Director of Election Administration

Position SummaryThe 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 FunctionsManage 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 AbilitiesStrong 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 LicenseFluency in other languages is not a requirement, but a plus.