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The County of San Mateo Department of Public Works is seeking a qualified candidate for the role of Capital Program Manager.
About The Department
The Department of Public Works plans, designs, constructs, operates and maintains facilities and equipment that are safe and accessible to the clients of County agencies, the general public, and County employees. The Department advises the Board of Supervisors on all public works issues, including rates and charges for services that are fair to both the users and service providers. Public Works has a budget of approximately $300 million and is comprised of over 300 employees in five divisions: Administrative Services, Airports, Engineering and Resource Protection, Facility and Capital Projects, and Road Services. To learn more about the department visit: https://www.smcgov.org/publicworks.
The Position
Under the direction of the Deputy Director of Facilities, the Capital Programs Manager is responsible for overseeing the staff and activities of the County of San Mateo Public Works Department’s Major Capital Projects team (MCP). Recently created, MCP will ultimately be a team of four positions responsible for the execution of large capital improvement projects for the County and is part of the overall Capital Projects Section which includes a total of 21 positions. This includes maintaining the County’s long-range capital construction program and tenant improvements, and supervising professional, technical, and support staff involved in major capital project planning and design. The role involves developing, implementing, and evaluating goals, objectives, policies, and priorities for the section, and providing complex staff assistance to the Director of Public Works, their staff, and/or the County Executive’s Office.
Additionally, the Capital Programs Manager directs their team in the programming, planning, design, and construction of building projects or modifications of County buildings and facilities. The position ensures the overall execution of the program’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), guaranteeing projects are delivered within scope, timeline, and budget.
The ideal candidate will possess:
- Eight years of experience managing large capital projects, including at least five years of supervisory and/or management experience.
- Coursework in Construction Management, Building Architecture, Engineering, or a closely related field is preferred.
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, demanding environment.
- Skills in project management, strategic planning, and performance management.
- Experience in public works project management, design, construction, and contracting for complex public works facility construction/improvement projects; and knowledge of standard practices related to public works projects.
- Knowledge of applicable federal, state, and local regulatory codes and rules; and contract development and administration experience related to public works facility improvement activities and operations.
- Experience in establishing, monitoring, and tracking program budgets and schedules; preparing recommendations and reports related to the capital improvement program; and developing, tracking, planning, procuring, and negotiating consultant services and task orders.
- Knowledge of the State of California and local jurisdiction regulations and permit procedures related to capital improvement projects.
- Knowledge of architectural planning and design practices; building construction materials and methods; and structural, mechanical, and electrical engineering principles as related to capital improvement projects in government buildings including healthcare and correctional facilities.
- Familiarity with the various mechanisms used to finance projects such as state and federal grants, county funding, lease purchase agreements, certificates of participation, and joint powers agreements.
- Experience managing enterprise funds, including setting billing rates.
- Excellent analytical and report-writing skills to formulate and write comprehensive technical reports, specifications, and business correspondence.
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients and co-workers.
- Effective communication skills, both orally and in writing.
- Experience managing, directing, and overseeing professional service consultants.
Additionally, the successful candidate will have the ability to:
- Develop and enforce work statements.
- Monitor, review, and revise job orders, schedules, and budgets.
- Monitor and track project progress and expenditures and implement cost controls.
- Use computer-based project management systems.
- Work effectively in a team environment.
- Understand and communicate to others the larger context in which the project is being completed.
- Negotiate and resolve contract disputes.
- Maintain client-contractor relationships.
- Make effective presentations to clients and the community.
- Communicate effectively with the public, community groups, the media, other County departments, agencies, and private contractors.
Examples Of Duties:
As the Capital Programs Manager, your responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Develop, plan, and implement goals and objectives for the Major Capital Projects team in the Capital Project section of the Public Works Department in close coordination with the Deputy Director of Public Works.
- Provide leadership and administrative policy direction to the MCP team.
- Establish and monitor performance goals and key performance indicators for the section.
- Monitor the progress of project schedules, budgets, and costs, ensuring overall quality objectives are met across a diverse range of capital projects.
