Appraiser Trainee

County of Orange • Orange County, CA

1d

About The Position

The County of Orange Assessor’s Office is hiring Appraiser Trainees for a one-year training program that combines classroom instruction with hands-on field experience under experienced appraisers. The program teaches the theory and techniques used to value real property for assessment purposes. Upon successful completion of all training phases and certification requirements, trainees may be eligible for advancement to Appraiser I.

The Assessor’s Office values legally assessable property uniformly and impartially and produces property tax assessment rolls in accordance with California law. Its staff help business, real and personal property owners understand property valuations and apply exclusions and exemptions permitted by property tax law. This recruitment will create an open eligible list for current and future Appraiser Trainee positions, and the list may also be used for similar or lower classifications throughout Orange County.

Requirements

• Meet the California State Board of Equalization education and/or experience qualification through one of the following: graduation from an accredited four-year institution; high school graduation or equivalent plus four years of relevant work experience; or a combination of education and relevant experience totaling four years.
• Relevant experience must be within the last ten years and in a qualifying occupation, such as accountant, auditor, real property appraiser, building cost estimator, engineer, real estate loan agent or underwriter, right-of-way agent, licensed building contractor, qualifying California real estate licensee, or appraiser aide or trainee in an assessor’s office or the Board’s Property Tax Department.
• Experience in roles other than appraiser, appraiser aide, or appraiser trainee in an Assessor’s office counts for only two-thirds of the required four-year experience; the remaining one-third must come from other qualifying relevant experience or education at an accredited institution.
• Foreign degrees require evaluation of U.S. equivalency by an agency that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (N.A.C.E.S.).

Nice To Haves

• Knowledge and experience interpreting and applying laws, regulations, State Board of Equalization guidelines, and principles of real and personal property taxation.
• Ability to collect and interpret technical assessor data, including blueprints, maps, sketches, and legal property documents.
• Proficiency with computer programs, including the Microsoft Office suite.
• Ability to identify, evaluate, and resolve issues using sound judgment and technical expertise.
• Ability to develop and implement solutions that achieve measurable results and reflect best business practices.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities.
• Ability to build collaborative relationships with public and private agencies, client departments, and stakeholders.
• Ability to generate consensus and work effectively as part of a team.
• Ability to respond to customer inquiries and the public quickly, courteously, and tactfully.
• Ability to communicate technical information clearly, concisely, and with strong grammar, orally and in writing.
• Ability to solicit feedback and use it to improve services and business practices.

Responsibilities

• Learn the cost, comparative sales, and income approaches to estimating property value.
• Review taxpayer files, records, and related documents to gather information for appraisals and assessments.
• Inspect building exteriors and interiors to determine classification and evaluate the quality of materials, fixtures, equipment, and construction.
• Measure buildings, calculate total area, and prepare scale drawings showing buildings in relation to property lines.
• Interview property owners, contractors, real estate agents, and others to obtain information relevant to property value.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level