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The Controller's Office of the County of San Mateo seeks highly qualified candidates for the position of Property Tax Specialist. 

 

Under general direction, performs professional apportionment work relating to secured and unsecured property taxes in the Property Tax Division of the Controller’s Office.

 

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
This Property Tax Specialist is a single classification in the Controller’s Office. The incumbent performs journey-level work in the processing and apportionment of secured and unsecured property taxes. This class is distinguished from the Senior Property Tax Specialist, which is the supervisory level in the Property Tax Specialist series.

 

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED
Receives general direction from the Senior Property Tax Specialist.

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

 

Examples Of Duties

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

• Explains to other jurisdictions, departments, taxing agencies, and consultants on issues and processes relating to tax apportionment.

• Explains to taxing agencies regarding their revenue allocation and projected revenues for the year.

• Apportion monies, including secured, unsecured, impounded, redeemed, and other taxes.

• Prepares and submits tax revenue reports required by the State Controller, the State Board of Equalization, and Community College Districts.

• Coordinates and maintains continuous contact with the County Assessor's office and the Tax Collector's office to ensure the successful completion of the Auditor's Office portion of the monthly tax processing schedules.

• Calculates estimated levy based on ERAF and AB8 factors.

• Balances and reconciles tax collection data received from the Tax Collector-Treasurer’s Office.

• Reconciles and allocates supplemental tax apportionment to taxing agencies.

• Reconciles and apportions secured and unsecured taxes, including advances and clean up.

• Maintains accurate records of disbursements and reconciling worksheets, ledgers, and journal entries to account for apportionments.

• Analyze and prepare varied tax reports.

• Performs basic accounting processes and functions.

• Regularly engage with taxpayers and other customers, delivering prompt, professional, and high-quality customer service. Perform related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Experience and Education:
Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and skills is qualifying.  
 
A typical way to obtain the required knowledge and skills is:
  
Education: Graduation from a four-year college or university with major coursework in accounting, finance, business administration, or a closely related field.
  
Experience: One year of responsible accounting work, preferably in a governmental or public agency, which includes work experience in property tax accounting.
 

Knowledge of:

• Working knowledge of the laws, ordinances, and regulations governing the financial operation of the County, especially those regarding property tax accounting. 

• Rules and procedures relating to the compilation, maintenance, and reconciliation of tax rolls.

• Accounting theory, principles, practices, procedures, and terminology of general, fund, and governmental accounting. 

• Basic auditing and financial reconciliation principles and methods.

• Property tax apportionment and procedures used in the maintenance of property tax records.

• Principles and practices of business data processing, particularly as it relates to the processing of accounting information. 

• Principles of public finance and taxation.

• Applicable laws regulating public fiscal operations. 

• Budgeting principles and terminology.

Skill/Ability to:

• Review, analyze, interpret, and reconcile tax reports.

• Exercise sound independent judgment within established policy guidelines.  

• Make accurate mathematical and statistical calculations. 

• Establish and maintain effective working relations. 

• Understand and interpret the principles, laws, and procedures involved in property tax accounting and apportionment.

• Gather and analyze data and prepare reports.

• Perform detailed work involving numerical data.

• Document processes and maintain accurate records and files for year-end reporting and audit purposes.

• Understand and explain the relationship between accounting records and documents for recording and reporting purposes.

• Independently reconcile discrepancies within the assigned record-keeping system.

• Prioritize work to meet deadlines accordingly.

Application/Examination

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 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' applications 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.

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: Thursday, March 19, 2026, 11:59 PM PST
Application Screening: March 23 - 27, 2026
Civil Service Panel Interview: April 7 and/or 8, 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.
 

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

Analyst: Sedrick Dixon (03052026) (Property Tax Specialist - E018)

The County of San Mateo Registration and Elections Division of the Office of the Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder and Chief Elections Officer is looking for qualified candidates for the position of Elections Specialist III.
 
This highly specialized position performs varied coordinative technical duties to ensure that County and local, city, and special district elections are conducted efficiently and in accordance with laws and regulations. Successful performance of the work requires the use of independent judgment and initiative along with the skill to follow through on multiple projects and details.
 
Additional skills include expertise working with the community and political groups, exceptional report writing skills, and strong project management skills. Prior experience with elections and basic knowledge of California election laws, regulations, and procedures is strongly preferred. 
 
