Administrative Specialist I, Grade N18 id-6375

April 10, 2025

About the Position

This Position is ONLY Open to Montgomery County Government Employees:

Current Montgomery County Government employees;

Montgomery County employee who was affected by reduction-in-force and currently have RIF priority rights;

Active Montgomery County local fire and rescue department volunteers with at least 50 points under the length of service award program (LOSAP); or

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Active Project SEARCH Interns or former Montgomery County Government Customized Employment Public Interns, or Project SEARCH Interns within 24 months of completion of internship.

The expected salary range for this role on hire is $60,513 - $83,235.

WHO WE ARE

The mission of the Office of Zoning and Administrative Hearings is to conduct quasi-judicial trial-type hearings that are fair, understandable, and accessible to all participants regardless of race, ethnicity, disability, and financial income. The principal responsibility of the Office of Zoning and Administrative Hearings (OZAH) is to conduct due process administrative hearings on land use cases and other matters. These include applications for rezonings, development plan amendments and floating zone plan amendments; all conditional use applications (formerly known as special exceptions); and accessory dwelling unit objection and waiver cases arising out of the Department of Housing and Community Affairs. OZAH also presides over matters referred for hearing by the Human Rights Commission, the Commission on Common Ownership Communities, the County's Merit System Protection Board, the Office of Consumer Protection, and the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer in appeals arising under the County's Prevailing Wage Law.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

OZAH is currently recruiting for an Administrative Specialist I to assist the Hearing Examiners with administrative functions required to fulling the mission of the office and further assist the Director with administrative duties associated with the operation and function the agency. We are seeking a detail oriented and highly organized individual with knowledge of the office’s procedural rules and pertinent sections of the County Zoning Ordinance along with a general knowledge of land use functions. Our ideal candidate will excel multi-tasking, providing exceptional support to the Hearing Examiners, and enjoy working in a small team environment.

What You'll Be Doing

The Administrative Specialist I in the Office of Zoning and Administrative Hearings performs all administrative functions necessary to fulfill the mission of the office in an accurate and efficient manner. Including the following:

Receiving legal filings/applications and assessing them for completeness.

Complying with legal requirements for notice and advertisement of legal notices when drafting legal notices, hearing notices, issuing hearing examiner reports and legal orders.

Preparing and coordinating for transmittal agenda item packets for the County Council.

Acting as liaison with attorneys, M-NCPP, Housing Code Enforcement, the Department of Permitting Services and the general public, maintaining and coordinating a constantly changing hearing calendar.

Serving as point person for physical office operations including, answering phones, greeting the public, ordering office supplies, maintaining files, etc.

Assisting the Director in data collection and publication.

Serving as the second Maryland Public Information Act point of contact for the agency.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's Degree

Experience: One (1) year of professional administrative experience related to elated to land use or legal proceedings.

Substitutions:

EDUCATION for EXPERIENCE: Additional education will substitute for the required experience on a year-for-year basis.
EXPERIENCE for EDUCATION: Additional administrative, business, research and/or clerical experience will substitute for the required education on a year-for year basis.

Preferred Criteria, Interview Preferences

All Applicants will be reviewed by the Office of Human Resources (OHR) for minimum qualifications. Those applicants who meet minimum qualifications will be rated “Qualified,” placed on the Referred List, and may be considered for an interview. Employees meeting minimum qualifications who are the same grade or higher will be placed on the Referred List as a “Transfer” candidate and may be considered for an interview.

Preference for interviews will be given to applicants with experience in the following:

Knowledge and experience of the County’s land use and administrative law processes

Proven experience working with the County’s Zoning Ordinance

Ability to problem solve and work collaboratively within a small team

Strong organizational skills and the ability to meet deadlines

Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to prepare professional correspondence, reports and materials
Proficiency with office software, including Microsoft Office 365

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Common Interview Questions And Answers

1. HOW DO YOU PLAN YOUR DAY?

This is what this question poses: When do you focus and start working seriously? What are the hours you work optimally? Are you a night owl? A morning bird? Remote teams can be made up of people working on different shifts and around the world, so you won't necessarily be stuck in the 9-5 schedule if it's not for you...

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Or you may receive even more specific questions, such as: What's on your calendar? Do you plan blocks of time to do certain types of work? Do you have an open calendar that everyone can see?...

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The day I watched Marie Forleo's film separating the important from the urgent, my life changed. Not all remote jobs start fast, but most of them are...

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