Career Opportunity

Park Services Manager (0922) - SF Recreation & Parks

Recruitment: RTF0140351-01154920

Published: November 13, 2023

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

About:

Specific information regarding this recruitment process are listed below:

• Please read Critical Tips for Applying on Smartr before you apply
• Contact: ian.talley@sfgov.org
• Application Opening: October 30, 2023
• Application Deadline: November 14, 2023
• Compensation Range: Normal annual salary range is $125,242 - $159,926 (Range A)

This is a Position-Based Test conducted in accordance with CSC Rule 111A.

Amid a dynamic and ever-evolving urban landscape, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department stewards one of the premier urban park systems in America.  San Francisco recently became the first city in the United States for which 100% of its residents live within a ten-minute walk of a park.  Considered by San Franciscans to be one of the City’s most popular and effective public agencies, our Department manages and maintains more than 225 parks, playgrounds, and open spaces in San Francisco, including two outside of city limits: Sharp Park in Pacifica and Camp Mather in the High Sierras. Our 4,100- acre system includes 25 recreation centers, 9 swimming pools, 5 golf courses and numerous athletic facilities, including sports courts, ball diamonds, soccer fields and gymnasiums. Included in the department’s responsibilities are Golden Gate Park, Coit Tower, the Marina Yacht Harbor, the Palace of Fine Arts, and TPC Harding Park golf course.

More than 2,000 talented individuals are part of our team, from gardeners, foresters, and recreation leaders to park rangers, custodians, electricians, painters and more. Our core mission, as it has been throughout our history, is to provide opportunities for San Francisco residents and visitors alike to gather, play, learn, relax, and enjoy nature in the city.

Role description

Under the direction of the Superintendent of Parks and Open Space, the Park Services Manager oversees a geographical area within San Francisco consisting of various public parklands, natural resources, open spaces and department facilities. The essential functions and responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

• Manages a Park Services Area, providing oversight of public parklands, facilities, recreational activities, and events;
• Recruits, trains and supervises Park Section Supervisors, Gardeners, Gardener Apprentices, Nursery and Integrated Pest Management Specialists, Laborers and Laborer Supervisors, Custodial Supervisors, Assistant Custodial Supervisors, Custodians, Public Service Trainees, interns, and volunteers; develops and implements work plans, and evaluates performance.
• Provides direct management and supervisory oversight to the creation, care, restoration and maintenance of parks, open spaces, natural habitats, native species, landscapes, athletic fields, grounds and supporting facilities and amenities;
• Provides leadership in developing, carrying out, communicating and enforcing policies and procedures;
• Works with Project Managers on capital projects, which may involve reading construction documents and plan review, instructing, monitoring, evaluating, and reviewing the work of outside contractors;
• Leads collaborative efforts with community stakeholders and provides support to partner organizations to further the stewardship of the City's parks and open spaces;
• Conducts problem-solving requiring analysis of issues that may result in deviations from routine processes, integration of new technology, and/or acquisition of additional resources; and
• Coordinates property management and concessions.

How to qualify

1. A Bachelor of Art or Science Degree in Horticulture, Agronomy, Botany, Landscape Architecture, or related field; AND
2. Five (5) years of professional experience in the care and maintenance of landscaped grounds, sport fields, and/or golf courses, two (2) years of which must include supervisory experience; AND
3. Possession of a valid California Driver's License.

Substitution: Verifiable professional experience in the care and maintenance of landscaped grounds, sport fields, and/or golf courses may substitute for the required degree on a year-for-year basis for up to four (4) years. One (1) year is equivalent to thirty (30) semester units/forty-five (45) quarter units.

Desirable Qualifications     

• Master's degree in horticulture, agronomy, horticulture, botany landscape architecture or other related field;
• Certifications in irrigation systems design, maintenance and auditing;
• Experience restoring and renovating public parks, landscape and/or sports fields;
• Knowledge (intermediate) of the principles and practices of capital project management; and
• Ability (strong) to communicate effectively both orally and in writing with diverse staff.

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. More information can be found at: https://sfdhr.org/information-about-hiring-process#verication

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?

Supervisory Test Battery (Weight: 40%): Candidates will be invited to participate in a computer-based examination designed to measure competencies in job-related areas which may include but not be limited to: Problem Solving; Leadership; Decision Making; Interpersonal skill; Human Resources Management; Team Building; Communication; Conflict Management and Process Improvement. For more information about this Supervisory Test (and a suggested reading list) please visit Supervisory Test Battery (STB). Please note: this examination is only held in San Francisco. A passing score must be achieved on the Supervisory Test Battery to continue in the selection process.

This is a standardized examination and, therefore, test questions and answers are not available for public inspection or review. Scores attained on the Supervisory Test Battery 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 take the Supervisory Test Battery. The Supervisory Test Battery may be used for many other classes; therefore, your test score may be applied to one or more of these classes if you choose to apply to future recruitments. If the selection process for the future announcement is held within one year of the date of this examination and it includes the Supervisory Test Battery, 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 Supervisory Test Battery. Retesting 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 Supervisory Test Battery is used. Please note that, should you re-test, your re-test score would become your official score since it is the most recent.  

Behavioral Consistency Questionnaire (Weight: 60%):
Candidates who receive a passing score on the Supervisory Test Battery (STB) will be provided via email, a Behavioral Consistency Questionnaire (BCQ). Candidates will be evaluated on their relative knowledge, skill and ability levels in job-related areas. Candidates must achieve a passing score on the BCQ in order to be placed on the confidential eligible list in rank order according to their final score. A passing score must be achieved on each of the above-described exams in order to be included on the confidential eligible list. After the confidential eligible list is adopted, the department may administer additional selection procedures to make a final hiring decision.  

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. 

Eligible List Duration:
The duration of the eligible list resulting from this examination process will be of six (6) months and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director. 

To find Departments which use this classification, please see https://sfdhr.org/sites/default/files/documents/ASO-Level-Chart.pdf?documentID=21246. 

Certification Rule: The certification rule for the eligible list resulting from this examination will be Rule of The List. Additional selection processes may be conducted by the hiring department prior to making final hiring decisions.

Exam Type: Combined Promotive and Entrance

Additional Information Regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco

• Information About The Hiring Process
• Position Based Testing Information
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview  
• Equal Employment Opportunity 
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Veterans Preference
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

Candidates for positions with the San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department may be disqualified from consideration should their conviction history not meet the standards established under California Public Resources Code 5164.

Race and Social Equity Statement
We believe that parks and open space in San Francisco provides the opportunity to model equitable access for all.  With this belief, San Francisco became the first city in the United States for which 100% of its residents live within a ten-minute walk of a park. The Recreation and Park Department’s goal is to close the gaps and improve equity and access to quality parks and open space, and recreation activities for historically marginalized communities.  

We envision a department that proactively infuses racial and social equity in its internal operations.  With a multi-disciplinary team of talented individuals - gardeners, recreation leaders, park rangers, custodians, craft shop personnel, park and recreation managers and more, the department is committed to doing its part to provide equitable access to parks and programs for all the communities we serve to enjoy, as well as foster a work environment where our differences are celebrated, and everyone has what they need to thrive regardless of their race, age, ability, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or country of origin.

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.

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.