Consumer Affairs Manager (Consumer Specialist III)

Job Announcement

Our Consumer Services Division, supports the protection of the health, safety, and general welfare of residents through the provision of consumer services. Fairfax County is seeking an experienced and motivated Consumer Affairs Manager (Consumer Specialist III) to provide strategic leadership on consumer services in Fairfax County, Virginia. In this role, you will oversee the consumer complaint and investigation process, lead impactful and engaging outreach and education efforts, and manage a motivated team of highly skilled and experienced consumer specialists. This is an ideal opportunity for a visionary leader who thrives on problem-solving, advancing efficient and effective government services, enjoys mentoring and developing staff, and wants to make a tangible difference in the lives of residents in our community.

Responsibilities include:

• Provides leadership on complex, high-impact consumer complaint investigations and serving as a go to subject matter expert on consumer protection laws, regulations, and best practices.
• Leads a high performing Consumer Affairs team, including oversight of the consumer complaint and advice process, administration of the complaint database, community education and outreach, and staff support to Fairfax County Boards, Authorities, and Commissions (BACs).
• Serves as a trusted and visible resource for residents, businesses, and public officials seeking guidance on issues such as tenant landlord disputes, financial scams and fraud, and working with contractors.
• Uses data strategically, conducting in depth analysis of complaint trends, and translating findings into actionable budget, staffing, policy, and performance recommendations for agency leadership.
• Drives continuous improvement by designing, implementing, and refining the consumer complaint and advice process, including streamlining workflows in the complaint database and ensuring timely, fair, and well documented case resolution.
• Develops and leads innovative consumer education and outreach initiatives on a wide range of issues-tailored to the needs of Fairfax County's diverse communities.
• Creates and executes a proactive marketing and communications strategy (including events, digital content, and community partnerships) to expand community engagement and increase awareness of consumer services.

Illustrative Duties

(The illustrative duties listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all-inclusive list. A complete list of position duties and unique physical requirements can be found in the position description.)

• Oversees, plans, supervises and directs the daily operations and activities of the consumer mediation, consumer education, legislative and policy development, ordinance amendments, tenant-landlord program, and Consumer Protection Commission functions;
• Prepares Board Items and makes presentations to the Board of Supervisors, business and community organizations, and other County agencies on consumer protection issues;
• Directs the investigation of cases that are in violation of Virginia State law, County ordinances, and other legal regulations;
• Serves as administrator for the complaint resolution arbitration program to include conducting the arbitration hearing, interpreting rules and regulations, and preparing the legally binding arbitration agreement;
• Handles the effective resolution of all high-profile complaints referred by the Board of Supervisors, members of Congress, Virginia State Delegates and other public officials;
• Directs the homeowner association liaison program that provides guidelines for the legal, fiscal, management, and administration of homeowner associations in the County;
• Coordinates, tracks, and prepares the branches legislative agenda and submissions related to consumer protection and licensing legislation;
• Oversees the preparation of Assurance of Voluntary Compliance (AVC) within the provisions of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act and assists the County Attorney in the criminal and civil court prosecutions including the collection of evidence and presentation of testimony as an expert witness;
• Oversees and coordinates research to gather technical and statistical data necessary to develop and support ordinance changes to Fairfax County Code Chapter 10 (Consumer Protection) and Fairfax County Code Chapter 12 (Tenant-Landlord Relations.

Required Knowledge Skills and Abilities

(The knowledge, skills and abilities listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all-inclusive list.)

• Extensive knowledge of the consumer and licensing-related local, state and federal, laws and regulations;
• Knowledge of customer relationship management software;
• Knowledge of the issues relating to consumer services, licensing, and regulation;
• Knowledge of resources available for diverse communities;
• Ability to lead and evaluate the work of professional and support staff in a complex, highly interactive work environment;
• Ability to mediate and investigate consumer complaints, tenant-landlord disputes, and cable television issues with tact, resourcefulness, and sound judgement;
• Ability to manage and maintain a caseload based upon established procedures;
• Ability to collect, analyze, and organize documentation;
• Ability to analyze facts and reach logical conclusions, to resolve conflicts;
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing;
• Ability to prepare clear and concise case summaries;
• Ability to direct programs requiring coordination with community partners, businesses, and other government agencies;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with businesses, consumer groups, community partners, county agencies, and coworkers.

Employment Standards

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Any combination of education, experience, and training equivalent to the following: (Click on the aforementioned link to learn how Fairfax County interprets equivalencies for "Any combination, experience, and training equivalent to")
Graduation from a four year accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree in public or business administration, conflict resolution, or related field; plus, five years of progressively responsible experience investigating and mediating complaints dealing with consumer and/or tenant-landlord relations, customer service, business regulation and licensing, public safety and code compliance, program management, or related field, including at least one year of supervisory experience.
NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
The appointee to this position will be required to complete a criminal background check to the satisfaction of the employer.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience effectively overseeing day-to-day operations while proactively identifying and addressing emerging issues with minimal supervision,
• Three or more years of supervisory experience, including coaching, mentoring, performance management, and building high-performing teams.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, or equivalent formal project management training.
• Experience utilizing CRM (Customer Relationship Management) technology solutions.
• Experience serving as a project or program manager to design, implement, and refine efficient business processes, including successfully advocating for and leveraging information technology solutions to improve service delivery.
• Experience leading organizational change and continuous improvement initiatives in a customer or community focused service environment.
• Experience using data and performance metrics to develop clear, actionable recommendations for leadership that inform operational, policy, and budget decisions.
• Experience handling sensitive, high-profile, or politically visible matters with discretion and sound judgment.
• Experience with consumer laws and regulations and serving as subject matter expert and resource for staff, leadership, and community stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience with public speaking and conducting workshops, trainings, or community presentations.
• Experience designing and implementing effective outreach or education campaigns-such as in-person events, webinars, and community meetings.
• Experience working effectively with highly diverse communities, including residents with limited English proficiency, and a commitment to equitable and accessible service delivery.
• Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Must be able to see, hear, and speak clearly. Must be able to sit for long periods of time. Must communicate with others and make presentations and speeches to the public. Visual acuity is required to read data on computer monitor. Must be able to operate keyboard driven equipment. Work is usually sedentary in a normal office environment; however, requires the ability to do some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of items under 20 pounds in weight. All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:
Panel interview and may include exercise.

Fairfax County is home to a highly diverse population, with a significant number of residents speaking languages other than English at home - including Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo-European, and many others. We encourage candidates who are bilingual in English and another language to apply for this opportunity.

Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce.


Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. TTY View phone number on click.appcast.io. View email address on click.appcast.io EEO/AA/TTY.

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