Division Chief of Administrative Services

City of Alexandria, VA

$86K — $120K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in management, business administration, finance or related field.
  • Six years experience in support functions like HR, purchasing, accounting, or budgeting.
  • Two years in a lead or supervisory role.
  • Master's degree in public administration or related field preferred.
  • Experience in local government budget development and fiscal operations preferred.

Responsibilities

  • Direct and supervise administrative division staff, ensuring strategic goals are met.
  • Oversee fiscal administration including budget development and procurement compliance.
  • Lead and coordinate human resources management functions such as recruitment and performance management.
  • Conduct research and prepare policy recommendations on organizational issues.
  • Enhance employee engagement and organizational culture initiatives.
  • Provide strategic leadership for departmental communications and ensure information accuracy.
  • Lead technology modernization efforts to improve business processes and operational efficiency.

Benefits

  • Offers a collaborative work environment focused on employee engagement.
  • Provides opportunities for professional development and training.
  • Commits to transparent financial practices and equitable customer service.
  • Empowers employees to foster a culture of respect and teamwork.
  • Supports initiatives for workplace safety and compliance.
Full Job Description
Salary : $86,142.42 - $120,760.12 Annually
Location : Alexandria, VA
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number:
Department: Finance Department
Division: ADMINISTRATION
Opening Date: 09/02/2026
Closing Date: 9/20/2026 11:59 PM Eastern
Bargaining Unit: N/A
Max Number of Applicants: 100

Division Chief of Administrative Services

An Overview

The City of Alexandria's Finance Department is looking for an innovative, collaborative, and detail-oriented Division Chief for Administrative Services to join our team. The Division Chief for Administrative Services manages all administrative and support functions in the Finance Department and supervises the Administration Division. The incumbent is responsible for the department's budget development and monitoring, accounts payable, purchasing, property and facility management, information technology, human resources, and communications. The Division Chief will lead the department in fostering a culture of respect, continuous improvement, teamwork, integrity, and employee engagement. The Division Chief for Administrative Services works under the general supervision of the Deputy Finance Director.
What You Should Bring

The ideal candidate is a people and process-focused leader who possesses some background in local government fiscal or human resources management, budget development, and/or business process improvement. Additional knowledge, skills, and abilities include:

  • Thorough knowledge of the principles and practices of public administration;
  • Thorough knowledge of general administrative practices, office procedures, and record systems;
  • Thorough knowledge of local government fiscal management;
  • Knowledge of public personnel administration;
  • Ability to develop and monitor a departmental budget;
  • Ability to formulate, revise, and implement administrative policies and procedures;
  • Ability to provide supervision, direction, and guidance to subordinate staff;
  • Ability to interpret regulations and to explain objectives and procedures;
  • Ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing; and
  • Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other departmental staff, City officials, and residents.

The Opportunity - Examples of Work
  • Directs, manages, and supervises Admin division staff, establishing priorities and ensuring strategic goals, program objectives, and operational outcomes are achieved;
  • Oversees the department's fiscal administration, including budget development and monitoring, accounts payable, contract administration, procurement coordination, and financial reporting to ensure sound fiscal stewardship and compliance with City policies;
  • Leads and coordinates the department's human resources management functions, including recruitment, onboarding and offboarding, employee relations, personnel actions, timekeeping, performance management, and learning and development (performing some of these duties directly and supervising staff in the performance of others);
  • Conducts research on personnel and organizational issues, prepares reports, formulates policy recommendations, and identifies training opportunities that support employee development, succession planning, and career advancement;
  • Coordinates initiatives that enhance employee engagement, organizational culture, and professional development while ensuring departmental values are reflected in daily operations;
  • Provides strategic leadership for the department's internal and external communications, including oversight of the department's public-facing website, City intranet content, and digital communication strategies to ensure information is accurate, accessible, and timely;
  • Leads the department's technology modernization efforts, including implementation and governance of Microsoft 365, SharePoint, and other collaboration platforms to improve business processes, document management, knowledge sharing, and operational efficiency;
  • Leads the development and implementation of city-wide training and policy guidance for fiscal managers on fundamental financial management principles and practices;
  • Partners with the department's Risk Management and Safety staff to advance workplace safety initiatives, support regulatory compliance, implement risk mitigation strategies, and promote a culture of safety throughout the department;
  • Provides analytical and strategic support to the Deputy Finance Director and Finance Director in preparing reports, presentations, and recommendations for the City Manager and City Council regarding the City's financial management, departmental initiatives, and supplemental budget appropriation ordinances;
  • Represents the department on cross-functional teams, committees, and special projects, advancing organizational priorities and improving service delivery;
  • Performs related work as required.