The ideal candidate will be able to "hit the ground running" due to previous or current employment in an Elections Office, providing technical support to the election process. Ideal candidates would also have a bachelor's degree or a higher degree in political science, business, public administration, policy, journalism, information technology, or another related field. At least one year of experience using GIS software is beneficial but not required. This position may provide indirect technical or functional supervision of employees in the Elections Specialist I/II classification.

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:
 
Supervise the Voting Equipment Unit

• Function test and operate Voting Equipment in compliance with California Elections Code.
• Coordinate the deployment and recovery of Vote Centers between Elections units and vendors.
• Train warehouse and field technicians on warehouse safety, secure equipment setup and usage, etc.
• Coordinate technical support of voting equipment in the field.

• Inspect and select Vote Center locations in compliance with Election Code and accessibility requirements.
• Prepare and conduct training classes for extra help and temporary workers.
• Coordinate the preparation, distribution, and delivery of Vote Center materials and voting equipment.
• Assist with re-precincting and re-districting projects and preparation of related maps.
• Direct the updating of precinct and district maps and monitor and coordinate the re-precincting process.

• Process affidavits and maintain the voter file in accordance with federal and state laws.
• Process voter data requests.
• Process petitions.
• Submit regular reports to the Secretary of State.

• Prepare the Sample Ballot for general and special elections.
• Supervise the recruitment, selection, training, and evaluation of extra help and temporary workers.
• Coordinate mailing and labeling of voting materials including Sample Ballots and Voter Information Pamphlets.

• Provide and receive ballot request forms, verify voter signatures, input voter data, and operate specialized software applications.
• Conduct recounts to verify voting computer accuracy.
• Prepare statistical reports.
• Maintain voter files and databases.
• Operate ballot sorting, scanning, and adjudication equipment.

• Research state and federal election laws and regulations and prepare reports regarding their impact on County election procedures.
• Plan, coordinate, and assist districts and cities within the County in preparing agreements for election services; coordinate and oversee the provision of these election services with the district or city.
• Facilitate the candidate filling nomination process; receive and file nomination forms such as campaign statements, conflict of interest filings, filing fees, and ballot measure arguments.
• Ensure that requirement signatures are obtained to place the candidate or measure on the ballot.
• Prepare and circulate instructions related to all phases of the nomination and ballot process; provide advice and information to other agencies, candidates, the public, and others regarding the election process.
• Prepare election timetables, voting schedules, and workload calendars; prepare election notices and arrange for their publication.
• Prepare ballot copy, pamphlet copy, and precinct instructions; prepare quotation requests and estimate production costs.
• Ensure the accuracy of all ballot and informational materials and proofread materials for correctness and completeness.

• Using specialized computer software, operate Elections Division systems to set up election parameters; create and generate ballots, election data material, and petitions; test for logic and accuracy; and process canvassing.
• Maintain divisional hardware, software, and databases.
• Coordinate vendor support, user training, and troubleshooting for computer systems.
• Maintain records, compute costs, and prepare reports and billing for services.
• Oversee and perform a variety of support duties such as organizing and maintaining work files, preparing correspondence, distributing election materials, and voting computers, and operating standard office equipment, including a computer.
• Instruct and direct the work of support staff on a project or seasonal basis, as needed.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

• Coordinate with City and Town Clerks for drop-box allocations.
• Schedule and manage Ballot Retrieval Officers.
• Schedule and manage Courier schedules.
• Manage Vote Center planning books.
• Manage Vote Center supplies.
• Manage and train Vote Center Help & Support unit.

• Lead the updating of precinct and district maps; monitor and coordinate the re-precincting and re-districting process.
• Train extra help workers on the redistricting process.
• Maintain geospatial data by updating layers such as voting precincts.
• Update and maintain data, such as precincts and addresses in the election management system.
• Ensure the accuracy of all precincts/maps and proofread data for correctness and completeness.
• Research issues with addresses and precinct assignments for voter registration.
• Analyze GIS and election data to help election logistics along with various on-going data integrity/QA projects.

Education and Experience: 
Successful candidates will have any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the job.
 

• A typical way to qualify is two years of experience providing technical support to the election process OR three years of journey level legal or general office support experience. 

• California Elections Code and precinct accessibility requirements as defined by the Secretary of State.
• Basic California election laws, regulations, and procedures as they apply to the conduct of elections.
• Office administrative practices and procedures, including filing and the operation of standard office equipment.
• Basic business data processing principles and the use of a personal or on-line computer.
• Business arithmetic.
• Correct English usage, including spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
• Recordkeeping principles and procedures. 

