Ethics and Campaign Finance Administrator (Vacancy)

Ethics and Campaign Finance Administrator (Vacancy)

Salary

$48.25 - $72.41 Hourly

Location

Varies by position

Job Type

Full-time

Job Number

26-0152-V1

Department

20 Columbus City Council

Division

City Council

Opening Date

07/30/2026

Closing Date

8/12/2026 11:59 PM Eastern

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Definition

Under direction, this position is responsible for ensuring legal compliance with all ethics and campaign finance laws applicable to City of Columbus elected officials, municipal candidates, candidate committees, and City employees; performs related duties as required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Thorough knowledge of the field of ethics in business and government; thorough knowledge of local, state, and federal laws, rules, and regulations related to governmental ethics and conflicts of interest.
• Thorough knowledge of Columbus City Codes sections 107.02 - 107.05 pertaining to campaign finance and ethics reporting requirements.
• Considerable knowledge of the principles and practices of business and public administration.
• General knowledge of the principles of investigation and due process rights.
• General knowledge of computerized budget and accounting systems.
• Ability to read and understand comprehensive financial records and reports.
• Ability to evaluate accounting forms, methods, and procedures.
• Ability to compile, analyze, and interpret complex data.
• Ability to advise administrators regarding important financial matters or ethical concerns.
• Ability to exercise judgment when making decisions.
• Ability to operate a computer and use applicable software programs.
• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with administrative officials and members of the public.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.

Examples of Work

(May not include all of the duties performed.)

Serves as Chief Ethics Officer for the City of Columbus;

Provides guidance and counsel on matters relating to ethics, standards of conduct, and conflicts of interest that apply to City of Columbus elected officials, municipal candidates, candidate committees, and City employees;

Develops and drafts policy recommendations intended to promote honesty, accountability, and trust in city government;

Collaborates with other municipal offices to achieve uniformity in ethics policies and to ensure compliance Citywide;

Ensures City employees sign a pledge of ethical conduct at the time of hire and that City elected officials and employees complete any required ethics trainings in accordance with City policies and executive orders;

Develops and facilitates trainings, presentations, and other educational programs for elected City officials and City employees to ensure compliance with ethics laws and to encourage ethical conduct;

As needed, conducts timely investigations of potential ethics violations and/or conflicts of interest within the City; maintains communication with the Ohio Ethics Commission;

Assists in the development of policies, procedures, and practices to prevent conflicts of interest; monitors existing policies on outside employment, procurement, and post-employment for compliance with applicable laws;

Reviews all campaign finance reports, election period communications, and ethics reports to ensure that all are filed timely, accurately, and completely in accordance with City Code;

Audits all campaign finance reports and disclosure statements to ensure contribution limits and itemizations are in full compliance with all campaign finance laws; identifies any reporting deficiencies and/or noncompliance;

Informs candidates and/or campaign treasurers of reporting deficiencies; recommends corrective actions; ensures amended reports, corrections, or addendums are filed in full compliance;

Assists candidates and others in understanding campaign finance laws and regulations;

Administers an electronic filing portal for the online filing of financial disclosures and conflicts of interest, gifts, and travel disclosure reports required by law;

Administers an electronic registry of individuals who self-identify as lobbyists engaging in advocacy on behalf of other interested parties;

Reviews and evaluates disclosure reports to ensure timely, accurate, and complete disclosure and to identify potential conflicts of interest;

Administers the processes around the receipt, review, and communications on citizen petitions, referendums, recalls, and matters involving the petitioning of the City;

Reviews citizen petitions, referendums, recalls, and matters involving the petitioning of the City;

Prepares training materials for candidates, campaign treasurers, and political committee officers; provides instructions for electronically filing campaign finance reports;

Serves as the City's codification coordinator, including ensuring that City Code reflects all Council-ordained and/or citizen-approved actions, overseeing the bi-annual legal review, and serves as liaison to third party vendors utilized for code management;

Manages intake and compliance with public records requests;

Prepares clear and concise reports and correspondence; compiles and formats data for use in budgets and annual reports;

Participates in the preparation of legal case reviews; as requested, works collaboratively with the Columbus City Attorney on sworn complaints and investigations arising from potential campaign finance, disclosure, and/or ethics violations;

May conduct special investigations as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Possession of a Juris Doctor (JD) from an ABA accredited law school and three (3) years of experience providing ethics advice, reviewing or analyzing financial disclosure reports, conducting ethics training, or consulting on ethics related issues.

Test/Job Contact Information

Recruitment #: 26-0152-V1

Employment Type: Full-Time (Regular)

Should you have questions regarding this vacancy, please contact:

LaNita Smith

Columbus City Council

90 W Broad Street, Room 235

Columbus, Ohio 43215

P: (614) 645-7205

E: lrsmith@columbus.gov

The City of Columbus is an Equal Opportunity Employer

The City of Columbus seeks to promote compensation strategies that maximize the recruitment, performance, development, and retention of quality employees in support of the Citys Covenant and strategic plan. In addition to a competitive pay plan, the City offers a comprehensive benefits program that includes the following:

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Short-term Disability
• Life Insurance
• Wellness Program
• Tuition Reimbursement

Specifics about these benefit opportunities and eligibility can be discussed with one of the Citys human resources professionals at the time of your interview or by contacting the Department of Human Resources, Labor Relations Office at (614)645-7206 for further information.

01

Have you included all of your relevant work experience (previous and current)? Resumes will not be accepted as a substitute for completing the application.

• Yes
• No

02

Have you reviewed the Minimum Qualifications for the job that you are applying to ensure that you meet specified requirements?

• Yes
• No

03

Have you attached the documents that provide proof of your license, education (post high school), and/or professional or state certification as you have referenced in your applicant profile? Such documents may include a photocopy or scan of your drivers license, bachelors/masters degree or transcript of completed coursework.

• Yes
• No

Required Question

Employer City of Columbus

Address 77 N. Front Street, Suite 330

Columbus, Ohio, 43215

Phone (614) 645-8301

Website https://www.columbus.gov/Government/Jobs