Administrative Assistant – Assessor’s Office

The Town of Westwood seeks a pleasant, detailed-minded, customer-focused individual to provide administrative and technical work to support the day-to-day operations of the Assessor’s office, maintaining assessment records and assisting the Town Assessor with municipal tax assessment activities.

Duties include the following:

• Screens incoming mail, responds to inquiries from residents and visitors, types department correspondence and reports, and maintains department’s filing systems.
• Assists public in completing applications for abatements and exemptions; explains procedures and regulations governing abatements.
• Completes monthly overlay spreadsheets to track overlay balances for the Assistant Town Administrator/Finance Director and the Board of Assessors.
• Processes all motor vehicle abatements in Softright software, including proofing completed packets weekly and posting to the Tax Collector’s office.
• Prepares information for the completion of real estate tax bills, including processing and recording real estate transfers, checking records of ownership and property characteristics to ensure accuracy, researching maps and plans and related information.
• Performs data entry into Vision Appraisal systems, including updating property record cards which can involve sketching new buildings.
• Interprets plans and deeds as they relate to legal property description and Assessor’s maps of layout boundaries; communicates plan changes to GIS Coordinator.
• Prepares list of abutters for various Town boards and commissions.
• Coordinates and schedules Appraiser appointments for field reviews; conducts title research.
• Attends Board of Assessor’s meetings and compiles minutes.
• Maintains and updates field card information and personal property cards.

Qualifications and Experience: Associate’s Degree in Business Administration or related field preferred; three years of responsible administrative or office experience; experience working in a municipal setting and in conducting business with the public strongly preferred; or any equivalent combination of education and experience. Ability to attend Department of Revenue training course on Principles of Assessing Procedures. Knowledge of mapping and GIS helpful; possessing current knowledge in state regulations as they pertain to MA DOR and excise, assessment, exemptions and abatement procedure.

Salary and Benefits: Full-time, 35-hour per week position in the clerical union. Current salary range of $26.81 - $31.38 per hour. The Town offers a comprehensive benefits package.

To Apply: Pleasesubmit a cover letter and resume by May 31, 2024. Applications reviewed as received.