Payroll-Personnel Coordinator IV (County Promotional Only)

Full Job Description

The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office is dedicated to protecting lives and property and is committed to providing the highest level of professional law enforcement and correctional services. We pledge to promote public trust through fair and impartial policing and will treat all persons with dignity, compassion and respect. For more information about the Sheriff's Office, visit: https://www.smcsheriff.com.

The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office employs dedicated staff committed to public service both in sworn and non-sworn positions. The Sheriff's Office employs over 800 staff and the Payroll-Personnel Coordinator will provide technical and specialized payroll, human resources and other personnel related support.

In addition to processing payroll, the incumbent will on-board new employees, process employee transactions such as new hires, promotions, demotions, transfers and terminations, and all other human resources related transactions, process salary increases to include special allowances, conduct payroll audits, manage employee leaves, process and audit Workers’ Compensation hour restorations and provide on-going training on timecard and payroll systems to department employees. Duties are performed in a very fast-paced, deadline-driven collaborative environment and include working with multiple budgets, locations and payroll codes.

The level of work performed requires the analysis of unusual circumstances, understanding of proper application of complex and multiple labor contract provisions and assessing a variety of approaches to finding solutions.

The ideal candidate for this position will:

• Be knowledgeable in payroll and business processes.
• Demonstrate solid analytical skills with ability to audit/analyze data and or processes and present recommendations as needed.
• Have strong computer skills and working knowledge of Workday and ATKS, or other payroll/human resources systems.
• Ability to adapt to change and be flexible with different work arrangements.
• Be familiar with payroll, human resources and employee leave laws.
• Have the ability to interpret and apply complex rules and policies pertaining to payroll, including labor contract.
• Have the ability to handle multiple tasks and keep track of workflows under firm deadlines.
• Have excellent verbal and written skills and be able to communicate effectively and provide prompt and courteous assistance to employees.

NOTE: The eligible list generated from this recruitment may be used to fill future extra-help, term, unclassified, and regular classified vacancies.

Requirements

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

• Perform technical and specialized office support work, relating specifically to payroll and personnel, which requires the use of independent judgment and the application of technical skills.

Generate, review and interpret a variety of automated reports on a routine basis to identify and resolve payroll and personnel change errors and discrepancies researches and analyzes discrepancies and processes appropriate corrections.

Some positions are assigned to perform audit and corrections countywide payroll and personnel data.

• Prepare and process workers’ compensation adjustments including hour restorations, and audit approved Workers’ Compensation hours.
• Answer both phone and email inquiries from internal and external clients.
• Regularly prepare adjustments related to separation payouts, payroll discrepancies and retro-adjustments, workers’ compensation, budget discrepancies, employee position changes that require the manual transfer of hours from one position another for probation hours, pay step increase, county service time and all other payroll and personnel related adjustments.
• Under the direction of Human Resources or Controller's Office may assist other departmental staff with all payroll/personnel processing and procedures.
• Process time reporting forms, verify information and calculations, specific payroll rates related to such items as holiday, overtime, off-shift, and predetermined premium rates; monitor leave and compensatory time totals.
• Coordinate and execute employee onboarding and off-boarding in conjunction with supervisors and the Human Resources Department; process paperwork required for new employees; provide employees guidance on how to navigate through available onboarding resources.
• Interpret, explain and comply with seven negotiated contracts/resolutions, prescribed laws, rules, regulations and confer with Human Resources and/or Controller's Office as needed.
• Perform all personnel action processes including job changes, compensation changes, initiating hires, processing retroactive pay, etc.; research and assemble information from a variety of sources and make associated arithmetic and/or statistical calculations.
• Assist Fiscal Bureau with budget reconciliation and process retroactive adjustments as directed.
• Regularly generate and analyze audit reports related to time entry, job and compensation changes to ensure accurate entry and completion of tasks by various department staff; identify and correct errors; notify individual employees of corrections or action needed and elevate communications to a supervisor as appropriate and other payroll and personnel related reports.
• Run reports and provide data analysis and explanation as requested by management.
• Organize and maintain various files, including those related to personnel matters.
• Enter and retrieve data using a personal or on-line computer system; review computer or manually produced reports for accuracy and make corrections as required.
• Assist employees, supervisors and managers with payroll, timecard and personnel-related inquiries, and in interpreting, and applying payroll, retirement, and benefit laws, rules, regulations, bargaining unit contracts, policies and procedures; and resolve problems and recommends solutions.
• Responds to salary verification requests.
• Research record keeping issues including sick leave, vacation or non-contract balances, and performs appropriate action as needed.
• Interpret, explain and comply with negotiated contracts, prescribed laws, rules, regulations.
• 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 journey level general or fiscal office support experience which has included payroll or personnel assistance OR four years of general clerical or office assistant experience.

Knowledge of:

• Methods and practices related to payroll and personnel processes in a complex, public agency.
• County labor contracts, Civil Service Rules and other related policies and procedures.
• Standard processes for completing and processing varied payroll and personnel documents.
• Office administrative practices and procedures, including record keeping and the operation of standard office equipment.
• Basic business data processing and business arithmetic, including percentages and decimals.
• Correct English usage, including spelling, grammar and punctuation.
• Record keeping principles and procedures.
• HRIS and timekeeping system.

Skill/Ability to:

• Perform detailed technical and specialized payroll and personnel support work.
• Interpret complex written guidelines, rules, policies and procedures and accurately apply the direction provided to operational actions and procedures.
• Understand immediate and downstream effects of executed actions, decisions and advice.
• Work independently and organize, prioritize and coordinate simultaneously occurring work activities.
• Understand and apply payroll and personnel-related County ordinances, Civil Service Rules, labor contractual agreements, etc. to specific cases.
• Establish and foster effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of the work.
• Analyze data and make arithmetic calculations as needed with speed and accuracy.
• Use initiative and sound independent judgment within established guidelines.
• Communicate clearly and effectively with employees, managers and external agencies through verbal and written methods.
• Embrace and learn new technology, software or systems related especially those related to payroll and personnel coordination.
• Keep up to date and adapt quickly to changes in related procedures and HRIS business processes.
• Collaborate with managers and supervisors, give guidance and/or training on related payroll and personnel transactions.
• Operate standard office equipment and common office software applications such as email, word processing, spreadsheets and internet browsers.

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.

The examination process will consist of an application screening (weight: pass/fail) based on the candidates' application and responses to the supplemental questions. Candidates who pass the application screening will 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. All applicants who meet 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 https://jobs.smcgov.org/ to apply.

Responses to the Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted in addition to the standard County employment application form.

A resume will not be accepted as a substitute for the required application materials. Online applications must be received by the Human Resources Department before midnight on the final filing date.

Tentative Recruitment Schedule:
Final Filing Date: Wednesday, April 15, 2026 by 11:59 PM PST
Application Screening: Week of April 20, 2026
Panel Interviews: Week of May 4, 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 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.

The County of San Mateo is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion at all levels.