Senior Appraiser

About the role

The Office of the Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder and Chief Elections Officer of the County of San Mateo is seeking experienced Senior Appraisers to join our team, with current openings in the Residential and Commercial Appraisal Units. The recruitment schedule was amended on March 5, 2026, to extend the Final Filing Date.

Responsibilities

• Apply extensive appraisal skills to seamlessly transition between diverse teams, including residential and commercial valuations, exemptions processing, and Change in Ownership assessments, ensuring valuations are conducted in accordance with relevant Revenue and Taxation codes.
• Obtain, process, and analyze data for timely completion of the valuations of the most complex and specialized residential, commercial, industrial, manufacturing, technological, agricultural, institutional, mixed-use, and special-use real and personal property for tax assessment purposes.
• Present appraisals before the Assessment Appeals Board.
• Perform lead work and train new workers.

Requirements

• Have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year institution of higher learning, and five years of experience appraising residential and commercial properties, 3 years of which involved appraising residential properties for tax assessment purposes OR
• Be a high school graduate (or equivalent) and have 7 years of experience appraising residential and commercial properties, three years of which involved appraising commercial industrial properties for tax assessment purposes.

Qualifications

• Certification: Acquisition within one year of appointment of a permanent Property Tax Appraiser Certificate issued by the California State Board of Equalization.
• 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 performing a full range of audits and appraisals of tangible and taxable property for tax assessment purposes.
• Knowledge of: California Property Tax laws related to property assessments, including but not limited to Change in Ownership, appraisal of real and personal property, exemptions, etc. State Board of Equalization Rules and guidelines Court decisions affecting assessment procedures Policies and procedures related to the department Technical and professional appraisal methods and procedures for real, personal, and intangible property Training methods, procedures, and requirements Basic supervisory principles and practices Business arithmetic and statistical measures Correct English usage, including spelling, grammar, and punctuation Record keeping principles and procedures
• Skills/Ability to: Appraise complex property interests Act as an expert witness before the Assessment Appeals Board Train in proper techniques and procedures of appraising property Direct and review the work of others Select and make appropriate adjustments to property Travel to a variety of geographic locations throughout the County according to regular schedules as well as on demand Read, interpret, and apply rules, policies, and procedures 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 Produce for and deliver effective presentations to the Assessment Appeals Board and property owners and their agents Maintain complete, accurate, and uniform records Prepare written appraisal reports Operate standard office equipment, including departmental applications Use initiative and sound independent judgment within established guidelines Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted during the work

Benefits

The Department is responsible for: The maintenance of about 235,000 assessments and around $308 billion local property tax roll The maintenance of County birth, death, and marriage records The maintenance of over 3,000,000 recorded land records The conduct of local elections The maintenance of the voter registration rolls representing over 330,000 County voters The Department is also responsible for a budget of about $27 million, election billing to all jurisdictions, and 15 governmental trust funds. Examples Of Duties In general, Senior Appraisers: Apply extensive appraisal skills to seamlessly transition between diverse teams, including residential and commercial valuations, exemptions processing, and Change in Ownership assessments, ensuring valuations are conducted in accordance with relevant Revenue and Taxation codes. Obtain, process, and analyze data for timely completion of the valuations of the most complex and specialized residential, commercial, industrial, manufacturing, technological, agricultural, institutional, mixed-use, and special-use real and personal property for tax assessment purposes. Present appraisals before the Assessment Appeals Board. Perform lead work and train new workers.

Skills

• Knowledge of: California Property Tax laws related to property assessments, including but not limited to Change in Ownership, appraisal of real and personal property, exemptions, etc. State Board of Equalization Rules and guidelines Court decisions affecting assessment procedures Policies and procedures related to the department Technical and professional appraisal methods and procedures for real, personal, and intangible property Training methods, procedures, and requirements Basic supervisory principles and practices Business arithmetic and statistical measures Correct English usage, including spelling, grammar, and punctuation Record keeping principles and procedures
• Skills/Ability to: Appraise complex property interests Act as an expert witness before the Assessment Appeals Board Train in proper techniques and procedures of appraising property Direct and review the work of others Select and make appropriate adjustments to property Travel to a variety of geographic locations throughout the County according to regular schedules as well as on demand Read, interpret, and apply rules, policies, and procedures 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 Produce for and deliver effective presentations to the Assessment Appeals Board and property owners and their agents Maintain complete, accurate, and uniform records Prepare written appraisal reports Operate standard office equipment, including departmental applications Use initiative and sound independent judgment within established guidelines Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted during the work

Pay

The pay range for this position is $85,000 - $125,000 annually, depending on experience and qualifications.

Schedule

The schedule for this position is flexible and may vary based on project needs and workload.