Elections Division Manager

Salary: $87,276.80 - $119,246.40 Annually
Location : Stillwater, MN
Job Type: Full Time
Job Number: 25-00058
Department: Property Records and Taxpayer Services Dept
Division: Taxpayer Svc & Elections Division
Opening Date: 04/08/2025
Closing Date: 4/20/2025 11:59 PM Central

JOB SPECIFICS
The Washington County Property Records and Taxpayer Services Department is seeking an experienced and collaborative leader to serve as our Elections Division Manager.

We're looking for a skilled manager with a strong background in election administration, voter registration, process management, or related fields. Experience leading complex operations, managing teams, and ensuring compliance with legal requirements will be highly valued. This position oversees all aspects of elections operations, ensuring compliance with statutory requirements and department objectives while leading a team of full-time and temporary employees to successfully administer federal, state, county, municipal, school district, and special elections.

This is an excellent opportunity for a strategic thinker who excels under pressure, values integrity and transparency, and is dedicated to providing exceptional service to the residents of Washington County.
DESIRABLE EXPERIENCE:

• Leadership & Management Experience: At least two years in a supervisory or management role, with proven abilities in leadership, team development, and guiding staff toward achieving organizational goals
• Elections Administration Expertise: Practical, hands-on experience in administering elections, including managing election processes, ensuring compliance with regulations, and overseeing operational logistics
• Technical Proficiency: Experience working with Minnesota's Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS) or comparable election management systems, demonstrating the ability to effectively utilize technology to support election administration

SELECTION TECHNIQUE: Your training and experience will be rated based on the required application material submitted and the top-scoring candidates will be forwarded to the hiring department for further consideration.
HOURS / DAYS: Typical business hours of operation are 8:00am-4:30pm Monday through Friday. Hours may vary. Required to work nights, weekends, and/or holidays as needed in order to meet deadlines, especially during election season. Work schedules (hours and days) and location are subject to change based on department needs.
Anticipated Hiring Rate: $87,276.80 - $119,246.40 Annually

E-Verify Participation: Washington County participates in the federal E-Verify program. This means that Washington County will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with information from each new employee's Form I-9 to confirm work authorization. If the Government cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, Washington County is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact DHS and/or the SSA before taking adverse action against you, including terminating your employment. Employers may not use E-Verify to pre-screen job applicants and may not limit or influence the choice of documents you present for use on the Form I-9.
JOB SUMMARY

The Elections Manager is responsible for overseeing the planning, organization, and execution of all functions within the Elections Division, including direct supervision to assigned staff. This position plays a critical role in managing the administration of all elections within the county, managing every phase of the process-from initial planning and scope definition to successful execution and long-term strategic planning. This position also serves as a member of the Property Records and Taxpayer Services Department Leadership Team, contributing to strategic decision-making and departmental initiatives.
EMPLOYMENT CRITERIA

This position requires:

• Bachelor's degree in political science, public administration, public policy, or related field;
• And five years of experience in elections administration or a related field, with one of those years in a supervisory role;
• Or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

CORE COMPETENCIES, JOB SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES REQUIRED FOR SUCCESSFUL JOB PERFORMANCE:
outline essential business and professional traits necessary to perform this job.

• Support and prioritize a welcoming and respectful workplace that fosters diversity and encourages contributions from all individuals.
• Provide inclusive and equitable service to all members of the community with dignity and respect.
• Demonstrate support for the County's diversity, equity, and inclusion program.
• Promotes a culture of continuous quality improvement in the workplace.
• Demonstrates knowledge of continuous quality improvement.
• Promotes the engagement of staff and use of data in continuous quality improvement.
• Communication skills to collaborate with municipal, school district, and state-level government.
• Demonstrate knowledge of election laws.
• Demonstrate skill in team building and group dynamics.
• Demonstrate ability to translate complex information into understandable messages.
• Ability to interface with elected officials, candidates, media, high-level campaign operatives, community activists, etc.
• Demonstrate ability to identify and respond to changing customer needs.
• Demonstrate strong presentation skills.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Direct the operations of the Elections Division to ensure compliance with election laws, statutes, policies, and deadlines.

