Career Opportunity

Public Service Clerk – San Francisco Department of Elections (1404 Clerk)

Recruitment: REF35191Q

Published: December 11, 2023

Accepting applications until: December 17, 2023

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

About:

Department Background

The mission of the Department of Elections (Department) is to provide equitable access to voting and election-related services and to conduct free, fair, and functional elections for the City and County of San Francisco. Department staff work year-round to ensure that every eligible San Franciscan has easy access to safe, barrier-free registration and voting options. The Department also works continuously to improve its elections programs with the goal of making them ever more efficient and responsive to the needs of San Francisco voters.

The Department strives to cultivate a workplace environment in which employees of all racial and ethnic backgrounds feel respected, valued, and supported in providing the fairest and most effective services possible to San Francisco residents. The Department is committed to maintaining an inclusive workplace and to providing the training and resources necessary for all employees to succeed in delivering equitable services to city residents. (To learn more about our internal racial equity goals, please read the Department’s 2021-23 Racial Equity Action Plan.)

The Department is committed to reaching job seekers from underrepresented communities. Applicants with such backgrounds are therefore strongly encouraged to apply.

Role description

Position Description

In preparation for the March 5, 2024 Presidential Primary Election, the Department is seeking applications for two seasonal positions of Public Service Clerk to assist with providing election information to candidates, campaigns, voters, and the general public in person, over the phone, and by email. This position will also assist the Department’s Emergency Ballot Delivery Program and may be responsible in driving to hospitalized or homebound voters who requested emergency ballot pick-up and delivery. This position involves working directly with the public.

The ideal candidate is reliable, a team-player, and has experience learning new subject matter quickly and communicating that information to public audiences. 

This position will assist candidates, campaigns, voters, and members of the public who visit the office, call or email the Department with inquiries about filing for an office, voter registration process, voting options, and other election information. When performing these duties, a person in this position will use the Department’s voter registration database, online tools, website, and other resources to provide information.

Typical tasks include:

1. Providing election information in a courteous and professional manner that is free of personal opinion, to customers visiting the Department’s office in City Hall, Room 48, through e-mail, and over the phone, while using several applications simultaneously.
2. Assisting customers with navigating the Department’s website and online tools and filing paperwork.
3. Reviewing and assessing candidate and ballot measure filing paperwork for completion and accuracy.
4. Responding to campaign and voter inquiries and/or redirecting inquiries to the appropriate personnel when needed. 
5. Informing voters of their options to participate in the upcoming election and any relevant legal requirements.
6. Facilitating observation tours.
7. Assisting with the Emergency Ballot Delivery Program, and delivering and picking up ballots.
8. Assisting with various clerical tasks such as filing and scanning. 
9. Conducting presentations and resource tables at community events throughout San Francisco.

Position Schedule, Requirements, and Work Location

This is a seasonal position, with the start date contingent upon completion of the hiring process. The Department is looking to have the person in this position start on January 8, 2024. The end date for the position is approximately second week of March 2024, with opportunity for assignment extension depending on the operational needs of the Department in the post-election cycle. This position requires sitting and standing for prolonged periods, being able to multitask between phone and computer, and lifting and moving up to 25 pounds.

Work will be on site at the Department of Elections Office at City Hall, San Francisco, California. Work hours will vary in accordance with the demands of the election cycle and will range between 40 and 60 hours per week. Although most work is expected to be completed during normal workday hours, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday, employees must be available to work overtime both during the week and on weekends as necessary. Overtime hours will be paid at 1.5 the hourly rate.

This is a temporary exempt as-needed position. Temporary exempt as-needed employees who have worked more than 1040 hours in any consecutive 12 month period, and whose normal work week at the time of inclusion in the system is not less than 20 hours are eligible for health coverage and retirement benefits. For more information on the City and County of San Francisco benefit policies, refer to the Employee Handbook available at https://sfdhr.org/sites/default/files/documents/Forms-Documents/Employee-Handbook.pdf

Position Salary: $28.925 to $35.15 hourly

$60,164 to $73,112 annually

How to qualify

Minimum Qualifications:

One (1) year of clerical experience including preparing and maintaining a variety of records and/or documents, filing, use of office equipment, public contact and processing of incoming and outgoing mail.

Substitution:  Completion of an approved City and County of San Francisco Clerical Administrative Training program, or completion of a clerical training program (240 hours), or 15 semester units (or equivalent quarter units) of coursework from an accredited college or university may substitute for up to 6 months of required experience.

Applicants must have a valid California driver's license and a clean DMV record.
Desired Qualifications:

• A demonstrated strong work ethic and high level of integrity
• Experience providing excellent customer service
• Experience accurately entering data and using computer software
• Flexibility and tolerance for occasional long hours
• Ability to maintain enthusiasm, patience, and a positive demeanor

To be considered for this position, applications must be received by 5:00 p.m., Sunday, December 17, 2023.

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the Elections Hiring Team at elections.careers@sfgov.org.

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

Carol Isen - Human Resources Director

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

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.