Career Opportunity

Heavy Duty Mechanic/Automotive Machinist (7323) - SFO (161105)

Recruitment: RTF0161104-01081228

Published: December 03, 2025

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

About:

TYPE OF APPOINTMENT: PROVISIONAL (TPV)

This is not a permanent appointment. A provisional appointee must participate and be successful in a Civil Service Examination process for this classification and be selected through an open competitive process in order to be considered for a permanent appointment. Provisional appointments may not exceed three (3) years.

Specific information regarding this recruitment process are listed below:

• Application Opening: December 3, 2025
• Application Deadline: Apply immediately. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible as this announcement may close at any time after 5:00 PM, December 16, 2025. 
• Compensation: $128,232
• Recruitment ID: TPV-7323-161105

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is a world-class, award-winning airport that served more than 54 million guests in FY24/25. SFO offers non-stop flights to 60+ international cities on over 40 international carriers. The Bay Area's largest airport also connects non-stop with 80+ U.S. cities on 10 domestic airlines.

As an enterprise department of the City & County of San Francisco, SFO has a workforce of approximately 1,900 City employees. In Fiscal 2021, SFO generated more than 28,000 direct jobs and $6.1B in business activity. 

SFO is more than an airport —we are a dynamic organization where employees collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders to support global travel, economic development, and public service. We are recognized as a leader in safety, environmental sustainability, and forward-thinking infrastructure, and continue to be at the forefront of transforming the travel experience.

Our Vision, Mission, and Core Values shape our culture and operations as we continue to build a supportive, purpose-driven workplace where all employees can thrive.  Our mission is to deliver an airport experience where people and our planet come first.

Learn more about careers at SFO at flysfo.com, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Bluesky and Threads.

Role description

Under general supervision, performs skilled machinist work in the maintenance, repair and overhaul of heavy-duty and off-road vehicles and power-driven equipment, such as diesel trucks and buses, police and firefighting vehicles, compressors, generators, graders, backhoes, tractors, small engines (lawn mowers, etc.) and electric motors (on carts, etc.) and performs related duties as required safety inspections of different types of gasoline, diesel, propane, natural gas and alternative fuel source vehicles.  Incumbents are responsible for servicing a wide variety of equipment including but not limited to automobiles, light and heavy trucks, transit equipment, firefighting apparatus, and off-road equipment.

According to Civil Service Commission Rule 109, the duties specified above are representative of the range of duties assigned to this job and are not intended to be an inclusive list.

The essential functions of this position include:

1. Maintains, repairs, overhauls, and services heavy-duty and off-road vehicles and power-driven equipment using hand tools, power tools and machine tools such as lathes, drill presses, grinders, boring bars, valves refining tools and other machine tools.
2. Designs, fabricates and welds parts.
3. Maintains records of equipment mileage, service/repair logs, materials and parts logs, and equipment and parts orders.
4. Responds to incoming emergency calls and may go to the site of the breakdown; may tow vehicles.
5. Inspects, tests, and reviews vehicles and equipment as part of the preventive maintenance program.
6. Diagnoses malfunctions using test equipment, manufacturers specifications and repair manuals, and observation both in the shop and in the field in order to determine needed repairs.
7. Orders supplies, parts and materials necessary for the maintenance, repair and servicing of equipment and vehicles.
8. Drives city vehicles and operates equipment to diagnose malfunctions and to conduct final inspection of work completed.
9. Other duties as assigned.

Nature of Work: involves some physical effort and considerable dexterity in the use of the fingers, limbs and body; wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE); continuous exposure to physical and working conditions where minor injuries may occur. May be required to work nights, weekends and/or holidays.

How to qualify

1. Education: High school diploma or equivalent (GED or High School Proficiency Examination); AND
2. Experience: A combination of journey-level experience and/or apprenticeship training as an automotive machinist or heavy-duty mechanic totaling six (6) years in which the major duties were disassembling, repairing, overhauling and installing mechanical, electrical and hydraulic assemblies in heavy duty and off-road vehicles and power-driven equipment. To be considered qualifying, this experience must include the use of machine tools such as valve re-facers, hydraulic and drill presses, lathes and grinders; AND
3. License - Special Condition: This position is required to obtain a Class A (or I) driver’s license with Medical Certificate within twelve (12) months of the time of appointment. Failure to maintain the required license may be cause for termination.

