Buncombe County Public Safety Communications is seeking a Business Administrator I to serve as the department’s lead administrative and business operations professional. This position reports directly to the Public Safety Communications Director and supports a 24/7 emergency communications operation responsible for 911 services throughout Buncombe County. The position is primarily based at the Public Safety Communications Center at 35 Woodfin Street in Asheville and generally works a traditional Monday–Friday schedule, with occasional flexibility needed to support departmental or emergency operations.

The Business Administrator manages and coordinates key business functions including budget development and monitoring, purchasing and procurement, contracts, accounts payable, grants, state 911 funding and expenditure reporting, financial analysis, and administrative processes. The position works closely with County Finance, Budget, Human Resources, Purchasing, the NC 911 Board, vendors, and Public Safety Communications leadership. We are looking for someone who is organized, financially capable, comfortable managing multiple priorities, and able to operate independently in a fast-paced public safety environment. This is an important member of the department’s leadership support structure and provides the Director and command staff with the financial and administrative information needed to make sound decisions.

Purpose of the position:

The purpose of this position is to provide support to a department by assisting in the administration and management of the department’s fiscal performance, budget, purchasing, contract/grant management and operations.

Minimum Education, Training and/or Experience (required at time of hire): Bachelor’s degree, preferably in related field, and four (4) years administrative experience involving participation in the planning and management of a business or governmental program; or an equivalent combination of training and experience.

Essential Functions of the position:

• Ensure all fiscal regulations and policies are implemented and all internal and external administrative matters are accomplished per fiscal, legal and policy regulations.
• Assist the Department Director with high level administrative activities and front office management.
• Assist in the administration and implementation of the annual operating budget by ensuring the maintenance, collection, and consolidation of budget data.
• Evaluate the internal control framework and perform routine monitoring activities to ensure departmental operations are conducted effectively and securely.
• Oversee the execution and monitoring of contract and grant elements for audit, fiscal and performance compliance.
• Industry monitoring and reporting activities to strategically support department/program operations, revenue potential, and best practices.
• Assist Department Director & Division Managers with financial matters, regulatory matters, operational performance monitoring, process improvement, etc.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

• Knowledge of and ability to plan and implement budgetary, purchasing and accounting practices and procedures.
• Knowledge of fiscal/budgetary theories and methodology.
• Knowledge of the organization and structure of state and local government and nonprofit agencies; Knowledge of organizational culture and resources, both internal to Buncombe County and in the community.
• Knowledge of the principles and practices of public and business administration. 
• Knowledge of the principles and applications of project planning and evaluation processes; identification, analysis, and documentation of data.
• Knowledge of other county, state, federal and private agencies whose work impacts the County, with which the County partners, or with which the County may be benchmarked, along with a high degree of resourcefulness and judgment in determining applicability of the guides in unusual or non-recurring circumstances.
• Knowledge of the laws, regulations, funding streams, and policies that govern County programs.
• Knowledge of project management methodology and tools, data analysis and query tools, financial management systems, and forecasting methodologies.
• Ability to plan and direct fiscal and business services.
• Ability to plan and initiate administrative procedures and to evaluate the effectiveness of these procedures and the ability to interpret obscure regulations and place them into practical application.
• Ability to assess business operations and management data needs; Ability to create systems that support effective and efficient workflow.
• Ability to communicate project/program objectives, plans and evaluation methods, results of data analyses, financial and service level impacts, recommendations, reports, and other work deliverables.
• Ability to collect, analyze, and interpret data and draw conclusions from the analysis pertaining to the evaluation of project/program objectives.
• Ability to assess the accuracy and integrity of data.
• Ability to function within defined guidelines and procedures to resolve routine issues, and to make independent logical decisions and/or recommendations.
• Ability to exercise judgment and discretion in applying and interpreting policies and procedures.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Power BI, SQL Management Studio, or other similar data query and analysis tools and related function enhancements.

Buncombe County Government realizes the importance of a diverse professional workforce and the need to foster a responsive and innovative organizational culture, one that fully engages all of our employees, honoring and building on each employee's unique experiences, opinions, and perspective.

It is the policy of Buncombe County to provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all persons regardless of race, natural hair or hairstyles, ethnicity, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin or ancestry, marital or familial status, pregnancy, veteran status, religious belief or non-belief, age, or disability or any other legally protected class under federal or NC State law. EEO practices and employment decisions regarding recruitment, hiring, assignment, promotion and compensation shall not be based on any of these protected classes. In addition, the County expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment or discrimination.