Hybrid Contract Administrator II - County Procurement (Open and Promotional) bei County of San Mateo, CA

About the Department

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.

Position 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.

Minimum 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.

Knowledge of: 

• Principles and practices of public procurement, especially related to professional and general services.
• Principles, practices, and techniques of administrative and programmatic research and analysis. 
• Applicable federal, state, and local laws, rules, and regulations and County and program policies and guidelines. 
• Development and delivery of procurement training.
• Procurement administrative practices and procedures, including records management.

Skill/Ability to:

• Navigate the entire solicitation life cycle (create and evaluate solicitations plus negotiate contracts).
• Exercise sound independent judgment within general policy and regulatory guidelines.
• Manage contracts (create contracts and contract amendments).
• Train staff in work procurement procedures and provide technical and programmatic assistance to non-procurement staff.
• Monitor and analyze contract and project performance.
• Plan, coordinate, and implement procurement training. 
• Analyze, interpret, and apply procurement regulations and requirements from the Federal, State, and local levels.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with departmental staff and procurement team members.
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Compile, analyze, and interpret data using research techniques, draw sound conclusions, and prepare and present effective reports regarding findings and recommendations. 
• Prepare clear and accurate reports, correspondence, procedures, and other written materials.
• Organize and prioritize work and meet critical deadlines.
• Maintain accurate records and files.

Other Qualifications

Open and Promotional. Anyone may apply. Current County of San Mateo employees with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in classified regular, probationary, extra-help, or limited term positions prior to the final filing date will receive five points added to their final passing score on the examination. 

The examination process will consist of an Application Screening (weight: pass/fail), and a Panel Interview (weight: 100%), which may include the evaluation of a brief writing exercise given immediately preceding the interview.  Applicants must successfully pass the Application Screening to move forward to the interview.  Candidates must successfully pass the interview to be placed on the hiring (eligible) list.

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.  Interviews may be conducted virtually using MS Teams.
 
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

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.

 Analyst: Chet Overstreet (08212025) (Contract Administrator II - G248)