Sheriff's Project Manager
Salary - $121,347.20 - $147,950.40 Annually
Location - County of San Diego, CA
Job Type - Regular - Full time
Job Number - 26236002
Department - Sheriff
Division - Management Services
Opening Date - 02/12/2026
Closing Date - 2/26/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
Job Summary
The County of San Diego Sheriff's Office is currently recruiting for the position of
Sheriff's Project Manager
This position is eligible for appointment at step 1, $121,347.20 annually. County employees are subject to the County Promotion Rule for Step Placement in Accordance with Compensation Ordinance 1.3.5.
FUTURE SALARY INCREASE
** June 2026 – 4.49% increase to base pay (3.00% Across-the-Board + 1.49% Market Adjustment)
** June 2027 – 4.49% increase to base pay (3.00% Across-the-Board + 1.49% Market Adjustment)
About The Position:
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Wireless Services Division is seeking a Project Manager to support and advance the Regional Communications System (RCS)—one of Southern California’s largest and most mission-critical public safety Land Mobile Radio (LMR) networks.
This role is responsible for planning, coordinating, and delivering complex, multi-year communications infrastructure and technology projects that directly support law enforcement, fire, EMS, and other public safety agencies across the region.
Under the direction of Wireless Services leadership, the Project Manager will:
- Lead a diverse portfolio of LMR and communications initiatives, including system upgrades, RF coverage improvements, microwave/backhaul projects, subscriber deployments, interoperability enhancements, vendor implementations, and grant-funded modernization efforts.
- Serve as the central point of integration between RF Engineering, IT teams, field technicians, programming staff, County departments, and external agencies.
- Ensure projects are properly scoped, scheduled, funded, and delivered in compliance with operational and regulatory requirements.
Key Responsibilities:
- Develop and manage project schedules, budgets, and documentation.
- Coordinate procurement and contract activities.
- Track risks, dependencies, and deliverables.
- Facilitate cross-functional workgroups and stakeholder communication.
- Ensure compliance with County, State, and Federal standards for public safety communications.
This position plays a critical role in guiding projects from concept through completion—including requirements development, engineering coordination, deployment planning, testing, acceptance, and operational turnover.
Why Join Us?
This is a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of public safety, engineering, and large-scale technology delivery, supporting systems that protect lives and communities every day.
Ideal Candidate:
The ideal candidate is a highly organized, technically fluent project management professional with proven experience delivering complex, multi-stakeholder technology or infrastructure projects in a public-sector or regulated environment.
They will have a strong understanding of Land Mobile Radio (LMR) systems, RF and communications infrastructure, and the ability to translate technical requirements into actionable project plans that can be executed across engineering, field operations, and administrative teams.
Key Attributes and Skills:
- Ability to lead projects involving RF engineering, IT engineering, field technicians, system vendors, and public safety agencies.
- Skilled in aligning scope, schedule, budget, and performance expectations across diverse stakeholders.
- Strong communication skills for engaging both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Expertise in managing competing priorities, assessing operational risks, and driving progress in high-visibility, mission-critical environments.
Preferred Experience:
- Public-sector or enterprise-scale project delivery, including procurement, vendor oversight, grant-funded initiatives, compliance, and reporting.
- Familiarity with government contracting, budgeting, scheduling, and governance processes.
- Understanding of public safety operations and how communications systems support emergency response, interoperability, and regional coordination.
The ideal candidate will thrive in a mission-critical environment where system reliability and responder safety are paramount, ensuring projects minimize operational risk while enabling long-term modernization.
For a complete job description of the Sheriff's Project Manager position, including essential functions, examples of qualifying education and experience, and working conditions, please click here.
Hiring Process and Timeline:
The timeline for this recruitment is outlined below.
i. Job Offer and Background Process begins: Shortly after the interviews. Note: Current County employees may be excluded from additional background screening.
ii. Pre-employment Medical Screening: Approximately 3 days following successful background investigation results.
iii. Anticipated Start Date: Start date will be based upon successful completion of medical screening or other mutually agreed upon date.
If you are not selected for this interview process, you may have the opportunity to compete for future vacancies.
Education and Experience:
Required education/experience:
- A bachelor's degree from an accredited U. S. college or university, or a certified foreign studies equivalency in business administration, engineering, accounting, finance, economics, public administration or a closely related field; AND,
- Five (5) years of increasingly responsible budgetary, analytical or operational project management experience, and must have consisted of at least two (2) years managing the analysis and preparation of complex fiscal, budget, or operations projects in a large agency.
Note: Experience
as described above may be substituted for the education requirement on a
year-for-year basis. A master's or doctoral degree from an accredited U. S.
college or university, or a certified foreign studies equivalency, may
substitute for up to one (1) year of the required experience.
Blind Applicant Screening:
The Department of Human Resources removes personally identifiable information from all recruitments. This practice, called Blind Applicant Screening, hides a candidate’s personal information that could influence or bias a hiring decision. Personal information includes name, phone number, address, gender, age and race. This process helps contribute to a fair and equitable selection process leading to a more diverse and inclusive workforce.
The most highly qualified candidates, based on the evaluation results, will be referred for an interview. Be sure to include your experience in meeting the minimum requirements in both the Work Experience section and the Supplemental Questionnaire section of the Application. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of the application Work History and/or supplemental questionnaire.
Background Investigation:
Must have a reputation for honesty and trustworthiness. Felony convictions will be disqualifying. Misdemeanor convictions may be disqualifying depending on type, number, severity, and recency. Prior to appointment, candidates will be subject to a thorough background investigation, which may include a psychological, truth verification examination, or other examination or test.
Evaluation:The names of qualified applicants will be placed on a six (6) month employment list based upon scores received during the evaluation of information contained in their employment application and supplemental questionnaire.
Accommodation:
Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of a job, on a case-by-case basis.
As an employer of over 19,000 employees, the County of San Diego is an organization committed to veteran hiring, retention, and professional development. We recognize the contributions and sacrifices made by our veterans and value the unique expertise and leadership qualities they bring to our workforce. We strive to provide veterans with the resources and tools necessary to maximize their employment opportunities, and to assist veterans with their transition into civilian life by applying the valuable skills, knowledge and training acquired in service to positions and career paths at all levels within our large organization. Click on the resource links below to learn more about how the County of San Diego supports its veterans.
Veteran’s Preference Policy: The County of San Diego offers preferential credits for military service to assist qualified applicants in transitioning from military to civilian careers with the County of San Diego. Please click here for the Veteran's Preference Policy.
Military Skills Translator: Do you need assistance translating your military experience into civilian experience? This tool can help! Please click here for the Military Skills Translator.
The County of San Diego and its employees embrace the vision of: a just, sustainable, and resilient future for all. Our values include: integrity, equity, access, belonging, excellence, and sustainability. Each of which are infused throughout our operations. While also embracing a mission of strengthening our communities with innovative, inclusive, and data driven services through a skilled and supported workforce. Click here for more information on our Strategic Plan (sandiegocounty.gov) (Download PDF reader). Under California Government Code Sections 3100 - 3109, public employees are designated as disaster service workers. The term "public employees" includes all persons employed by the state or any county, city, state agency, or public district. Disaster service workers are required to participate in such disaster service activities as may be assigned to them by their employer or by law.
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