About the Department

The City of Alexandria's Finance Department is a fast-paced, diverse, and customer service focused operation that is responsible for the assessment, collection, and enforcement of all City taxes, the management of cash flow and investments, accounting for and reporting the City's financial position, processing payroll, executing a fair and competitive procurement environment, assessing all real and personal property in the City, managing the City's risk and safety programs, and managing the City's pension plans. The Finance Department has seven divisions and in fiscal year 2027 is operating with a total budget of $16.6 million and 107 FTE positions.

The Finance Department is committed to providing equitable, customer-focused service that treats all employees, residents, and business owners with professionalism, fairness, compassion, and respect, while fostering trust through inclusive, accessible, and transparent financial practices.

Minimum & Additional Requirements
Bachelor's degree in management, business administration, finance, or a related field; six (6) years of experience in support functions such as human resources, purchasing, accounting, budgeting, or policy development, etc.; two (2) years of experience in a lead or supervisory capacity. Degree requirements may be substituted with an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.

Preferred Qualifications
Master's degree in public administration, business administration, organizational development, education, or a related field; at least five (5) years of combined experience in the development, monitoring, and management of local government budgets and fiscal operations, human resources management, communications, and/or business process analysis and development.

Notes
This position requires successful completion of pre-employment background checks including but not limited to a criminal background check. The selection process for this position may include a phone or virtual interview, in-person interview, and/or written examination.

The starting salary range for this position is $86,142.42 to $120,760.12, based on qualifications and experience.
Have you supervised staff responsible for multiple administrative functions with competing priorities?
  • Yes
  • No

02

If yes, please describe your experience, including the types of functions you supervised, how you established priorities and delegated responsibilities, and how you monitored work to ensure critical responsibilities were completed.
03

Have you been responsible for managing or coordinating human resources functions within an organization?
  • Yes
  • No

04

If yes, please describe your experience, including the HR functions you have managed or coordinated (such as recruitment, onboarding/offboarding, employee relations, personnel actions, timekeeping, performance management, or learning and development), your specific role and responsibilities, and the scope of your experience.
05

Have you developed, monitored, or managed an organizational or departmental budget?
  • Yes
  • No

06

If yes, please describe your experience, including the size and type of budget, your specific responsibilities, and the tools or processes you used to identify budget issues, manage resources, and communicate financial information to leadership
07

Have you led or implemented a business process improvement, technology modernization, or digital communication initiative within an organization?
  • Yes
  • No

08

If yes, please describe the initiative, including the problem or opportunity you identified, the improvement or technology implemented, your specific role, how you gained stakeholder support and addressed organizational adoption or change, and the results achieved.
Required Question

Similar Jobs

More Jobs at City of Alexandria, VA

More Education, Government & Non-Profit Jobs

  • State Of Delaware
    Director of Accounting
    $130K *
    State Of Delaware
    Dover, DE 19904 (Kent County)
  • Deputy Building Official
    $80K — $150K + gloucester county government offers an excellent benefit package *
    Gloucester County
    Gloucester, VA 23061 (Gloucester County)
  • Deputy Assessor
    $80K — $150K + gloucester county government offers an excellent benefit package *
    Gloucester County
    Gloucester, VA 23061 (Gloucester County)
  • Civil Engineer II
    $80K — $150K + gloucester county government offers an excellent benefit package *
    Gloucester County
    Gloucester, VA 23061 (Gloucester County)
  • Accounting Manager
    $80K — $100K + gloucester county government offers an excellent benefit package *
    Gloucester County
    Gloucester, VA 23061 (Gloucester County)

Find similar Division Chief of Administrative Services jobs: