Administrative Services Manager - Public Safety and Communications (County Promotional Only)

Full Job Description

San Mateo County Public Safety Communications is seeking highly motivated and experienced candidates for the position of
Administrative Services Manager.

The Administrative Services Manager (ASM) will direct all fiscal operations, including the budget, accounting, performance, procurement, and contracting functions of the Department and provide direct supervision over professional and clerical employees.

The ASM oversees the day-to-day operations of the department's fiscal operations, contract administration, procurement, and facility management.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICSThis is the full line supervisory position in the Administrative Services series responsible for supervising and coordinating all or most of the administrative support functions within a department or major work unit.

These support functions typically include finance, budget, administration, personnel management, purchasing, contract administration, clerical support, management analysis, research, program evaluation, or other related functions.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISEDReceive direction from the assigned higher-level manager. Exercise direct and indirect supervision over lower-level professional, technical, and clerical employees.

The ideal candidate for this position will have or be:

• Knowledge of public financial administration, budgeting, and project accounting. Able to manage the entire budget cycle from planning and developing to monitoring, analyzing, reporting, and forecasting.

• Knowledge of and experience with the County's budget, accounting, auditing, and financial reporting.

• Possession of great leadership skills and can mentor, inspire, and motivate staff.

• Proficiency in using accounting, financial, budgeting, data, and/or analytical software, including Excel and other information systems (such as the County's OFAS, Sherpa, Socrata, and Workday systems).

• The ability to analyze complex problems accurately, develop practical recommendations, and take appropriate action to resolve them.

• The ability to be politically astute, a strategic thinker, and a planner.

• The ability to analyze moderate-to-complex budgetary, contract, accounts payable, and claiming issues and recommend actions to resolve issues.

• The ability to develop subject matter expertise in the assigned area.

• Highly skilled in the effective use of automated systems and applications, particularly Excel, to perform analyses and prepare reports.

• Able to communicate concisely and effectively, both verbally and in writing to convey financial information to a diverse audience in reports, workbooks, and instructions.

• Able to build strong, effective relations and partnerships by using a collaborative style in reaching solutions to problems and accomplishing goals.

• Able to develop workbooks, track and report financial data, and recommend courses of action.

• A quick learner who works well independently and as part of a team.

• Able to work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.

• Open-minded, creative, and comfortable with change.

• Detail-oriented while able to see the big picture.

About the DepartmentSan Mateo County Public Safety Communications (PSC) is the largest dispatch center in the county and the only Tri-Community (Police, Fire, Medical) Center.

Our state-of-the-art dispatch facility, located in Redwood City, provides all the tools and infrastructure for the organization to be successful.

San Mateo County PSC is a stand-alone County department with a civilian command structure. The Management team is made up of a Director, Deputy Director, IT Manager, Support Services Manager, and three Operations Managers.

PSC prioritizes a leadership philosophy committed to customer service, employee well-being, and overall excellence.

We strive to provide the best service to the people of San Mateo County and our partner agencies.

We are committed to giving our employees the tools necessary to be successful both professionally and personally.

We are committed to ongoing training and strive for a team environment with open lines of communication. We stress career development and provide a variety of opportunities for employees.

PSC is in the heart of Silicon Valley; we value innovation and are always looking for ways to improve our efficiencies through the implementation of technology and new ideas.

We strive to be on the cutting edge of emerging 911 technology, including NexGen911, Text-To-911, improved Smartphone Tracking and GIS, and video communications.

PSC is committed to employee well-being, offering mental health initiatives, therapy animals, an on-site gym, a quiet room, and a full kitchen.

We're the first department in the county to employ a full-time Wellbeing and Equity Coordinator and involve mental health professionals in departmental decisions.

To learn more about Public Safety Communications, visit: https://www.smcgov.org/911dispatch.

PLEASE NOTE: Managers in Public Safety Communications receive a 10% Public Safety Communications Allowance.

Requirements

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Coordinate a variety of administrative support functions and provide budget, fiscal, contract, and procurement management.

• Develop the two-year budget, maintain fiscal control, provide forecasting of revenues and expenditures, and develop and monitor department performance measurement reporting, including goals, standards, and objectives.

• Direct department budget preparation providing justification on budget items; justify budget recommendations; coordinate budget activities with the County Manager's Office.

• Maintain budgetary and fiscal controls, perform cost-benefit analyses, and provide the interdepartmental manager with forecasts of revenues and expenditures.

• Participate in the administration, monitoring, and evaluation of departmental contracts

• Develop and supervise the maintenance of statistical reporting systems of the department; direct statistical research, cost analysis, and program evaluation, as necessary.

• Conduct analysis or direct the automation of various fiscal and programming record-keeping processes.

• Design and recommend systems, procedures, forms, and instructions for departmental use.

• Conduct studies and make recommendations regarding organization, staffing patterns, program activities, and internal procedures.

• Initiate and maintain effective utilization of office space, equipment, furniture, forms, office supplies, etc.

• Perform related duties as assigned.

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:

Three years of increasingly responsible management experience performing a wide variety of administrative duties in a large, complex public agency.

Knowledge of:

• Advanced principles and practices of organizational and systems analysis, research methods, and human resource planning.

• Basic principles and practices of the assigned County department operations, their administration, and organization.

• Advanced principles of financial administration, including public budgeting and reporting.

• Computer systems and applications that are used within the County.

• Principles of personnel training, supervision, and evaluation.

Skill/Ability to:

• Supervise and coordinate a wide variety of administrative and operational activities related to the assigned department.

• Coordinate section activities with other departments, programs, and/or outside agencies.

• Direct and participate in the analysis of a wide variety of moderate to complex administrative/operational problems and make effective operational and/or procedural recommendations.

• Interpret departmental policies, guidelines, and procedures; develop recommendations for improvements, as necessary.

• Supervise, evaluate, and train assigned personnel.

• Communicate effectively both orally and in writing.

• Perform complex mathematical and statistical calculations accurately.

• Establish and maintain effective work relationships with those contacted in the performance of required duties.

Additional Information

County Promotional Only. Only current County of San Mateo or 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 may apply.

Responses to the supplemental questions must be submitted in addition to our regular employment application form. A resume will not be accepted as a substitute for the required employment application and supplemental questionnaire.

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%), which will include a pre-interview written exercise. 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.

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 go to http://jobs.smcgov.org to apply.

TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT SCHEDULE
Final Filing Date: Friday, April 3, 2026, by 11:59 PM PST
Application Screening: April 6 - 10, 2026
Civil Service Panel Interviews: April 29 and/ or 30, 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.