ROW Appraisal Specialist

Position Description

Mission Statement:

The Mission of the Harris County Engineering Department is to provide accessible service to all residents and partners while delivering innovative infrastructure solutions.

Vision Statement:

As a recognized infrastructure leader in the community, we strive to continuously improve the quality of life for our residents by enhancing our operations to provide a safe and sustainable environment.

ROW Appraisal Specialist Position Overview:

Supports the Appraisal Group in the Real Property Division (RPD) by assisting with the management and tracking of consulting contracts and consultants related to County-engaged appraisal services. As a part of the Appraisal Group, the Appraisal Specialist works closely with our in-house acquisition, relocation, and clerical staff, in addition to the outside consultants that are hired to assist with County-managed projects. The Appraisal Specialist will support the Appraisal Group by utilizing both general business and appraisal-specific proficiencies gained to ensure that all work is assigned and received according to contracted requirements, State and Federal law, and internal standards. The Appraisal Specialist will apply knowledge and experience in the appraisal review process to ensure expected appraisal quality as well as assessing a reasonable appraiser approach to value conclusions.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Consults with Appraisal Team leadership regarding appraisal assignments to be made to consultants based on workload, availability, and provided deadlines.

• Works with Appraisal Team to advise and manage assigned consultants performing work on behalf of RPD and its clients.

• Provides project support activities, including contacting property owners, advising other RPD staff regarding the acquisition of whole properties, partial tracts and easements, and informing property owners of their rights.

• Coordinates appraisal and valuation related tasks with RPD acquisition staff, as well as governmental agency and other internal staff.

• Reviews consultant deliverables for accuracy. Clearly communicates needs for clarification/corrections to external appraisal vendors.

• Assists with the continual auditing of quality control documents

• Reviews legal documents, maps, property surveys and plans with a basic understanding of content.

• Updates tasks in work management system in a timely and accurate manner.

• Ensures compliance with Federal, State, and local laws.

• Performs other duties that may be added or changed as the course and scope of the job directs

NOTE: Criminal and CPS background check required prior to hiring and E-Verify upon hiring. All candidates are screened for the presence of illegal drugs.

Due to a high volume of applications positions may close prior to the advertised closing date.

Requirements

Education & Experience:

• Associate Degree in Business, Planning, Public Administration, Real Estate, or similar discipline from an accredited college or university

• Two (2) years experience in permits, appraisals, appraisal management, project coordination, land use, right of way or other real-estate related activities.

OR

• High school diploma or G.E.D. equivalent

• Two (2) years of real estate industry experience

• Two (2) years experience in permits, appraisals, appraisal management, project coordination, land use, right of way or other real-estate related activities.

Additional Requirements:

• All applicants must submit three professional references in order to be considered for this position.

• Two references must be from supervisors or an individual in the applicant's chain of command, and one from a peer.

Licensure:

• A valid driver's license (Texas upon hire), and a good driving record

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Understanding of Uniform Standard of Professional Appraisal Practice.

• Practical knowledge of CoStar and Marshall & Swift.

• Ability to manage multiple projects with minimal supervision.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, using proper grammar and spelling.

• The ability to communicate effectively and establish strong working relationships with senior management, elected officials and their staff, co-workers, the general public, industry representatives, and other government agencies.

• Must possess good problem analysis and resolution skills.

• Must have strong organization and prioritization skills.

• Self motivated and results oriented.

• Strong skills using Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Access), and the ability to produce reports using databases, spreadsheets, presentations, and other software.

• Requires high level of confidentiality, judgment, personal responsibility, and dependability.

NOTE: Qualifying education, experience, knowledge, and skills must be documented on your job application. You may attach a resume to the application as supporting documentation but ONLY information stated on the application will be used for consideration. "See Resume" will not be accepted for qualifications.

Preferences

Education:

• Bachelor's Degree in Business, Planning, Public Administration, Real Estate, or similar discipline from an accredited college or university (preferred)

Experience/Knowledge:

• Three (3) years of real estate industry experience. (preferred)
• Three (3) years experience in permits, appraisals, appraisal management, project coordination, land use, right of way or other real-estate related activities. (preferred)

General Information

Position Type, and Typical Hours of Work:

• Full-Time | Regular | 40 hours per week

• Hybrid schedule: Three days in the office and two days working from home.

• Subject to early mornings, late evenings, weekends and holidays at times, depending upon the project or workload.

Salary:

• Commensurate with experience, based on 26 pay periods

Physical Demands and Environmental Exposure:

• Most assignments will be performed in an office, meeting, or operations command center environment, but some field work may be required. May be required to work extended work hours during activation of disaster recovery operations for an unspecified length of time (varies based on the extent of the event).

• This position requires bending, stooping, and lifting up to 25 lbs., frequent walking, standing, sitting, reaching, and ascending/descending stairs.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

FEATURED BENEFITS:

• Medical, vision, and dental insurance

• Wellness

• Professional development opportunity

• Flexible spending account

• 457 deferred compensation plan

• Retirement pension (TCDRS)

• Transportation assistance (Metro Ride Sponsor Program)

• Disability and life insurance

• Harris County is a Qualified Employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)

FEATURED BENEFITS:

• Medical, vision, and dental insurance

• Wellness

• Professional development opportunity

• Flexible spending account

• 457 deferred compensation plan

• Retirement pension (TCDRS)

• Transportation assistance (Metro Ride Sponsor Program)

• Disability and life insurance

• Harris County is a Qualified Employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)

Employment is contingent upon passing a background check and drug screen.

Due to a high volume of applications positions may close prior to the advertised closing date or at the discretion of the Hiring Department.

