Real Estate Assessment Director

Responsibilities

• Plans, organizes, evaluates, and directs the activities of the Real Estate Assessment Division of the Department of Finance.
• Ensures compliance with state assessment laws and conducts required reporting to the Virginia Department of Taxation.
• Directly appraises and values all types of real property, utilizing the three approaches to valuation, in the City of Fairfax.
• Defends those valuations at the Administrative Review level, at Board of Equalization hearings and in Circuit Court.
• Oversees and guides staff appraisers who directly appraise and value all residential and special use properties.
• Reviews and approves all valuations conducted by staff appraisers.
• Forescasts and reports real estate current and future market activity in support of city management and City Council during quarterly updates and annual budget preparation.
• Forescasts and reports on current and future new construction activity in support of city management and City Council during quarterly updates and annual budget preparation.
• Provides strategic analysis of real estate market trends and their impact on City revenues.
• Develops long-range valuation forecasts supporting multi-year planning and collaborates with Finance, Budget, Economic Development, Community Development and other City departments regarding development activity and revenue forecasting.
• Evaluates impacts of major development projects on future tax revenues.
• Prepares annual budget requirements for office operations.
• Prepares, reviews, and certifies the Land Books of all real property, taxable, non-taxable, and supplemental, after budget adoption and at the end of each year.
• Leads the administration and strategic enhancement of the Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal (CAMA) system; ensures the accuracy of all inputs and outputs; monitors and maintains web interface ensuring accuracy and user-friendly functionality.
• Promotes the use of GIS, data analytics, and business intelligence tools and ensures data integrity and cybersecurity practices for assessment information.
• Develops, documents, and implements standard operating procedures and internal controls that promote consistency, compliance, and operational excellence.
• Identifies opportunities to improve customer service and operational efficiency.
• Serves as the City’s primary resource for complex assessment inquiries and resolves sensitive taxpayer concerns.
• Determines the necessity for reappraisals.
• Attends meetings of the Board of Real Estate Equalization, the City Council, and others as required to assist in the hearing of taxpayer complaints.
• Prepares staff reports, ordinances, resolutions, and briefing materials and represents the City before governmental agencies and professional organizations.
• Testsifies in appeals to the Circuit Court.
• Serves on the Property Tax Exemption Committee; acts as city liaison relative to real property tax exemption applications; composes staff reports and ordinances for introduction and public hearing before City Council.
• Serves on various committees and sub-committees such as the Budget Committee, Development Coordination Committee, and the Development Review Team.
• Provides leadership, coaching, mentoring, performance management, and professional development opportunities for division staff.
• Maintains professionalism and composure while interacting with individuals under stressful or challenging circumstances.

Requirements

• Requires a bachelor’s degree in Real Estate, Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, Economics, or related field.
• Seven to ten years of progressively responsible experience in real estate assessment, including supervisory and management experience.

Qualifications

• Comprehensive knowledge of the principles, methods, practices, and techniques of real property appraisal and valuation.
• Thorough knowledge of state and local laws pertinent to real estate appraisal and assessment.
• Considerable knowledge of office management, budget preparation, and of the principles and practices of personnel supervision and performance evaluation.
• Ability to analyze and evaluate factors which influence real estate values and exercise sound judgment in determining property values.
• Ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with subordinates, other city officials and employees, real estate agents and brokers, community groups, and the public.
• Ability to maintain professionalism and composure while interacting with individuals under stressful or challenging circumstances.
• Ability to problem-solve with respect to determining accurate and equitable valuations of different types and categories of real property.

Desirable Qualifications

• Master’s degree from an accredited college or university.
• Professional designations such as: Certified Assessment Evaluator (CAE) or Member, Appraisal Institute (MAI), Virginia Certified General Appraiser, and/or International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO) coursework and certifications are desirable.

Special Certifications And Licenses

• Licensure as a Virginia Certified General Real Estate Appraiser, Certified Assessment Evaluator (CAE), or an equivalent combination of professional appraisal certifications and assessment designations.

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