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Career Opportunity

Exempt to Permanent - Public Relations Officer (1314) Citywide (E10168)

Recruitment: REF53297P

Published: July 18, 2025

Contact:

Juliette Soto - juliette.soto@sfdph.org

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

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Department: Public Health
Job class: 1314-Public Relations Officer
Salary range: $114,998.00 - $150,540.00
Role type: Permanent Civil Service What does this mean?
Hours: Full-time
Exam type: Class Based Test
Rule: Rule of the List
List type: Combined Promotive and Entrance
 

About:

THIS IS A CITYWIDE RECRUITMENT FOR CURRENT CITY EMPLOYEES ONLY.

This is an Exempt to Permanent recruitment. Only currently active, exempt employees of the City and County of San Francisco in this recruitment’s classification will be placed on the eligible list for consideration of future permanent positions.

San Francisco is a vibrant and dynamic city, on the forefront of economic growth & innovation, urban development, arts & entertainment, as well as social issues & change. This rich tapestry of culture and ideas is sustained by our City's commitment to heighten the quality of life for the diverse population of San Franciscans and residents of the greater Bay Area. Our employees play an important role not only in making our City what it is today, but also in shaping the future of San Francisco.

Role description

Under general direction, the 1314 Public Relations Officer develops, organizes, directs and evaluates a comprehensive program to inform the public of the activities and objectives of a city department. The essential duties include but are not limited to the following: 

  • Develops, carries out and interprets policy, methods and procedures relating to the conduct of a complete public relations program;
  • Creates and oversees the development and administration of public relations programs, campaigns and websites for the purpose of establishing and maintaining an effective public relations program, including multilingual and multicultural programs;
  • Analyzes the extent of public understanding and acceptance of the department's programs and activities through market research projects; this includes identifying specific demographic groupings for programs and activities, setting objectives, developing a detailed plan and strategy and analyzing results;
  • Prepares reports and a variety of written materials for internal and external audiences; writes press releases and advisories, maintains a current file of publicity and work-related information, media contacts, and other records essential to an effective public relations program;
  • Develops, prepares and implements marketing and promotional programs to increase support for and the use of department services through a variety of advertising and promotional strategies such as special events, press events and customer incentives;
  • Creates, develops, implements, and evaluates public information and public outreach programs, special events, projects and campaigns to keep staff, management, public, prospective users of services, interested organizations and trade groups informed of the department activities by conducting staff meetings, contacting individuals and groups and issuing information via the press, radio, television, magazines, trade publications, social media, podcasts and other communication media; responds to questions and requests from these various sources;
  • Plans, assigns and evaluates the work of subordinate staff in the preparation of public relations and marketing programs and projects;
  • Addresses civic organizations, neighborhood associations, trade groups and other organizations to explain the activities and services of the department. Organizes and convenes community meetings and focus groups and makes presentations;
  • Utilizes specialized computer software and online platforms to develop and administer websites and social media, and to create and edit videos, photos, and artwork for various publications;
  • Consults with and advises top management on the public relations implications of the department's activities. Meets with management individually and at staff meetings to advise of public relations implications on proposed actions, media strategies, communications and ongoing programs and activities;
  • Investigates complaints directed at the departments operation; recommends corrective action to preclude further adverse action or opinion; may prepare replies to such complaints; and
  • Organizes tours and orientation sessions for the media, visiting dignitaries, trade representatives and the public.

The 1314 Public Relations Officer may perform other duties as assigned/required. 

Nature of Work: Some positions may be subject to adverse weather conditions, walking long distances, and driving a vehicle to project sites and meetings. May require work on nights, weekends and/or holidays.

How to qualify

  1. Current Category 16, 17, or 18 Exempt Employee in class 1314 who has worked at least 2,080 hours in class 1314; AND
  2. Education: Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university; AND
  3. Experience: Four (4) years of verifiable full-time professional experience in editorial, newspaper, magazine, radio, television, public relations, public affairs, public information, social media, digital engagement, advertising, marketing, or similar work directly responsible for the preparation and dissemination of news and information in a variety of formats for internal and external audiences. This experience must include at least one (1) year of experience in planning and conducting a public relations, public information, or public education program.

Substitution:
1) Additional experience as described above may be substituted for the required degree on a year-for-year basis. Thirty (30) semester units or forty-five (45) quarter units equal one year.

2) Possession of a Master's degree from an accredited college or university in public relations, journalism, mass communications, marketing or a closely related field may substitute for up to one (1) year of the required experience. The degree may not substitute for the one (1) year of required public relations, public information, or public education program experience.

Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications by the filing deadline.

One-year fulltime employment is equivalent to 2,000 hours (2,000 hours of qualifying work experience is based on a 40-hour work week).

Special Requirements:
Special Qualifications including specialized knowledge, abilities, education, experience, or license may be established for individual positions.

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 a lower score.

What else should I know?

SELECTION PROCEDURES:

  1. Job Application - Applicants must fully complete the job application. Information from resumes does not substitute for the information on the job application or preliminary questionnaire.
  2. Preliminary Questionnaire – Training and Experience Assessment (100% Weight) -During the application process, candidates will be prompted to complete a Preliminary Questionnaire as part of the online employment process. Please answer the Preliminary Questionnaire carefully and thoroughly. It will serve as the Training and Experience Assessment for this recruitment and will be used to determine your eligibility for this recruitment as well as your score and rank on the eligible list. Qualified applicants will be ranked on the eligible list based on the length of their exempt City service (in Category 16, 17, and/or 18) in the 1314 Public Relations Officer class, along with any additional qualifying points (e.g., promotive status), as outlined in Civil Service Commission (CSC) rules. All work history will be verified using official City records, which will serve as the final authority in determining qualifying service.

Additional selection processes may be conducted by the hiring department prior to making final hiring decisions.

Important Note: Please make sure it is absolutely clear in your application exactly how you meet the minimum qualifications. Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. Please be aware that any misrepresentation of this information may disqualify you from this recruitment or future job opportunities. 

Certification
The certification rule for the eligible list resulting from this examination will be the Rule of the List Scores.

Eligible List/Score Report:
Once you pass the exam, you will be placed onto an eligible list and given a score and a rank. For more information, visit https://careers.sf.gov/knowledge/process/

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

How to apply:

Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted online at careers.sf.gov.

Our e-mail communications may come from more than one department so please make sure your email is set to accept messages from all of us at this link.

Applicants may be contacted by email about this recruitment. Please consider using a personal email address that you check regularly rather than a work or school account.

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.

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. [Note: The correction of clerical errors in an announcement may be posted on the Department of Human Resources website at https://careers.sf.gov/.] The terms of this announcement may be appealed under Civil Service Rule 110.4. Such appeals must be submitted in writing to the Department of Human Resources, 1 S Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103-5413 by close of business on the 5th business day following the issuance date of this examination announcement. Information concerning other Civil Service Commission Rules involving announcements, applications and examination policies, including applicant appeal rights, can be found on the Civil Service Commission website at http://sfgov.org/civilservice/rules.  

Additional information regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco: 

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the analyst, Juliette Soto at Juliette.Soto@sfdph.org or (628) 271-6709. 

We may use text messaging to communicate with you on the phone number provided in your application. The first message will ask you to opt in to text messaging.

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.