Career Opportunity

Utility Specialist - Water Resources Planning - SFPUC (5602)

Recruitment: RTF0121128-01114271

Published: February 17, 2023

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About:

February 3, 2023: Re-posting the announcement. Candidates who have already submitted an application do not need to re-apply.

• Application Opening: April 7, 2022
• Application Filing Deadline: February 24, 2023
• Annual Compensation: $113,282 - $167,466
• Recruitment ID: RTF0121128-01114271 (121129)

APPOINTMENT TYPE: Temporary Exempt: This position is excluded by the Charter from the competitive Civil Service examination process and shall serve at the discretion of the Appointing Officer. 

The duration of the appointment shall not exceed 24 months. 

WHO ARE WE? 

San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC)

Headquartered in San Francisco, we have 2,300 employees operating across eight counties serving more than 2.7 million customers in the San Francisco Bay Area – 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.

Our Mission: To provide our customers with high quality, efficient, and reliable water, power, and wastewater services in a manner that values environmental and community interests and sustains the resources entrusted to our care.

Our Vision: We are an innovative utility leader, recognized for excellent results in service, safety, stewardship, and inclusiveness.

We are an award-winning and industry-leading utilities organization committed to our customers, community interests, and the environment. To learn more about our organization, please visit our website at https://www.sfpuc.org/.

We are proud of our infrastructure and programs, but most importantly, we value our highly qualified and dedicated workforce which ensures that this vision becomes a reality. 
To learn more about working at the SFPUC, visit our career site at https://www.sfpuc.org/about-us/careers-sfpuc

Role description

Under the general direction of the Groundwater Program Manager, the Utility Specialist serves as the Lake Merced Project Manager for the SFPUC’s Local Capital Improvement Program within the Water Resources Division. The Utility Specialist will be responsible for management and implementation of three capital projects within the Lake Merced Area, and serves as the SFPUC’s Lake Merced technical expert on lake water quality. Duties include management of scope, budgets, schedules, execution and communication to meet project objectives, as well as contract management and report writing. The Utility Specialist also performs complex studies and analyses, develops analytical models, independently conducts contract and regulatory negotiations, develops and implements operational goals and procedures and conducts infrastructure planning.

The Utility Specialist will be required to make presentations to senior management, various stakeholders, the SFPUC Commission and potentially the San Francisco Board of Supervisors as well as represent the SFPUC at various public meetings. The work frequently requires interpretation of complex regulations, laws, policies, procedures and guidelines, and the development of recommendations consistent with established policies and directives. Decisions frequently require application of sophisticated analytical procedures and techniques to complex, multi-disciplinary problems. Working relationships are diverse and include contacts with high-level positions in regulatory agencies and utility companies as well as with City’s policymakers, legal teams and senior management. The purpose of most of the working relationships is to provide technical advice and direction, solve problems, negotiate and administer contracts, monitor compliance and advocate for the department and the City's constituents.

Essential Duties

• Serve as Project Manager for the Lake Merced Water Level Restoration Projects, effectively managing scope, budget, schedule and execution,
• Work cooperatively with SFPUC’s partner agency on regulatory negotiations, to facilitate project permitting, cost sharing, bid and award, project construction and closeout,
• Work with SFPUC project team to guide project through conceptual evaluation and planning, design, environmental review, construction, closeout and delivery while ensuring proper communication and involvement of project stakeholders,
• Serve as Project Manager for a capital remediation project in the surrounding Lake Merced Watershed. Guide project through design, regulatory coordination, permitting, bid and award, construction, and closeout, in coordination with other SFPUC departments,
• Prepare required status reporting for the Lake Merced capital projects, detailing progress, project burn rates, and tracking milestones,
• Maintain detailed and well-organized records, action plans and schedules, tracking key milestones,
• Manage implementation of the Lake Merced Water Quality Monitoring and Reporting Program in coordination with SFPUC Natural Resources and Land Management Division, including preparation of the Annual Lake Water Quality Report,
• Prepare thorough and well-planned reports,
• Conduct and oversee technical and policy analyses to support planning process,
• Communicate effectively with cross-functional teams,
• Prepare various presentations for management, stakeholders, and the SFPUC Commission,
• Work independently and collaboratively on a team, providing input to advance program and project goals for Lake Merced,
• Work on multiple complex tasks concurrently, demonstrating flexibility in prioritizing and balancing needs; and
• Perform related duties, as required.

Nature of Work:

This position requires to work effectively in the field in hot or cold weather and in the rain and attend evening meetings.

How to qualify

1. Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university preferably with major coursework in Law, Engineering, Environmental Studies, Natural Resources, Computer Science, Business Administration, Mathematics, Statistics, Economics or other field related to the utility business; 
2. Four years of verifiable journey-level work experience in one or more of the following areas: planning, scheduling, cost estimating and resource projecting for mid to large scale projects; water supply management and planning; power operations planning and scheduling; analysis, interpretation and application of utility contracts and regulations in either water, power (electric and/or natural gas), telecommunications, or a wastewater program; utility market and environmental analysis and planning; power supply and transmission rates and contracts; generation, transmission or distribution planning and design; or long-term utility systems planning; AND
3. Possession of a valid Class C driver license. 

SUBSTITUTION: Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for the degree requirement on a year-for-year basis.

Applicants must meet the minimum qualification requirement by the final filing date unless otherwise noted.

Desirable Qualifications:

• Experience in resources planning, and project management
• Experience in water resources, capital project management for mid to large scale projects, environmental compliance and/or water resources planning
• Strong written and verbal communication skills

The stated desirable qualifications may be considered at the end of the selection process when candidates are referred for hiring.

Verification of Education and Experience:
Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. More information can be found at: https://sfdhr.org/information-about-hiring-process#verification

Note: Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

All work experience, education, training and other information substantiating how you meet the minimum qualifications must be included on your application by the filing deadline. Information submitted after the filing deadline will not be considered in determining whether you meet the minimum qualifications.

Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed City and County of San Francisco application.

Applications completed improperly may be cause for ineligibility, disqualification or may lead to lower scores.

What else should I know?

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
• Diversity Statement

Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process. Visit https://careers.smartrecruiters.com/CityAndCountyOfSanFrancisco1/ and begin the application process.

• Select the “I’m Interested” button and follow instructions on the screen

Applicants may be contacted by email about this recruitment and, therefore, it is their responsibility to ensure that their registered email address is accurate and kept up-to-date. Also, applicants must ensure that email from CCSF is not blocked on their computer by a spam filter. To prevent blocking, applicants should set up their email to accept CCSF mail from the following addresses (@sfgov.org, @sfdpw.org, @sfport.com, @flysfo.com, @sfwater.org, @sfdph.org, @asianart.org, @sfmta.com, @sfpl.org, @dcyf.org, @first5sf.org, @famsf.org, @ccsf.edu, @smartalerts.info, and @smartrecruiters.com).

Applicants will receive a confirmation email that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received.

Analyst Information: If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the Human Resources Analyst, Brandon Bradley at BBradley@sfwater.org.

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.