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The County of San Mateo Procurement Division is seeking an experienced procurement professional for the position of Contract Administrator II (CA II). This position will provide procurement advice and assistance to departmental procurement staff throughout the County. The Procurement Division supports 23 departments within the County.

As of April 2024, procurement within the County is handled through OpenGov Procurement (OpenGov) software. Experience with OpenGov is desired but not required. OpenGov training will be provided to the CA II staff member.

Under supervision, the CA II will:

• Advise staff on solicitation development and contract management policies and processes.
• Assist staff with questions related to navigating OpenGov.
• Work on procurement projects.
• Participate in the development of procurement policy and training.
• Deliver procurement training to staff.
• Complete other procurement related work on an as-needed basis.

CA II is the fully experienced, journey level class in this series, capable of independently performing the full range of procurement work. The CA II should be knowledgeable regarding solicitation creation for professional services and contract administration duties.  The selected candidate will use their experience to advise staff on how to navigate and improve their procurement processes.  The CA II will be given substantial latitude in determining approach, procedures, systems, and methods in accomplishing the work goals.  The CA II will make basic programmatic decisions that require the exercise of independent judgment will be responsible for coordinating multiple functions or processes. An Incumbent at this level is typically assigned the more complex contracts.

The CA II staff member will have strong communication skills and professional conduct. They will be expected to provide excellent customer service while explaining procurement to county-wide staff. They will be comfortable creating and delivering trainings to staff on procurement topics.

Confidence in learning new technology will be important to this role. The CA II will be expected to become an advanced user of OpenGov and assist staff with navigating the software.

 

Examples Of Duties

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

• Provide procurement technical assistance and consultation to County departments.
• Review and understand the existing procurement resources (handbook and instruction materials and videos) and connect staff with the appropriate resources for their questions.
• Analyze complicated procurement situations and create solutions.
• Suggest process and policy training improvements.
• Create instructions and training to document existing and new procurement processes and policies.
• Review, authorize, and/or manage procurement documents.
• Create and deliver procurement training.
• Maintain current knowledge of contract rules and regulations.
• Develop request for proposals and contract agreements.
• 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:

• Four years of experience as a public procurement professional working with a wide variety of solicitations, contracts, and procurement methodologies. 

Education may be used to substitute for years of experience.  Because procurement within the County is handled through OpenGov Procurement software, experience with OpenGov is desired but not required. Training will be provided to the CA II as needed.
 

Application/Examination

 
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:

• Complete the County of San Mateo Employment Application Form
• Provide responses to the Supplemental Questionnaire

Tentative Recruitment Schedule
Final Filing Date: September 9, 2025, at 11:59 PM
Application Screening (tentative):  September 11-17, 2025
Panel Interviews (tentative):  October 7-8, 2025

Description

The County Executive’s Office is seeking highly qualified candidates for the position of County Procurement Program Services Manager II.

The Procurement Division of the County Executive’s Office provides procurement services to all County departments and acts as a regulatory mechanism to help county departments obtain maximum value for each dollar spent, while maintaining compliance with all relevant County, State, and Federal laws, ordinances, and policies.   The Procurement Division (Division) also connects with and assists vendors in conducting business with the County.   

The Division successfully operates under several ordinances, codes, and policies designed to heighten worker standard of living, support local business, protect tax-payor dollars, and support eco-friendly practices.  The following are examples:

• The Living Wage Ordinance sets a minimum wage, which contractors are required to pay employees providing services under County contracts.  
• To support interested vendors, the Procurement Division offers a variety of trainings that review and explain the County’s Request for Proposals (RFP) process, contracting, and OpenGov.  
• The Procurement Division follows a Code of Ethical Conduct to ensure that expenditures of public funds, through the procurement and contracting process, occur in an ethical and responsible manner.   

In 2022, the County Procurement Division received the Award for Excellence in Procurement, an award conferred on organizations that demonstrate a commitment to procurement excellence. The division received this award again in 2023, 2024, and 2025.

