Career Opportunity

Park Ranger - Rec and Parks (8208)

Recruitment: REF36047W

Published: February 12, 2024

Accepting applications until: February 11, 2024

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About:

ALL APPLICANTS MUST SUBMIT VERIFICATION (PROOF) OF THEIR QUALIFYING EDUCATION EXPERIENCE, CERTIFICATIONS, LICENSURE AND/OR APPLICABLE EDUCATION AT THE TIME OF FILING APPLICATION.

FAILURE TO SUBMIT THE REQUIRED VERIFICATION WILL RESULT IN THE REJECTION OF YOUR APPLICATION.

Application Opening: January 19, 2024
Application Deadline: February 11, 2024 (Filing deadline extended on 2/1)
Contact: antonio.archuleta@sfgov.org
Compensation: $75,322 - $91,546 annually

Please read Critical Tips for Applying on Smartr before you apply.

About the Recreation and Park Department
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.

About Park Patrol
The Recreation and Park Department's Park Patrol endeavor to provide a competent and effective public safety service to all persons by preserving peace, protecting life and property, and enforcing Park Code.

Role description

The Park Ranger is the entry-level class in the series. As a Park Ranger, you will be responsible for providing public safety, park information and protecting Recreation and Park Department properties. Under immediate supervision, you will patrol assigned areas on foot, by bicycle, truck, and patrol car in an effort to prevent damage, destruction or theft to parks, recreation grounds and facilities. Essential duties include, but are not limited to:

• Inspect buildings to ensure they are properly secured; Check equipment to see that fire hazards are not present; Check areas for vandalism; Check and secure/lock restrooms and other properties at night and unlocking for daytime use; Report any problems that need corrections through an electronic work order system; Maintain the security of buildings/facilities;
• Remove road obstructions, lift and place barricades (20 or more) at road closures, as required; Prevent improper or prohibited use of recreational facilities and equipment by park users;
• Assist the public as an informational officer for directions around the park system and for park events;
• Act as a public officer; Apprehend or cite persons engaged in acts of vandalism, theft and/or other criminal activity in accordance with applicable codes, laws and regulations; turn subjects over to police department and report all actions, when necessary;
• Write reports when arrests are made as a result of criminal actions;
• Coordinate response on wildlife issues such as rescue, protection and preservation of park wildlife with appropriate agencies; Enforces existing dog, bird and wildlife policies;
• Enforces parking regulations by writing parking citations for vehicles illegally parked on Department property;
• Enforces park code by writing citations for violations of the Park code, such as the use of the park for special events without a valid use permit; Confirms that event organizers have valid use permits;
• Enforces field closures when weather or other conditions are not suitable for public use; and
• Perform other duties as assigned

Reasons You May Love This Job

• Getting to work outdoors;
• Having a direct effect on people’s lives;
• Being challenged daily;
• Working with an excellent team;
• Opportunity to learn about San Francisco and its extensive history;
• Developing your knowledge, skills and abilities; and
• You will work in a department with integrity, which trusts, engages and values its employees

How to qualify

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

1. One (1) year (equivalent to 2000 hours) of verifiable work experience as a police officer, member of a military police unit, park ranger, security officer/guard, or a similar position which actively protects life and property or issues citations and performs code enforcement (i.e., park, vehicle and/or penal code); AND
2. Possession of a valid driver license

Substitution: Successful completion of Basic P.O.S.T. Academy may substitute for the required experience; OR Possession of thirty (30) semester units or forty-five (45) quarter units from an accredited college or university may substitute for the required experience.

Note:  Must obtain California Penal Code Section 832 Powers of Arrest Certification within 6 months of employment.

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

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

• Two (2) or more years of verifiable work experience as a police officer, member of a military police unit, park ranger, security officer/guard or a similar position which actively protects life and property or issues citations and performs code enforcement (i.e., park, vehicle and/or penal code);
• Possession of an associate or bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university;
• Current State of California security guard, baton and chemical agents (e.g., tear gas) license;
• Possession of First Aid, CPR or First Responders certificate;
• Demonstrated good driving history record;
• Ability to effectively use basic computer programs and smart phone;
• Ability to analyze a situation to make effective decisions under stressful conditions;
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team;
• Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously;
• Ability to communicate exceptionally with others;
• Ability to write clear and concise reports; and
• Ability to provide strong customer service.

SUBMITTING VERIFICATION
Applicants are required to submit verification they meeting the Minimum Qualifications as stated above prior to the filing deadline.  If you are submitting education verification, information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at https://sfdhr.org/sites/default/files/documents/Job-Seekers/How-to-Verify-Education-Requirements.pdf.

Verification should be scanned and emailed to antonio.archuleta@sfgov.org with the subject line: “8208 Verification”.

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.

All work experience, education, training and other information substantiating how you meet the minimum qualifications must be included on your application by the filing deadline. Information submitted after the filing deadline will not be considered in determining whether you meet the minimum qualifications.

Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed City and County of San Francisco application. Applications completed improperly may be cause for ineligibility, disqualification or may lead to lower scores.

What else should I know?

Park Ranger Core Exam (Weight: 100%): Candidates that meet the minimum qualifications will be invited to participate in a multiple choice exam designed to measure knowledge, skills and/or abilities in job-related areas which may include but not limited to:  knowledge of park areas, facilities and locations operated by the recreation and park department; knowledge of departmental regulations governing use of park and recreation facilities; knowledge of operating electronic equipment; ability to act quickly in emergencies; ability to remain calm and think clearly in difficult, stressful, frustrating, and/or confrontational situations; ability to follow patrol procedures and observe any suspicious activity and violation of park misuse; ability to interact effectively with public safety agencies, members of the general public, and departmental staff; ability to maintain a positive attitude; skill in communicating effectively, both orally and in writing; ability to prepare written communications in an understandable, clear and concise manner using correct grammar, punctuation, vocabulary and spelling; ability to prepare simple operational reports; ability to condense desired messages into grammatically correct and succinct written passages; and the ability to carry out written and oral instructions.

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.

This is a standardized 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 score you achieve on this examination shall 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 this test again should you apply and be found eligible for a future announcement for which this particular test is used.  Note, the Park Ranger Core Exam is also used for class 8210 Head Park Ranger.  This means that your test score may be applied to the other classification if you choose to apply for future recruitments that utilize this exam.  If the test for a future announcement is held within one year of the date of this examination, 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 this 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.

A passing score must be achieved in order to be placed/ranked on the Eligible List. The hiring 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. 

Eligible List Duration: The duration of the eligible list resulting from this examination process will be of 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 Ten Scores. Additional selection processes may be conducted by the hiring department prior to making final hiring decisions.

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 https://sfdhr.org/sites/default/files/documents/Forms-Documents/Position-Count-by-Job-Codes.pdf.

Exam Type: Entrance Only

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

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.