Executive Secretary - Confidential - Behavioral Health & Recovery Services (Open & Promotional)

Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) is seeking an experienced and highly organized Executive Secretary to provide direct administrative support to the Director of Behavioral Health and Recovery Services.

This position serves as a key administrative partner to the Director, performing varied, complex, and highly confidential administrative functions while helping coordinate priorities, communications, meetings, and day-to-day executive operations. The Executive Secretary will work closely with BHRS executive and senior leadership, managers, professional and administrative staff, and other County departments, and will regularly interact with community partners, members of the public, elected officials, and representatives of local, state, and federal agencies.

The successful candidate will be a resourceful and collaborative professional who exercises sound judgment, discretion, initiative, and diplomacy in a fast-paced environment. This role requires the ability to anticipate needs, navigate competing priorities, communicate effectively with diverse audiences both verbally and in writing, and independently move work forward while recognizing when consultation or escalation is appropriate.

This position is located in San Mateo, CA and requires occasional travel throughout the County to perform assigned duties. This role is full-time and follows a Monday–Friday schedule, with a hybrid work arrangement consisting of a combination of remote and on-site work. It is anticipated that four on-site workdays will be required to meet operational needs and County requirements.

Key Responsibilities 

The Executive Secretary will provide direct administrative support to the Director of Behavioral Health and Recovery Services. Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

• Provide high-level administrative support to the Director and assist with the coordination of departmental activities, priorities, and administrative matters.
  • Manage the Director's calendar, schedule appointments and meetings, coordinate competing priorities, and arrange travel as needed.
  • Research, compile, and summarize informational, statistical, and administrative materials from sources within and outside the department.
  • Draft, prepare, proofread, and edit a wide variety of correspondence, reports, presentations, and other documents; review materials for completeness, accuracy, format, compliance with policies and procedures, and appropriate English usage.
  • Organize and prioritize work to meet critical deadlines and follow up with appropriate staff to support timely completion of assignments.
  • Attend meetings involving regular contact with governmental officials, the County Board of Supervisors or commission members, representatives of community and business organizations, members of the public, and County staff at all levels to exchange information and explain administrative policies and procedures.
  • Receive and screen visitors, telephone calls, emails, and other inquiries; provide information, appropriately route requests, and assist in resolving issues requiring judgment and the interpretation and application of policies and procedures.
  • Initiate routine correspondence independently and prepare materials for the Director's or other appropriate management staff's review and signature.
  • Compile, process, and maintain confidential and sensitive materials, including information related to labor and employee relations.
  • Organize and maintain administrative, reference, and follow-up files and records in accordance with applicable records management practices.
  • Coordinate meetings by scheduling participants, arranging logistics, preparing agendas and supporting materials, and attending meetings as needed to prepare minutes and track follow-up items.
  • Support the Director with administrative follow-up by tracking projects and assignments, transmitting information, coordinating with appropriate staff, and staying informed of departmental activities and deadlines.
  • Assist with coordinating and leading employee wellness and engagement activities and initiatives in partnership with departmental staff and other stakeholders.
  • Review and process incoming correspondence and other materials and gather relevant background information for the Director's review.
  • Provide supervision or work direction to office support staff, as assigned.
  • Perform related duties as assigned.

The ideal candidate will have demonstrated experience and strengths in:

• Providing high-level administrative and executive support to senior or executive-level leadership.
• Managing complex calendars, meetings, correspondence, deadlines, and competing priorities with a high degree of organization and follow-through.
• Handling sensitive and confidential information with discretion, sound judgment, and professionalism.
• Anticipating executive and organizational needs and proactively identifying next steps, potential issues, and appropriate follow-up.
• Drafting, proofreading, and editing correspondence, reports, contracts, presentations, agendas, and other materials with a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Working independently, exercising initiative, and recognizing when matters require consultation, escalation, or executive attention.
• Screening and triaging calls, emails, requests, and other communications and determining the appropriate response, referral, or follow-up.
• Communicating clearly, professionally, and diplomatically with executive leadership, County staff at all levels, clients and community members, elected officials, community partners, and other external stakeholders.
• Coordinating executive-level meetings and ensuring agendas, materials, logistics, minutes, action items, and follow-up are completed accurately and timely.
• Building collaborative working relationships and coordinating effectively across teams, divisions, departments, and external organizations.
• Providing responsive and professional customer service while navigating sensitive, complex, or time-sensitive situations.
• Adapting effectively to changing priorities and applying strong organizational, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Using technology to organize work, communicate effectively, prepare professional materials, and improve administrative processes, including intermediate level proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Zoom, as well as emerging AI tools.

Experience supporting executives or senior leaders within behavioral health, health and human services, government, or another complex public-service environment is highly desirable.

NOTE: The eligible list generated from this recruitment may be used to fill future extra-help, term, unclassified, and regular classified vacancies.

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 on-line 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.

Skill/Ability to:

• 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.

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%). 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 the 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. Online applications must be received by the Human Resources Department before midnight on the final filing date.

Tentative Recruitment Timeline
Final Filing Date: Friday, September 18, 2026, at 11:59PM PST
Application Screening: Week of September 21, 2026
Panel Interviews: Week of September 28, 2026

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. We seek to hire, support, and retain employees who reflect our diverse community, and 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.

HR Contact: Priscilla Bermudez (090426) (Executive Secretary – Confidential E476)