Principal Administrative Manager

County of San Luis Obispo; San Luis Obispo (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

County of San Luis Obispo is seeking a strategic Principal Administrative Manager to lead administrative operations with a focus on budgeting, contracts, and grants. This role will guide the finance and business operations units and oversee the preparation of budget reports and board communications.

The position oversees a substantial budget and plays a key role in fiscal accountability, operational efficiency, and administrative excellence across the Sheriff’s Office.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business/public administration, accounting, or related field, plus 3 years of progressively responsible professional experience in finance or accounting, HR, or admin.
• Two years of supervision over professional-level staff.
• Experience with contracts, grants, budget reporting, and board communications preferred.

Responsibilities

• Oversee administrative operations including financial and budgetary activities for a large department or division.
• Direct and guide finance and business operations units; supervise assigned staff.
• Prepare quarterly financial reports, annual fee schedule, and formal board letters.

Skills

Leadership

Budget management

Public sector experience

Strategic planning

Education

Bachelor's degree in business/public administration/accounting

3 years in finance/accounting/human resources/admin

2 years supervision of professional staff

Tools

ERP systems

Budgeting software

Microsoft Excel

Job description

The Sheriff’s Office is seeking a driven and strategic leader to serve as the Principal Administrative Manager. Overseeing a complex budget of approximately $130 million, this leadership role plays a vital part in driving fiscal accountability, operational efficiency, and administrative excellence across the agency.

The Principal Administrative Manager will provide high-level leadership and oversight across key administrative operations, including department contracts, grant management, quarterly financial reports, the annual fee schedule, and preparing formal board letters. Additionally, this position will directly guide our finance and business operations units, empowering skilled accountants in budget management and guiding the business office and support teams that keep the department moving forward.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience:

• Possession of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university in business or public administration, accounting, or a closely related field. In addition, three years of progressively responsible professional-level experience in finance or accounting, human resources, or other administrative functions, including two years of supervision over professional-level classifications.

Under general direction, assumes substantive and significant responsibility for the administrative operations, including financial and budgetary, human resources, information systems, and other activities of a large department or division; organizes and directs office and business activities to ensure effective operations; supervises, trains, and evaluates the performance of assigned lower-level management, professional, paraprofessional, and technical staff.

Background Investigation

• Any felony conviction
• Recent misdemeanor conviction, or any two misdemeanor convictions as an adult
• Poor employment history
• Any sale, manufacture, or cultivation of illegal drugs
• Recent use of illegal substances such as opiates, hallucinogens, injectables, cocaine, methamphetamine, or similar substance
• Poor driving record such as numerous hazardous traffic violations or chargeable accidents
• Recent conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, or any two convictions for this offense as an adult
• Any act of domestic violence, as defined by law
• Any crime committed against a child
• Behavior or derogatory remarks constituting discrimination or bias toward others based on their race, religion, gender, national origin, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or other protected class
• Any material misstatement of fact or intentional omission of information during the application or background process