Appraiser Chief

Under the general direction of the Santa Fe County Assessor or designee. The chief oversees, directs and manages a large staff of appraisers and senior appraisers, responsible for performing property appraisal and special appraisal related projects. Reviews and implements procedures to ensure proper valuation of real and personal property through mass appraisal and industry accepted appraisal techniques. Conducts more complex appraisals in Santa Fe County and participates in formal hearings and court hearings.

• Directs, instructs, and participates in appraisals of residential, commercial, special use buildings, industrial and agricultural land, buildings, and improvements to the land; values lessor and lessee interests in property.
• Supervises appraisers in conducting mass appraisals; resolves difficult problems of appraisals; collects and analyzes economic market data affecting property values, including property income and expense analysis, highest and best use analysis, and other related data; and reviews and evaluates appraisal reports.
• Reviews and evaluates mass appraisal field progress and valuation reports; maintains market and construction costs data.
• Creates and updates departmental policies including training materials and departmental procedures with the direction from the Assessor and/or his/her designee. Uses feedback cycle to make improvements to policies and ensure quality of work by staff.
• Manages or collaborates and assists with re-appraisals, completing building permits, reviewing affidavits, processing exempt properties, and auditing Notice of Values for quality; collaborates with the mapping division to map difficult parcels and with legal in handling accounts that are in litigation.
• Organizes and participates in the informal and formal protest process.;
• Hires, trains, develops, supervises, and evaluates staff; recommends staff for promotion, pay increases, and disciplinary actions.
• Ensures exceptional customer service for customers through training, feedback, and modeling with staff. Assist with answering phone/live chat/in-person/public outreach events and provides property owners with information; drafts correspondence; maintains office files.
• Oversees management for all incoming building permits for various jurisdictions. Ensures that permits are being reviewed through site inspections, paper or digital plans and blueprints for new construction, and changes to existing structure type for tax valuation purposes. Ensures policies are being adhered to for proper data entry, follow up and valuation.
• Interacts with property owners, tax consultants, and attorneys in escalated or more complex matters including litigation. Manages, oversees and participates in the protest process including managing the CRM portal for data entry and technical assistance, organizing, delegating and processing protested accounts for valuation and data review through a workflow process. Communicates between management, legal and staff the amount and type of protests, assignments and statuses. Adherence to statutes, laws, policies and best practices to defend valuation through the protest process. Represent, prepare and advise appraisers for formal hearings in order to professionally represent the Assessor and defend the valuations of property in front of a protest board using industry practices.
• Reviews lot splits and merges processed through the mapping department per plats, deeds and other legal documents. Processes new and changed accounts into CAMA system, determine highest and best use of property and value in accordance to property type in consideration of statutes and policies. Collaborates with the mapping division to map difficult parcels.
• Directly involved in ensuring quality of data that is used for valuation purposes is correct and entered in the systems properly prior to sending out notice of values. Directly involved in decision-making practices that establish fair and equitable valuation for the constituents and promote teamwork and sustainability for the staff.
• Oversees and assists with maintaining and auditing valuations of short-term rentals and communicating direct effects with other department managers.
• Directs and/or presents at departmental, managerial and external public meetings.
• Responsible for performing other duties as assigned.
  
  

Knowledge/Skills

• Considerable knowledge of property appraisal theory and practice; of New Mexico Ad Valorem tax statutes; of various forms of deeds, contracts, survey plats, and other related documentation; and of the organization and direction of mass appraisal.
• Knowledge of New Mexico’s geography and economy; and of building industry and trends.
• Ability to direct the field and office work of technical and clerical personnel and to train and develop staff.
• Ability to conduct complex appraisals on commercial or special use properties effectively utilizing IAAO best practice standards to evaluate appraisal reports and supporting documentation; and to maintain and improve knowledge about the industry by continuing appraisal education through IAAO/appraisal courses.
• Ability to deal tactfully with controversial matters and to handle confidential material in a trustworthy manner.
• Ability to focus on detail and ensure no mistakes in calculations by self and co-workers.
• Ability to communicate effectively, verbally and in writing, with employees, members of the media, other agencies, and the public by telephone, in person, and in group settings.
• Skill in operating various word-processing, spreadsheets, database and other software programs in a Windows environment including skill in C.A.M.A. Software, Aerial & Oblique Imagery, Document Management software, and Workflow software.

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Agriculture, Business Administration, Economics, Real Estate or related field; and
• Five (5) years of experience in mass or real estate appraisal, of which two (2) years must have been in a supervisory capacity. A completed New Mexico EDGE Public Supervisor certification will substitute for the required two (2) years of supervisory experience.
• Relevant education may be substituted for experience at a rate of 30 semester hours equal to one (1) year experience.
• New Mexico Certified Appraiser Certification through the State of New Mexico Property Tax Division or having an IAAO designation is preferred.
• The successful completion of the following is required:
• IAAO Course 101, Fundamentals of Real Property Appraisal (30 hours)
• IAAO Course 102, Income Approach to Valuation (30 hours)
• IAAO Course 300, Fundamentals of Mass Appraisal (30 hours)
  

Plus 30 Hours Of Any Of The Following

• IAAO Course 201, Appraisal of Land;
• IAAO Course 112, Income Approach to Valuation II;
• IAAO Course 311, Residential Modeling Concepts;
• IAAO Course 312, Commercial/Industrial Modeling Concepts; or
• IAAO Course 320, Multiple Regression Analysis
  
  

Working Conditions: Work is performed both in the office and outdoors in varied weather conditions with exposure to dust, fumes, airborne particles, and allergens. Work schedule may include evening and weekend hours. Travel is required. While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly is required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands or arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and talk or hear. Clarity of vision at long and short distance is required. The employee is occasionally required to lift up to 20 pounds. Work may involve high risk or potentially dangerous situations; exposure to excessive noise; or working near hazardous moving equipment or machinery. Work may require the use of protective clothing, equipment, devices, or materials. May be subject to exposure to CRTs, VDTs, and UV rays.

Conditions of Employment: Selected candidate must submit to and pass a County paid pre-employment physical and drug/alcohol screening. Additionally, selected candidate must submit to and pass a county paid criminal background screening. Selected candidate must possess and maintain a valid New Mexico Class D Driver’s License as incumbent shall be appointed to drive a County vehicle during the performance of his/her duties.