• Perform technical, complex, and detailed election support work.
• Organize and coordinate multiple activities.
• Communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
• Read, interpret, and apply complex laws, rules, and procedures.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of the work.
• Train, supervise, and evaluate permanent and temporary personnel.
• Prepare and present training and voter registration programs.
• Maintain accurate records, prepare reports, and compose correspondence and other written materials.
• Use initiative and sound independent judgment within established guidelines.
• Make accurate arithmetic calculations.
• Read and interpret district and precinct maps.
• Operate standard office equipment, including a computer.

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, extra-help/limited term positions prior to the final filing date will receive five points added to their final passing score. 
 
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%) which may include a performance exam. 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 County of San Mateo, 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 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. 
 
Tentative Recruitment Timeline
Final Filing Date: Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at 11:59 PM PST
Application Screening: Thursday, March 19, 2026
Panel Interview: Thursday, April 2, 2026 and/or Friday, April 3, 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. We seek to hire, support, and retain employees who reflect our diverse community. 

Analyst: Sarah Huynh (02242026) (Elections Specialist III - E168)

The Office of the Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder and Chief Elections Officer is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Senior Auditor-Appraiser.

Under general direction, Senior Auditor-Appraisers:

• Make site visits to businesses to audit their books, records, and financial reports, and to make appraisals to determine assessment valuations.
• Provide direction to Auditor-Appraiser I/II staff including assigning, directing, and reviewing their work.
• Perform the most difficult audits and appraisals of the largest and most complex properties for assessment purposes.

"Largest" audit and appraisal projects will include those businesses with the higher assessed values, such as airlines, biopharmaceutical, or manufacturing concerns. "Complex" audit and appraisal projects will include those businesses with accounting systems that contain subsidiary ledgers and journals, "abnormal" obsolescence, such as high technology concerns or specialized manufacturing equipment, and major accounts with multiple locations.  

In addition to the ability to perform large and complex audits and appraisal projects, the ideal candidate for this position will have:

• Successfully present appraisal reports at the Assessment Appeals Board.
• Appear as an expert witness before the Assessment Appeals Board as to property values.
• Review other assessment issues, in compliance with the Revenue and Taxation Code.
• Perform out-of-state audit assignments in a variety of geographic locations, as necessary.
• Lead a team on an out-of-state airline audit, or major biopharmaceutical audits, as necessary.
• Possess excellent computer skills, including advanced working knowledge of MS Office, specifically Excel and Word.
• Demonstrate outstanding interpersonal relations and customer service skills.

The ideal candidate will also have:

• Two or more years of experience as an Auditor II performing a full range of audits and appraisals and will have experience performing more advanced level audits and appraisals of tangible and taxable property for tax assessment purposes.
• A four-year degree with a specialization in accounting from a recognized institution of higher education (accredited); or 18 semester units (or quarter equivalents) of accounting and/or auditing courses from a recognized institution of higher education. Business law and economic classes may not contribute toward the 18 units; or 19 semester units (or quarter equivalents), 16 units of which must be accounting and/or auditing courses from a recognized institution of higher education, and 3 semester units may be either business law or economic classes.

In addition, the ideal candidate will be working toward an Advanced Appraisal Certification. Information about the California State Board of Equalization can be found at: https://www.boe.ca.gov/.

The Assessor's Office is currently involved in several major projects, including the development of a new Automated Property Assessment and Tax System, and the appraisal and assessment of several large-scale commercial, manufacturing, research and development, and mixed-use developments being built throughout San Mateo County.  This is an exciting time to consider career advancement as a Senior Auditor-Appraiser.

Licensure/Certification:

• Acquisition within one year of appointment of a permanent Property Tax Appraiser Certificate issued by the California State Board of Equalization.

Experience:

• At least two years of experience as an Auditor II performing a full range of audits and appraisals or has experience performing more advanced level audits and appraisals of tangible and taxable property for tax assessment purposes.

Education:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with upper division coursework in accounting, auditing, appraising or cost estimating. 

Knowledge of:

• Technical and professional knowledge of methods used in the auditing of records and the valuation of property for tax assessment purposes.
• Accounting and auditing principles and practices.
• Training methods, procedures, and requirements.
• Basic supervisory principles and practices.
• California Property Tax laws.
• State Board of Equalization guidelines.
• Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice.
• Court decisions affecting assessment procedures.
• Policies and procedures related to the department.
• Business arithmetic and statistical measures.
• Correct English usage, including spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
• Record keeping principles and procedures.
• Narrative report writing.  

