Career Opportunity

9177 Manager of Administrative Hearings, Finance and IT Division - SF Municipal Transportation Agency

Recruitment: RTF0139718-01128660

Published: September 27, 2023

Accepting applications until: October 31, 2023

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

About:

APPOINTMENT TYPE: Permanent Exempt - This position is excluded by the Charter from the competitive Civil Service examination process and shall serve at the discretion of the Appointing Officer.

Application Opening: September 27, 2023

Deadline to Apply: October 31, 2023

Recruitment ID: 139719

Salary: $134,524 to $171,678 annually

Established by voters in 1999, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) was created with the objective to operate and manage the San Francisco’s transportation network as a single, integrated system. The SFMTA serves as the City and County of San Francisco’s transportation planner, designer, builder and operator of the eighth largest public transit system in the United States, the Municipal Railway (Muni). The agency is governed by a seven-member board who are appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors which provides policy oversight, including budgetary approval, and approves changes of fares, fees, and fines, ensuring representation of the public interest.

The Administrative Hearing Section of the SFMTA includes a dedicated team of Hearing Officers who conduct more than 18,500 administrative hearings annually. They deal with various issues mandated by law and include the following contested matters: parking and transit violation citations, towed and booted vehicles, disabled placard misuse, Safe Paths of Travel (“SPOT”) citations, citations, or administrative actions brought against taxi and shuttle permit holders and individuals/entities operating without legally required permits; hearings related to the use and operation for shared bicycles and e-scooter programs, and public hearings related to boot removal proposals. The Administrative Hearing Section also conducts hearings for patrons making ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) complaints against Muni Operators.  Finally, Hearing Officers also facilitate public hearings that are conducted for proposed parking and traffic changes.

Role description

The Manager of Administrative Hearings plans, directs and participates in the administration of the Administrative Hearing Section supervising two Administrative Hearing Supervisors and seven Administrative Hearing Examiners (Officers) as well as two support staff.

The Manager is responsible for developing policies and procedures for the adjudication of contested matters and acts as a liaison with other divisions and departments both within and outside the SFMTA, including the SF Superior Court, Department of Motor Vehicles (“DMV”), Mayor’s Office and Board of Supervisors. This position reports directly to the Chief Administrative and Financial Officer of the SFMTA.

Examples of Important and Essential Duties

• Develops and maintains policies and procedures for conducting administrative hearings on contested Agency matters to ensure the effective operation of the Section. Updates policies and procedures to comply with changes in laws, regulations and ordinances. Develops adjudication guidelines to ensure consistency, quality, and timeliness of administrative hearing decisions.
• Allocates staff resources to efficiently serve a constantly fluctuating level of customer service demands and achieve established service level goals (e.g., reducing wait times and timely administrative hearing decisions); ensures SFMTA Hearing Officers follow established policies and procedures.
• Develops and maintains metrics for reporting performance including hearing examiner productivity, hearing statistics, and hearing examiner caseloads. Prepares regular reports for management, identifying areas for improvement in the organization and recommending solutions to address them.
• Supports Hearing Officers by establishing formal training programs to increase Hearing Officer knowledge of SFMTA, Department of Motor Vehicle and other relevant agency policies and procedures; providing training on conflict management, de-escalation, avoiding violence in the workplace, due process standards, diversity and cultural biases; and mentors, coaches, and develops staff to handle new and different hearings and stay abreast of changes in the law and Agency policies and procedures.
• Coordinates with SFMTA Divisions/Section including Taxis, Access & Mobility Services Division and Streets Division including Parking Enforcement, and Security, to explain and justify Administrative Hearing Section policies and procedures; ensures Administrative Hearing Section policies and procedures are consistent with other SFMTA policies and procedures and vice versa, and brings differing SFMTA policies and procedures into alignment.
• Regularly evaluates business processes for improvements and implements changes as needed to improve efficiencies.
• Interacts with various city staff and officials from outside agencies. Explains and justifies administrative procedures and resolves difficult issues. Communicates effectively and maintains credible and positive working relationships with the SFPD, Mayor’s Office, Board of Supervisors, Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), and SF Superior Court.
• Drafts and/or reviews proposed legislation for the San Francisco Transportation and California Vehicle Codes. Keeps Agency abreast of legislation affecting Agency matters.
• Interfaces with the public on contested matters and handles sensitive customer issues referred by the Board of Supervisors and Mayor’s offices, as well as referrals by state and federal officials.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

How to qualify

Minimum Qualifications:

1. Possession of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university; AND
2. Five (5) years of experience interpreting laws and regulations, and/or exercising independent judgment in the application of defined principles, practices, and regulations in functional areas such as: conducting administrative hearings, mediations, arbitrations, labor and/or contract negotiations, or closely related work; AND
3. Including two (2) years of experience managing staff interpreting laws and regulations, and/or exercising independent judgment in the application of defined principles, practices, and regulations in functional areas such as conducting administrative hearings, mediations, arbitrations, labor and/or contract negotiations, or closely related work.

Substitution:

Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education in Minimum Qualification on a year-for-year basis. One year (2000 hours) of qualifying experience will be considered equivalent to 30 semester units/45 quarter units.

Possession of an advanced degree from an accredited college or university may substitute for one year of the required non-supervisory experience listed above. This substitution may not be applied to the required two (2) years of supervisory experience.

Notes:

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

2. One (1) year full-time experience is equivalent to 2000 hours. (2000 hours of qualifying work experience is based on a 40-hour work week). Any overtime hours that you work above forty (40) hours per week are not included in the calculation to determine full-time experience.

Desirable Qualifications:

The stated desirable qualifications may be used to identify candidates advancing to the interview process and/or to identify job finalist(s) at the end of the selection process when referred for hiring.

• Ability to analyze and interpret codes, statutes, and regulations and apply the facts of each case to the law and reach a sound legal conclusion; draft legal decisions that are cogent and supported by the evidence.
• Training in mediation and/or conflict resolution.
• Knowledge of organizational efficiency principles and practices, and ability to analyze current business practices and recommend improvements and improved efficiencies to reduce costs and enhance the customer experience.
• Demonstrated experience supervising, motivating, and evaluating staff.
• Skilled in identifying problems and formulating and implementing effective solutions to complex issues and problems.
• Ability to take the initiative while using tact, discretion, diplomacy, and knowledge of the political environment in dealing with sensitive situations.
• Ability to establish and maintain working and effective relationships with governmental officials, SFMTA staff and members of other departments, and outside agencies.
• Knowledge of organizational principles and practices, administrative techniques and personnel management.
• Ability to present complex facts and data clearly and concisely both orally and in writing.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, determine priorities aligned with those of the organization, and work independently.
• Ability to direct subordinate supervisors engaged in diverse activities, and to provide feedback and coaching on performance.
• Possession of professional integrity and ethics and demonstrated experience being fair and impartial.
• Demonstration of good judgment and sensitivity in response to the public and explain regulatory and legislative issues clearly and succinctly to lay persons.

What else should I know?

Verification:

Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. More information can be found at: https://sfdhr.org/information-about-hiring-process#verification. 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 Process:

Applications will be screened for relevant qualifying experience.  Additional screening mechanisms may be used to determine candidates' qualifications.  Only those applicants who most closely meet the needs of the Agency will be invited to move forward in the selection process.

• Information About the Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview
• Equal Employment Opportunity
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

For questions or inquiries, please contact the analyst, Tracy Pon at Tracy.Pon2@sfmta.com.

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.