing services.
Lead cross-functional planning and coordination of department operations, including with IT, Finance, Facilities, and Security.
Direct and evaluate administrative functions; establish quality control and customer service standards to ensure operational efficiency and performance.
Participate in strategic and long-range planning, policy development, and implementation of department goals and objectives.
Provide fiscal oversight, including budget preparation, monitoring, and management of revenue generating services.
Oversee compliance, public records management, and reporting to ensure consistent interpretation and application of laws, regulations, and policies.

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 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:
New Year's Day - January 1
Martin Luther King, Jr's birthday - Third Monday in January
President's Day - Third Monday in February
Memorial Day - Last Monday in May
Juneteenth - June 19
Independence Day - July 4
Labor Day - First Monday in September
Veteran's Day - November 11
Thanksgiving Day - Fourth Thursday in November & Friday after
Christmas Day - December 25
Personal Holidays:
Regular full-time and regular part-time employees, and employees occupying limited duration positions, shall also receive two additional paid personal holidays. Paid personal holidays shall only accrue for those employees on County payroll as of January 1 of each year or the first work day following January 1 and must be taken during the calendar year in which it was accrued.
Furlough:
Some Pierce County employees may be designated to receive 10 "furlough" days per year in lieu of holidays. Furlough days are available for use on January 1 and must be scheduled and taken within the calendar year. Employees who leave employment with Pierce County must reimburse the employer for used furlough days based upon the number of remaining holidays.
Sick Leave:
Sick leave accrues on a bi-weekly basis, at the rate of one day per month.
Insurance Benefits:
Employees and families are covered by medical (including vision), dental and basic life insurance. There are multiple medical plans with very affordable monthly premiums that offer coverage throughout Pierce County. Employees are eligible to enroll each year in a flexible spending plan, which enables them to use tax-deferred dollars toward their health care and dependent care expenses. Employees also have the opportunity to participate in supplemental life and long term disability insurance plans. To view premium rates, summary of benefit coverage, and other information, please visit the Pierce County Health Benefits website.
Retirement and Deferred Compensation:
Pierce County employees are members of the State of Washington's Department of Retirement System (DRS) and depending on the position or previous DRS enrollment will be able to enroll in one of many programs DRS offers. For additional information, check out the Department of Retirement Systems' web site.
Employees also have the ability to participate in the Nationwide Deferred Compensation Plan. This is a supplemental retirement savings program that allows you control over the amount of pre-tax salary dollars you defer as well as the flexibility to choose between multiple investment options.
Social Security:
All Pierce County employees are covered by the federal Social Security and Medicare systems. The county and the employee pay an equal amount into the system.
ORCA Passport Program
Pierce County employees may participate in the County's ORCA (One Regional Card for All) Passport program.
Your Pierce County issued ORCA card is loaded with an annual Passport pass. The pass automatically renews every year. The pass will provide you with free transportation on regularly scheduled service on several public transit systems.
Miscellaneous Benefits:
Please visit Pierce County's Benefits website for more information.
Telework/Remote Options:
Some departments allow for telework or work-from-home options dependent on the body of work. Learn more about our telework policy here.