Administrative Assistant II - Confidential - San Mateo County Libraries (Open and Promotional)

Full Job Description

San Mateo County Libraries is seeking a dynamic and highly motivated professional to join our team as an

Administrative Assistant II – Confidential.

This is an exciting opportunity to support the leadership of a top-rated, innovative public library system.

The ideal candidate will be proactive, flexible, and skilled at balancing a wide range of administrative responsibilities in a fast-paced environment.

The role requires sound judgment, initiative, and strong collaboration skills.

If you are passionate about public service and excel at handling a myriad of matters with professionalism and discretion, we encourage you to apply.

This position is assigned to the Administrative Office of San Mateo County Libraries and will perform varied, complex, and often confidential administrative tasks in support of the Library Director and executive team.

The ideal candidate will have a bachelor's degree in Business or Public Administration.

The ideal candidate should also be experienced in:

PLEASE NOTE: A resume and cover letter is requried along with the completion of the supplemental questions to be considered for this position. Any application submitted without BOTH of these documents will be considered as incomplete and will not advance in the recruitment process.

NOTE: The eligible list generated by this recruitment may be used to fill current and future vacancies.

Requirements

Duties may include, but are not limited to:

• Extensive contact with all levels of the organization, the public, our partners, board members, and other officials at the local, county, and state levels.

• Analyzing administrative processes and recommending improvements.

• Conducting research, data gathering, preparing reports, presentations, and other library documents.

• Managing contracts, agreements, and vendor-related processes in compliance with library guidelines.

• Creating timelines, tracking deliverables, and following up on action items.

• Handling confidential information with discretion and integrity.

• Coordinating public records or compliance responsibilities.

• Supporting library board and committee meetings.

• Supporting staff, special projects, and initiatives.

Qualifications

Education and Experience:
Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to qualify is:

Graduation from an accredited college or university with major work in Public or Business Administration or a closely related field and two years of experience in such fields as accounting, personnel management, office management, or management analysis.

Knowledge of:

• Principles of organization, administration, and supervision.
• Budgeting principles and practices.
• Modern office methods and procedures associated with information technology.

Skill/Ability to:

• Analyze organizational procedures and recommend improvements and prepare and present reports in narrative and graphic form.

• Plan, organize, and supervise the work of clerical personnel effectively.

Additional Information

Open & Promotional. Anyone may apply. Current County of San Mateo and County of San Mateo Superior Court of California employees with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in a classified regular, probationary, or extra-help/limited term position prior to the final filing date will receive five points added to their final passing score.

Responses to the supplemental questions must be submitted in addition to our regular employment application form. A resume and cover letter are also required.

The examination process will consist of an application screening based on the candidates' application and responses to the supplemental questions (weight: pass/fail). Candidates who pass the application screening may be invited to a panel interview (weight:100%). Depending on the number of applicants, an application appraisal of education and experience may be used in place of other examinations, or further evaluation of work experience may be conducted to group applicants by level of qualification. Applicants meeting the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through any subsequent phase of the examination. All examinations will be given in San Mateo County, California, and applicants must participate at their own expense.

A complete application packet will consist of:

• The County of San Mateo Employment Application Form
• Responses to the Supplemental Questionnaire that is part of the Employment Application Form
• A Resume and Cover Letter (Please attach to your online application)

IMPORTANT: Applications for this position will only be accepted online. If you are currently on the County's website, you may click the "Apply" button. If you are not on the County's website, please visit http://jobs.smcgov.org to apply. Online applications must be received by the Human Resources Department before midnight on the final filing date.

TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT SCHEDULE
Final Filing Date: Wednesday, February 4, 2026, 11:59 PM PST
Application Screening: February 17 - 20, 2026
Civil Service Panel Interview: March 5 and/or 6, 2026

About the County
San Mateo County is centrally located between San Francisco, San Jose, and the East Bay. With over 750,000 residents, San Mateo is one of the largest and most diverse counties in California and serves a multitude of culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse communities.

The County of San Mateo, as an employer, is committed to advancing equity in order to ensure that all employees are welcomed in a safe and inclusive environment. The County seeks to hire, support, and retain employees who reflect our diverse community. We encourage applicants with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply. Eighty percent of employees surveyed stated that they would recommend the County as a great place to work.