Career Opportunity

Security Guard 8202 - Citywide C00461

Recruitment: REF60514H

Published: May 28, 2026

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.

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: Wednesday, May 27, 2026

Application Deadline: Apply Immediately. Application filing will be open at least through Friday, June 11, 2026 and will close any time thereafter. 

Salary Range: $62,972 – $93,002

San Francisco is a vibrant and dynamic city, on 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 the diverse population of 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, patrols public buildings and grounds to safeguard property against damage, hazardous situations, or unauthorized entry; and performs related duties as required. Requires responsibility for: enforcing rules and regulations governing the access to and use of public facilities; preparing routine reports of time and work done; making routine contact with the general public and operating personnel in the patrolling and safeguarding of public facilities.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

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. Patrols grounds or makes rounds of buildings, punching in on watchman’s clock at various stations; prevents the entry of unauthorized persons on premises.

2. Watches for fire or fire hazards or other unusual conditions.

3. Checks to see if windows and doors are locked and lights turned out.

4. Observes improperly functioning equipment and reports defects noted.

5. In a hospital or other institution, secures emergency supplies and materials for wards; places and removes tables and chairs in classrooms when needed.

6. May perform part time incidental duties such as: operate elevator; relieve on switchboard; park cars, and perform minor maintenance and cleanup tasks.

Other, duties required of Security Guards specifically in a museum setting may include, but are not limited to:

• Standing the majority of the shift.
• During emergencies, may occasionally perform a variety of duties in assisting in the installation and removal of temporary exhibits

How to qualify

Possession of all the following three requirements:

1. One year of verifiable experience as a security officer; AND

2. Possession of a current California Security Guard Registration Card issued by the California State Bureau of Security and Investigative Services AND

3. Possession of a High School Diploma or G.E.D. Certificate

License and Certification:

For driving positions: Requires possession of a valid state motor vehicle operator’s license.

Desirable Qualifications for Museum positions:

• Prior customer service experience
• Current CPR certification

The stated desirable qualifications may be considered at the end of the selection process when candidates are referred for hiring.

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.

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

Security Guard Multiple Choice Examination: (Weight 100%):
Qualified candidates will be administered a written multiple-choice test to determine their relative knowledge, skill, and ability level in one or more of the following job-related areas as appropriate: Ability to write accurate and clear reports of incidents; knowledge of safety and security procedures to include the general techniques and practices for public safety and preventing loss or damage to public facilities; and ability to deal tactfully with the public and staff by providing customer service in a polite, helpful, and effective manner.

This is a standardized written multiple-choice examination. In accordance with Civil Service Rule 111.11.4, inspection privileges do not apply to the questions and answers in this examination. The multiple-choice exam will be administered either on a computer or in a paper format. Qualified candidates will be notified of the type of exam format in their exam appointment notification.

Your score will be valid and 'banked' for three years, starting from the date of the examination. This means that, during this three-year time period, you will not be required to re-take this test. If the selection process for a future announcement is held within one year of the date of this examination and it includes this exam your score will be automatically applied to that announcement. However, after one year, you have the option to either (a) apply your test score to the other announcement or (b) re-take the test. Re-testing is permitted no sooner than one year from the date of the examination and only in association with your eligibility for another announcement for which the test is used. Please note that, should you re-test, your re-test score would become your official score since it is the most recent.

Note: A passing score must be achieved on all examination components in order to be placed on the Eligible List. The hiring department may administer additional position-specific procedures to make final hiring decisions.

What else should I know?

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 24 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.

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

Where to Apply 

All job applications for the City and County of San Francisco must be submitted through our online portal. Please visit https://careers.sf.gov/ to begin your application process.  

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 notification@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 Anita Nham at Anita.nham@sfgov.org. Recruitment ID: REF60514H

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.