Departmental Systems Analyst - Payroll Systems - Confidential (Departmental Promotional Only)

Salary : $132,641.60 - $165,796.80 Annually
Location : County of San Mateo, CA
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number: V241C
Department: Controller's Office
Opening Date: 10/20/2026
Closing Date: 11/3/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
Bargaining Unit: 70B

Description
The Controller's Office of the County of San Mateo is seeking well-qualified candidates for the position of
Departmental Systems Analyst in thePayroll Division of the Controller's Office.

In general, this Departmental Systems Analyst provides complex analytical support to the maintenance and/or modification of existing payroll and time and attendance systems and serves as the liaison between system users and information technology staff, vendors, and service providers.
In addition, this Departmental Systems Analyst:

• Provides technical and analytical support and training to system users.
• Performs system administration functions to ensure security and effective operation.
• Develops and maintains a variety of automated files, records, and databases.
• Prepares and distributes new procedures, training materials, and a variety of scheduled and ad hoc reports.
• Performs other related duties as required and/or assigned with relation to payroll systems and/or payroll operations.

The Departmental Systems Analyst must have a general knowledge of both departmental and/or program operations and information system capabilities, which enables effective interactions between technical and non-technical staff, the ability to explain the needs and requirements of each to the other, and the ability to participate in the development of systems that effectively support department and/or program operations.

For the current vacancy, this Departmental Systems Analyst will provide complex analytical support for the County's payroll system Workday and provide complex analytical support for the County's Automated Timekeeping System (Infor Workforce Management). In addition, provides complex analytical support for the time off functionality of the Workday Absence module - configuring, maintaining, and troubleshooting the tracking of hours for vacation, sick leave, and similar uses. Knowledge of the County's current payroll system and/or current or previous experience working with a human resources information system such as Workday is critical to success in this position.

The ideal candidate will have:

• Advanced technical skills to research, test, and configure.
• Demonstrated ability to improve a system's functionality and streamline process efficiency.
• Experience with technical system support for a large organization's payroll system.
• Knowledge of payroll laws and regulations.
• Strong analytical skills to investigate system problems or issues, evaluate alternatives, and develop effective solutions.
• The ability to be creative and think "outside the box" to solve problems.
• Ability to query, audit, and analyze large data sets.

In addition, the ideal candidate will:

• Possess strong analytical skills.
• Have independent judgment.
• Work well under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Monitor and troubleshoot potential issues.
• Be detail-oriented and organized.
• Maintain accurate data and configuration.
• Work effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Have government experience.
• Possess strong written and oral communication skills.
• Have system administration experience.
• Have applicable working knowledge of SQL and/or Workday's report writing tool.

NOTE: Confidential Pay Differential - Employees covered by the Confidential Employees resolution shall receive a 5% differential in addition to all other compensation.
Examples Of Duties

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

• Participate in the modification of existing systems and/or the implementation of new systems by developing, writing, and disseminating procedures that utilize new or changed system applications; and by evaluating system deadlines and modifications in response to operational, program, and/or regulatory changes.
• Receive requests for assistance related to the use of department and/or program systems and software applications; determine severity of problem and resolve or refer to appropriate personnel or vendor for resolution.
• Participate in a variety of system user and work groups to identify user needs and operational, programmatic and/or regulatory changes affecting application requirements and other related issues.
• Interact with vendors, outside agencies, auditors, and other staff regarding requests for data or special reports.
• Provide or arrange for the training of staff on the information systems used by the department and/or program; request ad hoc reports.
• Perform system administration functions including monitoring applications, adding and deleting users, modifying user profiles, resetting passwords, and file maintenance.
• Maintain a variety of departmental and/or program databases, files, and records; queries and generate reports on a scheduled and ad hoc basis.
• Prepare and track requests to information technology staff, vendors and/or service providers for routine system changes and reports.
• 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:
Education: Equivalent to graduation from a four-year college with major coursework in public administration, business administration, information systems, or a closely related field.
Experience: Three years of responsible experience in a position that would provide knowledge of department-specific programs, processes, and/or operations, including at least one year of experience in the planning, implementation, oversight, and/or utilization of automated information systems and applications used to support departmental activities.