The Position

The Program Services Manager II (PSM II) will have the opportunity to coordinate the day-to-day operations of the office including managing staff, overseeing OpenGov - the County’s electronic procurement system, developing and facilitating special projects, such as the Vendor Fair and Procurement Academy, collaborating with the cities in San Mateo County regarding procurement and purchasing services, and updating policies and procedures, including the Procurement Handbook.  

The PSM II will supervise and manage a dedicated team within the Division. In addition, the PSM II will develop and deliver trainings, act as procurement consultant to all county departments and special districts, and work to increase office efficiency and effectiveness.  The PSM II will be part of the management team helping lead the dedicated team of lead, professional, technical, and clerical subject matter experts committed to exceptional customer service and fair, open, competitive, timely, and ethical procurement practices.  

We seek a collaborative and innovative leader with keen business acumen and a desire to lead a team to the next level of professional development.  We also seek an experienced manager with proven success using enhanced technology to procure $400 million of supplies, equipment, and services annually. Additionally, we seek someone committed to the values of this government agency, providing exceptional services to the communities we serve.

The Ideal Candidate

• Has experience in purchasing and RFP development. 
• Has demonstrated knowledge of and experience in government procurement and agreement administration and can serve as a subject matter expert for the County.
• Has skills and experience in planning, organizing, administering, reviewing, and evaluating departmental procedures for the procurement of services.
• Has knowledge of and experience incorporating relevant laws, regulations, and policies that affect and/or regulate government procurement.
• Has experience assisting with the administration of an e-procurement system.
• Has skills and experience in planning, coordinating, and leading County-wide special projects.
• Is an influential communicator and proven relationship-builder who can successfully collaborate with multiple stakeholders, including department heads, staff members, contractors, and vendors. 
• Is committed to maintaining a high standard of customer service to all departments, contractors, and vendors.
• Is an effective change agent who can guide employees throughout the organization in adopting new systems and procedural changes.
• Has excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Though not required, a designation as a Certified Purchasing Professional, such as Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB), Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO), Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM), or Certified Public Purchasing Officer (CPO) is strongly desired. 

Examples Of Duties

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

• Coordinate and direct the daily operation of Countywide procurement services, special programs, and large-scale projects.
• Assist in the development and implementation of departmental standards, policies, procedures, goals, and objectives; identify methods to streamline processes to drive efficiencies; maintain and update procedures and ensure compliance; research trends and best practices; and recommend and implement changes.
• Review, create, and implement countywide policies and procedures to establish and maintain criteria and guidelines for fair and efficient procurement practices.
• Oversee the maintenance of detailed records of assigned activities and results, such as reports, records, bids, contracts, and other documents.
• Coordinate with County officials and staff, the Board, vendors, the public, community organizations, and/or external agencies; develop internal and external partnerships; and represent the division in Countywide collaboration and work group meetings.
• Select, supervise, and evaluate professional, technical, and clerical subordinates; ensure provision of staff training; and direct personnel actions.
• 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 experience managing complex procurement activities and providing operational oversight, including direct management of staff engaged in procurement activities. 

Application/Examination

To apply for this exciting career opportunity, submit an online County employment application along with answers to the supplemental questions. This is an Open and Promotional recruitment. Anyone may apply. County of San Mateo employees may receive preferential points.

The examination process will consist of an initial review of application materials, an Application Screening by subject matter experts, and 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 a screening committee may select those applicants whose education and/or experience appear to best meet the needs of the position based solely on the information provided in the application documents. 

Because of the screening process, all 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. Applicants must participate at their own expense. 

Applications for this position will only be accepted online at: http://jobs.smcgov.org.

Recruitment Schedule

Final Filing Date: September 8, 2025, by 11:59 PM

Application Screening: September 10-15, 2025

Panel/Departmental Interviews: September 29-30, 2025