Career Opportunity

Senior Community Development Specialist I (9774)

Recruitment: RTF0139126-01114502

Published: November 22, 2023

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

About:

This is a Position Based Test conducted in accordance with Civil Service Rule 111A.

• Application Opening:  November 22, 2023
• Application Deadline:  November 30, 11:59 PM PST
• Recruitment ID:  RTF0139126-01114502
• Exam Type:  Combined, Promotive and Entrance
• Analyst:  Zoey Feng

The Department
The San Francisco Planning Department (CPC) plays a central role in guiding the growth and development in our City. The Department works with other City agencies and the community to help achieve great planning for a great city.   

The Community Equity Team
The Planning Department prioritizes racial and social equity tasks across all divisions coordinated through the Community Equity unit under the guidance of our Commissions’ Equity Resolutions and the Equity Council. This is a temporary (5-10 year) unit to support the transition of the Department towards a strong equity framework.  The purpose of this unit is to reflect upon our historical 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. Community Equity includes three teams: Racial & Social Equity Plan Team, the Community Engagement Team, and Policies and Strategies Team. The teams work closely with community leaders and the San Francisco Office of Racial Equity and collaborate with staff of other City agencies and the general public. The unit is a collaborative, team-oriented environment working on a wide variety of issues to advance racial and social equity internally and externally. Community outreach and engagement is a critical part of our work.

Our Mission
The mission of the San Francisco Planning Department, under the direction of the Planning Commission, shapes the future of San Francisco and the region by: generating an extraordinary vision for the General Plan and in neighborhood 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. 

Our Racial and Social Equity Vision 
The Department’s racial and social equity vision is:  

The SF Planning Department envisions inclusive neighborhoods that provide all with the opportunity to lead fulfilling, meaningful, and healthy lives. We envision a city where public life and public spaces reflect the past, present, and future of San Franciscans. We envision a city where a person’s race does not determine their lives’ prospects and success. 

We envision an inclusive Planning Department and Commissions that represent and engage the communities we serve. We envision a department that proactively infuses racial and social equity in both internal operations and external Planning work. Together, we are reimagining what the Planning field is and can be – inclusive, diverse and one that centers racial and social equity both as a practice and as an indicator of success. 

To achieve this broader city vision, we must do our part and address racial and social equity within the Planning Department’s policies and practices.

Role description

Job Description

Under general supervision, performs a variety of activities related to the funding of various local projects and programs by the Mayor's Office of Community Development; may participate in significant program planning, development, project implementation and evaluation; reviews project plans, programs, labor relations activities and affirmative action goals to assure compliance with Federal, State laws and regulations and local policies; conducts project analyses, makes recommendations on operational corrections to comply with contractual requirements and Federal regulations; develops methods of evaluating effectiveness of grant funded projects: prepares reports and records and performs related duties as required.

The essential functions of this position include but are not limited to: 

• Works in partnership with San Francisco communities on a variety of community associated issues, including housing affordability, small business strategies, family retention, and transportation challenges. Serves as the point person from the Planning Department to communities when addressing these issues.
• Develops implementation programs, policies, and continuous improvement strategies that address issues of inclusivity, equity and the stabilization of neighborhoods for quality life-long living.
• Supports and leads community outreach and engagement processes while also building capacity among stakeholders to take the lead in shaping the future of their neighborhoods.
• Conducts research studies and formulates recommendations for the Department, Planning Commissions, Stakeholders, and other city Commissions/Boards’ actions, by selecting, collecting, recording, tabulating, organizing and analyzing technical, physical, economic, social and statistical data to assist in planning policies and plan for future developments.
• Provides information orally and in writing to city agencies, property owners, developers, community organizations, the Planning Commission and the general public regarding Planning Department activities, goals and programs.
• Provides support for neighborhood stakeholders, including the development and presentation of reports and other documentation, one-on-one interactions, outreach to neighborhood organizations, public forums, and may staff community advisory committees.
• Develops and implements outreach and communications strategies tailored to engage equity communities and creates culturally sensitive and inclusive materials that resonate with diverse audiences, demonstrating a deep understanding of cultural nuance and sensitivities.

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.

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.

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

What else should I know?

Selection Procedures

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

1. Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire (MQSQ) - Qualifying
Candidates will be sent an MQSQ via email as part of the employment application. Applicants will be required to respond to the MQSQ in the time frame indicated, and submit their answers as directed. This MQSQ is designed to obtain specific information regarding an applicant's experience in relation to the Minimum Qualifications (MQs) for this position. The MQSQ will be used to evaluate if the applicant possesses the required minimum qualifications.

2. Supplemental Questionnaire Exam (SQ) - Weight 100%
Candidates who meet the minimum qualification for this position will be sent a Supplemental Questionnaire (SQ) via email to complete and return. Applicants will be required to respond to the SQ in the time frame indicated, and submit their answers as directed.

The Supplemental Questionnaire is designed to determine relative knowledge, skills and ability levels in job related areas which may include, but not be limited to:  Project/Time Management ability, Knowledge of Racial and Social Equity Concepts, ability to work with diverse neighborhood organizations, stakeholders, and equity communities, interpersonal relations ability and written Communication ability.

The SQ will account for 100% of the total weight of the final score.

A passing score must be achieved on all components of the selection procedures in order to be placed/ranked on the score report. The department may administer additional position-specific selection procedures to make final hiring decisions.

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.

Certification: The certification rule for the eligible list resulting from this examination will be Rule of Ten (10). Additional selection processes may be conducted by the hiring department prior to making final hiring decisions.

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

Upon approval of the Human Resource Director (see Civil Service Rule 111A.26.5), the eligible list/score report resulting from this announcement may be used by other departments that also use this classification or a similar classification. To find other Departments which use this classification, please see:  Position-Counts-by-Job-Codes-and-Department-FY-2021-22.pdf (sfdhr.org).

Terms of Announcement:
This is a Position Based Test conducted in accordance with Civil Service Rule 111A. 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.  Clerical errors may be corrected and, if so, an amended note will be posted on this official job announcement.

The terms of this announcement may be appealed under Civil Service Rule 111A.35.1. The standard for the review of such appeals is ‘abuse of discretion’ or ‘no rational basis’ for establishing the position description, the minimum qualifications and/or the certification rule.  Appeals must include a written statement of the item(s) being contested and the specific reason(s) why the cited item(s) constitute(s) abuse of discretion by the Human Resources Director.  Appeals must be submitted directly to the Executive Officer of the Civil Service Commission within five business days of the announcement issuance date.

How to Apply:

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

• Resume

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.

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
• Seniority Credit in Promotional Examinations
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

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

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.