Contract Administrator Jobs in California

INTRODUCTION

The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office is seeking highly motivated and detail-oriented professionals for the position of Procurement and Contract Administrator I/II to support the Department’s centralized procurement and contract administration function. Working under the direction of the Administrative Services Manager I, this position plays a key role in ensuring procurement and contract activities are conducted in compliance with County, State, and Federal requirements while supporting the operational needs of the Sheriff’s Office.

The Procurement and Contract Administrator I/II is responsible for coordinating and administering procurement and contract activities throughout the contract lifecycle, including solicitation, contract development, execution, monitoring, amendments, and closeout. The position works closely with program staff, County departments, vendors, contractors, and external agencies to ensure contracts are properly developed, administered, and monitored for compliance with applicable requirements.

This is a highly collaborative and analytical position requiring strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. The successful candidate will provide technical guidance and support to staff on procurement and contract administration processes, maintain contract tracking and reporting systems, and assist in the development and implementation of effective administrative controls and business practices.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong knowledge of public-sector procurement and contract administration, possess excellent communication and problem-solving skills, and have experience coordinating complex agreements and procurement activities involving multiple stakeholders.

The ideal candidate for this position will have or be:

• Experienced in public-sector procurement, contract administration, and regulatory compliance.
• Knowledgeable of County, State, and Federal procurement requirements, contracting standards, and administrative policies.
• Skilled in administering the full contract lifecycle, including solicitation, contract development, execution, monitoring, amendments, renewals, and closeout.
• Experienced in reviewing and monitoring contracts to ensure compliance with contract terms, reporting requirements, and applicable regulations.
• Skilled in preparing scopes of work, solicitations, contract documents, amendments, reports, and related administrative materials.
• Strong in analytical thinking, with the ability to evaluate operational issues, identify risks, and develop practical solutions and recommendations.
• Skilled in interpreting policies, procedures, and regulations and communicating requirements clearly to staff, management, vendors, contractors, and external agencies.
• Able to manage multiple priorities, competing deadlines, and a high volume of contracts and procurement activities.
• Effective in building and maintaining productive working relationships with County departments, vendors, governmental agencies, and other stakeholders involved in procurement and contract administration activities.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and committed to providing excellent customer service and responsible stewardship of public resources.

There is currently one vacancy within the Fiscal Services Bureau of the Sheriff’s Office.

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

Examples Of Duties

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

• Coordinate and administer departmental procurement and contract administration activities under the direction of the Administrative Services Manager I.
• Manage day-to-day contract administration activities, including contract development, execution, monitoring, amendments, renewals, and closeout.
• Interpret and apply County, State, and Federal procurement and contracting requirements and assist in ensuring compliance with applicable laws, regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Provide technical guidance and support to program and administrative staff regarding procurement processes, contract requirements, timelines, documentation standards, and compliance expectations.
• Review contract-related documents and work products for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with established requirements.
• Coordinate procurement and contract activities with County Counsel, Procurement, Finance, Risk Management, vendors, contractors, and external agencies.
• Monitor contract performance, deliverables, reporting requirements, expenditures, renewal schedules, and compliance obligations.
• Assist in the development and implementation of departmental procedures and administrative controls related to procurement and contract administration.
• Maintain contract management systems (including OpenGov), tracking tools, reporting mechanisms, and related records to monitor contract status, expenditures, renewals, and compliance.
• Identify contract administration risks and recommend corrective actions or process improvements.
• Conduct research and analysis related to procurement, contracting, operational issues, and administrative practices.
• Assist with the development of solicitations, requests for proposals, requests for quotes, scopes of work, specifications, contract documents, amendments, and related materials.
• Receive, review, and evaluate purchase requests and procurement documentation to determine business needs, market availability, and appropriate purchasing methods.
• Consult with staff regarding procurement requirements, product and service specifications, and purchasing options.
• Analyze bids, proposals, pricing structures, and contract terms for conformance with specifications and requirements.
• Prepare reports, correspondence, recommendations, procedures, and other written materials related to procurement and contract administration activities.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

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:

• Contract Administrator I: Two years of professional level administrative or programmatic experience, primarily in the area of contract administration in a community services or related setting.
• Contract Administrator II: Four years of professional level administrative or programmatic experience, primarily in the area of contract administration in a community services or related setting.

Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of public administration.
• Principles and practices of program areas to which assigned.
• Principles and practices of contract development, negotiation and monitoring, including budgeting and financial record keeping.
• 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.
• Computer applications related to the work.
• Office administrative practices and procedures, including records management and the operation of standard office equipment.

Skill/Ability to:

• Develop and evaluate proposals and negotiate contracts and agreements.
• Develop, monitor and analyze budgets and program performance.
• Plan, coordinate and implement administrative and programmatic research and analysis.
• Analyze, interpret and apply various regulations and requirements.
• Train staff in work procedures and provide technical and programmatic assistance to staff and subcontractors.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with grantors, subcontractors, County staff, elected and appointed officials, the public and others.
• 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.
• Exercise sound independent judgment within general policy and regulatory guidelines.
• Prepare clear and accurate reports, correspondence, procedures and other written materials.
• Organize and prioritize work and meet critical deadlines.
• Maintain accurate records and files.

Application/Examination

County Promotional. Only current County of San Mateo or 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 may 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.

Based solely on the information provided in the application materials, an application screening committee will select those applicants whose education, training and experience most closely matches the needs of the department. Those selected will be invited to a panel interview (weight: 100%) which may include the evaluation of a written or performance exercise given immediately preceding the interview. Selected applicants will be notified of the date, time and place of the tests.

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 above or below. If you are not on the County's website, please go to http://jobs.smcgov.org/ to apply. Online applications must be received by the Human Resources Department before midnight on the final filing date.

Tentative Recruitment Schedule:

Final Filing Date: Monday, June 29, 2026, by 11:59 PM PST

Screening: Week of June 29, 2026

Combined Panel Interviews: Week of July 20, 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 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.

The County of San Mateo is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering diversity, equity and inclusion at all levels.

Analyst: Lealoa Numera (06152026) (Contract Administrator I/II - G247/G248)