Assistant Elections Director(Secretary of the State Assistant Division Director)

Introduction

The State of Connecticut, Secretary of the State (SOTS) is currently seeking dynamic, passionate individuals eager to contribute their experience within the Legislation and Election Administration Division (LEAD) as the Assistant Elections Director (Assistant Division Director). Join our team and embark on a rewarding career that offers growth, superlative benefits, and a culture that encourages work/life balance. 

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

• Work for a Forbes top company - ‘Forbes’: State of Connecticut Ranked One of the Best Employers of 2023.
• Comprehensive health and dental insurance, providing you with peace of mind and access to quality healthcare.
• Robust pension plan and supplemental retirement offerings to secure your financial future.
• Generous paid time off, including vacation days, sick leave, personal days, and 13 holidays per calendar year.
• We are an eligible Public Service Loan Forgiveness employer, which means you may be eligible to have qualifying student loans forgiven after 10 years of service.
• A culture that recognizes the importance of work/life balance and offers alternate work schedules and telecommuting options.
• Opportunities to invest in your professional growth and development with training programs, tuition reimbursement, and opportunities for advancement within the State of Connecticut.
• Connecticut is a strong community with a lot to offer in entertainment, food and shopping, recreation in our beautiful state parks and forests, diverse culture, and rich history. Learn more about all Connecticut has to offer.

POSITION HIGHLIGHTS

• Full-Time, 40 hours per week
• Monday through Friday
• Location: Hartford, CT
• Hybrid (office/telework) may be available

THIS JOB IS FOR YOU IF

• You’re familiar with government operations, the Secretary of the State’s mission, and Connecticut electoral issues; 
• You’re a motivating and supportive manager, able to leverage your leadership skills to build consensus and coach successful cross-functional teams.
• You’re able to produce high-quality work in a fast-paced environment under tight deadlines and quickly generate solutions to problems.
• You value providing prompt quality service and improving access to information.
• You have a passion for promoting participation in the democratic process by providing a wide range of services for the people and businesses of Connecticut. 
• You want to do work that matters and want to build a better Connecticut with the Office of the Secretary of the State.

DISCOVER THE OPPORTUNITY TO

• Assist the Division Director in managing all aspects of LEAD’s projects, programs, and staff; 
• Assign and provide oversight for all election and voter registration functions; 
• Supervise five (5) Staff Attorneys, six (6) Elections Officers, and three (3) administrative support staff members;
• Ensure compliance with registration and election laws; 
• Coordinate the training of local election officials; 
• Draft legislative proposals and regulations;
• Monitor changes in federal election law, funding sources, and grant opportunities;
• Serve as a liaison between the agency and registrars of voters, town clerks, municipal governments, other state agencies, other state governments, and the federal government; 
• Attend regional and statewide meetings of town clerks and registrars organizations; 
• Receive and respond to public inquiries, requests for assistance, and complaints regarding areas of responsibility; 
• Work with the IT Director to strengthen Connecticut’s cybersecurity infrastructure, manage existing technology, and implement new technology for election systems, accessible voting systems, online voter registration, motor-voter registration, and other agency programs; 
• Monitor available Help America Vote Act (HAVA) funds or other funding sources and grant opportunities; 
• Support the Division Director as needed for responsibilities associated with the National Association of Election Directors (NASED), the Electronic Voter Registration Center (ERIC), and other national boards as requested by the Secretary and Division Director. 

ABOUT US

The Office of the Secretary of the State (SOTS) is designated by the Constitution and General Statutes of Connecticut as the official keeper of a wide array of public records and documents.  As a vital source of information regarding various businesses, commercial lenders, elections, legislation, regulations and other areas, this office is responsible for responding to more than 600,000 requests for information annually.

The Legislation and Election Administration Division (LEAD) administers, interprets and implements all state and federal laws pertaining to elections, primaries, nominating procedures, and the acquisition and exercise of voting rights. The Division encourages and monitors the implementation of the National Voter Registration Act and other voter registration efforts in Connecticut. In addition, the division is the official keeper of all acts, orders, grants, and resolutions of the General Assembly, receives and maintains legislation, regulations and a wide range of other public documents as required by statute, and administers Connecticut’s notary public program.

Selection Plan

For assistance in applying, please visit our 'Applicant Tips on How to Apply' page

APPLYING FOR THE POSITION

• For current state employees, salary calculations are not necessarily comparable from one of the three branches of state government (i.e. Executive, Judicial or Legislative) to the other.
• To be considered for this job opening, you must meet the Minimum Qualifications listed on the job opening. The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date of the job opening, unless otherwise specified. You must specify your qualifications on your application. 
• Ensure that your application is complete before submitting it. To comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut no longer requests resumes during the initial application process. Once your application is submitted into the JobAps system, you cannot make revisions.
• To receive educational credits toward qualification for this job posting, the institution must be accredited. For institutions located outside of the U.S., you must provide documentation from a recognized USA accrediting service specializing in determining foreign education equivalencies to the recruiter listed on this job posting.
• All application materials must be received by the recruiting agency by the specified deadline. Late applications will not be considered. Candidates may request a rare and documented exception for events that incapacitate them during the entire duration of the job posting period by providing a legally-recognized justification to accommodate such an exception. Requests may be made to DAS.SHRM@ct.gov.

WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER APPLYING

• Applicants will receive correspondence via email and are also encouraged to monitor their Personal Status Board daily for status updates, notices, and tasks required in the recruitment process.
• Some postings may require additional referral questions (RQs). You will receive an email with these questions after the posting’s closing date. Check your email and Personal Status Board for notifications, including your spam or junk folders. 
• You may be required to submit additional documentation supporting your qualifications at any point during the recruitment process. The documentation may include a cover letter, resume, transcripts, diplomas, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, or licensure, at the discretion of the hiring agency.
• The immediate vacancy is listed above, but your application may be considered for future vacancies in this job class.
• Interviews will be limited to candidates whose experience and training most closely meet the requirements of the position.
• Candidates offered a position with the State of Connecticut are bound by the State Code of Ethics for Public Officials and State Employees, available at www.ct.gov/ethics.

CONNECT WITH US

• Due to the high volume of applications, we cannot confirm receipt or status during the recruitment process. Updates will be available through your JobAps portal account. 
• If you have any questions about this recruitment, please contact Emily Kennedy at emily.kennedy@ct.gov. 
• Follow the State of Connecticut on LinkedIn to stay updated on our career opportunities and news.

PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)

In the Office of the Secretary of the State this class is accountable for assisting in the direction of programs, activities and operations of a division.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

• Assists in directing staff and operations of a programmatic division and works in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General;
• Coordinates, plans and manages division activities;
• Assist in formulating and implementing goals and objectives;
• Assists in the development of related policy;
• Interprets and administers pertinent state and federal laws, statutes, regulations, policies and legislation to ensure conformance with statutory purpose and authority;
• Evaluates staff;
• Assists in the preparation of the division budget;
• Establishes and maintains contacts with individuals within and outside of the division who might impact on program activities;
• Assists in the implementation of new procedures and procedural revisions;
• Provides or directs staff training and development;
• Prepares and oversees the preparation of reports and correspondence;
• Performs public relations tasks;
• Serves as the Division Director in their absence;
• Participates in the recruitment and hiring of staff, including outreach, interview and selection;
• Performs related duties as required.

LEGISLATIVE AND ELECTION ADMINISTRATION

• Oversees the preparation and editing of nominating and primary petition forms, nominating forms, ballots, lists of candidates;
• Assists in the drafting of legislation and testimony for legislative committees related to election law;
• Assists the Director with Election Official Conferences and conducts training for election officials;
• Oversees the preparation and publication of State Register and Manual and other governmental information;
• Oversees the transmittal of Public and Special Acts passed by the General Assembly;
• Oversees the appointment of Notaries Public;
• Oversees and advises attorneys in conduct of disciplinary hearings;
• Oversees the filing of regulations, special acts, executive orders, ordinances, extradition papers, official bonds of all state agencies and municipalities.

BUSINESS SERVICES – COMMERCIAL RECORDING

• Oversees the examination of all documents submitted for filing for conformance with corporation, limited partnership, uniform commercial code and trademark laws and payment of statutory fees and taxes;
• Renders assistance to attorneys on all legal aspects of corporation, limited liability companies, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships, statutory trusts, general partnerships, writs and Uniform Commercial Code, trademark laws, church corporations, insurance companies and bank filings;
• Oversees preparation of special certificates and certification of documents of record.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY

• Considerable knowledge of
  • and ability to apply management principles and practices;
  • relevant state and federal laws, statutes and regulations;
  • Uniform Administrative Procedures Act;
  • legislative process and procedures;
• Knowledge of
  • Connecticut and federal election law;
  • corporation, limited partnership, statutory trust, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, general partnership statement of authority and trademark, Uniform Commercial Code, banks, insurance companies and public service corporation laws;
  • records management;
• Considerable
  • interpersonal skills;
  • oral and written communication skills;
• Considerable ability to interpret, analyze and prepare complex legislation and other legal documents;
• Ability to
  • analyze organizational problems and determine effective solutions;
  • apply relevant agency policies and procedures.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE

Nine (9) years of experience in the area of election, corporate, or trademark law or a related field.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SPECIAL EXPERIENCE

Two (2) years of the General Experience must have been in a supervisory or consultative capacity. 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SUBSTITUTIONS ALLOWED

• College training may be substituted for the General Experience on the basis of fifteen (15) semester hours equalling one-half (1/2) year of experience to a maximum of four (4) years for a Bachelor’s degree. 
• A Master’s degree in public administration, public policy or a closely related field may be substituted for one (1) additional year of the General Experience. 
• A law degree may be substituted for two (2) additional years of the General Experience.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in elections administration, including interpreting and applying election laws and maintaining election security.
• Experience with the political and legislative process.
• Experience communicating to a diverse population and building consensus, preparing correspondence and presentations in a public relations capacity, and managing interpersonal relationships, utilizing verbal and written communication.
• Experience applying budget management principles in the development and maintenance of a departmental budget.
• Experience gathering and analyzing data to make evidence-based decisions.
• Experience managing change, exercising judgement and oversight, and developing and motivating cross-functional teams in a supervisory capacity.
• Experience interpreting and applying complex laws, regulations, and policies and explaining interpretation to broad audiences in an accurate, complete, and understandable manner. 

Conclusion

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

As defined by Sec. 5-196 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for administrative purposes. As such, a job class is not meant to be all-inclusive of every task and/or responsibility.