Chief Administrative Officer

Chief Administrative Officer

Facilities & Environmental Services is seeking an experienced professional for our FES Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) position. The FES CAO will serve as the manager of operations for the department, leading an experienced, engaged, and high-performing team. The successful candidate can expect to:

• Develop and lead major initiatives
• Regularly and closely collaborate with other departments on projects and initiatives impacting the Albemarle County organization
• Partner with other agencies to effect positive change for the greater Albemarle, Charlottesville, and University of Virginia region
• Be challenged by the work
• Enjoy the benefits of working with a professional, motivated team

The Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) is a senior executive responsible for overseeing and managing the administrative functions of the Facilities & Environmental Services Department as well as the staff services functions the department provides to the greater organization. This position serves as a key advisor to the Director, leads the development of strategic initiatives, and ensures that all administrative and staff services—including budget, finance, payroll, procurement, technology, recruitment, strategic planning and business services—are effectively aligned with the department's mission and strategic goals.

The Chief of Administrative Services provides executive leadership and strategic oversight for the Administrative Services Division within the Facilities and Environmental Services (FES) Department. This position manages all staff and administrative support functions for FES, including facility security operations, print and mail services, fleet administration, space management, and departmental budgeting and performance reporting.

The Chief serves as a member of the FES senior leadership team and is responsible for implementing department-wide and organization-wide systems, leading cross-divisional initiatives, and supporting the Director in long-term planning, policy development, and strategic decision-making.

The essential functions of this position include:

• Lead and manage the Administrative Services Division, including workload planning, performance reviews, and professional development.
• Direct department-wide administrative functions including budgeting, HR support, procurement coordination, performance management, recruitment, and strategic planning.
• Drive improvement of department-wide business processes, including work order flow, invoice processing, onboarding, policy revisions, and interdepartmental coordination.
• Develop and maintain performance metrics, dashboards, and reports related to budgeting, procurement, service requests, and operational performance. Provide actionable insights to FES and County executive leadership.
• Coordinate and support departmental IT systems (e.g., asset management, Tyler/MUNIS, GIS, procurement, timekeeping, performance systems, document management) in collaboration with ACIT's assigned system analyst.
• In partnership with division managers, develop, administer, and monitor the FES operating and capital budgets.
• Maintain and update administrative policies, SOPs, and desk guides; ensure staff compliance and coordinate internal audits.
• Oversee customer service functions to ensure timely, accurate, and equitable service delivery across FES.
• Assist in departmental Continuity of Operations (COOP) planning for severe weather, infrastructure failures, or other incidents.
• Oversee records management, retention schedules, and public records requests in coordination with the County Attorney/Clerk's Office.
• Ensure administrative compliance with safety training requirements, incident documentation, and after-action reporting.
• Oversee procurement processes and contract administration for equipment, services, and facilities management.
• Oversee department internal communication protocols to support organizational departmental and operational efficiency.
• Direct the use and maintenance of technology and data analytics for community and financial reporting
• Prepare and present reports, analyses, and recommendations to the Director, County Executive, and/or Board of Supervisors.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Competency knowledge/skills/abilities include:

• Financial Acumen: Ability to build accurate budgets, manage variances, and support fiscal accountability.
• Data & Analytics: Skilled in data analysis, visualization, and analytics platforms such as Excel and Power BI.
• Service Orientation: Strong commitment to supporting internal and external clients through commitment to high-quality services.
• Compliance & Ethics: Ensures transparent and compliant procurement, reporting, and records management practices.
• Operational Excellence: Streamlines workflows, improves work standards, and drives efficiency.
• Leadership & People Management: Coaches and develops staff; fosters a collaborative and inclusive environment.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Communicates effectively with leadership, staff, vendors, and the public; handles sensitive situations with diplomacy.
• Change Management: Leads implementation of new systems and policies; champions continuous improvement.
• Data-Driven Decision-Making: Uses metrics to inform operations, resource allocation, and performance management.

Required education and experience include:

• Bachelor's Degree in related area of study or combination of education and experience equivalent to a bachelor's degree that provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the responsibilities of the position.
• 7–10 years of progressively responsible administrative or management experience
• Experience with budgeting and procurement/contract/grants management.
• Proficiency in Microsoft 365 (Excel, SharePoint, Teams).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Possession of a valid Virginia Driver's License and compliance with the County's Safe Driver Policy.

Preferred qualifications/certifications include:

• Master's degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, Facilities Management, Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience in public sector or public works is strongly preferred.
• Experience with ERP systems (e.g., Tyler/MUNIS) and CMMS platforms.
• Experience with GIS, including the ability to interpret, analyze, and apply geospatial data for facilities planning, asset management, environmental compliance, and operational decision ‑ making; familiarity with tools such as ArcGIS Online, spatial dashboards, map-based reporting, and integration of GIS layers into departmental systems (e.g., CMMS, capital planning, stormwater or environmental datasets).
• Experience with data visualization tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau), including the ability to design interactive dashboards, develop automated performance reports, build data models, and translate complex operational and financial datasets into clear visual insights that support decision ‑ making, budget forecasting, service delivery evaluation, and executive ‑ level presentations.

Physical and mental requirements include:

• Duties are normally performed in an office and meeting setting; Meetings may be held in a virtual or hybrid environment; Occasional travel throughout the County
• Sitting for extended periods of time during meetings is required; Extended periods of time at a keyboard or workstation
• Duties involve the ability to exert light, physical effort and may involve some lifting, carrying, pushing and/or pulling of objects of light weight (up to 25 pounds)
• Regular contacts made with internal and outside organizations and the general public for purposes of exchanging factual information, exercising good judgment and accurate interpretations of information in order to be responsive to questions; it may involve some conflict, which requires tact, discretion, and diplomacy.
• Some duties require visual perception and discrimination; some duties require oral communication ability

Remote work is not eligible for this position. All County staff must maintain residence within the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Compensation: The anticipated range of compensation for this position is $ 117,839 - $130,243 dependent upon the candidate's education and experience. We offer a competitive benefits package including low-cost health insurance, generous paid leave, membership in the state's retirement plan- the Virginia Retirement System (VRS), and much more!

Deadline for applications: Position open until filled.

As part of the screening process, applicants selected to move forward will be required to participate in a one-way virtual screening through Spark Hire as well as an in-person interview. In-person interviews will be held on August 27 and 28 between 8am and noon EST. Please hold this space on your calendar in the event that you are selected.

Virginia Values Veterans: Albemarle County is a Certified V3 organization.

EOE/EEO: Albemarle County is an equal employment opportunity employer, and does not discriminate against any group or individual on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age or disability in regards to any aspect of employment policy and practice: recruitment, testing, selection, assignment,