Career Opportunity

Senior Telephone Operator (1708) - H00101 - San Francisco Department of Public Health

Recruitment: REF38798M

Published: April 26, 2025

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

About:

4/25/2025 - Amended to reflect updated selection procedures and certification rule.

• Application Reopening - Friday, April 25, 2025
• Updated Application Deadline - Friday, May 2, 2025
• Original Application Opening – Monday, September 23, 2024
• Original Application Deadline – Tuesday, October 1, 2024
• Salary: $69,368.00 - $84,266.00 Annually
• Appointment Type: Permanent Civil Service
• Recruitment ID: CBT-1708-H00101

Role description

Under general supervision, the Senior Telephone Operator performs the duties of an attendant console operator, operating voice and data communication equipment, Public Branch Exchange, Centrex, emergency and monitoring equipment, and related systems.

• Answer, Screen and route incoming calls
• Uses call management systems and computers to provide the public with information regarding public events, City functions, and services, ensuring accurate and timely responses.
• Prepare reports of telephone activities and other records
• Update personnel and department directories
• Reports hardware and/or software problems with communications equipment to the telephone company, supervisors and/or appropriate city personnel
• Assists in the distribution and tracking of telecommunication equipment, may include pagers, Wi-Fi devices, and mobile phones. Processes requests to the IT department for equipment allocation, setup, and maintenance, ensuring all devices are properly managed and operational.
• Supervises/acts as lead operator by issuing work assignments and monitoring work schedules and performance.
• Operates two-way radio communication equipment in order to communicate emergency and other third-party information to mobile units and institutional police, to communicate with disaster teams during drills, actual disasters or when the telephone network is not functioning.
• Dispatches teams of medical emergency workers in response to code blues and other requests for emergency assistance.
• Operates overhead public address system for public announcements and paging employees
• Initiates service requests for repairs and installations of equipment by coordinating with the Department of Telecommunication and Information Services, telecommunication carriers, and other vendors
• Trains and instructs operators in the procedural operation of a voice and data communication console and related equipment.

The 1708 Senior Telephone Operator performs other related duties as assigned/required.

Shifts: Varied. Most positions require flexibility to work various 8-hour shifts, weekends, and holidays as coverage needs dictate. Days, evenings, nights, overnights, weekends, and/or holiday shifts may be required.

Nature of Work: May be required to work alone on a shift; work day, evening, night, holidays and/or weekend shifts; respond to angry callers, disasters, and emergencies; and manage multiple tasks for immediate action.

How to qualify

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS (required)

• One (1) year of experience as an operator of a multiple-line voice communication console or a computerized telecommunication system; AND
• Ability to type 35 words per minute.

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

One year of full-time employment is equivalent to 2,000 hours (2,000 hours of qualifying work experience is based on a 40-hour work week). 

Special Condition - Bilingual Proficiency: Some positions may require bilingual fluency in a variety of languages depending upon the department's bilingual needs. Only those eligible candidates who pass the bilingual proficiency test will be considered for bilingual positions. Applicants must indicate on the application form the language(s) in which they claim proficiency. 

Important Note: Please make sure it is absolutely clear in your application exactly how you meet the minimum qualifications. Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. Please be aware that any misrepresentation of this information may disqualify you from this recruitment or future job opportunities. 

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.

Oral/Performance Examination  (Weight: 100%): Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications will be invited to participate in an oral/performance examination designed to measure relative knowledge, skill, and ability levels in job-related areas.  A passing score must be achieved on the exam in order to be placed/ranked on the Eligible List.  Candidates will be placed in rank order according to their final score on the exam.

Additional selection processes may be conducted by the hiring department prior to making final hiring decisions.

Certification
The certification rule for the eligible list resulting from this examination will be the Rule of Ten Scores.

Eligible List/Score Report:
Once you pass the exam, you will be placed onto an eligible list and given a score and a rank. For more information, visit https://careers.sf.gov/knowledge/process/

The duration of the eligible list resulting from this examination process will be 6 months and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director.

Additional information

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

Our e-mail communications may come from more than one department so please make sure your email is set to accept messages from all of us at this link. 

Applicants may be contacted by email about this recruitment therefore, it is their responsibility to contact the Analyst if they update their email address. 

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.

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. [Note: The correction of clerical errors in an announcement may be posted on the Department of Human Resources website at https://careers.sf.gov/.] The terms of this announcement may be appealed under Civil Service Rule 110.4. Such appeals must be submitted in writing to the Department of Human Resources, 1 S Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103-5413 by close of business on the 5th business day following the issuance date of this examination announcement. Information concerning other Civil Service Commission Rules involving announcements, applications and examination policies, including applicant appeal rights, can be found on the Civil Service Commission website at http://sfgov.org/civilservice/rules.  

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 Workers
• Reasonable Accommodation
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement
• Veterans Preference
• Seniority Credit in Promotional Exams

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the analyst, Diane Zhou at diane.zhou@sfdph.org or 628-271-6703 .

We may use text messaging to communicate with you on the phone number provided in your application. The first message will ask you to opt in to text messaging.

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.