Skill/Ability to:

• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted during work.
• Audit complex financial books and records to determine ownership, segregate costs of property, and evaluate property owner declarations.
• Read, interpret, and apply rules, policies, and procedures.
• Use initiative and sound independent judgment within established guidelines.
• Audit and appraise complex property for tax purposes.
• Organize and plan time for completion of audit and appraisal workload.
• Discover and resolve audit and appraisal problems.
• Travel to a variety of geographic locations throughout the country according to regular schedules, as well as, on demand.
• Work independently.
• Analyze data and draw logical conclusions.
• Train in proper techniques and procedures of auditing and appraising property.
• Direct and review the work of others.
• Select and make appropriate adjustments to property.
• Accurately determine historic, reproduction, and replacement costs.
• Accurately identify and measure depreciation and obsolescence.
• Measure income producing characteristics of property and appropriately capitalize the income stream into value.
• Identify and classify various types of land, sites, buildings, structures, manufactured homes, vessels, aircraft, trade fixtures, and property interests in an accurate and uniform manner.
• Produce effective presentations.
• Maintain complete and accurate records and prepare written audit narratives and appraisal reports.
• Operate standard office equipment, including departmental applications.

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, Confidential and Management extra-help/limited term, and SEIU or AFSCME represented extra help/limited term positions prior to the final filing date will receive five points added to their final passing score on this examination. 
 
The examination process will consist of an application screening (weight: pass/fail) based on the candidate's application and responses to the supplemental questions. Candidates who pass the application screening will be invited to a panel interview (weight: 100%), which may include the evaluation of a brief written and/or performance exercise given immediately preceding the interview. 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 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. 

TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT SCHEDULE

Closing Date: Monday, March 16, 2026 at 11:59 PM PST

Application Screening: Tuesday, March 17, 2026

Panel Interviews: Week of March 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 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. We seek to hire, support, and retain employees who reflect our diverse community.  

Analyst: Sarah Huynh (02232026) (Senior Auditor - Appraiser - U063)

The Office of the Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder and Chief Elections Officer is seeking well-qualified candidates for the position of Principal Auditor-Appraiser.

The Principal Auditor-Appraiser shares a critical role in assisting the Deputy Assessor and Chief Appraiser in the completion of the Office's mission to: determine the assessed value of all taxable personal property for businesses located in San Mateo County; create the official record of taxable personal property (approximately 16,000 assessments each year on the local assessment roll); share this information with the County Controller and Tax Collector, and make it publicly available.
 
The technically savvy and experienced individual hired for this position will have the responsibility to supervise the assessment work of auditor-appraisal staff in the timely collection, processing and analysis of valuation data for personal property for tax assessment purposes.  In addition, the Principal Auditor-Appraiser will perform the more difficult audits and appraisals.
 
The ideal candidate is a conscientious and highly motivated professional who possesses excellent leadership, supervisory, training and technical skills, and highly-effective interpersonal and communication skills. The successful candidate has demonstrated experience maintaining a high level of work productivity, can lead by example, and can motivate staff towards achieving their goals and responsibilities.
 
The Assessor's Office is currently involved in several major projects, including the development of a new Automated Property Assessment and Tax System, and the appraisal and assessment of several large-scale commercial, manufacturing, research and development, and mixed-use developments being built throughout San Mateo County.  This is an exciting time to join our team of experienced and committed professionals.

The Department
The mission of the Office of the Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder and Chief Elections Officer is to ensure equitable treatment of County property owners by accurate and fair valuation of land, improvements, and businesses; to create an accurate public record of recorded transactions relating to people and property within San Mateo County; and to register County citizens to vote and efficiently conduct honest elections.

The Department is responsible for:

• The maintenance of about 235,000 assessments and around $308 billion local property tax roll
• The maintenance of County birth, death, and marriage records
• The maintenance of over 3,000,000 recorded land records
• The conduct of local elections
• The maintenance of the voter registration rolls representing over 330,000 County voters 

The Department is also responsible for a budget of about $27 million, election billing to all jurisdictions, and 15 governmental trust funds.

NOTE: The hiring list established by this recruitment could be used to fill current and future permanent, limited term, extra-help, and/or unclassified Principal Auditor-Appraiser vacancies.

