Director of Election Administration

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Agency Description

The Philadelphia City Commissioners are a three-member bipartisan board of elected officials in charge of elections and voter registration for the City of Philadelphia. Each Commissioner is elected to serve a four-year term that coincides with the municipal election cycle for Mayor and City Council.

The Commissioners set and enforce departmental policies to administer voter registration and conduct elections in accordance with federal and state voter registration and election laws.

Position Summary

The Director of Election Administration is responsible for managing, directing, and supervising, through subordinate managers and/or supervisors, the activities of administrative staff (excluding the Commissioners and their individual office’s staff) to meet deadlines, procure goods and services, communicate with the public, equitably manage the Office of the City Commissioners’ workforce development, and hold elections in accordance with federal and state election laws. The Director of Election Administration shall keep the City Commissioners and Executive Staff apprised of the progress towards departmental goals.

The Director of Election Administration shall proactively communicate pertinent information, decision points, and any potential issues with the Deputy Commissioners and the Director of Election Operations, making all decisions in consultation with all parties. Regular progress reports will be presented at Board of Elections meetings and, when appropriate, items will be presented for a board vote.

The position of Director of Election Administration is in the Administration Program in the Operations Management Responsibility Center. The Director of Election Administration reports to and is supervised by the Board of Elections.

Essential Functions

• Manage administrative and professional staff, including, but not limited to the Director of Administration, Information Technology Director, Director of Communications, Budget Officer, and Voter Access and Engagement Supervisor. Manage all aspects of time approval, annual evaluations, and required discipline. Serve as the primary point of contact between the Department and its various vendors, partners within City Government, partners within State and Federal government, and counterparts in other jurisdictions.
• Oversee exempt human resources, establishing policies and procedures to increase equitable hiring practices, ensuring annual evaluations are complete, and providing regular professional development. Present proposed exempt hires to the Board of Elections for approval (excluding the Commissioners and their individual office’s staff). Set and implement excused-time policies.
• Work with the Budget Officer to present annual budgets to the Board of Elections for approval at a public meeting. Manage spending to align with approved budgets and official policy priorities, providing regular updates to the Board of Elections and seeking approval for any unforeseen expenses. Oversee grant applications and management.
• Oversee the procurement of goods and services ensuring all materials and services are available.
• Establish and implement security protocols, evaluating after each election cycle.
• Establish policies and procedures to guide all work of the Office of the City Commissioners, ensuring compliance with all state and federal election laws. Develop key performance measures and establish timelines and benchmarks for meeting stated goals. Institute regular reporting requirements for management and compile departmental reports into comprehensive office wide reports for review by the City Commissioners and their deputies. Regularly review departmental progress and redistribute resources, as needed, to adjust to changing conditions.
• Hold regular, intradepartmental meetings to align on department wide goals, share updates, and solve challenges.
• Oversee all public relations, communications, and public engagement efforts. Coordinating all communications efforts with the Deputy Commissioners and Director of Election Operations to standardize Departmental communications and graphical materials. Ensure all activities are conducted in compliance with state and federal election laws and with the appropriate level of public engagement and transparency.
• Maintain compliance with all public information sharing tasks, including Right-to-Know Act and Election Code responsibilities. Ensure all specialized roles within the Department such as the Right-to-Know Officer, Chief Integrity Officer, and Language Access Coordinator are appropriately filled, presenting candidates to the Board of Elections for approval. Supervise and manage the day-to-day work of these specialty roles.
• Ensure all additional unenumerated election administration-related responsibilities are completed.
• Performs related work as required.

Required Competencies, Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to maintain positive working relationships.
• Ability to work nonstandard hours including nights, weekends, and holidays as needed.
• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to details.
• Superior typing and proof-reading skills.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite; high proficiency in Excel.
• Experience and knowledge of local, state, or federal politics preferred.
• Ability to lead and handle multiple tasks in a tight timeframe.
• Must have ability to work independently and in partnership with a team.
• Excellent self-direction and the ability to take ownership and drive responsibilities through to completion.
• Must have the ability to learn quickly and adapt to changing and sometimes stressful deadlines.
• Faith and trust in the electoral process. Respect for election laws and regulations.
• Valid Pennsylvania Driver's License
• Fluency in other languages is not a requirement, but a plus.

• Completion of a bachelor’s degree program at an accredited college or university.

AND / OR

• Any equivalent combination of education and experience determined to be acceptable by the Office of City Commissioners.

TO APPLY: Interested candidates must submit a cover letter, resume, and references.

Salary Range: $150,000

Discover the Perks of Being a City of Philadelphia Employee:

• Transportation: City employees get unlimited FREE public transportation all year long through SEPTA’s Key Advantage program. Employees can ride on SEPTA buses, subways, trolleys, and regional rail for their daily commute and more.
• Parental Benefits: The City offers its employees 8 weeks of paid parental leave.
• We offer Comprehensive health coverage for employees and their eligible dependents.
• Our wellness program offers eligibility into the discounted medical plan
• Employees receive paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
• Generous retirement savings options are available
• Pay off your student loans faster - As a qualifying employer, City of Philadelphia employees are eligible to participate in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Join the ranks of hundreds of employees who have already benefited from this program and achieved student loan forgiveness.
• Unlock Tuition Discounts and Scholarships - The City of Philadelphia has forged partnerships with over a dozen esteemed colleges and universities in the area, ensuring that our employees have access to a wide range of tuition discounts and scholarships. Experience savings of 10% to 40% on your educational expenses, extending not only to City employees but in some cases, spouse and dependents too!

Join the City of Philadelphia team today and seize these incredible benefits designed to enhance your financial well-being and personal growth!

*The successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire

Effective May 22, 2023, vaccinations are no longer required for new employees that work in non-medical, non-emergency or patient facing positions with the City of Philadelphia. As a result, only employees in positions providing services that  are patient-facing medical care (ex: Nurses, doctors, emergency medical personnel), must be fully vaccinated.

The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215-686-4670 or send an email to [email protected].

For more information, go to: Human Relations Website: http://www.phila.gov/humanrelations/Pages/default.aspx