Elections Director, Deputy

Are you an experienced elections or public administration professional with a strong commitment to public service? New Hanover County is seeking an Elections Deputy Director to support the Elections Director in overseeing daily operations and ensuring the successful delivery of election services. This role provides staff supervision and assists with procedural and technical improvements, voter education programs, public communications, in-person voting operations, Board of Elections meeting preparation, and election official training. The Deputy Director ensures continuity of operations in the Director’s absence and directly supervises teams responsible for voter registration, outreach, and logistics, maintaining a high level of customer service during large-scale election events and periods of increased demand.

New Hanover County, located on the North Carolina coast with a population of over 240,000 and approximately 183,400 registered voters. The mission of the NHC Board of Elections is to provide the highest level of professional standards to ensure accurate, honest, and fair elections through accountability and integrity and to provide all citizens our services in the most efficient, effective, and timely manner. The New Hanover County Board of Elections administers elections with the highest commitment to accuracy, integrity, and public trust. The department oversees all aspects of election administration, including voter registration, polling site operations, ballot preparation, and election result certification while ensuring compliance with all applicable election laws. With an annual operating budget of approximately $2,123,000, the department maintains a strong focus on transparency, collaboration, and voter confidence, working closely with local, state, and federal partners to ensure fair and accessible elections for all citizens.

Key Responsibilities include:

• Supervises staff, prioritizes, and assigns work; conducts performance evaluations; and ensures staff is trained. 
• Assists the Director of Elections in the administration and management of departmental operations in accordance with North Carolina General Statute 163-33 and other applicable laws and regulations.
• Assists in the preparation, administration, and monitoring of the departmental budget.
• Develops and maintains effective relationships with county departments, state election officials, elected officials, community organizations, and external stakeholders.
• Serves as assistant clerk to the Board of Elections and supports the planning, coordination, and facilitation of Board meetings, including the preparation of agendas, reports, meeting materials, and official records and minutes. 
• Ensures compliance with public meetings, records retention, and election law requirements while providing administrative and operational support to the Board of Elections and Director in carrying out board-related responsibilities and initiatives.
• Provides leadership and oversight for voter registration, voter list maintenance, absentee voting, provisional voting, campaign finance administration, ballot auditing and reconciliation, financial compliance, and related election administration functions; monitors division performance and ensures the timely, accurate, and efficient execution of operations. 
• Oversees the development, implementation, and maintenance of standard operating procedures and ensures compliance with Article 7A of Chapter 163 of the North Carolina General Statutes, the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), State Board of Elections policies, and other applicable laws and regulations.
• Supervises division leadership and staff by providing guidance on complex election administration and compliance matters; assists with recruitment, training, performance management, succession planning, and professional development initiatives. 
• Assists with election preparation, administration, and post-election activities and serves as a resource to elected officials, candidates, political parties, voters, media representatives, and the public regarding election-related matters.
• Ensures continuity of operations in the event of the Director’s absence by serving as acting director of Elections during the Director's absence and exercises delegated authority as assigned.
• Performs other duties required of a county elections director by NC statutes and by the State or County Boards of Election.
• Performs work with regular and predictable attendance consistently meeting the scheduling needs as required by the county.
• Performs work during emergency/disaster situations.
• Performs other duties of a similar nature or level. 

Knowledge of and principles and practices related to the area of assignment; applicable local, state, and federal statutes; Specifically, N.C. General Statute Chapter 163, as well as the rules, orders, and directives of the State Board of Elections; basic management principles; comprehensive understanding of in-person voting procedures; department-wide procedures and their implications on the in-person voting process. basic human resources and performance evaluation principles; community resources and organizations; basic finance principles; marketing and promotion principles; educational practices, especially pertaining to adults.

Skill in using a computer and related software programs; using general office equipment; managing databases; preparing formal documents and reports; assessing client needs; preparing and creating schedules; developing and implementing programs; supervising and training employees, volunteers, and clients; communication, interpersonal skills as applied to interaction with coworkers, supervisor, the general public, etc. sufficient to exchange or convey information and to receive work direction.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, or related field, and four (4) years of progressively responsible elections experience; or an equivalent combination of training and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the specific position as listed above.

Required:

• Valid Driver's License (from any state) and good driving record required at time of application.
• Valid North Carolina Driver’s License required by first date of employment with good driving record.
• Must receive NC State Board of Elections certification as an Elections Administrator within three (3) years of employment.
• Must obtain Notary Public Certification within 6 months of employment.

• Certified Elections Registration Administrator (CERA) certification

Applicant Information:
This role is posted continuously until filled, with a priority application date of Wednesday, July 15th.  After the priority application date for this position, applications will be screened by Human Resources. Applicants referred to the department will receive an email requesting important information pertinent to the position applied for. All updates regarding an application can be viewed through your applicant portal.

In compliance with G.S. 153A-94.2(b), if this position requires an applicant for employment to work with children in any capacity, the county must require the applicant to undergo a criminal history record check conducted by the SBI for all offers of employment made after October 1, 2025. These checks must be performed in accordance with G.S. 143B-1209.26, which authorizes the SBI to provide fingerprint-based state and national criminal record checks to cities and counties. Additional information on how to complete this required check will be provided to the selected candidate after an offer of employment is accepted.

New Hanover County is an Equal Opportunity Employer.