County of San Mateo · 14 hours ago
Departmental Human Resources Manager - Public Works
San Mateo County, CA
Full-time
Onsite
Mid, Senior Level
$11,705/mo - $14,625/moThe County of San Mateo’s Department of Public Works is seeking a Departmental Human Resources Manager to serve as the primary HR partner for Public Works. This role is responsible for supporting workforce strategy, labor relations, and ensuring effective communication and compliance within the department.
AssociationGovernmentHealth CareNon Profit
Responsibilities
Serve as the first point of contact for employee relations matters, including performance management, corrective action, investigations, and compliance documentation
Advise managers on progressive discipline, documentation standards, and risk-aware decision-making
Partner with labor organizations; participate in meet-and-confers and negotiations; interpret and apply MOUs and Civil Service Rules
Provide oversight and guidance related to payroll processes, audits, and compliance requirements
Ensure adherence to County, State, and Federal laws, regulations, and labor agreements
Interpret and apply policies related to leave, benefits, workers’ compensation, and classification/compensation
Coach managers and supervisors on effective performance evaluations, SMART goal setting, and employee development
Support workforce planning and recruitment strategies within Civil Service rules
Assist with onboarding, succession planning, and staff development initiatives
Champion employee engagement, wellness, appreciation initiatives tailored to the diverse workforce, and leading the department employee engagement committee
Conduct training needs assessments and identify systemic issues impacting morale, performance, or compliance
Help re-establish and strengthen training, mentoring, and development programs
Build strong relationships with department leadership, supervisors, frontline staff, and central HR partners
Prepare professional reports, policies, Board memos, executive summaries, and presentations
Represent the department in meetings with executive leadership, unions, vendors, and community partners
Qualification
Required
Experience across employee and labor relations, employee engagement, performance management, and payroll or audit functions
Demonstrated capability conducting defensible, unbiased investigations
Advising on progressive, risk-aware corrective action
Managing complex employee relations matters
Maintaining productive, transparent partnerships with labor organizations
Ability to interpret and operationalize MOUs, Civil Service Rules, merit system principles, and local ordinances
Proven ability to support workforce planning within civil service constraints
Coach supervisors on performance management
Translate County policies into actionable, field-ready guidance for construction crews, maintenance teams, and office staff
Skilled at enabling managers to navigate conflict, documentation, and performance issues
Support workforce stability during reorganizations, budget shifts, capital project ramps, and service delivery changes
Known for clear, de-escalating communication
Effective mediation between employees, supervisors, and labor representatives
Sound judgment in high-visibility, high-stakes situations
Integrates equity and inclusion into employee relations practices
Promotes psychological safety
Ensures fair, consistent, and respectful treatment across diverse field and administrative environments
Understands Public Works operations and applies a solutions-oriented, anticipatory approach
Company
County of San Mateo
County of San Mateo is a government agency that strives to protect and improve the health, safety and welfare of the community.
Founded in 1856
5001-10000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$0.4MKey Investors
California State Coastal Conservancy
2023-06-28Grant· $0.4M
Leadership Team
Ulysses Ron Vinson Jr.
Director and Co-founder, SMC Labs
Gina Wilson
Chief Financial Officer, County Health
Recent News
2025-09-12
2025-01-24
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