Position Summary:  The Chief Assessment Officer of the Office of Property Assessments (OPA) works under the supervision of the Division Manager and Department Director and is responsible for the making and supervising of the making of all assessments and valuations of all real property for ad valorem tax purposes.  The Chief Assessment Officer makes determinations of tax exempt status of any parcel of real property in accordance with law, ordinance and industry standards, and is also responsible for assisting in the development of assessment procedures within OPA. The Chief Assessment Officer is responsible for ensuring the annual revision and equalization of all assessments and valuations, and for performing all of the duties and responsibilities required of a chief assessment officer under applicable Pennsylvania law and ordinances/regulations of Allegheny County pertaining to property assessments.  These duties and responsibilities include:

Duties:

• Oversees the making of all assessments and makes the final determination of the value of all subjects of taxation in accordance with law, ordinance and industry standards.
• Ensures the revision and equalization of all such assessments and valuations.
• Provides information as requested by the Division Manager, Department Director, and/or administration.
• Recommends to the Division and Department such elements of an Assessment Standards and Practices Ordinance as the Chief Assessment Officer deems appropriate.
• Ensures that revisions and equalizations are done in accordance with law, ordinance and industry standards at the lowest cost per parcel.
• Promulgates guidelines for use by County assessors in applying the cost approach, sales approach and income approach to property valuation as part of the County's computer assisted mass appraisal system.
• Provides advice and assistance in public relations efforts.
• Assists in establishing policies and procedures for the Office of Property Assessment.
• Sets assessment values for properties which have suffered catastrophic losses.
• Supervises and directs the activities of the assessors.
• Reports on administrative matters to the County Manager through the Manager of the Office of Property Assessment and performs other administrative duties as assigned by the County Manager.
• Performs and/or participates in special projects and other duties as requested or assigned by the Director or Division Manager.
• Provides sales information to the State Tax Equalization Board (STEB) to be used by STEB for the calculation of the common level ratio.

Minimum Requirements: Must be an International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO) Certified Assessment Evaluator (CAE) OR hold a Commonwealth of PA General Appraiser's license.  A minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible professional experience in the management of property valuation is required.  Must have a firm command of assessment and taxation practices.  A valid Certified Pennsylvania Evaluators license is preferred.

Applicants must possess and maintain a valid PA Driver’s License throughout employment.

Pre-employment Covid-19 Vaccination and Background Check Requirements: It is the policy of Allegheny County that in order to receive a final offer of employment, candidates for positions within the executive branch must provide proof of a Covid-19 vaccination. The prospective employee will need to be fully vaccinated or have at least one shot of a two-shot series before beginning work. Any employee who does not receive and provide proof of the second shot within 30 days will have their probationary employment terminated.

Allegheny County will allow for medical and religious exemptions from the requirements in accordance with state in federal law.

Additionally, it is the policy of Allegheny County that in order to receive a final offer of employment, candidates must successfully pass a background check, which includes verification of Allegheny County Real Estate Tax status, and drug/medical examinations as required for the position. The pre-employment drug screen must be completed within 48 hours of the acceptance of the conditional offer of employment.