Career Opportunity

Supervising Biologist (Sunol/Moccasin) (2485) - Natural Resources & Lands Management Division - SFPUC (137062)

Recruitment: RTF0136399-01083043

Published: October 16, 2023

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About:

10/03/2023: This Job Ad has been amended to extend the closing date of application submissions to Tuesday, October 24, 2023. If you qualify, you are encouraged to file an application as soon as possible. If you have already applied to this specific recruitment, you do not need to apply again.

This is a Position-Based Test conducted in accordance with CSC Rule 111A.

• Application Opening Date:  September 12, 2023
• Application Filing Deadline: October 24, 2023 at 11:59PM (PDT)
• Recruitment ID: PBT-2485-137062 / RTF0136399-01083043
• Location: 505 Paloma Way, Sunol, CA, 94586, USA

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 here.

Role description

About the Natural Resources and Lands Management Division
The Natural Resources and Lands Management (NRLM) Division within the Water Enterprise of the SFPUC is responsible for the management of approximately 61,000 acres of Bay Area watershed lands under SFPUC ownership as well as 150 miles of utility right-of-way. NRLM Division is responsible for managing, protecting, restoring, and monitoring the ecological resources on these lands and environmental compliance for the operations and maintenance of the Hetch Hetchy Regional Water System which serves 2.7 million customers. We are committed to responsible natural resources management that protects and restores viable populations of native species and maintains the integrity of the ecosystems that support them for current and future generations. We strive to become a leader in science-based and collaborative environmental stewardship in order to continue providing high-quality and reliable water supplies to our customers.                

About the Position
The Sunol/Moccasin Biological Resources Supervisor works with the Sunol and Moccasin biologists and interns in the Natural Resources and Lands Management Division of the Water Enterprise and oversees permit-required biological monitoring within City-owned watersheds; non-permit-required routine and non-routine biological surveys designed to manage natural resources within City-owned watersheds; the production and distribution of monitoring reports and summaries; the production of monitoring plans, standard operating procedures, and contract specifications; the review of biological reports, contract specifications, and contract invoices; the representation of the Division during the development of watershed projects; monthly section meetings and bi-weekly safety tailgates; collaborations and partnerships with external stakeholders and academic institutions. The Biological Resources Supervisor has a technical understanding of general biology and ecology, fisheries and wildlife monitoring techniques, the fish and wildlife present within SFPUC watersheds, technical writing, and relevant environmental rules and regulations (such as state and federally listed species and take permits). The Supervisor directs the work of biologists and interns in the Sunol/Moccasin Biological Resources Group and the work of contractors and consultants.

Working Conditions:  May require working in the field, watersheds, estuaries, streams, and rivers, on monitoring vessels in lakes, San Francisco Bay or the Pacific Ocean, with mechanical/electrical equipment, and hazardous materials; may require driving or hiking to remote locations on unimproved dirt or mountain roads in inclement weather; may have little or no advance notice for fieldwork and may be required to work overtime, shifts, weekends, and holidays. 

Essential duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to:

1. Develops and implements strategies and plans that address high priority natural resource policy and science issues throughout the Tuolumne and Alameda watersheds related to threatened or endangered species and sensitive habitats and to fulfill the goals of SFPUC programs; works in close coordination with Division and Water Enterprise staff; and interfaces with the state and federal resources agencies and restoration programs, as well as universities and research centers.
2. Develops, reviews and evaluates ecological monitoring programs and plans; directs and evaluates the work of section biologists, consultants, and special project teams performing these environmental monitoring and field studies; evaluates environmental monitoring plans and monitoring data to determine compliance with regulatory agency standards and assist with meeting annual reporting obligations to state and federal resource agencies.
3. Acts as in house, scientifically credible representative for SFPUC discussions and negotiations with the state and federal resource agencies or other external stakeholders relative to maintenance and operation of the SFPUC water supply system, land management activities, and construction project planning and implementation on SFPUC lands.
4. Develops, implements, and evaluates ecological restoration projects; coordinates work to improve consistency and learning across field teams and different projects, assists with interpretation of permits and plans; works with construction, maintenance, and monitoring teams to troubleshoot restoration project problems; incorporates best available science into restoration project planning, implementation, and management.
5. Supervises and evaluates Biology Section staff to accomplish essential tasks; sets goals, determines priorities, and develops individual work plans; evaluates work and provides feedback to staff; interprets policies and procedures to employees and maintains safe working conditions.
6. Develops/maintains an internship program to have undergraduates and graduate students address high priority natural resource issues by matching their interests with SFPUC needs.
7. Works with diverse stakeholders regarding SFPUC projects, permit compliance, and other activities; articulately represents the SFPUC to outside stakeholders; works effectively and courteously with multidisciplinary teams, departmental officials, managers, staff, regulatory personnel, and the public.
8. Plans and implements environmental and biological monitoring program for impact avoidance during Water Enterprise operations and maintenance activities.
9. Plans and implements limnology program to monitor conditions in SFPUC reservoirs and lakes in the Tuolumne and Alameda watersheds.
10. Writes letters, memoranda, reports, texts and studies; edits and reviews written materials that prepared by Biology Section staff or consultants; prepares periodic and special reports and correspondence; may prepare research materials for presentation and technical conferences.
11. Directs the work of consultants to accomplish essential tasks.
12. Assists with contracting or purchasing associated with fulfillment of essential duties.

How to qualify

Minimum Qualifications: Minimum qualifications reflect the lowest level of acceptable education and/or experience required of an individual such that the individual reasonably could be expected to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position.  Candidates must meet all the requirements established by the MQs to be considered for the position. 

