EXEMPTION SPECIALIST

Job Description

OVERVIEW

This exceptional opportunity offers a blend of public service, technical program administration, financial analysis, and customer engagement. As the Exemption Specialist , you will play a critical role in administering complex property tax exemption and deferral programs that directly affect senior citizens, disabled persons, agricultural operations, and designated forest landowners. Your expertise will help ensure that eligible property owners receive the benefits provided by law while maintaining the integrity, accuracy, and fairness of county assessment programs.

Working with minimal supervision, you will interpret and apply federal, state, and county requirements, evaluate complex income documentation, make eligibility determinations, and communicate decisions to the public and, when necessary, the Board of Equalization. The role provides an outstanding opportunity to expand your expertise in property taxation, public-sector administration, regulatory compliance, and program management while contributing directly to effective and equitable government services. Your work will help the Assessor's Office meet statutory deadlines, maintain accurate public records, protect confidential information, and deliver responsive service to the community.

As the Exemption Specialist, you will:

• Administer property tax exemption and deferral programs, including Senior Citizen and Disabled Persons, Current Use, Designated Forest Land, and Nonprofit ensuring decisions comply with applicable laws, rules, and department policies.
• Review financial and tax documentation, including IRS tax forms and supporting records, to calculate qualifying income and determine applicant eligibility.
• Evaluate income audits and specialized exemption applications, including Homes for the Aging exemptions, applying sound judgment to complex or incomplete financial information.
• Approve, deny, or remove applicants from exemption programs based on statutory requirements and defensible analysis, while clearly explaining decisions to property owners and the public.
• Defend exemption determinations on behalf of the Assessor before the public and, when required, at the Board of Equalization.
• Review real estate excise information involving exempt properties and complete prorationswhen an exemption is removed.
• Determine and prepare requests for property subaccounts when exempt properties require specialized assessment treatment.
• Process complex personal property listings, assessment roll corrections, appeals, and related specialized assessment records with a high degree of accuracy.
• Complete department administrative functions including payroll processing, accounts payable, purchasing, inventory control, and tracking of budget line items.
• Coordinate SharePoint and web-based information resources, helping maintain accurate and accessible department information for staff and the public.
• Deliver responsive customer service through in-person, telephone, and email interactions, providing clear guidance to applicants regarding program criteria, documentation, deadlines, and application status.
• Educate senior and disabled applicants and other members of the public by assisting with required forms and explaining complex program requirements in an understandable and respectful manner.
• Conduct field visits and research as necessary to support exemption determinations, property records, and assessment-related activities.
• Maintain confidential documents and sensitive taxpayer information in accordance with county policies, legal requirements, and established records-management practices.
• Navigate complex federal, state, and county laws, rules, codes, directives, and legal documents to make accurate, consistent, and well-supported program decisions.
• Ensure reliable, organized, and timely completion of assigned responsibilities while adapting priorities to changing workloads and departmental needs.

What you bring:

• Experience: Associates degree in a closely related field from a college or university accredited by an agency recognized by the US Department of Education AND one year of clerical/office support experience providing customer service with the public in person or by telephone OR three years of clerical/office support experience providing customer service with the public in person or by telephone
• Technical Background: P rior experience in customer service, financial, or regulatory work reviewing information, maintaining accurate records, following established policies and procedures, and assisting customers or the public
• Communication/Interpersonal Skills: A bility to provide respectful, accurate, and accessible service in person, by telephone, and through email. Able to translate complex eligibility requirements into clear guidance while helping applicants navigate forms, documentation requirements, and application processes
• Preferred Qualifications: Experience involving property taxation, exemption or deferral programs, assessment administration, income analysis, public-sector regulatory programs, tax documentation, or related government services
• Relevant work experience demonstrating required knowledge, skills, and abilities may substitute for educational requirements. Work experience is essential and cannot be replaced by additional education

For the complete job description: Exemption Specialist
For more information about the department: Kitsap County Assessor home

OTHER POSITION RELATED INFORMATION

• Who May Apply : This position is open to the general public. Applications will be screened for qualifications and completion of all the required materials and forms. The most competitive applicants may be contacted for further steps in the selection process, which may include testing for office and computer skills.
• This position is classified as eligible for overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
• This position is covered under a collective bargaining agreement with AFSCME Local 1308. Internal applicants should be aware that a change in union status or bargaining unit may impact your benefits and accruals. Please contact Human Resources if you have questions.
• Application Requirements
  
  All applicants, internal and external, must submit a complete and fully detailed application. Your application must clearly demonstrate how you meet all minimum qualifications for the position by the posted closing date. The County uses the information provided in the application (not the résumé) to verify relevant work experience and to determine placement on the pay scale if you are selected for the position.
  
