Executive Secretary - Confidential - Public Safety Communications (Open and Promotional) at County of San Mateo, CA

About the Department

San Mateo County Public Safety Communications, led by Director Natasha Claire-Espino (she/her), is seeking a dynamic and detail-oriented professional for the position of Executive Secretary – Confidential. This role directly supports the Director, Deputy Director, and associated management staff, handling complex, confidential administrative tasks and providing top-tier customer service.

As the Executive Secretary – Confidential, you will be a vital member of the Admin Team. 

Your day-to-day responsibilities will include managing calendars, scheduling meetings, and coordinating room reservations to keep the Director’s agenda organized and efficient. You will also prepare, proofread, and edit a variety of documents, including letters, memos, reports, agendas, and meeting minutes, ensuring accuracy and professionalism in every detail.

In this role, you will serve as a key point of communication, facilitating interactions between the Director, staff, community leaders, and public officials. Maintaining confidentiality and handling sensitive information with professionalism will be essential as you contribute to fostering positive and productive relationships within the department and the broader community.

Public Safety Communications prioritizes training and career development with all employees. In addition to the listed duties, you will have the opportunity to grow professionally by attending training courses and participating in development programs, eventually leading to the opportunity to manage small projects and take on additional duties as assigned.  

This position offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact by supporting leadership and contributing to the mission of Public Safety Communications in San Mateo County.

The Department
San Mateo County Public Safety Communications (PSC) is the largest dispatch center in the county and the only Tri-Community (Police, Fire, Medical) Center. Located in Redwood City, PSC is a stand-alone department with a civilian command structure, including a Director, Deputy Director, and several managers.

PSC emphasizes customer service, employee well-being, and excellence. We provide tools and ongoing training for professional and personal success, fostering a team environment with open communication. Located in Silicon Valley, we prioritize innovation and cutting-edge 911 technology.

PSC is committed to employee well-being, offering mental health initiatives, therapy animals, an on-site gym, a quiet room, and a full kitchen. We're the first department in the county to employ a full-time Wellbeing and Equity Coordinator and involve mental health professionals in departmental decisions.

Learn more here: https://www.smcgov.org/911dispatch

Ideal Candidate Will Have:

• 4+ years of executive or senior management administrative support experience.
• Proven ability to manage the administrative needs of leadership, including scheduling and document preparation.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including proofreading and editing.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple tasks.
• A commitment to positive, proactive customer service and collaboration.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and related computer applications.
• An understanding of public government processes and experience in a public safety or related environment.

Position Duties

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

• Attend meetings involving regular contact with governmental officials, the County Board of Supervisors or commission members, representatives of business or community organizations, the public and all levels of County personnel to exchange information and explain administrative policies and procedures.
• Receive and screen visitors and telephone calls; provide information and resolve complaints, which regularly require the use of judgment and the interpretation and application of policies and procedures.
• Research and compile a variety of informational or statistical material from sources both inside and outside the office; summarize such information as necessary.
• Type drafts and a wide variety of finished documents from notes, brief instructions, or printed materials; may use word processing equipment and input or retrieve data and prepare reports from an online or personal computer system.
• Compile and process confidential materials related to labor and employee relations.
• Initiate correspondence independently for signature by appropriate management staff; review finished materials for completeness, accuracy, format, compliance with policies and procedures, and appropriate English usage.
• Organize and maintain various administrative, reference, and follow-up files; purge files as required.
• Organize meetings by notifying participants, making room arrangements, preparing agendas and required informational materials; may attend such meetings and prepare minutes, or may represent the manager at such meetings.
• Relieve director and managers of certain administrative matters by proactively following up on projects, transmitting information, and keeping informed of department activities.
• Make appointments and maintain a calendar; schedule and arrange for meetings and make travel arrangements.
• Sort mail and obtain related backup materials.
• Assist with the development and administration of the department's budget; may prepare or maintain statistical, fiscal or payroll information.
• Organize own work, set priorities and meet critical deadlines; ensure that such deadlines are met by other staff.
• May provide supervision to office support staff.
• 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:
Two years of secretarial experience, which has included providing office and administrative support to management staff.

Knowledge of:

• Office administrative and secretarial practices and procedures, such as business letter writing and the operation of common office equipment, including a word processor and personal or online computer.
• Basic organization and function of public agencies, including the role of an elected Board of Supervisors and appointed boards and commissions.
• Record keeping, report preparation, filing methods, and records management techniques.
• Correct English usage, including spelling, grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary.
• Standard business arithmetic, including percentages and decimals.
• Basic supervisory principles and practices.
• Basic budgeting principles and practices.

• Provide varied, responsible, and often confidential secretarial and office administrative assistance to high-level management and other associated supervisory and professional staff.
• Plan, direct, and review the work of assigned staff, and instruct staff in work procedures.
• Interpret, apply, and explain complex policies and procedures using tact, discretion, initiative, and independent judgment within established guidelines.
• Analyze and resolve office administrative situations and problems.
• Research, compile, and summarize a variety of informational materials.
• Compose correspondence independently or from brief instructions.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships.
• Organize work, set priorities, meet critical deadlines, and follow up on assignments with a minimum of direction.
• Some positions may require the ability to type at a rate of 50 words per minute.

Other Qualifications

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' application 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 go to http://jobs.smcgov.org to apply.

TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT SCHEDULE
Final Filing Date: Thursday, October 23, 2025, 11:59 PM PST
Application Screening: November 3 - 7, 2025 
Civil Service Panel Interview: November 18 and/or 19, 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 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.