Career Opportunity

Planner II - Recreation & Parks Dept. (5278)

Recruitment: RTF0117829-01143320

Published: January 21, 2023

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About:

Application Opening:  January 20, 2023

Application Deadline:  Apply immediately.  This announcement may close at any time after 5:00 p.m., Friday, February 3, 2023

Note:  Applications not following the application procedure cannot be considered.

Amid a dynamic and ever-evolving urban landscape, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department stewards one of the premier urban park systems in America.  San Francisco recently became the first city in the United States for which 100% of its residents live within a ten-minute walk of a park. Considered by San Franciscans to be one of the City’s most popular and effective public agencies, our department manages and maintains more than 225 parks, playgrounds, and open spaces in San Francisco, including two outside of city limits: Sharp Park in Pacifica and Camp Mather in the High Sierras. Our 4,100- acre system includes 25 recreation centers, 9 swimming pools, 5 golf courses and numerous athletic facilities, including sports courts, ball diamonds, soccer fields and gymnasiums. Included in the department’s responsibilities are Golden Gate Park, Coit Tower, the Marina Yacht Harbor, the Palace of Fine Arts, and TPC Harding Park golf course.

More than 2,000 talented individuals are part of our team, from gardeners, foresters, and recreation leaders to park rangers, custodians, electricians, painters and planners and capital project managers. Our core mission, as it has been throughout our history, is to provide opportunities for San Francisco residents and visitors alike to gather, play, learn, relax, and enjoy nature in the city.

Role description

The Capital & Planning Division is currently delivering a portfolio of over 80 Capital Improvement Projects with a value of approximately $800M.  These 80 projects move through planning, design and construction phases, and during each of these phases the projects require a high level of community engagement, communication with the public, internal communication within the Department and external communication with other City departments.  The success of these projects is often dependent on the quality of stakeholder engagement and outreach conducted by the division to set clear project goals and expectations with the public.  We're looking for a Planner to join our team.  

The Planner II will be part of the Planning Unit and responsible for multiple projects, specifically:

1. Lead GIS analysis, maintain geodatabases and improve GIS documentation and processes; serve as the point person for GIS-related issues for the Capital & Planning Division;
2. Support recent Park Acquisition Development, notably 11th & Natoma properties; 
3. Manage review of development projects that cast shadow on property under Recreation and Park jurisdiction;
4. Participate in reviews of open space plans in upcoming developments associated with the Executive Directive on Housing, and represent RPD in the Housing Delivery Coordination Group as the Department’s Housing Coordinator;
5. Review and analyze potential future acquisitions; lead the approvals process for acquisitions selected to move forward;
6. Lead open space needs assessments and associated negotiations for In Kind agreements, under freeway AB 857 parcels, and development agreements; 
7. Support California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis and mitigation compliance for capital projects; and
8. The position will also work on implementing and reporting on the 2020 Health and Recovery Bond.

This position will focus on successfully accomplishing the project objectives through planning work, detailed analysis and project management. 

The duties will include:

• Manage complex relationships with other city departments, review and execute contracts and MOUs to govern these relationships, provide a single point of contact for matters relating to the Department;
• Provide technical analytical review and project management support between divisions within the Department to move projects through their approval path;
• Compile and prepare technical, physical, economic, socio-demographic and statistical data as reports, graphs, maps and charts; collect data and perform site visits;
• Provide an analytical review of recent policy/legislative changes, and create and document internal processes;
• Provide land use and demographic data for upcoming capital improvement projects; work to resolve land use issues such as inter-departmental transfers and street;
• Work with City Attorney to draft legislation as needed;
• Supervise interns who will provide support for these projects; and
• Staff and attend public hearings and meetings; and liaise with various city departments.