  To be considered, your application must:
  
  • Be fully completed, including all supplemental questions. Provide specific and detailed information showing that you have performed the duties and gained the experience required for the role. Include the total years of relevant experience, quantified based on full-time equivalency. Applications that are incomplete, lack sufficient detail, or do not clearly demonstrate that the applicant meets all minimum qualifications will be screened out and will not move forward in the hiring process. Meeting the minimum qualifications is required.
  • Criminal Conviction Standards:
    • The successful incumbent will or may have unsupervised access to children under 18 years of age, a vulnerable adult, or a vulnerable person, or access to a secured/confidential facility or computer system(s). As a result, Kitsap County will be conducting an extensive criminal background check by law enforcement agencies, which may include fingerprinting.
• Kitsap County is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please contact our Human Resources Office.
• This recruitment is being used to fill an existing open position and may be used to fill future openings for up to six (6) months.
• Work hours for this position are Monday through Thursday, 7:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and Friday, 8:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
• Only authorized employees and hiring authorities have access to the application materials submitted. Per RCW 42.56.250, all applications for public employment, including the names of applicants, resumes, and other related materials submitted with respect to an applicant are exempt from public inspection.

At Kitsap County, we strive to take care of our team! Our employees are the greatest asset of Kitsap County, and we take pride in offering a highly competitive compensation and benefits package to all eligible employees.

County Paid Benefits Include:
Medical - Kaiser Permanente (HMO) or Aetna (PPO)
Dental - Delta Dental or Willamette
Vision - VSP
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
Life Insurance - Basic, Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D), Voluntary Term Life Insurance (VTL)
MetLife Long Term Disability
Voya Voluntary Insurance
Transportation incentives
Employee Assistance Program
Travel Assistance Program
Wellness program
Benefits become effective on the first calendar day of the month following the month in which the employee is hired except if the employee's hire date is the first calendar day of the month, benefits begin on the day of hire. More information about employee benefits is available on the county's website at: Benefits or the Kitsap County Digital Benefits Guide .

*Voluntary benefit options also available at the employee's expense

Retirement:
Employees are covered under the PERS retirement plan provided through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems and Social Security.

Deferred Compensation (IRS Plan 457b): tax-deferred savings program

Holidays
11 paid holidays and 2 additional floating holiday per year, 1 additional floating holiday after 10 years of service.

Vacation Leave
New employees are credited with 48 hours of annual leave upon hire and will be begin accruing at the rate of 8 hours per month starting on their 7th month of employment. Employees may carry over 360 hours from one calendar year to the next. Annual leave accrual will increase upon tenure, as follows:
Upon completion of 2 years: 15 days per year (10.00 hours per month)
Upon completion of 5 years: 20 days per year (13.33 hours per month)
Upon completion of 10 years: 25 days per year (16.67 hours per month)

Sick Leave
All new hires will be credited with 48 hours of sick leave upon hire and will begin accruing at the rate of 8 hours per month starting on their 7th month of employment. Employees may carry over 1200 hours from one calendar year to the next.

***Part-time employees benefit contributions and leave accruals will be prorated***

Additional compensation that you may be eligible for:
Shift differential
Overtime
Stand by pay
Call-back pay

Current County Employees
If you are transferring or promoting into this position you are responsible for reviewing these benefit changes; prior to accepting a position. In addition, it is your responsibility to notify the Auditor's Payroll Division of a change in union status.

Union Membership
This position is covered under AFSCME Local 1308 Courthouse Employees collective bargaining agreement. To view the bargaining agreement please visit our website: https://www.kitsapgov.com/hr/Pages/Collective-Bargaining-Agreements.aspx

Student Loan Forgiveness Opportunities for Kitsap County Employees

Washington State offers several programs that may help eligible employees reduce or even eliminate their student loan debt.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) - Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) | WSAC
Employees working full-time for a public employer may qualify for federal loan forgiveness after making 120 qualifying monthly payments. PSLF allows you to check your eligibility, track your progress, and apply directly through the official PSLF portal.

Washington Health Corps (WHC) - Washington Health Corps | WSAC
Licensed health professionals may be eligible for loan repayment in exchange for serving in critical-shortage areas. Programs include:
• Washington Health Corps Loan Repayment
• Nurse Educator Loan Repayment (NELR)

If you think you might qualify or want to learn more, review the program guides and application details on the websites!

NOTE: This is a general overview of the benefits offered through employment with Kitsap County, and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. If any information on this document conflicts or is incorrect with the provisions of the Personnel Manual, applicable laws, policies, rules or official plan documents they will prevail. The Personnel Manual is available at: https://www.kitsap.gov/hr/Documents/Personnel%20Manual%202026/Personnel%20Manual%20-%202026.pdf

Closing Date/Time: 9/7/2026 11:59 PM Pacific