Payroll-Personnel Coordinator III (Open and Promotional) presso County of San Mateo, CA

About the Department

The Office of the Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder and Chief Elections Office seeks well qualified candidates for the position of Payroll-Personnel Coordinator III.
 
The individual chosen for this position will be responsible for the accurate and timely processing of biweekly payroll for all employees of the Office of the Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder and Chief Elections Officer (ACRE).  In addition to processing payroll, the incumbent will perform personnel transactions such as new hire onboarding, promotions, demotions, transfers, and terminations. The incumbent will be responsible for salary increases including the application of special allowances, weekly payroll audits, managing employee leaves and benefits, and providing ongoing training on the payroll system to employees. Duties are performed in a fast paced, deadline-driven, collaborative environment which involves working with multiple payroll earning codes.
 
The ideal candidate for this position will possess strong computer skills and have experience with:

• Payroll and business processes for a government agency or a large organization.
• Cost Accounting Management System (CAMS).
• Workday or other payroll/human resources systems.
• Memorandums of Understanding with labor organizations.

 
The level of work performed requires the analysis of unique circumstances, understanding of labor contract provisions, and the proper application of these circumstances and provisions to timecards. The individual selected for this position must be a creative thinker with an eye for details and the patience and creativity to work through complex problems.
 
 In addition, the ideal candidate will be able to:

• Perform data entry with speed, accuracy, and attention to detail.
• Quickly learn and become proficient with complex processes and automated systems.
• Work with Excel formulas and run Access queries.
• Perform basic mathematical calculations with accuracy.
• Audit and analyze data and processes and present recommendations as needed.
• Interpret and apply complex rules and policies pertaining to payroll, including labor contracts and employee leave laws.
• Maintain confidentiality and the security of employee personal information.
• Handle multiple tasks and keep track of workflows under firm deadlines.
• Communicate effectively and provide prompt and courteous assistance to employees.
• Promote and support a positive work environment.
• Understand the importance of timely and accurate payroll to the organization.

 
NOTE: The hiring list created from this recruitment may be used to fill future full-time, part-time, limited term, and extra-help positions throughout the County of San Mateo.
 
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 to 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 $23 million, election billing to all jurisdictions, and 16 governmental trust funds.

Position Duties

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

• Perform technical and specialized office support work, relating specifically to payroll and personnel at a departmental level, which requires the use of independent judgment and the application of technical skills.
• Process time reporting forms, verifying information and calculations, specific payroll rates related to such items as holiday, overtime, off-shift, and predetermined premium rates, and monitor leave and compensatory time totals.
• Prepare and process personnel requisition forms for filling permanent, temporary, and part-time vacancies.
• Coordinate and execute employee onboarding and off-boarding in conjunction with supervisors and the Human Resources Department; process paperwork required for new employees; provide employees guidance on how to navigate available onboarding resources.
• Interpret, explain, and comply with negotiated contracts, prescribed laws, rules, and regulations and confer with Human Resources and/or the Controller's Office as needed.
• Perform all personnel action processes including job changes, compensation changes, initiating hires, processing retroactive pay, etc.; research and assemble information from a variety of sources and make associated arithmetic and/or statistical calculations.
• Regularly generate and analyze audit reports related to time entry, job, and compensation changes to ensure accurate entry and completion of tasks by various department staff; identify and correct errors; notify individual employees of corrections or action needed and elevate communications to a supervisor as appropriate.
• Run reports as requested by management.
• Organize and maintain various files, including those related to personnel matters.
• Enter and retrieve data using a personal or on-line computer system; review computer or manually produced reports for accuracy and make corrections as required. 
• Assist employees, supervisors, and managers with payroll, timecard, and personnel-related inquiries, and in interpreting and applying payroll, retirement, and benefit laws, rules, regulations, bargaining unit contracts, policies, and procedures; and resolve problems and recommend solutions.
• Respond to salary verification requests.
• Research record keeping issues including sick leave, vacation, or non-contract balances and perform appropriate action as needed.
• Interpret, explain, and comply with negotiated contracts, prescribed laws, rules, and regulations.
• 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 journey level general or fiscal office support experience, which has included payroll or personnel assistance OR three years of general clerical or office assistant experience.

 
Knowledge of:

• Methods and practices related to payroll and personnel processes in a complex, public agency.
• County labor contracts, Civil Service Rules, and other related policies and procedures.
• Standard processes for completing and processing varied payroll and personnel documents.
• Office administrative practices and procedures, including record keeping and the operation of standard office equipment.
• Basic business data processing and business arithmetic, including percentages and decimals.
• Correct English usage, including spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
• Record keeping principles and procedures.
• HRIS and timekeeping systems.

 
Skill/Ability to:

• Perform detailed technical and specialized payroll and personnel support work.
• Interpret complex written guidelines, rules, policies, and procedures and accurately apply the direction provided to operational actions and procedures.
• Understand immediate and downstream effects of executed actions, decisions, and advice.
• Work independently and organize, prioritize, and coordinate simultaneously occurring work activities.
• Establish and foster effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of the work.
• Analyze data and make arithmetic calculations as needed with speed and accuracy.
• Use initiative and sound independent judgment within established guidelines.
• Communicate effectively through verbal and written methods.
• Embrace and learn new technology, software, or systems especially those related to payroll and personnel coordination.
• Keep up to date and adapt quickly to changes in related procedures and HRIS business processes.
• Collaborate with managers and supervisors and give guidance and/or training on related payroll and personnel transactions.
• Operate standard office equipment, including a word processor, personal or on-line computer, and centralized telephone equipment.

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 on this examination.

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 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
Final Filing Date for Applications:  Tuesday, October 14, 2025
Application Screening:  Wednesday, October 15, 2025
Civil Service Interviews:  Thursday, October 30, 2025



Analyst: Sarah Huynh (09232025) (Payroll-Personnel Coordinator III – E537)

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