• Education: Possession of baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with major in biology, marine biology, aquatic biology, environmental biology, fisheries biology, limnology, wildlife biology , aquatic toxicology, microbiology or related environmental science; AND
• Experience: Eight (8) years of verifiable experience in field or laboratory biology, one (1) year of which must be verifiable experience in water quality or wastewater environmental biology; AND
• License or Certificate: Possession of a valid driver's license (Please note: a valid California driver’s license is required as the final candidate.)

Note: One year of full-time employment is equivalent to 2000 hours. (2000 hours of qualifying work experience is based on a 40-hour work week.) 

Applicants must meet the minimum qualification requirement by the final filing date unless otherwise noted. Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed to advance through all of the steps in the selection process.

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 conducting water quality surveys in drinking water reservoirs using field instrumentation is preferred.
• Experience conducting biological surveys, including fisheries, wildlife, and botanical monitoring and survey evaluating data, preparing reports and supervising staff in the field is similarly preferred.
• Experience overseeing the implementation and monitoring of permit required enhancement and restoration projects is preferred.
• Advanced Degree in Ecology, Fisheries or Wildlife Biology, or related field is preferred.

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. For more information on how to verify your experience or education please click here. 

Verification of required 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 employment, hours per week, and signature of the employer, supervisor, or appropriate representative.

Employees of the City and County of San Francisco may submit performance evaluations showing duties performed to verify qualifying City experience. City employees will receive credit for the duties of the class to which appointed. Credit for experience obtained outside of the employee's class will be allowed only if recorded in accordance with the provisions of Civil Service Commission Rules. CCSF employees will not receive credit for experience obtained outside of their classification unless recorded in accordance with the provisions of the Civil Service Rule 110.9.1/111A.11.2.

Experience claimed in self-employment will only be accepted if supported by documents verifying income, earnings, business license and experience comparable to minimum qualifications above. Copies of income tax papers or other documents listing occupation and total earnings must be submitted.

Verification of qualifying education is a copy of your transcript or diploma. For more information, please click here.

Verification of required valid licensure/certification typically must be a photocopy of the license/certificate including the name of the issuing agency as well as the name of the license/certificate holder, license/certificate number, and expiration date.

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?

Selection Procedures:
After application submission, candidates deemed qualified must complete all subsequent steps to advance in this selection process, which includes the following: 

Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire (MQSQ): (Weight:  Qualifying) Candidates will be required to complete a MQSQ as part of the employment application at a later time. This MQSQ is designed to obtain specific information regarding an applicant's experience in relation to the Minimum Qualifications (MQ) for this position. The MQSQ will be used to evaluate if the applicant possesses the required minimum qualifications.

Supplemental Questionnaire Evaluation (Weight:100%): 

Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will be sent a Supplemental Questionnaire via electronic mail after the closing of this filing period. The Supplemental Questionnaire is designed to measure the knowledge, skills and/or abilities in job-related areas required for the position.  Applicants will be given a deadline to return the Supplemental Questionnaire. Those who do not respond by the established deadline will not be eligible to continue in the examination process and will not be added to eligibility list resulting from this process. All applicants’ responses to the Supplemental Questionnaire are subject to verification.

A passing score must be achieved on the Supplemental Questionnaire Examination in order to continue in the selection process and be placed on the eligible list. Candidates will be placed on the eligible list in rank order according to their final score. Candidate scores on this examination may also be applied to other announcements involving other job titles, when directed by the Human Resources Director.

The department may administer additional position-specific selection procedures to make final hiring decisions.

NOTE:  Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed to advance through all of the steps in the selection process.

Eligible List/Score Report: A confidential eligible list of applicant names that have passed the civil service examination process will be created, and used for certification purposes only. An examination score report will be established, so applicants can view the ranks, final scores and number of eligible candidates. Applicant information, including names of applicants on the eligible list, shall not be made public unless required by law. However, an eligible list shall be made available for public inspection, upon request, once the eligible list is exhausted or expired and referrals resolved. The eligible list/score report resulting from this civil service examination process is subject to change after adoption (e.g., as a result of appeals), as directed by the Human Resources Director or the Civil Service Commission.

The duration of the eligible list resulting from this examination process will be of twelve (12) months, and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director.

Certification: The certification rule for the eligible list resulting from this examination will be Rule of the Ten.  The hiring department may administer additional position-specific selection procedures prior to making final hiring decisions.

To find Departments which use this classification, please see here.

Terms of Announcement and Appeal Rights: Applicants must be guided solely by the provisions of this announcement, including requirements, time periods and other particulars, except when superseded by federal, state or local laws, rules or regulations. Clerical errors may be corrected by the posting the correction on the Department of Human Resources website at here.

The terms of this announcement may be appealed under Civil Service Rule 111A.35.1. The standard for the review of such appeals is ‘abuse of discretion’ or ‘no rational basis’ for establishing the position description, the minimum qualifications and/or the certification rule. Appeals must include a written statement of the item(s) being contested and the specific reason(s) why the cited item(s) constitute(s) abuse of discretion by the Human Resources Director. Appeals must be submitted directly to the Executive Officer of the Civil Service Commission within five business days of the announcement issuance date.

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
• Seniority Credit in Promotional Exams
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

How to Apply: Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process. Visit https://careers.sf.gov/ and begin the application process.

• Select the “Apply Now” 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, @careers.sf.gov 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 https://sfdhr.org/having-technical-difficulties or email supportfeedback@smartr.me. SmartRecruiters recommends using Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge web browser to submit your application.

Recruitment Analyst Information: If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the analyst, Laurie Gee via email at LGee@sfwater.org.

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.