Career Opportunity

Senior Community Development Specialist I (9774)

Recruitment: RTF0135004-01154300

Published: June 28, 2023

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

About:

The San Francisco Planning Department is recruiting for one (1) Temporary Exempt (TEX) 9774 Senior Community Development Specialist I position for three years in our Community Equity Division.  This Senior Community Development Specialist I will join our Community Equity Division to support  the development of  the Fillmore/Western Addition, community strategies, with a particular focus on the Black community

Specific information regarding this recruitment process are listed below.

• Application Opening:  June 28, 2023
• Application Deadline:  July 19, 2023
• Recruitment ID:  RTF01035004-01154300
• Analyst:  Michael Eng

Appointment Type:  Temporary-Exempt.  This position is exempt from Civil Service Commission rules pursuant to the City and County of San Francisco, Charter Section 10.104, and incumbents serve at the discretion of the Appointing Officer.  The duration of the appointment shall not exceed 36 months.

The Department 
The San Francisco Planning Department plays a central role in guiding growth and development towards a healthy, vital, and equitable city. The Department works with other City agencies and communities to ensure equal access to resources for current and future generations.  

Under the direction of the Planning Commission, the Planning Department is responsible for  generating a collective vision for the General Plan, developing community plans; fostering exemplary design through planning controls; improving our surroundings through environmental analysis; preserving our unique heritage; encouraging a broad range of housing and a diverse job base; and enforcing the Planning Code.

San Francisco Planning is committed to ensuring that historically underserved communities have equitable access to opportunities in housing, transportation, economic development, and community services throughout the City. In 2020, the Planning Commission and Historic Preservation Commission adopted Resolution No. 20738 and Resolution No. 1127 respectively, centering San Francisco Planning’s work program and resource allocation on racial and social equity.

The Community Equity Division
The Planning Department prioritizes racial and social equity tasks across all divisions coordinated through the new Community Equity Division. The purpose of this Division is to reflect upon our historic and current inequities and revise our policies and implementation strategies to reverse inequities for our American Indian, Black communities, other communities of color, and other historically marginalized communities. The Division includes four teams: Equity Plan, Community Engagement, Tenderloin Community Plan, and Policies and Strategies. The Community Equity Division works closely with community leaders and the Office of Racial Equity. The Division is a collaborative, team-oriented environment with opportunities to work both individually and on project teams on a wide variety of issues to advance racial and social equity internally and externally.  

The Community Engagement Team  
The Community Engagement Team is responsible for increasing participation in SF Planning department functions through internal and external coordination, information-sharing and capacity-building as well as implementation strategies to increase resources in equity communities. The team does this by (1) removing barriers to participation in SF Planning department processes for historically oppressed groups including but not limited to American Indian, Black and Communities of Color and (2) supporting these communities through a self-determination framework to increase the effectiveness of public policy and the appropriate allocation of resources. 

Role description

The Opportunity
The 9774 Senior Community Development Specialist I for the San Francisco Planning Department (CPC) will be responsible for the development of community strategies in and around the Fillmore/Western Addition grounded in community engagement particularly in the Black community.  This staff will serve as a community liaison, support community development activities, and advance the implementation of the Housing Element to activate community priorities.

Essential duties include but are not limited to:

• Use a people-centered and capacity building-approach for long-term engagement.
• Collaborate with communities to address housing and land use needs in the Fillmore/Western Addition
• Through this public participation process, encourage community planning and self-determination that celebrates and strengthens the unique cultural and ethnic identity of the Fillmore/Western Addition Black/African American Community
• Support the Fillmore/Western Addition Community Engagement Fellowship and their respective organization in coordinating efforts with community stakeholders for the ongoing work of a housing and land use plan
• Ability to provide technical assistance to community groups and translate complex policy concepts into an accessible format for the public-at-large
• Strengthen the relationships between the City and community stakeholders and promoting a healthier, safer, resilient, and economically vibrant Fillmore/Western Addition
• Facilitate regular community-focused meetings as necessary including managing logistics such as scheduling, organizing materials, inviting appropriate city department representatives and participant outreach and communication 
• Attend and assist as needed with community meetings 
• Collaborate with City agencies, community organizations, neighborhood stakeholder groups, residents, businesses, and other community representatives to support implementation of critical projects and increase of community resources.
• Advocate in partnership and on behalf of the Fillmore/Western Addition community for funding for resources, staffing, and more at the city level 
• Share knowledge and collaborate with Community Engagement team and overall Community Equity Division staff.

How to qualify

Minimum Qualifications

1. Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university AND three (3) years of administrative/professional experience in community development, housing development, workforce development, finance, education, social work, children/youth work, or criminal justice; OR
    
2. Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with a major in one of the following fields: public or business administration, urban planning, government, social work, education, finance or criminal justice AND two (2) year of administrative/professional experience in community development, housing and/or housing development, workforce development, finance, education, social work, children/youth work, criminal justice; OR
    
3. Possession of a Master's degree from an accredited college or university in public policy, planning, social work, public administration, finance, education, criminal justice, or business administration; AND one (1) year of administrative/professional experience in community development, housing and /or housing development, workforce development, finance, education, social work, children/youth work, or criminal justice; OR
    
4. Possession of a Juris Doctor degree from an accredited college or university AND one (1) year of administrative/professional experience in community development, housing and/or housing development, workforce development, finance, education, social work, children/youth work, or criminal justice.

SUBSTITUTION:

Verifiable administrative/professional experience involving community development, housing and/or housing development, workforce development, finance, education, social work, children/youth work, or criminal justice may substitute for the educational requirement in Minimum Qualification #1 on a year-for-year basis.

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.

• Ability to project manage and to effectively handle multiple projects and demands within deadlines. 
• Excellent organizational skills, strong leadership, and ability to work collaboratively in teams. 
• Excellent written communication and analytic skills. 
• Strong research and analysis skills and creative, action-oriented problem solver.
• Knowledge and understanding of the Fillmore/Western Addition, Black/African American lived experience and the history and pressing neighborhood issues
• Experience and knowledge of Fillmore/Western Addition non-profit organizations, businesses, and leaders
• Passionate about working with diverse communities and improving outcomes 
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with departmental staff, representatives of other agencies and the public 
• Professional or lived experience collaborating, working with, facilitating community meetings, and doing inclusive and culturally competent community outreach and engagement, particularly in Black, American Indian, other communities of color, other historically marginalized communities, and multicultural communities with diverse interests.
• Strong written, presentation and public-speaking skills and ability to effectively convey and present complex information clearly to diverse communities, audiences and city staff, including community organizations, elected officials, residents, developers, property owners and the general public.
   

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

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. 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://sfdhr.org/how-verify-education-requirements

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.

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

How to Apply:

To be considered, please submit a SmartRecruiters application and attach to your application:

• An updated resume (required)
• A cover letter (required, no more than one page)

Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process.

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, 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.

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the analyst, Michael Eng, by telephone at 628-652-7522, or by email at Michael.Eng@sfgov.org. 

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT:  All City and County of San Francisco employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Someone is fully vaccinated when 14 days have passed since they received the final dose of a two-shot vaccine or a dose of a one-shot vaccine. Any new hire must present proof of full vaccination status to be appointed. Any new hire who will be routinely assigned or occasionally enter High-Risk Settings, must provide proof of having received a COVID-19 booster vaccine by March 1, 2022, or once eligible.

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.