POSITION SUMMARY/CLASS DESCRIPTION

Howard County: Conveniently located in the heart of central Maryland between Baltimore and Washington, Howard County offers the charm of a historic past mixed with the excitement of a cosmopolitan community.

Howard County Government: Howard County Government is a leader in innovation, sustainability, and consistently ranked as one of the best places to live and work in the country. In 2026, Howard County Government received a record-breaking 113 Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo) – the highest number of annual NACo awards achieved in the history of the State of Maryland, and the highest number of awards of any county in the State of Maryland which received a collective 165 awards. NACo is the leading organization representing county-level government operations. These awards recognize innovative and transformative programs that provide new services for county residents, improve existing programs, upgrade working conditions, and enhance citizen participation and public policymaking.

What are we looking for? We are looking for outstanding individuals to join our team and contribute to excellence in Howard County operations.

What you'll like most about working at Howard County Government: We are committed to workplace excellence in every area of County government. We have a highly talented, diverse, and inclusive workplace. Your input will not only be heard, but it will be encouraged! We offer competitive compensation and great benefits including medical, retirement, and wellness programs. As a member of the Howard County Government team, you'll be helping drive our culture and directly impact what makes us an amazing place to work.

POSITION SUMMARY:

Acts as a lead person in the absence of the supervisor. Handles difficult inquiries that the staff is unable to resolve. Reviews and analyzes the meter investigation reports. Prepares and processes adjustments, refunds and journal vouchers. Prepares monthly work schedules, trains and assists staff.

STARTING SALARY HIRING RANGE: $30.17 - $34.04/Hourly $62,751 - $70,806/Annually

* This is the anticipated starting salary range for this position. Please note that the final salary will be determined by the Office of Human Resources, commensurate with experience and aligned to ensure internal equity with similarly situated roles.

CLASS DESCRIPTION:

Performs senior technical level administrative support work, which may include supervisory responsibility, under general supervision from an administrative or technical superior. Work typically involves administrative, technical and para-legal work providing staff assistance to various Boards; or administrative secretarial or constituent services work assisting the County Executive, the State's Attorney, the Chief Judge of the Fifth Judicial Circuit, Chief of Staff or the Chief Administrative Officer. Assumes responsibility for clerical procedures and office operations; maintains executive calendar and appointments. May supervise a support staff. Work at this level may include independent responsibility for a difficult and complex administrative or clerical process not requiring the attention of a professional or technical expert.

*This is a Classified position, meaning that it is a part of the Howard County Classified Service upon completion of a probationary period of at least six (6) months*

*Please note that this position falls within a collective bargaining unit and is represented by AFSCME Local 3085, Local 3888, or Local 1810.*

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Billing Operations and Coordination:

• Prepare schedules to coordinate monthly billing activities and deadlines across four divisions.
• Coordinate, verify, and release PDF billing documents to the County’s print vendor for printing and mailing.
• Review billing and invoicing out-sorts, verify consumption, correct readings, release billing, and resolve EMMA errors.
• Prepare Domestic Sewage Billing for Miscellaneous Billing.
• Process sewer surcharge rate changes, new accounts, and closed accounts.

Payment Processing and Account Reconciliation:

• Research and post payments with invalid account numbers.
• Research, transfer, and resolve misapplied or missing payments.
• Retrieve daily online payment totals and return payments.
• Post internal agency payments and journal vouchers.
• Transfer data files to the bank for ACH direct debit and prenotification verification.
• Retrieve and process direct debit items not honored by the bank.
• Monitor account change activity, run queries, and make corrections as needed.

Adjustments, Refunds and Account Maintenance:

• Prepare and process water/sewer adjustments, penalty waivers, and refunds.
• Review and analyze material investigations; close out online work orders.
• Verify and sign returned check letters and delinquent fire protection letters.
• Review and verify account entries completed by other division members.
• Work with the Bureau of Utilities on complex accounts.
• Access various County, vendor, and state systems to research and verify account details.

Customer Service and Issue Resolution:

• Respond to inquiries escalated from water/sewer staff.
• Ensure coverage of the customer service area.
• Train subordinates on required job duties.

Systems Support and Collaboration:

• Work with the SAP team and consultants on system updates and issue resolution.
• Attend staff meetings and other meetings related to water/sewer services.
• Assist with interviewing.

General Administrative Duties:

• Perform other related duties as assigned.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Supervises in the absence of the Division Chief.

MINIMUM REQUIRED EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE

Associate's degree and four (4) years related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to sit and use hands to finger, handle, or feel. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. The employee must be able to travel to meetings, accident scenes and job sites independently. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.

LANGUAGE SKILLS, MATHEMATICAL SKILLS AND REASONING ABILITY:

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret complex documents and policies. Ability to respond effectively to the most sensitive inquiries or complaints. Ability to write reports, speeches and articles using original or innovative techniques or style. Ability to independently troubleshoot and problem solve, or collaborate a team approach, in a timely manner and in high-pressure situations. Ability to work with intricate budget documents and apply concepts associated with budgets. Ability to apply principles of logical thinking to a wide range of intellectual and practical problems on a daily basis.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

TO APPLY: You must complete an employment application online to be considered for this recruitment. Resumes cannot be substituted for completion of the job application work history. No paper applications will be accepted. Selected candidates may be subject to drug screening, background screening, and reference checks. At time of application, please submit a copy of any college degree, coursework, licenses, or certifications that you have referenced on your application. Applicants who have education obtained outside of the U.S. may need to provide proof of the equivalent U.S. education as determined by a foreign credential evaluation service, such as the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (http://www.naces.org) or World Education Services: International Credential Evaluation (https://www.wes.org/). Howard County Government is not sponsoring employees in application of the H-1B Visa or providing an extension of an existing H-1B Visa. All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Howard County is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, and we are committed to a workplace that values diversity, equity, and inclusion. The County prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, ancestry, creed, national origin, disability status, genetics, marital status, military service, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Applicants requiring accommodations during the hiring process should contact the Office of Human Resources directly at HiringPreference@howardcountymd.gov. Requests for accommodations should not be attached to the application.