Water Quality Technician III-(2482)-SFPUC-(154298)

Career Opportunity

Water Quality Technician III-(2482)-SFPUC-(154298)

Recruitment: REF52616E

Published: June 12, 2025

Contact:

Ivy Hankins - IHankins@sfwater.org

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

Department: Public Utilities Commission
Job class: 2482-Water Quality Technician III
Salary range: $104,234.00 - $126,698.00
Role type: Permanent Civil Service What does this mean?
Hours: Full-time
Exam type: Position Based Test
Rule: Rule of 3
List type: Contact us for more information

About:

Department: Public Utilities Commission

Job Class: 2482-Water Quality Technician III | City and County of San Francisco

Salary range: $104,234 to $126,698

Role type: Permanent Civil Service What does this mean?

Hours: Full-time

Exam type: Position Based Test

Rule: Rule of Three

List type: Combined Promotive and Entrance

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

Application Opening: June 13, 2025

Application Deadline: June 19, 2025

Recruitment ID: RTF0154297-01156783

WHO ARE WE?
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC)
Headquartered in San Francisco, we have 2,300 employees operating across eight counties serving more than 2.7 million customers in the San Francisco Bay Area – 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.

Our Mission: To provide our customers with high quality, efficient, and reliable water, power, and wastewater services in a manner that values environmental and community interests and sustains the resources entrusted to our care.

Our Vision: We are an innovative utility leader, recognized for excellent results in service, safety, stewardship, and inclusiveness.

We are an award-winning and industry-leading utilities organization committed to our customers, community interests, and the environment. To learn more about our organization, please visit our website at https://www.sfpuc.gov/.

We are proud of our infrastructure and programs, but most importantly, we value our highly qualified and dedicated workforce which ensures that this vision becomes a reality.

To learn more about working at the SFPUC, visit our career site at https://www.sfpuc.gov/about-us/careers-sfpuc

Role description

Under general supervision, the Water Quality Technician III will perform complex duties intended to ensure that rules, regulations, standard operating procedures, and other orders applicable to the delivery of safe drinking water are being followed. This position requires a thorough understanding of consumer water services, water quality concerns, and the various phases of field and distribution operations. The incumbent will frequently work independently, requiring in depth knowledge of standard operating procedures and safety protocols, and will often engage with the general public and various stakeholders impacted by department services, requiring effective teamwork, leadership, and communication skills.

Work Location: 1657 Rollins Road, Burlingame, CA 94010

Hours: 40 hours/week

Essential duties and responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

Schedules sampling activities and other evaluations in coordination with various department personnel, contractors, and other parties impacted by water service delivery to carry out established methods, procedures, rules, and regulations pertaining to water services and water quality concerns
Prepares, maintains, and/or reviews various records pertaining to water services, operations, and/or programs
Monitors/tracks and maintains inventory of sampling supplies and other work-related materials
Ensures water sampling equipment/instruments/devices are functioning properly and resolves accordingly, developing maintenance plans as needed or assigned
Collects samples from various sources and locations as needed or assigned
Utilizes computer applications to track, record, and schedule sampling and other work activities
Applies principles of chain of custody records to work activities and documents important observations as necessary
Trains other technicians in standard operating procedures, safety protocols, and quality assurance practices
Collaborates with various department staff to ensure that daily and weekly sampling tasks and other department goals are completed in a timely manner
Engages in various activities, projects, and assignments to make team operations more efficient and organized, and assists other team members
Ensures work vehicles are maintained in a good/safe condition as needed
Performs related duties and responsibilities as assigned (e.g. pipeline disinfection, lead sampling, etc.)

Please note that incumbents in this classification may be required to perform duties as listed in the class specification. https://careers.sf.gov/classifications/

How to qualify

Education:

High school diploma or its equivalent (GED or High School Proficiency Examination) and

Experience:

Five (5) years of verifiable experience performing water quality duties similar to those in class 2481 Water Quality Technician in a water or wastewater laboratory, a wastewater treatment facility, or a water collection, distribution system, or water treatment facility and
License and Certification: Possession of a valid California Driver License (issued by hire date)

Substitution: Possession of an associate of science degree from an accredited college or university in biology, chemistry, microbiology, or a related field can substitute for up to two (2) years of the required experience.

Every application is reviewed to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications as listed in the job ad. Please review our articles on Employment Application and Minimum Qualifications and Verification of Experience and/or Education for considerations taken when reviewing applications.

Selection Procedures

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

Supplemental Questionnaire (SQ) (100%):

Candidates who meet minimum qualifications will be invited via a separate online link to complete the Supplemental Questionnaire Examination. The purpose of the SQ Examination is to evaluate the experience, knowledge, skills and abilities that candidates possess in job-related areas, which have been identified as critical for this position and include, but are not limited to:

Knowledge of the general principles of chemistry and factors pertaining to the evaluation of water and wastewater
Knowledge of established standard operating procedures, safety practices/protocols, and quality assurance
Ability to handle, operate, maintain materials, equipment, instrument, and devices evaluating water and wastewater, demonstrating proper field technique.
Ability to interact with diverse workforce of technical and non-technical personnel, managers, and public constituents utilizing effective oral and written communication.
Ability to train and technically supervise less experienced technical personnel in established procedures.
Ability to read, understand and learn any new procedures and regulations, including the usage of equipment, devices, and computer applications relevant the sampling, testing and collection of water and wastewater.
Ability to work independently, organize and prioritize work.

A passing score must be achieved on the Supplemental Questionnaire Examination to continue in the selection process and be placed on the eligible list.

Candidates will be placed on the eligible list in rank order according to their final score. Candidate scores on this examination may also be applied to other announcements involving other job titles, when directed by the Human Resources Director.

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.

The duration of the eligible list resulting from this examination process will be of 12 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/Forms-Documents/Position-Counts-by-Job-Codes-and-Department-FY-2023-24.pdf

What else should I know?

Terms of Announcement and Appeal Rights: 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 by the posting the correction on the Department of Human Resources website at https://careers.sf.gov/.

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.

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

HOW TO APPLY
Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process. Visit https://careers.sf.gov and begin the application process.

• Select the “Apply Now” button and follow instructions on the screen

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.

Exam Analyst Information: If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the exam analyst, Ivy Hankins at ihankins@sfwater.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.