Deputy Chief of Staff (Legislative Senior Aide III, Grade N26)

Please note: The salary range below represents this position’s earning potential. The anticipated hiring range for this position will be $89,721 to $122,876, based on the candidate’s qualifications and experience.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

The Office of a Montgomery County Councilmember seeks an accomplished legislative and policy professional to serve as Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislative Management. Reporting to the Chief of Staff, this position leads assigned legislative priorities, supervises and develops policy staff, and turns complex issues into accurate, actionable recommendations. The ideal candidate has experience moving public policy from research and drafting through governmental decision-making, implementation, and oversight, and can independently manage competing deadlines with sound judgment and exceptional attention to detail.

Key Responsibilities but not limited to:

• Lead assigned legislative and policy initiatives from problem definition, legal-authority research, and drafting through committee consideration, Council action, implementation, and oversight.
• Analyze legal, fiscal, budgetary, equity, operational, and stakeholder implications; recommend whether legislation, budget action, administrative action, or another response is appropriate.
• Coordinate with the Chief of Staff, Council offices, legislative attorneys, agency staff, and community stakeholders to identify concerns, refine proposals, and advance policy priorities.
• Direct preparation of legislative memoranda, amendments, testimony, hearing materials, committee briefings, and concise decision-ready recommendations.
• Supervise and coach professional legislative staff; assign work, review research and writing for accuracy, set deadlines, address performance issues, and maintain accountability without taking over staff assignments.
• Manage policy portfolios including health and human services, public health, public safety, and shared transportation and environmental responsibilities; maintain legislative trackers and monitor implementation.
• Anticipate risks, escalate consequential decisions, safeguard confidential information, and support occasional evening and weekend Council and community commitments.

Experience: Three (3) years of professional level experience in legislative or policy research experience, or professional experience relevant to local government administration.

Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree.

Equivalency: An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated ability to independently research and synthesize complex public policy issues, write accurately, manage deadlines, and coordinate multiple stakeholders.
• Five or more years of relevant legislative, policy, or government experience, including ownership of significant policy initiatives and supervision or mentoring of professional staff.
• Direct experience drafting, advancing, implementing, or overseeing legislation, including committee processes, amendments, stakeholder engagement, and legislative negotiation.
• Knowledge of Maryland or local government, fiscal and equity analysis, legislative counsel coordination, change management, and health or public safety policy.

Application and Selection:

Submit a resume, professional references, and a cover letter of no more than one page. 

The letter must identify a specific legislative or governmental policy initiative the applicant personally helped develop, advance, or implement; explain the applicant’s own role, collaboration, outcome, and relevant staff leadership experience. Generic statements without concrete examples do not address the requested criteria.

Finalists may complete a timed legislative analysis and executive writing exercise. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until filled.

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IMPORTANT INFORMATION

The Office of Human Resources (OHR) reviews the minimum qualifications of all applicants, irrespective of whether the candidate has previously been found to have met the minimum requirements for the job or been temporarily promoted to the same position. This evaluation is based solely on the information contained in the application/resume submitted for this specific position.

Montgomery County Government(MCG)  is an equal opportunity employer, committed to workforce diversity. Accordingly, as it relates to employment opportunities, the County will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, in accordance with the law. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should email OHR at Hiring@montgomerycountymd.gov. Individual determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made in accordance with all applicable laws.

MCG also provides hiring preference to certain categories of veterans and veterans/persons with a disability. For more information and to claim employment preference, refer to the Careers webpage on Hiring Preference.

All applicants will respond to a series of questions related to their education, relevant experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities required to minimally perform the job. The applicant's responses in conjunction with their resume and all other information provided in the employment application process will be evaluated to determine the minimum qualifications and preferred criteria or interview preference status. Based on the results, the highest qualified applicants will be placed on an Eligible List and may be considered for an interview. Employees meeting minimum qualifications who are the same grade will be placed on the Eligible List as a "Lateral Transfer" candidate and may be considered for an interview.

This will establish an Eligible List that may be used to fill both current and future vacancies.

If selected for consideration for this position, you may be required to provide evidence that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities indicated on your resume.

Montgomery County Ethics Law: Except as provided by law or regulation, the County's "Public Employees" (which does not include employees of the Sheriff's office) are subject to the County's ethics law including the requirements to obtain advanced approval of any outside employment and the prohibitions on certain outside employment. The outside employment requirements of the ethics law can be found at 19A-12 of the County Code. Additional information about outside employment can be obtained from the Ethics Commission website.Members of Montgomery County Boards, Committees, and Commissions who are pursuing permanent employment should seek advice from the Ethics Commission.