Location
Description
Why Join our Department?
The Community Development Department is looking to fill two (2) vacancies.
The Community Development Department, also known as CDD, is organized into four divisions — Planning, Building, Code Enforcement, and Housing. The Administrative Assistant positions fall under the centralized Business/Admin Division team for the department, supervised by the department Business Manager, which support a variety of tasks across all four of the divisions described above. CDD has broad responsibilities including, but not limited to, long-range planning, review of applications for new developments, and implementation of the City’s housing and code enforcement programs. You will be joining a talented team in a fast-paced, dynamic work environment dedicated to serving the San Mateo community. The Community Development Department’s core function is to ensure a quality-built environment, healthy neighborhoods, and a strong economic base in the City.
Collaboration, Innovation, Respect, Creativity, Transparency and Informed Risk-taking are attributes within the City’s mission, values and organizational principles that we are seeking in the candidates.
Look to some of the reasons why the City of San Mateo is a great place to work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GTIzeSpc_g
What You’ll Do
The Administrative Assistant performs a wide variety of complex and difficult clerical and secretarial duties for a major division, office, City Boards, Commissions, or Council. This role receives general supervision from professional or management personnel, or a higher-level clerical position. May exercise direct or functional and technical supervision over lower-level clerical positions.
Some duties may include:
- Type and proofread a wide variety of reports, letters, memos and statistical charts, typing from rough draft or transcribing machine recordings; transcribe dictation.
- Independently compose correspondence related to responsibilities assigned.
- Apply applicable policies and procedures in determining completeness of applications, records and reports; provide information and forms to the public; collect and process appropriate information.
- Respond to complaints and requests for information on regulations, procedures, systems and precedents relating to responsibilities assigned; issue, receive, type and process various applications, permits and other forms.
- Research, compile, assemble and analyze data for special projects and a variety of statistical, financial and narrative reports; compile budget requests.
- May serve as Administrative Assistant to a Board or Commission as a part of the overall clerical support function within the office to which assigned; attend meetings of a Board, Commissions or the Council; record, transcribe, type and distribute minutes of meetings.
- Maintain inventory records; process purchase requisitions; maintain purchase records; resolve errors in orders received and invoices. Order office supplies; submit expense claims.
- Receive, sort and distribute incoming and outgoing correspondence.
- Perform general clerical work including filing, scheduling appointments, and processing personnel, payroll and purchasing information.
- May maintain petty cash fund; accept payment of fees; maintain and process cash records.
- May perform Notary Public duties.
For a complete list of duties, reference our job specifications at https://www.cityofsanmateo.org/DocumentCenter/Index/86
Ideal Candidate
What You Are
- An individual who is knowledgeable of basic principles of supervision and training; business letter writing and basic report preparation; English usage, spelling, grammar and punctuation; modern office methods, procedures, practices and computer equipment; principles and procedures of record keeping; and general statistical procedures.
- An individual who possesses the ability to perform responsible and difficult secretarial work involving the use of independent judgment; type at a speed necessary for successful job performance; transcribe dictation at a speed necessary for successful job performance; learn department policies, procedures, organization and operating details; understand the organization and operation of City government and of outside agencies as necessary to assume assigned responsibilities; learn, understand, interpret and apply a body of technical information beyond normal department policies and procedures; plan and assign work and train other clerical employees; independently prepare correspondence and memorandums; operate a variety of office equipment including a word processor and/or computer terminal; communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing; understand and carry out oral and written directions; and establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
What You Bring
Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:
- One year of general clerical experience comparable to that of a journey level clerical class in the City of San Mateo.
- Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth grade supplemented by specialized clerical training.
Bonus Points (highly desirable)
• Local government and/or county work experience
• Experience with Planning, Housing, and/or Construction and Building / Permit Center
• Experience working with committees and/or commissions
Special Licenses or Certificates
Some positions in this class may require a Notary Public Commission.
Benefits
What We Offer
- Salary: $6,322 - $7,538/month
- Comprehensive benefits package including generous paid leave and health benefits
- CalPERS retirement (2% @ 55 for classic members; 2% @ 62 for new members. Classic employees contribute 8.34% to CalPERS and New members contribute 7.5% to CalPERS with participation in the Social Security Program
- City contribution of 0.5% and a 0.5% City match to Deferred Compensation
- City contribution of 1.0% to Retirement Health Savings
- Bilingual Differential $195 monthly (if applicable)
- Employee housing loan up to $7,500 for home purchase or rental move-in assistance in the City of San Mateo
- Free Fitness classes through City of San Mateo Parks and Recreation, Employee Assistance Program, and Credit Union Membership
- This position is represented by the San Mateo City Employees’ Association Unit
Special Instructions
Are You Ready? Apply.
Submit an online application, résumé (required), and supplemental questionnaire at https://www.calopps.org/city-of-san-mateo or to the Human Resources Department, City of San Mateo, 330 W. 20th Avenue, San Mateo, CA 94403, (650) 522-7260.
Application Deadline:
Recruitment will close on June 8, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. or upon receipt of the first 75 applications, résumé, and supplemental questionnaires, or whichever occurs first.
Examination Process:
All applications, résumés (required) and supplemental questionnaires received will be reviewed for minimum qualifications. A fully completed application is required; a resume does not replace the information required on the employment application, including work history. Applications with "see résumé" as a substitution for the work experience description, those with none or unclear current/past employment information, or those with insufficient information to evaluate possession of minimum qualifications will not be considered; missing information cannot be assumed. A limited number of the most highly qualified applicants will be invited to participate in the examination process, which may consist of an oral panel interview, written exercise, or in the form of a practical demonstration of skill and ability, or any combination of these; a Zoom oral panel interview is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, July 9, 2025.
An employment list will be established for those who pass the examination process. Current and future vacancies may be filled from this list. The list will remain in effect for at least six months with the possibility of an extension for an additional six months. Once placed on an employment list, and at the time a vacancy occurs, eligible candidates may be contacted by the hiring department and scheduled for additional department interviews.
Date posted: May 21, 2025
Note: The City of San Mateo reserves the right, at its discretion, to limit the number of qualified candidates invited to the selection process. ALL RESPONSES WILL BE CONDUCTED VIA THE EMAIL ADDRESS PROVIDED IN YOUR ONLINE APPLICATION. Therefore, it is imperative that you provide an email address to which you have access, and it is recommended that you frequently check your email for notices from: sanmateo@CalOpps.org
Fine Print
Prior to hire, candidates will be required to successfully complete a pre-employment process, including a driving record review, reference check, and Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) background checks. A conviction history will not necessarily disqualify an applicant from appointment. The policy of the City of San Mateo is to grant equal employment opportunity to all qualified persons without regard to race, color, sex, age, religion, ancestry, physical or mental disability, sexual preference, marital status, or national origin. It is the intent and desire of the City of San Mateo that equal employment opportunity will be provided in recruiting, hiring, training, promoting, wages, benefits, and all other privileges, terms and conditions of employment. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, applicants requiring accommodations for any part of the testing or recruitment process must notify lcoles@cityofsanmateo.org or (650) 522-7264 seven (7) days in advance of the application filing deadline, or the exam date if the exam is continuous, for the part of the process requiring accommodations. Do not upload any documents related to your request for accommodation in CalOpps. The City of San Mateo complies with employment provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act.