Substitution:
Completion of a CA Division of Apprenticeship Standards recognized Automotive Machinist apprenticeship program as evidenced by issuance of a Certificate of Completion of the apprenticeship program under the appropriate authority will substitute for the six (6) years combined work experience.

Desirable Qualifications:

• Class A Commercial Driver License with Hazardous Endorsements.
• Five (5) years of experience in a professional dealership environment.
• Experience with Offroad Equipment Service and Repair.
• Experience with Heavy Truck Service and Repair.
• Experience with Late Model Vehicle Service and Repair.
• Experience with Hydraulic Drive Systems Service and Repair.
• Experience with EV/Hybrid Powertrain Diagnostics and Repair.
• Fabrication experience.

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

One year full-time employment is equivalent to 2,000 hours (2,000 hours of qualifying work experience is based on a 40-hour work week). Any overtime hours that you work above 40 hours per week are not included in the calculation to determine full-time employment.

Verification of Education and Experience:
Every application is reviewed to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications as listed in the job ad. Review SF Careers Employment Applications for considerations taken when reviewing applications.  

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://careers.sf.gov/knowledge/experience-education/. 

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.

Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed City and County of San Francisco application.

What else should I know?

Selection Procedure: 
After application submission, candidates deemed qualified must complete all subsequent steps to advance in this selection process.

The selection process will include evaluation of applications in relation to minimum requirements and the special condition.  Applicants meeting the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement to the interview.  Depending on the number of applicants, the Department may establish and implement additional screening mechanisms to comparatively evaluate the qualifications of candidates.  If this becomes necessary, only those applicants whose qualifications most closely meet the needs of the Department will be invited for an interview.

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Security Clearance:
Candidates for employment with the San Francisco Airport Commission are required to undergo a criminal history record check, including FBI fingerprints, and Security Threat Assessment in order to determine eligibility for security clearance and may be required to undergo drug/alcohol screening.  Per Civil Service Commission Rule Section 110.9.1, every applicant for an examination must possess and maintain the qualifications required by law and by the examination announcement for the examination.  Failure to obtain and maintain security clearance may be basis for termination from employment with the Airport Commission.

Customs Clearance:
This position requires that the incumbent be qualified for unescorted access to the San Francisco International Airport U.S. Customs Security Area.  An application for a U.S. Custom Access Seal may be submitted to Customs ONLY after employment has commenced.  Employment in this position requires that the incumbent submit an application for, successfully acquire and maintain a Customs Access Seal.  Per Civil Service Commission Rule 110.9.1, every applicant must possess and maintain the qualifications required by law and by the examination announcement for this examination.  Failure to acquire or maintain customs access, a requirement for this position, may be basis for termination from employment with the Airport Commission. Customs Access Seal requirements and procedures are located in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 19, Part 122, Sections 181 or 189.

Medical Examination
Prior to appointment, candidates must successfully pass a medical examination to determine their ability to perform the essential functions of the job and/or the ability to meet the physical minimum requirements.

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 https://sf.gov/departments/civil-service-commission.

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

• Information About the Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview  
• Equal Employment Opportunity
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

Where to Apply 

All job applications for the City and County of San Francisco must be submitted through our online portal. Please visit https://careers.sf.gov/ to begin your application process.  

Computers are available for the public (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday) to file online applications in the lobby of the Dept. of Human Resources at 1 South Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor and at the City Career Center at City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 110. 

Ensure your application information is accurate, as changes may not be possible after submission. Your first and last name must match your legal ID for verification, and preferred names can be included in parentheses. Use your personal email address, not a shared or work email, to avoid unfixable issues. 

Applicants will receive a confirmation email from notification@smartrecruiters.com 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. 

If you have any questions, you may contact Lilimae Santander at lilimae.santander@flysfo.com. Recruitment ID: RTF0161104-01081228

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.