Human Services Agency - Lead Office Assistant (Departmental Promotional Only)

The Human Services Agency (HSA) of San Mateo County is seeking qualified applicants for the position of Lead Office Assistant in the Mid County Regional office located at 1500 Fashion Island Boulevard in San Mateo. 

The Lead Office Assistant position is part of the office support series. In general, the duties involve providing lead direction in assigning, directing, monitoring and reviewing the work of Office Assistants performing a wide variety of office support tasks. Additionally, the duties include but are not limited to performing a wide variety of clerical tasks relating to the assigned work unit; providing difficult or specialized office support work; and assisting with special projects. Essential to the position is an awareness of and commitment to the values of the Human Services Agency.

The key to success in this position will be a proven and demonstrable history of lead and supervisory experience.

In addition to lead experience, the ideal candidate will have:

• Excellent computer skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Word and Excel, and experience using databases and software applications; experience with CalSAWS and MEDS is highly desirable.
• Strong organization, prioritization and multi-tasking skills.
• Successful work experience providing assistance to, reviewing and monitoring staff's work to ensure deadlines are met with quality products.
• Experience in coordinating, assigning and directing work to office support staff responsible for a variety of administrative functions. 
• Experience in creating or assisting with the creation of policies and procedures.
• Successful work experience in orienting staff and training them to follow County and departmental processes, policies and procedures.
• Proven skills to work successfully: independently; as a team member; and as a team lead with staff possessing a variety of backgrounds and job classifications. 
• Skill in effectively leading and facilitating bi-weekly staff meetings. 

Additionally, the ideal candidate will demonstrate: 

• Effective leadership.
• Superior interpersonal and customer service skills.
• "Big picture thinking."
• Creative problem-solving.
• A positive professional outlook in a fast-paced and often-times stressful environment.

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

• Provide lead direction, training and work review to a small office support staff; organize and assign work, set priorities and follow up to ensure coordination and completion of assigned work.
• Provide input into selection decisions, performance evaluations and corrective action matters.
• Develop and implement office processes and procedures.
• Perform difficult or complex office support work and assist with special office projects as assigned.
• Research and assemble information from a variety of sources for the completion of forms or the preparation of reports; make arithmetic or statistical calculations.
• Provide information to the public or to County staff that requires the use of judgment and the interpretation of policies, rules or procedures.
• Organize and maintain various departmental files.
• Type correspondence, reports, forms, and specialized documents from drafts, notes, dictated tapes, or brief instructions, using a typewriter, word processor or computer terminal.
• Proofread and check typed and other materials for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with departmental policies and regulations.
• Enter and retrieve data and prepare reports using an on-line or personal computer system; review such reports for accuracy and make corrections as required.
• Attend to a variety of office administrative details such as ordering supplies, arranging for the repair of equipment, transmitting information, and keeping reference materials up to date.
• Act as receptionist and receive and screen visitors and telephone calls and direct the caller to the proper person or personally handle the call.
• Process forms and record such as work orders, purchase requisitions and others related to the organizational unit; operate standard office equipment.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

Departmental Status: An applicant must be a Human Services Agency employee with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in a classified regular, probationary, extra-help/limited term positions.

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 one (1) year of journey level general office support experience.

Knowledge of: 

• Basic supervisory principles and practices.
• Office administrative practices and procedures, including filing and the operation of standard office equipment.
• Basic business data processing principles and the use of word processing or personal computing equipment.
• Policies and procedures related to the department to which assigned.
• Proper form for typed materials.
• Business arithmetic, including percentages and decimals.
• Correct English usage, including spelling, grammar and punctuation and basic record keeping principles and practices.

• Plan, assign, direct and review the work of others.
• Train others in work procedures.
• Analyze and resolve varied office administrative problems.
• Organize, prioritize and coordinate work activities.
• Read and interpret rules, policies and procedures.
• Organize, research and maintain office files.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of the work.
• Compose routine correspondence from brief instructions.
• Use initiative and sound independent judgment within established guidelines.
• Operate standard office equipment, including a word processor and/or personal or on-line computer.

Departmental Promotional Only. Only current County of San Mateo employees in the Human Services Agency 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 may apply.  

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%) which may include an additional exam component given prior to, or during, the interview. 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.

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 Questionnaire must be submitted in addition to the standard County employment application form. A resume will not be accepted as a substitute for the required application materials. Online applications must be received by the Human Resources Department before midnight on the final filing date.

TENATIVE RECRUITMENT SCHEDULE
Final Filing Date: Tuesday, September 8, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. PST
Application Screening Date:  Wednesday, September 9, 2026
Combined Panel Interview:  Tuesday, September 22, 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. 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.




Analyst: Arlene Cahill (08252026) (Lead Office Assistant - E336)