Appraiser Analyst

The Thurston County Assessor’s office is looking for a new Appraiser Analyst who delights in the details, while being community, goal, and customer focused. This position’s primary responsibility is management of residential property appeals. Employees at this level may function in the capacity of facilitator or provide guidance, clarify procedures, and assist with troubleshooting problem areas. May assist with quality control and progress reporting. The successful candidate will have strong time and workload management skills as they maintain multiple appeal calendars with minimal supervision. They’ll also possess strong written and oral communication.

Essential Functions

Determining values of individual properties under appeal.
Preparing written responses and defending valuations before the County Board of Equalization and the State Board of Tax Appeals.
Maintaining records of appeals and appeal progress.
Establishes sales and income models for valuing improved residential and commercial property using a variety of software packages such as Excel, Access, and SPSS.
Determines and applies neighborhood land and building adjustments based on the statistical analysis of sales, to include using regression analysis.
Prepares sales reports and determines sales trends by neighborhood and property type.
Prepares revaluation reports detailing levels of assessment, measures of dispersion, or other statistical measures by geographical area, property type, and construction style.
Prepares maps with property, sales, and zoning information; reviews aerial photos to establish property boundaries, land characteristics, and structure locations.
May determine the value of industrial, farm, business, or other equipment or machinery.

Working Conditions

Work Environment – Full time, in-office position.
Schedule – Scheduled shift: Monday (five 8-hour days).
Travel Requirements – May occasionally travel for trainings/conferences.
Customer Interactions – Interacts with the public (in-person, computer, telephone).

Who We Are

Thurston County Assessor, Steven J. Drew, is responsible for identifying, locating, and fairly valuing all real and personal property within the county for tax purposes.

Thurston County values the diversity of the people it hires and serves. Inclusion to us means fostering a workplace in which individual differences are recognized, appreciated, and responded to in ways that fully develop and utilize each person’s talents and strengths. We are dedicated to recruiting and developing a talented workforce from various cultures, lifestyles, backgrounds, and perspectives who are committed to our vision and core values.

What We Offer Our Employees

Work-Life Balance: We are committed to ensuring that our staff experience the reward of public service, while also sustaining a routine that suits each individual’s lifestyle.
Plan For Your Future: As a member of our team, you will enjoy great employee benefits, including a retirement plan, pre-tax savings accounts, as well as comprehensive health care and dental/vision care for you and your family.
Paid Leave: Full-time regular employees earn paid vacation in addition to paid holidays.
Robust Training Program: Employees are encouraged to attend County paid training to help them further their career, learn new skill sets, and stay on top of emerging trends in our industry. We also encourage our staff to participate in professional organizations and attend conferences.
Flexible Work Schedules: Some of the options that employees may take advantage of include alternative or compressed schedules and/or remote working.
Deferred Compensation: The County offers 3 voluntary deferred compensation plans for employees who would like to set aside additional deferred tax dollars into a retirement savings plan.
Flexible Spending Account (FSA): Employees can take advantage of Section 125 flexible spending accounts for out-of-pocket health care and daycare expenses with pre-tax dollars.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness: This is a federal program which allows full-time public service employees who have made qualifying payments for certain loans, to get their student loans repaid. Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program

Why You’ll Love It Here

Thurston County is located between Seattle and Portland in Western Washington’s South Puget Sound Region. Perched in between the mountains and the ocean, the area boasts the perfect blend of year-round outdoor activities including boating, hiking, skiing, and more. The region is also home to the state capitol city of Olympia, known for its many restaurants, microbreweries, coffee shops, farmer’s markets, kids’ activities, history, and art events. Discover more about life in Thurston County at Experienceolympia.com.

Message to Potential Applicants

We understand that some potential applicants are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every one of the functions or skills listed in a job description. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and we understand that may be someone who will learn some of these skills on the job. If you are interested in this position, and meet the minimum qualifications, we encourage you to go ahead and apply! Feel free to think about how you will bring your own set of skills to the role and tell us about the potential that you hold.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree with major course work in business, economics, finance, real estate, or statistics, and Washington State sponsored or professionally approved courses in real or personal property appraisal.
Two years of experience in real estate transactions, which provide a knowledge of real property values and appraising techniques, plus two years of hands-on market modeling using regression analysis, spreadsheet analysis and database management. Knowledge of computer-assisted mass appraisal programs and statistical analysis is essential. Additional experience can be substituted for education on a year-for-year basis.
Must achieve Real Property accreditation from Washington State Department of Revenue within one year of appointment. Prior to appointment, applicant must have attended and successfully completed IAAO Courses 101, 102, and 300 or equivalent course work. Within two years of appointment, must attend and successfully pass IAAO Course 311 and SPSS (beginning) modeling class or equivalent course work.
Ability to utilize a personal computer and applicable software to successfully perform essential job functions of the position.
Current Washington State Driver’s License or have requested and obtained an appropriate accommodation.

Desired Skills

This position requires a high level of understanding and ability in math, statistics, market modeling, computer operations, and computer language development.

This position is: Represented by a union, Eligible for benefits, Eligible for overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
Items requested for consideration:
- Application
- Resume
- Letter of Interest

Please Note

Information in this announcement is subject to change without notice at any time during the length of the job advertisement.

Thurston County Is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Thurston County is committed to providing equal opportunity to all persons seeking or having access to its employment, services and activities, which is free from restriction based on race, sex, marital status, color, creed or religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, including gender expression or identity, pregnancy, status as an honorably discharged veteran or military status, genetic information, or the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability, unless based upon bona fide occupational qualifications. Applicants with disabilities who need accommodation with the application or selection process should contact Thurston County’s Human Resources, at (360) 786-5498. Those who are deaf, deaf-blind, hard of hearing or speech impaired may use the statewide relay system to reach Thurston County offices and departments to conduct their business telephonically. Relay users can simply dial 7-1-1 (or 1-800-833-6388) to connect with Washington Relay.