How to qualify

Minimum Qualifications:

Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university AND two (2) years (4,000 hours) verifiable full-time-equivalent experience in city, regional, urban or transportation planning, urban design, historic preservation, architectural or environmental review or other related field; OR

Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university in City, Regional, or Urban Planning, or a closely related field such as Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Geography, Urban Studies, Public Administration, Physical Sciences, Historic Preservation, or Environmental Studies AND one (1) year (2,000 hours) verifiable full-time-equivalent experience in City, Regional, Urban or Transportation Planning, Urban Design, Historic Preservation, Architectural or Environmental Review or other related field; OR

Possession of a Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in City, Regional, or Urban Planning, or a closely related field such as Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Geography, Urban Studies, or Environmental Studies.

Desirable Qualifications:

1. Minimum two years of experience working hands-on with ArcGIS software and applications such as ArcMap, ArcPro and ArcGIS online;
2. Minimum two years of experience utilizing Microsoft Office Suite including Microsoft Word, Teams, Power Point and Outlook, and advanced ability using Excel (pivot tables, formulas etc.);
3. Experience managing multiple projects with different partners and stakeholders at once; ability to push forward long-term processes and identify short term goals to pursue;
4. Experience working with senior-level staff, including the ability to collect, analyze and disseminate information, and effectively present/report out to management.
5. Experience presenting to an audience of varying backgrounds, from community members to city officials and other stakeholders.
6. Comfortable working both independently and as part of a team
7. Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Special Condition:  Valid CA Driver's License

Verification of Experience and/or Education

Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience, at any point in the application, examination or departmental selection processes. Verification of work experience typically must be on the employer’s letterhead, and must include the applicant’s name, job title, description of job duties, dates of service, and signature of the employer. San Francisco City and County employees do not need to submit verification of their City employment, but must submit verification of outside experience. San Francisco City and County employees will not receive credit for experience obtained outside of their classification unless recorded in accordance with the provisions of the Civil Service Rule 110.9.1.

For information on how to verify education requirements, please visit How to Verify Education Requirements.

What else should I know?

Appointment Type:  This is a Temporary Exempt appointment. This position is excluded by the Charter from the competitive Civil Service examination process, is considered “at will” and serves at the discretion of the Appointing Officer with appointment duration of up to three (3) years. 

Compensation:  $97,006 - $117,910 annually

Application Procedure:  Please include a cover letter describing why you are interested in this position, why you are interested in working at SF Recreation and Parks, and how you meet both the Minimum and Desirable Qualifications.

Note:  Applications not following the application procedure cannot be considered.

Applications will be screened for relevant qualifying experience.  Additional screening mechanisms may be implemented in order to determine candidates’ qualifications.  Applicants meeting the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement in the selection process.  Interviews will likely be held the week of 2/13 and/or 2/20.

Contact: For questions about this position or how to apply, please contact Margarita Recinos at margarita.recinos@sfgov.org

Additional Information Regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco

• Information About The Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview  
• Equal Employment Opportunity 
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents

Candidates for positions with the Recreation and Park Department may be disqualified from consideration should their conviction history not meet the standards established under California Public Resources Code 5164.

Race and Social Equity Statement
We believe that parks and open space in San Francisco provides the opportunity to model equitable access for all.  With this belief, San Francisco became the first city in the United States for which 100% of its residents live within a ten-minute walk of a park. The Recreation and Park Department’s goal is to close the gaps and improve equity and access to quality parks and open space, and recreation activities for historically marginalized communities.  

We envision a department that proactively infuses racial and social equity in its internal operations.  With a multi-disciplinary team of talented individuals - gardeners, recreation leaders, park rangers, custodians, craft shop personnel, park and recreation managers and more, the department is committed to doing its part to provide equitable access to parks and programs for all the communities we serve to enjoy, as well as foster a work environment where our differences are celebrated, and everyone has what they need to thrive regardless of their race, age, ability, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or country of origin.

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT:  All City and County of San Francisco employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Someone is fully vaccinated when 14 days have passed since they received the final dose of a two-shot vaccine or a dose of a one-shot vaccine. Any new hire must present proof of full vaccination status to be appointed. Any new hire who will be routinely assigned or occasionally enter High-Risk Settings, must provide proof of having received a COVID-19 booster vaccine by March 1, 2022, or once eligible.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.