Principal Auditor-Appraiser

County of San Mateo; California (MO); On-site; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government agency in California is seeking a Principal Auditor-Appraiser to oversee appraisal activities. This role involves supervising staff, performing complex audits, and ensuring accurate valuation of taxable properties. The ideal candidate will possess strong leadership and communication skills, along with a bachelor's degree and a Property Tax Appraiser Certificate. This position requires technical proficiency and the ability to motivate staff towards achieving departmental goals.

Qualifications

• Possesses a Property Tax Appraiser Certificate issued by the California State Board of Equalization.
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college with coursework in accounting, auditing, or appraising.
• 5 years of experience in performing audits and appraisals of taxable property.

Responsibilities

• Supervise auditor-appraisal staff and monitor work processes.
• Conduct difficult audits and appraisals.
• Prepare and conduct training for staff.

Skills

Leadership

Supervisory skills

Communication skills

Analytical skills

Technical proficiency

Education

Bachelor's degree in accounting, auditing, or appraising

Property Tax Appraiser Certificate

Tools

Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)

EZ Access

FileNet

Job description

The Office of the Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder and Chief Elections Officer is seeking well-qualified candidates for the position of Principal Auditor‑Appraiser. The Principal Auditor‑Appraiser shares a critical role in assisting the Deputy Assessor and Chief Appraiser in the completion of the Office's mission to: determine the assessed value of all taxable personal property for businesses located in San Mateo County; create the official record of taxable personal property (approximately 16,000 assessments each year on the local assessment roll); share this information with the County Controller and Tax Collector, and make it publicly available.

The technically savvy and experienced individual hired for this position will have the responsibility to supervise the assessment work of auditor‑appraisal staff in the timely collection, processing and analysis of valuation data for personal property for tax assessment purposes. In addition, the Principal Auditor‑Appraiser will perform the more difficult audits and appraisals.

The ideal candidate is a conscientious and highly motivated professional who possesses excellent leadership, supervisory, training and technical skills, and highly‑effective interpersonal and communication skills. The successful candidate has demonstrated experience maintaining a high level of work productivity, can lead by example, and can motivate staff towards achieving their goals and responsibilities.

Examples Of Duties

• Planning, scheduling, assigning, and monitoring work of assigned staff; participating in the hiring of assigned staff and recommending candidates for management approval.
• Training assigned staff in County policies and procedures and State laws, rules and regulations; preparing and conducting in‑service training for staff to ensure currency with changing policies and rules.
• Advising the Assessor and Deputy Assessor on changes to rules, regulations and legislation.
• Collaborating with Deputy County Counsel, Principal and Senior Auditor‑Appraisers, and other management personnel.
• Developing, implementing, monitoring and revising departmental policies and audit and appraisal procedures.
• Monitoring quality control of audits and appraisals in process, identifying problems and recommending corrective action.
• Evaluating employee performance, counseling employees, and effectively recommending initial corrective action and other personnel decisions.
• Examining and auditing accounting records, financial statements, ownership records, leases, operation statements, and other related documents of large or complex firms, frequently requiring travel to taxpayer's place of business and location where the records are maintained, including travel to various parts of the United States.
• Representing the Department in the Inter‑County Cooperative Audit‑Appraisal Program and on other ad hoc committees as appropriate.
• Writing narrative audit and appraisal reports and reviewing appraisals and audits with property owners and their agents.
• Maintaining technical and professional expertise in auditing, appraising and assessment procedures.
• Making presentations before the Assessment Appeals Board, Superior Court and other public entities.
• Staying abreast of legislative developments and changes, actively participating in conferences, and sharing gained knowledge with staff.
• Performing other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Licensure/Certification: Possesses a Property Tax Appraiser Certificate issued by the California State Board of Equalization. An SBE Advanced Appraiser Certificate is desirable and should be obtained within one year of employment as a Principal Auditor‑Appraiser.

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 a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with upper‑division coursework in accounting, auditing, appraising or cost estimating and 5 years of experience (including 2 years as a Senior Auditor‑Appraiser) performing a full range of highly complex audits and appraisals of tangible and taxable property for tax assessment purposes.

Knowledge Of

• Supervisory principles and practices, including work planning, scheduling, assignment, review, and employee training and corrective action.
• Principles, methods and techniques of effective interviewing, negotiating and case management.
• Training methods, procedures and requirements.
• Technical and professional knowledge of accounting, auditing and appraisal methods and procedures.
• California Property Tax laws.
• State Board of Equalization guidelines.
• Court decisions affecting assessment procedures.
• Policies and procedures related to the department.
• Business mathematics.
• Correct English usage, including spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
• Record‑keeping principles and procedures.

Skills/Abilities

• Plan, assign, supervise, review and evaluate the work of others.
• Train in proper techniques and procedures of auditing and appraising property for tax purposes.
• Provide leadership to meet goals.
• Direct and review the work of others.
• Audit and appraise large and complex property for tax purposes.
• Travel to a variety of geographic locations throughout the country according to regular schedules, as well as on demand.
• Read, interpret and apply rules, policies and procedures.
• Plan and organize time to meet workload requirements.
• Use initiative and sound independent judgment within established guidelines.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of the work.
• Accurately determine historic, reproduction and replacement costs.
• Accurately identify and measure depreciation and obsolescence.
• Measure income‑producing characteristics of property and appropriately capitalize the income stream into value.
• Identify and classify various types of land, sites, buildings, structures, manufactured homes, vessels, aircraft, trade fixtures, and property interests in an accurate and uniform manner.
• Produce effective presentations.
• Maintain complete and accurate records and prepare written narrative audit and appraisal reports.
• Use Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), as well as department applications (EZ Access, EZ Cam and FileNet).

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, Confidential and Management extra‑help/limited term, and SEIU or AFSCME represented extra help/limited term positions prior to the final filing date will receive five points added to their final passing score on this examination.

The examination process will consist of an application screening (weight: pass/fail) based on the candidate's application and responses to the supplemental questions. Candidates who pass the application screening will be invited to a panel interview (weight: 100%), which may include the evaluation of a brief written and/or performance exercise given immediately preceding the interview. 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 San Mateo County, 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. 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

Closing Date: Monday, March 16, 2026 at 11:59 PM PST
Application Screening: Wednesday, April 18, 2026
Panel Interviews: Week of April 6, 2026

About the County

The Office of the Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder and Chief Elections Officer is responsible for ensuring equitable treatment of County property owners by accurate and fair valuation of land, improvements, and businesses; creating an accurate public record of recorded transactions relating to people and property within San Mateo County; and registering County citizens to vote and efficiently conducting honest elections. The Department maintains about 235,000 assessments and a local property tax roll totaling approximately $308 billion; manages birth, death, and marriage records; maintains over 3,000,000 recorded land records; conducts local elections; and oversees a budget of about $27 million, election billing to all jurisdictions, and 15 governmental trust funds.