Job Description

Job Announcement

The Fairfax County Department of Economic Initiatives seeks a highly organized professional to support economic development and innovation projects. This entry-level role will be integral to advancing key initiatives that strengthen our local economy, supporting businesses and entrepreneurs, and fostering innovation. The Associate will provide both project and administrative support across teams, support program delivery, data tracking, and customer service. The role requires strong organization skills, attention to detail, and the ability to collaborate with staff, partners, and stakeholders.

The Department of Economic Initiatives develops programs and policy recommendations to foster local economic development and position Fairfax County to be an economically competitive and prosperous community. The department is structured to advance conditions for real estate development, foster a competitive business climate, and boost local commercial areas.

Note: The assigned functional areas for this position are project and program management, and/or data analysis and management.

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.)

• Assists with a variety of technical and professional work related to monitoring and reporting on departmental business processes, activities, and outcomes;
• Performs designated segments of projects or programs with well-defined objectives, including activities such as data collection, synthesis of data gathered to support analysis, and documentation of findings and recommendations;
• Performs data collection activities in support of existing studies, projects or programs, including conducting research; participating in interviews; administering customer, organizational or employee surveys; assisting in the facilitation of focus groups; participating in work group collaboration; and mapping or charting of workflow processes;
• Assists with measuring and analyzing indicators of performance, quality, quantity and efficiency of services;
• Compiles and provides business information to management;
• Maintains index or log of standard forms for gathering information from a variety of audiences;
• Formats data sets and performs qualitative and descriptive statistical analysis to aggregate and assimilate data for displaying potential patterns and trends;
• Assists in implementing business improvements, such as changes to policies, work practices, processes and procedures;
• Contributes to position papers, evaluation reports and presentations.

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).

• Basic knowledge of mission, goals and objectives of the organizational unit, program or activities to which incumbent is assigned;
• Knowledge of the principles, practices and techniques governing management, organization, operations and programmatic services;
• Knowledge of the principles, practices, and techniques relating to the functional area of business operation
• Ability to identify possible solutions for solving business problems;
• Ability to perform a variety of fact-finding techniques (e.g., interview, case analysis, observation, research, benchmarking) to gather information in support of programs, projects, studies, assessments and evaluations;
• Ability to aggregate and assimilate data to identify major patterns, trends and themes regarding organizational and program effectiveness and efficiency;
• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing;
• Ability to use word processing and presentation software to prepare documents, and to use spreadsheet and statistical analysis software packages to store, manipulate, analyze and present data;
• Ability to train, lead, and/or supervise paraprofessional staff.

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 an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor's degree in the field related to the assigned functional area.

BRIDGE CLASS EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS:
Four years of increasingly complex technical experience in the assigned functional area, comparable to experience at the Admin Assistant IV, or higher, level. This class can serve as a bridge class enabling individuals who do not meet the educational or professional experience standards listed above to qualify for this class by possessing four years of increasingly complex technical experience in the assigned functional area, comparable to experience at the Admin Assistant IV, or higher, level. The purpose of this bridge class is to promote upward mobility within the Fairfax County workforce. However persons qualifying for this class on the basis of their technical experience may not substitute this technical experience for education, or for professional experience, in order to qualify for other employment opportunities.

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 working within a government setting (federal, state or local) providing support for a team.
• Experience analyzing data and generating reports.
• Experience coordinating projects to ensure timeliness and goal attainment in accordance with standards and guidelines.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and tasks with competing deadlines and operating in a team environment with shared responsibilities.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical department staff.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Business Intelligence tools such as Tableau, Power BI, and Finance application such as Fairfax County Unified System (FOCUS).

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Job is generally sedentary. Visual acuity is required to read data on computer monitor. Must be able to operate keyboard driven equipment. Employee may be required to lift up to up to 10 pounds. Physical requirements can be performed with or without reasonable accommodations. 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 . EEO/AA/TTY.

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