Salary : $121,264.00 - $151,611.20 Annually
Location : County of San Mateo, CA
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number: D131X
Department: Sheriff's Office
Opening Date: 07/28/2026
Closing Date: 8/11/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
Bargaining Unit: 50B

Description
The Sheriff's Office is seeking a highly qualified candidate to serve as an Ombudsman supporting the organization's commitment to transparency, accountability, and community trust. This position will serve as a neutral and independent resource, providing confidential assistance in addressing concerns, resolving conflicts, and facilitating communication between community members, employees, and the Sheriff's Office.

Reporting directly to the Corrections Division Captains, this position will oversee complex and sensitive inquiries involving public concerns, employee matters, service complaints, and interdepartmental issues requiring impartial review and resolution. The Ombudsman will work collaboratively with Sheriff's Office leadership, County departments, allied agencies, and community stakeholders to promote fair processes, identify systemic issues, and recommend practical solutions in relation to incarcerated persons

The selected candidate will conduct independent reviews and analyses, prepare reports and recommendations for executive leadership, support policy and process improvement efforts, and provide guidance on conflict resolution and problem-solving strategies. This position will also play a critical role in fostering organizational accountability, improving communication and public confidence, and supporting initiatives that strengthen relationships between the Sheriff's Office and the communities it serves.

The ideal candidate will possess:

• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to prepare and present clear, concise, and objective reports and recommendations.
• Ability to remain neutral, independent, and solution-oriented when addressing concerns or resolving disputes.
• Strong commitment to ethics, integrity, transparency, accountability, and fairness in all aspects of the position.
• Experience collaborating with community organizations, advocacy groups, and local stakeholders to strengthen partnerships.
• Demonstrated experience interpreting, applying, and evaluating policies, procedures, or regulatory frameworks in a law enforcement, public sector, or community-based environment.
• A bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice, Public Administration, Communications, or a related field.

Primary duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Serve as neutral point of contact between incarcerated individuals, their families, community members, and Sheriff's Office custody staff to improve communication and understanding of jail operations.
• Receive, document, and review concerns, complaints, and inquiries from incarcerated individuals, their families, jail staff, and community members regarding jail operations and conditions of confinement.
• Develop and refine grievance processes and responses to ensure consistency, fairness, and compliance with state and national best practices.
• Prepare clear, objective reports summarizing findings, policy analysis, and recommendations for Sheriff's Office leadership.
• Keep up to date on events in the community directly applicable to Corrections. Participate in the development of goals, objectives, policies, procedures, and priorities within the specialized service of corrections.
• Prepare cost estimates and justifications for budget recommendations; monitor and control expenditures to ensure the accomplishment of objectives within the corrections budget.
• Prioritize maintaining effective working relationships with a variety of public, private, and non-profit organizations, including staff in other County departments and agencies working in corrections settings.
• Answer questions and provide information to the public; supervise the enforcement of applicable standards, codes and regulations, as required.
• Investigate the sources of outside funds, prepare and submit grant applications and administer secured funds.
• Provide staff assistance to higher-level management on program or service issues.
• 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:

Two years of experience in a public, health, social services, or community-based program that included responsibility for program planning, client or customer services, program evaluation, budget administration, or community resource coordination, of which at least one year included responsible supervisory experience.

Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of public administration and program management, including planning, implementation, and evaluation.
• Principles and practices of the specific social, community or public services area, including current trends in research, treatment, education, rehabilitation or related services.
• Principles of budget preparation and monitoring.
• Principles of personnel training, supervision and evaluation.
• Laws, codes and regulations governing the specific social, community or public service program area.

Skill/Ability to:

• Organize, direct and coordinate program services.
• Work cooperatively with other County departments and public and private organizations.
• Analyze problems accurately, develop recommendations and take appropriate action to resolve them.
• Prepare complex and detailed written reports, procedures, grant applications and contracts.
• Speak effectively to diverse audiences, including professional, clinical and citizen groups.
• Apply principles and techniques of community organization, including community awareness, resource coordination, and mobilization of diverse community groups, as appropriate.
• Train staff and coordinate activities of contractors, volunteer groups and staff.

Application/Examination
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.

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/or supplemental questionnaire.

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 above or below. 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: Tuesday, August 11, 2026 by 11:59 PM PST
Application Screening: Week of August 17, 2026
Panel Interviews: Week of August 31, 2026
01

IMPORTANT: Applicants for this position are required to submit responses to the following supplemental questions. Your responses will give us additional information about your background and experience related to this position and will be used in the selection process. Be concise and specific. Neatness, clarity of expression, grammar, spelling and ability to follow instructions will be considered in the evaluation process. A resume will not be accepted as a substitute for your responses to these questions.

• I have read and understand these instructions.

02

Describe your experience working in a role that involved advocacy for individuals or communities. What was your role, what populations did you serve, and what issues did you address? (Note: Please be specific and detailed. A short or incomplete response will not be accepted.)
03

Provide an example of when you had to interpret a policy and apply it to a complex or unclear situation. What was your role, what was the policy, and what was the outcome? (Note: Please be specific and detailed. A short or incomplete response will not be accepted.)
04

This position requires maintaining strict neutrality while handling sensitive complaints and conflicts. Please describe your experience handling an ethical situation where maintaining impartiality was critical to your work. What was your role, what was the situation, and what was the outcome? (Note: Please be specific and detailed. A short or incomplete response will not be accepted.)
05

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
• LinkedIn
• Professional Publication/Website (Please specify in next question)
• X (formerly called Twitter)
• Zip Recruiter
• Other (Please specify in next question)

06

If you answered, "Professional Publication/Website" or "Other" to the above question, please indicate below how you learned about this position. Your response to this question will help us in better marketing County jobs. Type NA if not applicable.
Required Question