- Work with the team to determine project assignments and ensure a high-performance work environment that supports achieving the department and County’s mission and objectives.
- Manage the most complex or high-profile capital projects.
- Provide guidance and/or address compliance, design, and constructability issues, ensuring compliance with applicable federal, state, and local regulations, codes, and ordinances, including the California Environmental Quality Act, County Green Building ordinance, energy conservation goals, and hazardous materials regulations.
- Ensure the maintenance of detailed records of assigned activities and results.
- Coordinate section activities with other Public Works Divisions, other departments, and outside agencies and organizations.
- Provide technical and staff assistance to the Director of Public Works and their staff, the County Executive, and their staff.
- Research, prepare, and present related technical, fiscal, and administrative reports, studies, and correspondence as needed.
- Select, supervise, and evaluate professional, technical, and clerical subordinates; ensure the provision of staff training.
- Supervise and participate in the development, administration, and strategic planning for the CIP and represent the department at the executive level.
- 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 eight years of experience managing large capital projects, including at least five years of supervisory and/or management experience.
Knowledge of:
- Principles, practices, theories, and techniques of construction management, including management of all phases of project delivery from project planning to post-construction.
- Principles and practices of project planning development and administration.
- Project construction scheduling control methods, project construction cost-control methods, and construction dispute resolution.
- Various mechanisms used to finance projects such as state and federal grants, county funding, lease purchase agreements, certificates of participation, and joint power agreements.
- Trends, approaches, and problem-solving techniques used in construction engineering, inspection, and compliance processes.
- Modern methods, techniques, equipment, and practices of design, construction, contract administration, and project/program management used in a wide variety of capital projects.
- Pertinent local, state, and federal laws, rules, regulations, and enforcement procedures; codes, ordinances, and laws concerning building design and construction.
- Enterprise funds, including setting billing rates.
- Organizational and management practices as applied to the analysis and evaluation of programs, policies, and operational needs.
- Principles and procedures of personnel management such as supervision, training, and performance evaluation.
- Architectural planning, detailing, standards, and design practices.
- Building construction materials and methods.
- Codes, ordinances, laws, and environmental standards and requirements, including LEED.
- Construction administration, including the roles and responsibilities of the various architectural/engineering disciplines, construction managers, contractors, and other professionals in the design/construction process.
- Structural, mechanical, and electrical engineering principles as related to capital projects.
- Contract negotiation, building cost estimates, and budget preparation and control.
- Construction project management software and other various computer programs and applications relevant to the position.
Skill/Ability to:
- Plan and develop construction programs including needs assessments, cost analyses, budgets, schedules, project management plans, consultant requirements, preparation, and review of construction documents and reports for the development and alteration of County facilities.
- Monitor, review, and revise job orders, schedules, and budgets; monitor and track project progress and expenditures and implement cost controls.
- Use project management systems.
- Work effectively in a team environment.
- Communicate effectively, verbally and in writing.
- Understand and communicate to others the larger context in which the project is being completed.
- Negotiate and resolve contract disputes and maintain client-contractor relationships.
- Make effective presentations to clients and the community and communicate effectively with the public, community groups, the media, other County departments, agencies, and private contractors.
- Lead multi-discipline projects.
- Collect, analyze, and interpret data.
- Write comprehensive technical reports, specifications, and business correspondence.
- Organize and coordinate many projects.
- Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with those contacted in the course of the work.
- Anticipate, investigate, and research a wide spectrum of technical problems and develop appropriate solutions.
- Apply architectural and/or engineering techniques and methods.
- Review and approve designs and contract documents for program compliance.
- Use a personal computer for basic spreadsheet, word processing, and project management programs.
- Perform physical tasks such as climbing ladders and walking on uneven surfaces to observe and approve work.
- Drive to and from job sites located throughout the County; walk construction sites and/or natural terrain; climb ladders, scaffolds, and lifts, and inspect confined spaces to observe and approve work.
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, 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 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
Recruitment Closes: Monday, January 12, 2026
Application Screening: Week of January 12, 2026
Panel Interviews: Week of January 26, 2026