 

 

Duties may include but are not limited to:

• Planning, scheduling, assigning, and monitoring work of assigned staff; participating in the hiring of assigned staff and recommending candidates for management approval.
• Training assigned staff in County policies and procedures and State laws, rules and regulations; preparing and conducting in-service training for staff to ensure currency with changing policies and rules.
• Advising the Assessor and Deputy Assessor on changes to rules, regulations and legislation.
• Collaborating with Deputy County Counsel, Principal and Senior Auditor-Appraisers, and other management personnel.
• Developing, implementing, monitoring and revising departmental policies and audit and appraisal procedures.
• Monitoring quality control of audits and appraisals in process, identifying problems and recommending corrective action.
• Evaluating employee performance, counseling employees, and effectively recommending initial corrective action and other personnel decisions.
• Examining and auditing accounting records, financial statements, ownership records, leases, operation statements, and other related documents of large or complex firms, frequently requiring travel to taxpayer's place of business and location where the records are maintained, including travel to various parts of the United States.
• Representing the Department in the Inter-County Cooperative Audit-Appraisal Program and on other ad hoc committees as appropriate.
• Writing narrative audit and appraisal reports and reviewing appraisals and audits with property owners and their agents.
• Maintaining technical and professional expertise in auditing, appraising and assessment procedures.
• Making presentations before the Assessment Appeals Board, Superior Court and other public entities.
• Staying abreast of legislative developments and changes, actively participating in conferences, and sharing gained knowledge with staff.
• Performing other duties as assigned.

Licensure/Certification:

• Possesses a Property Tax Appraiser Certificate issued by the California State Board of Equalization. An SBE Advanced Appraiser Certificate is desirable and should be obtained within one year of employment as a Principal Auditor-Appraiser.

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 a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with upper division coursework in accounting, auditing, appraising or cost estimating and 5 years of experience (including 2 years as a Senior Auditor-Appraiser) performing a full range of highly complex audits and appraisals of tangible and taxable property for tax assessment purposes.

Knowledge of:

• Supervisory principles and practices, including work planning, scheduling, assignment, review, and employee training and corrective action.
• Principles, methods and techniques of effective interviewing, negotiating and case management.
• Training methods, procedures and requirements.
• Technical and professional knowledge of accounting, auditing and appraisal methods and procedures.
• California Property Tax laws.
• State Board of Equalization guidelines.
• Court decisions affecting assessment procedures.
• Policies and procedures related to the department.
• Business mathematics.
• Correct English usage, including spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
• Record-keeping principles and procedures.

Skill/Ability to:

• Plan, assign, supervise, review and evaluate the work of others.
• Train in proper techniques and procedures of auditing and appraising property for tax purposes.
• Provide leadership to meet goals.
• Direct and review the work of others.
• Audit and appraise large and complex property for tax purposes.
• Travel to a variety of geographic locations throughout the country according to regular schedules, as well as on demand.
• Read, interpret and apply rules, policies and procedures.
• Plan and organize time to meet workload requirements.
• Use initiative and sound independent judgment within established guidelines.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of the work.
• Accurately determine historic, reproduction and replacement costs.
• Accurately identify and measure depreciation and obsolescence.
• Measure income producing characteristics of property and appropriately capitalize the income stream into value.
• Identify and classify various types of land, sites, buildings, structures, manufactured homes, vessels, aircraft, trade fixtures, and property interests in an accurate and uniform manner.
• Produce effective presentations.
• Maintain complete and accurate records and prepare written narrative audit and appraisal reports.
• Use Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), as well as, department applications (EZ Access, EZ Cam and FileNet).

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, Confidential and Management extra-help/limited term, and SEIU or AFSCME represented extra help/limited term positions prior to the final filing date will receive five points added to their final passing score on this examination. 
 
The examination process will consist of an application screening (weight: pass/fail) based on the candidate's application and responses to the supplemental questions. Candidates who pass the application screening will be invited to a panel interview (weight: 100%), which may include the evaluation of a brief written and/or performance exercise given immediately preceding the interview. 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 tohttps://jobs.smcgov.org/to 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. 

TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT SCHEDULE

Closing Date: Monday, March 16, 2026 at 11:59 PM PST

Application Screening: Wednesday, April 18, 2026

Panel Interviews: Week of April 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 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. We seek to hire, support, and retain employees who reflect our diverse community.  

HR Analyst: Sarah Huynh (02232026) (U077 - Principal Auditor-Appraiser)