BENEFITS

Harris County offers a competitive benefits program, including comprehensive group health and related benefits plan as well as defined benefit retirement plan.

The following list of benefits is offered only to employees in regular (full-time) positions:

• Medical Coverage

• Dental Coverage

• Vision Coverage

• Wellness Plan

• Life Insurance

• Long-term disability

• Employee Assistance Program

• Ten (10) days of vacation each year for the first five (5) years of service

• Accrual rates increase based on years of service

• Eleven (11) County-observed holidays and one (1) floating holiday

• Professional development opportunities

• Dependent Care Reimbursement Plan

• Healthcare Reimbursement Account

• 457 Deferred Compensation Plan

The following benefits are also available to regular (full-time) employment and may be available to part-time employees:

• Retirement Pension (TCDRS)
• Flexible schedule (varies by department)
• Transportation Assistance (Metro RideSponsor Program)

In accordance with the Harris County Personnel Regulations, Group Health and related benefits are subject to amendment or discontinuance at any time. Commissioners Court reserves the right to make benefit modifications on the County's behalf as needed.

For plan details, visit the Harris County benefits website:

https://benefitsathctx.com/

01

Which of the following best describes your highest level of education completed as it relates to this position?

• High School or GED diploma

• Associate Degree

• Bachelor's Degree

• Master's Degree or higher

• None of the above

02

If you selected a college degree in response to the previous question, which of the following best describes your major?

• Business

• Planning

• Public Administration

• Real Estate

• Other Related Field

• Unrelated Field

• N/A; No Degree

03

Please describe your educational background (i.e. diploma, degree, certifications, etc.) including the level of education completed, area of study, and completed major and minor programs.

04

Which of the following best describes your verifiable experience in permits, appraisals, appraisal management, project coordination, land use, right of way or other real-estate related activities? (To be considered, qualifying experience must be documented in your application's employment history)

• Less than two (2) or years

• Two (2) years more but less than three (3) years

• Three (3) years or more but less than four (4) years

• Four (4) or more years

• I do not have this experience

05

Please provide details about your verifiable experience in permits, appraisals, appraisal management, project coordination, land use, right of way or other real-estate related activities.

• Do not use "See Resume", as we do not use resumes to assess qualifications.* (To be considered, qualifying experience must be documented in your application's employment history) Include your (a) role(s), (b) types of organizations, (c) scope of duties and responsibilities. If you do not have this experience, please type "None" in the space provided.

06

Which of the following best describes your verifiable professional experience in the real estate industry? (To be considered, qualifying experience must be documented in your application's employment history)

• Less than two (2) or years

• Two (2) years more but less than three (3) years

• Three (3) years or more but less than four (4) years

• Four (4) or more years

• I do not have this experience.

07

Please provide details about your verifiable experience in the real estate industry.

• Do not use "See Resume", as we do not use resumes to assess qualifications.* (To be considered, qualifying experience must be documented in your application's employment history) Include your (a) role(s), (b) types of organizations, (c) scope of duties and responsibilities. If you do not have this experience, please type "None" in the space provided.

08

Which of the following describes your level of proficiency using a personal computer and common office software such as MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook). Please select your level of proficiency based on the following descriptions: Advanced: A person with this level of skills is able to produce very large, complex formal documents that require a table of contents, footnotes, endnotes, bookmarks, and other special elements; a wide range of graphic effects, and use advanced techniques for analyzing and manipulating data. Has full mastery of Macro commands and skills to tie the objects together into a cohesive system by using Macros and Visual Basic for Applications code. Makes interactive presentations by using hyperlinks and action buttons. Intermediate: A person with this level of skills is able to customize toolbars, import and insert graphs, embed Excel data, and elaborate reports. Understands the concepts of databases and is able to work with charts and to use the list management capabilities of Excel. Able to use complex query techniques, create efficient forms and reports, and create Macros to automate these forms. Makes interactive presentations by using hyperlinks and action buttons. Basic: A person with this level of skills is able to use basic formatting, editing, printing functions, and understands the document page setup. Has the ability to enter and correct data, modify a workbook, format a worksheet, and use printing functions. Understands the different database concepts and structures and is familiar with data validation and is able to create a simple presentation in PowerPoint, run it, and print it. Entry Level: A person with this level of skills has the ability to open, create, save and modify documents in Word, send and receive email in Outlook and create spreadsheets in Excel. Format documents for printing, comfortable using the printer menu to preview documents. Has ability to change the font, the margins, insert or delete pages and use the built-in spellchecker and grammar check.

• Advanced

• Intermediate

• Basic

• Entry Level

• Not proficient

09

For this position, a valid Texas Driver's License is necessary. Please choose the option that best describes your situation: Do you meet the above requirement? (Please be sure to include all related details in the Certificates and Licenses section of your application.)

• Yes, I currently hold a valid Texas Driver's License.

• Yes, I possess a valid Out-of-State Driver's License, but I am aware that I must acquire a valid Texas Driver's License before the start date.

• No, I do not currently have a driver's license, but I commit to obtaining one before the start date.

• No, I do not currently have a valid driver's license.

10

All applicants must submit three professional references in order to be considered for this position: Two references must be from supervisors or an individual in the applicant's chain of command, and one from a peer. Did you attach all required information to this application?

• Yes, I have attached a copy of all required information.

• No, I have not attached the required information. I understand that this may result in disqualification from the employment process.

Required Question

Agency Harris County

Address 1111 Fannin St

Ste. 600

Houston, Texas, 77002

Phone 713-274-5445

Website https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/harriscountytx