Interpret and monitor legislative changes to evaluate their impact on county election processes and develop and implement policies and procedures to ensure compliance with new legislation and alignment with best practices.

Manage and supervise staff, including hiring, training, completing performance evaluations on time, and resolving grievances or special issues.

Ensure adherence to election integrity standards, including ballot proofing, absentee voting, and election night reporting.

Oversee temporary employees and county staff volunteers during election cycles to ensure efficient workflow and statutory compliance.

Negotiate and manage election administration contracts with local jurisdictions, including Joint Powers Agreements.

Manage the Elections Division budget, including preparation, allocation of funds, cost analysis, and ensuring financial decisions align with statutory requirements while planning for current and future needs.

Evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of election operations, implementing new technologies and systems as needed.

Oversee campaign finance reporting and the collection of statements of economic interest from officials.

Serve as the Election Division's media contact, including conducting historical research as necessary.

Respond to complex and sensitive inquiries from staff and the public.

Prepare and submit grant proposals and reports.

Foster a workplace culture that respects and is sensitive to the diverse backgrounds of voters.

Attend and participate in professional development opportunities, including conferences and association meetings.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Essential functions: 1-14
WORK ENVIRONMENT
Work is sedentary in nature performed within the Government Center or satellite offices and semi-sedentary in some areas of assignment requiring occasional site visits. Lifting requirement of 15-20 pounds on an occasional basis. Frequent wrist and finger manipulation due to high concentration of filing, compiling, calculating, or computer work. Equipment used may include, but is not limited to, computer, calculator, telephone, copy and fax machine. Additional physical/mental requirements that occur may not be listed above but are inherent in performing the position's essential functions. Must have own means of reliable transportation for business purposes. Individuals operating a motor vehicle for county business must possess a valid driver's license.
Work interruptions are frequent. There is some pressure associated with dealing with individuals who may be emotionally charged and with project or activity deadlines and details.
This job description is intended to describe the kinds of tasks and level of work difficulty being performed by people assigned to this classification. The list of responsibilities is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. The County retains the discretion to add or change the contents of this job description at any time. Not all employees in this classification perform all duties listed.
Washington County offers a comprehensive including paid time off, holidays, medical, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance.

For a more detailed overview of our Supervisors benefit package,
01

This position requires a Bachelor's degree in political science, public administration, public policy, or related field and five years of experience in elections administration or a related field, with one of those years in a supervisory role Or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Please indicate below whether you possess these minimum qualifications:

• Yes
• No

02

If you indicated meeting the minimums by having an equivalent combination of education and experience, please briefly describe the combination and explain why you feel it is equivalent. (If you answered "No" to the above question, enter "NA" in the text box.)
03

Do you have at least two years of experience in a supervisory or management role, with proven abilities in leadership, team development, and guiding staff toward achieving organizational goals?

• Yes
• No

04

If you answered "Yes" to the above question, you must provide a brief summary of your experience and the name of the employer(s) where you gained that experience. (If you answered "No" to the above question, enter "NA" in the text box.)
05

Do you have practical, hands-on experience in administering elections, including managing election processes, ensuring compliance with regulations, and overseeing operational logistics?

• Yes
• No

06

Do you have experience working with Minnesota's Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS) or comparable election management systems, demonstrating the ability to effectively utilize technology to support election administration?

• Yes
• No

07

If you answered "Yes" to the above question, you must provide a brief summary of your experience and the name of the employer(s) where you gained that experience. (If you answered "No" to the above question, enter "NA" in the text box.)
08

If you answered "Yes" to the above question, you must provide a brief summary of your experience and the name of the employer(s) where you gained that experience. (If you answered "No" to the above question, enter "NA" in the text box.)
Required Question