Career Opportunity

Transportation Planner III (5289) – Citywide – (T00093)

Recruitment: REF55931V

Published: September 29, 2025

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

About:

This is a Citywide Exam posting. Your application to this posting is an application to take a citywide exam.

The purpose of this announcement is to create an eligible list which will be used to fill future vacancies in this classification.

If you pass the exam, you will be emailed your score and ranking on the eligible candidate list. When a department has an open position with this job classification they will use this eligible list to hire for that position. Departments will contact candidates from this list to gauge interest in their specific roles. Learn more about the City’s hiring process here: https://careers.sf.gov/knowledge/process/

Application Opening: September 29, 2025
Application Deadline: Apply immediately. Application filing will be open at least through October 10, 2025 and will close any time thereafter.
Recruitment ID: CBT-5289-T00093 / REF55931V

San Francisco is a vibrant and dynamic city at the forefront of economic growth & innovation, urban development, arts & entertainment, as well as social issues & change. This rich tapestry of culture and ideas is sustained by our City's commitment to heighten the quality of life for San Franciscans and residents of the greater Bay Area. Our employees play an important role not only in making our City what it is today, but also in shaping the future of San Francisco. 

Role description

Under general supervision, the 5289 Transportation Planner III performs transportation planning work concerning public transportation, shuttle services, biking and walking, curb/parking management, paratransit, traffic management, commercial ground transportation management and other transportation modes.

Examples of Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

According to Civil Service Commission Rule 109, the duties specified below are representative of the range of duties assigned to this job code/class and are not intended to be an inclusive list.

1. Designs, conducts, analyzes and evaluates reports and plans for technical, social, economic and physical data for various transportation planning projects and grant requests.
2. Analyzes data to prepare plans and projections of future conditions and trends concerning public transit activities; creates and/or maintains databases to systematically organize transportation statistics.
3. Supervises and/or coordinates transportation projects by coordinating the efforts of a group of subordinates or peers toward completion of various phases of work in transportation planning.
4. Evaluates and makes recommendations on technical aspects of transportation projects planning, capital and/or operating projects involving various transit modes such as light rail, trolley coach, motor coach and cable car, circulator and commuter shuttle services, commercial ground transportation options; as well as auto traffic; bicycle and pedestrian transportation and paratransit parking.
5. Makes presentations to community, business, airport tenants or transportation agencies, and other groups to explain and develop transportation agencies, transportation planning or projects and coordinate with other peer working groups and public agencies.
6. Designs, prepares and/or directs the preparation of visual materials, signage information panel displays including graphs, charts, maps and models to illustrate presentations of transit or transportation projects; develops concepts and orders signage within terminals and information display panels and informational brochures.
7. Reviews and interprets legislation, codes and regulations, and applies transportation and other planning legislation to the development and implementation of transit and transportation projects and policies.
8. Designs and implements transit route and service changes for transportation schedules.

How to qualify

Education and Experience:

1. Possession of a Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in Planning, Transportation, Transportation Engineering, Public Administration or other closely related field; AND two (2) years of transportation planning experience; OR
2. Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university; AND four (4) years of transportation planning experience. Two (2) years of this experience must be at a professional level focused on the analysis, design, and development of transportation systems or services.

Substitution:

Additional transportation planning experience beyond the Minimum Qualifications may be substituted for the baccalaureate degree requirement in MQ #2 on a year-for-year basis. (30 semester units/45 quarter units equal one (1) year of experience).

Note: Internships and other training-focused experiences do not qualify towards the required years of professional-level experience.

Verification of Education and Experience:

Every application is reviewed to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications as listed in the job ad. Review SF Careers Employment Applications for considerations taken when reviewing applications.  

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 https://careers.sf.gov/knowledge/experience-education/. 

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.

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

Selection Procedures:

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

Written/Performance Examination (Weight: 100%): Candidates deemed eligible and admitted to the examination process will be administered a written/performance test designed to measure knowledge, skills and/or abilities in job-related areas which may include but not limited to: knowledge of the principles, practices and techniques of various phases of urban mass transit and/or transportation planning; knowledge of statistical and research methods; knowledge of drafting, mapping and information dissemination techniques; knowledge of transportation/transit regulations and computer-assisted evaluations techniques; knowledge of data sources for transit/transportation research; knowledge of transportation information presentation techniques and Environment Impact Analysis; ability to manage projects; ability to analyze and solve problems; ability to communicate ideas clearly and concisely; ability to write various documents; ability to deal tactfully and effectively with the public, governmental officials, professional and technical persons and other employees; ability to use relevant computer applications.

This is a standardized examination and, therefore, test questions and test answers are not available for public inspection or review. The examination will be computer-administered and conducted remotely. Candidates may only access and complete the test during the specific time period stated in the test notification.

What else should I know?

Eligibility 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 twelve (12) months and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director.

To find Departments which use this classification, please see the city’s Position Counts by Job Codes and Departments.

Airport-specific Conditions of Employment:

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Security Clearance: Candidates for employment with the San Francisco Airport Commission are required to undergo a criminal history record check, including FBI fingerprints, and Security Threat Assessment in order to determine eligibility for security clearance and may be required to undergo drug/alcohol screening. Per Civil Service Commission Rule Section 110.9.1, every applicant for an examination must possess and maintain the qualifications required by law and by the examination announcement for the examination. Failure to obtain and maintain security clearance may be basis for termination from employment with the Airport Commission.

Customs Clearance: Candidates for employment with the San Francisco Airport Commission are required to be qualified for unescorted access to the San Francisco International Airport U.S. Customs Security Area. An application for a U.S. Custom Access Seal may be submitted to Customs ONLY after employment has commenced. Employment in this position requires that the incumbent submit an application for, successfully acquire and maintain a Customs Access Seal. Per Civil Service Commission Rule 110.9.1, every applicant must possess and maintain the qualifications required by law and by the examination announcement for this examination. Failure to acquire or maintain customs access, a requirement for this position, may be basis for termination from employment with the Airport Commission. Customs Access Seal requirements and procedures are located in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 19, Part 122, Sections 181 or 189.

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 https://sf.gov/departments/civil-service-commission

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

Where and How to Apply:  Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process.

1. Visit Careers with Purpose | City and County of San Francisco (sf.gov)
2. Type "5289" in to the "Search by class or keyword" field.
3. Click the link to open the Job Announcement.
4. Select the “Apply Now” button and follow instructions on the screen.

Computers are available for the public (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday) to file online applications in the lobby of the Dept. of Human Resources at 1 South Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor and at the City Career Center at City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 110. 

Ensure your application information is accurate, as changes may not be possible after submission. Your first and last name must match your legal ID for verification, and preferred names can be included in parentheses. Use your personal email address, not a shared or work email, to avoid unfixable issues. 

Applicants will receive a confirmation email from notifications@smartrecruiters.com 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. 

If you have any questions, you may contact Madeleine Chanbanchong at Madeleine.Chanbanchong@sfmta.com. Recruitment ID: CBT-5289-T00093

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.