Chief Personal Property Appraiser

The Personnel Board of Jefferson County Alabama; Alabama; On-site; USD 74,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical and dental insurance

Employer-sponsored retirement (pension

Paid holidays and vacation leave

Job summary

The Jefferson County Commission Tax Assessor’s Birmingham Office seeks a seasoned Chief Personal Property Appraiser to lead the Personal Property Section, directing staff, ensuring accurate assessments, and maintaining compliance with laws and policies. The role requires extensive knowledge of appraisal standards, field reviews, and strong leadership to guide the department.

Travel may be required, with a focus on accurate valuation of personal property and effective staff oversight.

Qualifications

• Possession of a State Certified Appraisal Certificate (i.e., from any state).
• Coursework in basic principles of accounting.
• Experience creating spreadsheets to perform calculations.
• Experience performing audits.
• Experience appraising equipment, furniture, and fixtures.
• Experience in disputes of valuation (e.g., protests, appeals, litigation).

Responsibilities

• Performs administrative duties to maintain efficient departmental operations.
• Assists taxpayers with personal property issues (forms, questions, complaints).
• Oversees business inspections to identify taxable personal property and assess taxes.
• Develops/implements goals, policies, procedures, and laws for department.
• Gathers evidence and reviews documents for protests or court cases.
• Engages in professional development and knowledge of best practices.
• Makes decisions based on property evidence in protest cases.
• Supervises staff and provides training.

Skills

State Certified Appraisal Certificate

Audits

Valuation disputes

Equipment appraisal

Proficiency with accounting principles

General spreadsheet skills

Alabama Tax Code experience

Education

State Certified Appraisal Certificate

Job description

Chief Personal Property Appraiser - Jefferson County (Tax Assessor - Birmingham)

LOCATIONS: Jefferson County

TARGET CLOSE DATE: 10/02/2026

PAY GRADE: Grade 28

TYPE: Full time

JOB SUMMARY: The Jefferson County Commission Tax Assessor’s Birmingham Office is seeking a motivated and experienced Chief Personal Property Appraiser to lead the operations of the Personal Property Section. The incumbent will plan, direct, and coordinate the work of staff to ensure personal property is accurately assessed and properly classified in accordance with applicable laws, policies, and procedures. The Chief Personal Property Appraiser will oversee a department or division, coordinate staff activities, and review the work of subordinates for technical accuracy and compliance with governing requirements. This position requires extensive knowledge of laws, regulations, and ordinances related to the appraisal and assessment of personal property, as well as strong leadership and organizational skills. Work is primarily performed in an office setting with minimal physical demands. Some travel may be required to conduct field reviews.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS: Jefferson County provides competitive pay and comprehensive benefits packages to include medical and dental insurance, employer-sponsored retirement plan (pension), generous paid holidays, sick and vacation leave, and more. The pay range for this job is presented below:

$74,068 - $114,899

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: The following are job-related qualifications that are required for employment consideration for this position:

• Possession of a State Certified Appraisal Certificate (i.e., from any state).

• Coursework in basic principles of accounting.

• Experience creating spreadsheets to perform calculations.

• Experience performing audits.

• Experience appraising equipment, furniture, and fixtures.

• Experience in disputes of valuation (e.g., protests, appeals, litigation).

TARGETED QUALIFICATIONS: The following are job-related qualifications deemed desirable by Jefferson County. These qualifications may be considered when reviewing applications and inviting candidates to participate in subsequent steps in the selection processes.

• Experience with Alabama Tax Code Title 40 (Revenue and Taxation)

TYPICAL JOB DUTIES:

• Performs administrative duties (e.g., writing reports, maintaining files, drafting mail correspondence, communicating information, providing assistance) in order to maintain efficient departmental operations.

• Assists taxpayers with various issues related to personal property (e.g., completing forms, answering questions, resolving complaints).

• Oversees and/or conducts business inspections in order to identify taxable personal property items and assess appropriate tax amounts for revenue purposes.

• Develops and/or participates in the development, interpretation and/or implementation of goals, objectives, policies, procedures, and/or laws in order to provide direction, vision, and operational standards for the department.

• Gathers evidence and reviews documentation (e.g., income and expense statements, private appraisals, deeds, liens, mortgages, market trends, attorney general opinions, case law, blueprints, sketches and drawings, legal descriptions) in order to obtain relevant information related to citizen protests of assessed property values and/or related court cases.

• Engages in activities designed to ensure professional development, awareness of developments in the field, and knowledge of relevant practices, rules, laws, policies, and/or guidelines.

• Makes decisions and renders judgments based on property-related evidence/information in response to citizen protests of assessed property values and/or related court cases.

• Supervises staff by assigning and distributing work, directing staff in their job duties, monitoring progress of work, providing feedback and/or training.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Job is primarily sedentary involving sitting for long periods of time, but may involve occasional walking or standing for brief periods. May involve occasional light lifting of items or objects weighing up to 25 lbs.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: Work is conducted both indoors in an office setting as well as regular field visits to external places of business, residence, or construction worksites. Work involves use of standard office equipment, such as computer, phone, copier, etc.

EEO STATEMENT: The Personnel Board of Jefferson County provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment with the Personnel Board of Jefferson County, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training. Each Merit System member city/agency operates its own equal employment opportunity policies available on the individual city/agency website.

ACCOMMODATION: To request an accommodation in the application or hiring process due to your own ongoing medical condition or disability, please contact our Accommodations Coordinator at [e-mail] or phone at 205-279-3500 (select option 1) Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central Time. The accommodation process is reserved solely for job seekers with disabilities requesting accessibility assistance or accommodation in the job application process.

DISCLAIMER: This job posting is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of the job duties, responsibilities, or skills and abilities required for this position and may be changed at the discretion of the Personnel Board at any time.