Knowledge of:

• Principles, practices, policies, procedures, regulations, and applicable state and federal laws pertinent to assigned operational and/or program area.
• Principles and practices used in the analysis and development of procedures and information systems associated with assigned operational and/or program area.
• Principles and practices of programmatic analysis and report preparation.
• Information systems and data processing concepts.
• Modern office practices.
• Job planning and prioritizing techniques.

Skill/Ability to:

• Provide technical and analytical support to users of department systems and applications.
• Communicate with department personnel to identify and translate information needs into system requirements.
• Communicate departmental information system needs to system providers for the design, development, and/or enhancement of system applications.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of newly developed systems and/or applications.
• Develop and present comprehensive training materials.
• Analyze administrative and management problems, evaluate alternatives, reach sound conclusions and effectively implement changes.
• Prepare clear, concise, and accurate documentation, instructions, correspondence, and other written materials.
• Organize work, set priorities and meet critical deadlines.
• Maintain accurate records and files.
• Communicate effectively, orally and in writing, with both technical and non-technical personnel.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of the work.

Application/Examination
Departmental Promotional Only. Only current County of San Mateo employees in the Controller's Office with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in classified regular, probationary, or 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%). 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, please 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: Tuesday, November 3, 2026, by 11:59 PM PST
Application Screening: November 4 - 5, 2026Panel Interviews: November 17 and/or 18, 2026

Analyst: Sedrick Dixon (10202026) (Departmental Systems Analyst V241)
We invite you to explore our page for a snapshot of the comprehensive and competitive benefits available to eligible employees of the County of San Mateo. From health and wellness to financial security, our benefits are designed to support you at every stage of your career. (Please note that benefits are subject to change.)

In addition to core benefits, the County is proud to offer a variety of wellness and professional development programs to help you grow both personally and professionally. Most of these enriching opportunities are available during work hours and come at no cost to you.

As a County employee, you'll also be covered by the federal Social Security system, earning valuable retirement benefits based on your salary and years of service.
01

NOTE: Applicants for this position are required to submit a cover letter, resume, and responses to the supplemental questions below. Your responses will give us additional and important information about your background and experience related to this position and will weigh heavily in the Application Screening. This information will also be used in the selection process. Your responses should be well-crafted using proper English grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Be thorough, complete, and specific, yet concise. Neatness, clarity of expression, and the ability to follow instructions will be considered in the evaluation process.A resume will not be accepted as a substitute for your responses.

• I have read and understand these instructions.

02

This is a Departmental Promotional Only recruitment. Only current County of San Mateo employees in the Controller's Office with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in classified regular, probationary, or extra-help/limited term positions prior to the final filing date may apply. Do you meet this requirement? (A "No" answer will disqualify you from this recruitment.)

• Yes
• No

03

Describe how your skills, education, and experience have prepared you for the position of Departmental Systems Analyst for payroll systems, and explain what interests you about this position?
04

Describe your experience supporting a major system upgrade, with an emphasis on testing and quality assurance. What was your role in planning and executing testing, identifying and resolving issues, and validating system performance? What contributions were you most proud of, and what would you do differently in hindsight?
05

Describe an experience in which you implemented or helped deliver new system functionality. How did you identify or define requirements, collaborate with stakeholders, and coordinate the implementation? What challenges did you encounter, how did you address them, and what was the final outcome?
06

In this position, you will be required to engage your critical thinking skills in order to solve problems quickly and creatively. Describe a complex business or technical problem that required creative problem-solving on your part. Explain how the problem was complex, the methodology you used to resolve it, the challenges you encountered, and the results.
07

How did you learn about this position?

• County of San Mateo Website
• County of San Mateo Job Interest Card Notification
• County Hosted Virtual Event
• County Hosted Job Fair
• CalOpps.org
• Civic Match
• College/University Career Center
• Community-based Organization Posting
• Facebook/Instagram
• Friend or Relative
• GovernmentJobs.com
• Indeed
• Job Fair
• Li