Principal Real Property Appraiser - Jefferson County

TARGET CLOSE DATE:

06/13/2025

PAY GRADE:

Grade 26

TYPE:

Full time

JOB SUMMARY:

Jefferson County is seeking highly qualified Principal Real Property Appraisers to appraise both residential and commercial properties in order to establish fair market value for ad valorem taxation, in accordance with state and federal guidelines. This role requires a high level of professional judgment throughout the valuation process and strict adherence to established policies, procedures, and applicable laws. Appraisals are conducted across the county, necessitating regular travel to various sites. Principal Appraisers operate with a high degree of independence and play a key role in shaping departmental goals, policies, procedures, budgets, and legal compliance. In addition to conducting appraisals, Principal Real Property Appraisers supervise and coordinate the activities of Property Appraisers and Senior Property Appraisers within the Birmingham and Bessemer Divisions of the Board of Equalization, focusing on commercial property assessments. Responsibilities include training staff, assigning and reviewing work, providing performance feedback, and ensuring overall quality and consistency in appraisal practices. This position reports to the Property Appraisal Manager and work is evaluated for thoroughness and compliance with relevant policies and standards.

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:

Jefferson County: $65,228 - $101,192

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

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

Option A:

• Driver's license.

• Real Property Appraiser Certification from Alabama Department of Revenue.

• Experience guiding, directing and/or reviewing the work of appraisers using the Alabama Department of Revenue Plan for Equalization (i.e., lead worker).

• Work experience valuing commercial real estate properties using the three approaches to value (i.e., Cost, Income, Sales Comparison).

• Completion of at least 2 of the following courses offered by the International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO): Course 112 - Income Approach to Valuation II, Course 201 — Appraisal of Land, Course 300 — Fundamentals of Mass Appraisal, Course 311 — Real Property Modeling Concepts , Course 312 — Commercial/Industrial Modeling Concepts, Course 331 — Mass Appraisal Practices and Procedures, Course 332 — Modeling Concepts, Course 333 — Residential Model Building, Course 334 — Application of Mass Appraisal to Non-Residential Properties, Course 400 — Assessment Administration.

Option B:

• Driver's license.

• Real Property Appraiser Certification from Alabama Department of Revenue.

• Experience guiding, directing and/or reviewing the work of appraisers using the Alabama Department of Revenue Plan for Equalization (i.e., lead worker).

• Work experience valuing commercial real estate properties using the three approaches to value (i.e., Cost, Income, Sales Comparison).

• At least 24 college credit hours in coursework in Business, Engineering, Real Estate or a closely related field.

PREFERRED 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.

• Alabama Real Estate Board Appraiser license.

• Certified Assessment Evaluator.

• Supervisory or project lead experience of appraisal staff.

• College degree in Business, Real Estate, Engineering, or a closely related field.

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.

• 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.

• Completes valuations and/or assessments of real properties on behalf of the Board of Equalization by analyzing appraisal data, calculating value estimates, and monitoring market trends in order to determine the amount of property tax owed by property owners.

• Inspects real properties (e.g., commercial) and related documentation (e.g., property records, maps) on behalf of the Jefferson County Board of Equalization by examining records, taking measurements, and identifying property characteristics in order to evaluate construction, condition, special features, and functional design.

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

• Prepares written reports that estimate property values and support methods by which estimations were made.

• Receives protests of assessed real property values from various individuals (e.g., property owners, managers, attorneys) to allow individuals to dispute their property appraisal estimates.

• Conducts review process for all properties within the county to ensure inventory accuracy and proper class and condition assessment.

• Monitors trends (e.g., interest rates, mortgage availability) that may affect real property market prices in order to provide accurate appraisal estimates.

• Determines when properties need to be re-visited and documents dates for re-inspection as necessary.

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 during regular field visits to external places of business, residences, or construction worksites. Work involves the use of standard office equipment, such as a 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 operate its own equal employment opportunity policies available on the individual city/agency website.

ACCOMMODATION:

NOTE:

This job posting may close before, or be extended beyond, the listed Target Close Date based on the employment needs of the Merit System. More detail regarding this job is available by clicking Apply.

DISCLAIMER:

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