Career Opportunity

Planner I - Preservation Technical Specialist (5277)

Recruitment: RTF0134966-01130165

Published: June 30, 2023

Apply using SmartRecruiters, the City and County of San Francisco's application portal.

About:

The San Francisco Planning Department is recruiting for one (1) Temporary Exempt (TEX) Planner I-Preservation Technical Specialist position to serve within the Development Review teams of the Current Planning Division.

Specific information regarding this recruitment process are listed below:

• Application Opening:  June 30, 2023
• Application Deadline:  July 21, 2023
• Recruitment ID:  RTF0134966-01130165
• Analyst:  Michael Eng

Appointment Type:  Temporary Exempt
This position is exempt from Civil Service Commission rules pursuant to the City and County of San Francisco, Charter Section 10.104, and incumbents serve at the discretion of the Appointing Officer.  The duration of the appointment shall not exceed 36 months.

Note:  This position is currently being filled as TEX, but the intent of the Planning Department to fill this position as Permanent in the near future.  The candidate selected for this TEX position must participate and be successful in a Civil Service Examination process for this classification and be selected through an open competitive process in order to be considered for a Permanent appointment.

The Department
The San Francisco Planning Department (CPC) plays a central role in guiding the growth and development in our City. The Department works with other City agencies and the community to help achieve great planning for a great city.   

The Division
The Current Planning Division is responsible for reviewing land use development applications, implementing the historic preservation program, enforcement of the Planning Code, management of the Short Term Rental program and operating the Public Information Center (PIC) among other work. Every year, this division reviews and processes over 6,000 building permits and hundreds of land use applications.

Our Mission
The mission of the San Francisco Planning Department, under the direction of the Planning Commission, shapes the future of San Francisco and the region by: generating an extraordinary vision for the General Plan and in neighborhood plans; fostering exemplary design through planning controls; improving our surroundings through environmental analysis; preserving our unique heritage; encouraging a broad range of housing and a diverse job base; and enforcing the Planning Code. 

Our Racial and Social Equity Vision 
The Department’s racial and social equity vision is:  

The SF Planning Department envisions inclusive neighborhoods that provide all with the opportunity to lead fulfilling, meaningful, and healthy lives. We envision a city where public life and public spaces reflect the past, present, and future of San Franciscans. We envision a city where a person’s race does not determine their lives’ prospects and success. 

We envision an inclusive Planning Department and Commissions that represent and engage the communities we serve. We envision a department that proactively infuses racial and social equity in both internal operations and external Planning work. Together, we are reimagining what the Planning field is and can be – inclusive, diverse and one that centers racial and social equity both as a practice and as an indicator of success. 

To achieve this broader city vision, we must do our part and address racial and social equity within the Planning Department’s policies and practices.

Role description

The 5277 Planner I-Preservation Technical Specialist position will serve within the Development Review teams of the Current Planning Division.

These Development Review Teams are responsible for reviewing building permit applications for compliance with the Planning Code and other relevant urban design policies and standards; reviewing land use applications such as conditional uses, large project authorizations, office allocations, variances, discretionary reviews, historic preservation, condominium conversions and lot subdivisions, shadow analysis, wireless telecommunications, interagency zoning referrals, zoning and General Plan text and map amendments. In addition, these staff work and provide service at the Planning Information Center at the Permit Center. Under supervision, the Planner I in the Current Planning Division performs the Division’s wide variety of planning work in land use, zoning, and housing development. As a Preservation Technical Specialist, this position will assist in implementing the Department’s historic preservation work program, which includes identification and evaluation of historic resources, review of Certificates of Appropriateness and Permits to Alter (preservation entitlements), and conducting cultural resource review pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

The essential functions of the Planner I position in the Current Planning Division include, but are not limited to:

• Reviewing land use development applications and architectural plans for conformity with the General Plan, Planning Code, and various design guidelines;
• Reviewing and enforcing ordinances, rules, regulations, policies and procedures and applying them to land use development applications;
• Providing information orally and in writing to City agencies, property owners, developers, community organizations and the general public;
• Conducting site and field inspections of land, economic activities, transit patterns, historic resources, and buildings and streets;
• Preparing computer-based graphic materials and having strong computer proficiency skills, including electronic document review and storage systems;
• Conducting research studies and formulating planning policy recommendations, plans for future developments and determining the environmental impacts of proposed projects;
• Preparing governmental documents such as public notices and staff reports;
• Presenting before public bodies, such as the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors;
• Implements the historic preservation work program;
• Performing other duties as assigned.

Planner I’s may be required to attend meetings or participate in work-related activities outside of normal working hours (evenings and weekends) in various community locations.  Some positions may require possession of a valid driver license and may require specialized experience in order to perform department-specific planning duties.

How to qualify

Minimum Qualifications

1. 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, historical preservation, or environmental studies;
   
   OR
    
2. Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university; AND one (1) year of city or urban planning, transportation, urban design, historical preservation, architectural or environmental review experience.

Desirable Qualifications
The stated desirable qualifications may be used to identify job finalists at the end of the selection process when candidates are referred for hiring.

• Experience applying the theories, methods, and practices of Historic Preservation Planning that enables professional judgments to be made about the identification, evaluation, documentation, registration, protection, or treatment of historic and archeological properties.
• Strong analytical, written and communication skills.
  
   

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

Verification
Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education verification is required, information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at http://sfdhr.org/index.aspx?page=456

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.

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
• Veterans Preference
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

How to Apply:
To be considered, please submit a SmartRecruiters application and attach to your application:

• An updated resume (required)
• A cover letter (required, no more than one page)

Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process.

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.

Having Trouble? If you are having trouble with the application, please visit Smart Recruiter's FAQs or email supportfeedback@smartr.me.  It is suggested you use Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge web browser to submit the application. 

Questions:  If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the exam analyst, Michael Eng, by telephone at 628-652-7522, or by email at Michael.Eng@sfgov.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.