Appeals Administrator

Arizona Department of Administration•Phoenix, AZ

1d•Onsite

About The Position

This position manages the day-to-day operations of the Appeals Unit (the Income Tax Appeals, Transaction Privilege and Non-Income Tax Appeals, and Tax Protest teams), which together handle administrative appeals and associated protest-stage review and workup of audit files across tax types. The position supervises and manages both attorney and non-attorney staff in the performance of their duties, and gives comparable attention, responsiveness, and resources across all teams and tax types within the Unit's jurisdiction. This position supports the General Counsel in the General Counsel's role as primary liaison to the Tax Unit of the Attorney General's Office on litigation involving the Department and/or state tax matters, including supporting litigation needs for the Attorney General's Office. It advises Department leadership and the General Counsel on administrative appeals, litigation, and policy, and supports the Policy and Research Administrator by participating as a stakeholder in tax policy decisions relating to or arising from litigation.

Requirements

In depth knowledge of federal, state and local tax statutes and case law across tax types administered by the Department
Legal research and analysis methodologies
The Arizona Rules of Professional Conduct, including a lawyer's supervisory responsibilities over subordinate attorneys and nonlawyer assistants
Department policies and procedures
Administrative procedure, rules and litigation strategy
Continuous improvement methods consistent with statewide and agency systems
Principles of supervision and personnel practices
Skill in identifying relevant issues
Strong analytical, interpretive, logic, evaluative, and problem solving skills
Strong legal writing, revision, and editing
Effective written and oral communication, including presentation before groups
Competent legal research
Critical thinking
Skill in leading, mentoring, and developing attorneys and legal staff, including the ability to earn the respect and confidence of team members and to hold them to consistent performance and behavioral expectations.
Skill in navigating complex and difficult working relationships and in responsive, even handed management across multiple teams and tax types.
Management skills, including planning, organizing, implementing, directing, and controlling the personnel and activities of the Unit; time management.
Skill in identifying and responsibly integrating new methods and technologies to improve the quality, consistency, and efficiency of the Unit's work, consistent with Department policy.
Ability to write informative and persuasive legal memoranda and deliver hearing presentations, including direct and cross examination of witnesses
Conduct legal research
Multitask and manage shifting priorities across a docket spanning tax types and both the protest and appeals processes.
Ability to lead and direct a group of attorneys and legal staff, exercise sound and consistent independent professional judgment, and respond promptly and even handedly to taxpayers, representatives, staff, and Department leadership.

Nice To Haves

Must be an active member in good standing with the State Bar of Arizona.
Experience representing clients in administrative or court proceedings.
Experience or study of state and local taxation.
Experience leading or supervising attorneys or other legal professionals.
Experience applying continuous improvement methods and responsibly adopting new technologies to improve legal or administrative processes.

Responsibilities

Reviews, selects and assigns work to staff and evaluates and approves their completed work product.
Responsible for training, assigning/checking work, as well as performing the same or related work.
Reviews all written submissions that are produced by staff, including memorandums of law that are submitted to the Office of Administrative Hearing, the Hearing Office, the Director of the Department of Revenue, or the Attorney General’s Office.
May handle more complex or sensitive cases or actively participate in such cases if delegated to staff.
Assist in the development of a structured approached to identifying and eliminating non value added process steps and make recommendations to integrate Lean methods into the overall continuous improvement strategy of the Unit.
Responsible for directing, leading and managing the development, implementation, maintenance and evaluation of Lean Principles and Projects for the Appeals Unit.
Handles more complex or sensitive cases across tax types, or actively participates in such cases when delegated to staff.
Leads continuous improvement efforts for the Appeals Unit consistent with statewide and agency expectations; uses structured problem-solving to identify and eliminate non-value-added process steps, integrates continuous improvement methods into Unit operations, directs the development, implementation, maintenance, and evaluation of continuous improvement projects and performance measures, and responsibly identifies and adopts new methods and technologies.

Benefits

Affordable medical, dental, life, and short-term disability insurance plans
Participation in the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) and long-term disability plans
10 paid holidays per year
Vacation time accrued at 4.00 hours bi-weekly for the first 3 years
Sick time accrued at 3.70 hours bi-weekly
Paid Parental Leave-Up to 12 weeks per year paid leave for newborn or newly-placed foster/adopted child (pilot program).
Deferred compensation plan
Wellness plans
Tuition Reimbursement
Infant at Work Program
Rideshare and Public Transit Subsidy
Career Advancement & Employee Development Opportunities
Flexible schedules to create a work/life balance
Top ranked Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) provides 100% employer matched contributions (enrollment eligibility will be effective after 27 weeks of State employment).
ASRS provides a lifelong benefit based on years of service earned, or worked, and your ending salary.