Career Opportunity

Operating Engineer, Universal (7328) – Transit, Maintenance of Way –San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency – (163846) Temporary Provisional

Recruitment: RTF0163845-01031893

Published: March 12, 2026

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

About:

**Required Questionnaire: Applicants must complete the required Supplemental Questionnaire prior to starting the online application process**

Application Opening: March 12, 2026
Application Deadline: Apply Immediately. Application filing will be open at least through March 26, 2026 and will close any time thereafter.
Salary range: $114,426 - $139,074
Recruitment ID: TPV-7328-163846

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

Division: Transit
Section/Unit: Maintenance of Way
Work Location: 700 Pennsylvania Ave, San Francisco

The SFMTA, a department of the City and County of San Francisco, oversees Muni (the historic Municipal Railway), parking and traffic, bicycling, walking and taxis. Over one million people get around San Francisco and rely on us to ensure safe and reliable travel.

Our Vision: Excellent transportation choices for San Francisco.
Our Mission: We connect San Francisco through a safe, equitable, and sustainable transportation system.

Role description

Under general supervision, the Operating Engineer, Universal operates heavy construction equipment in conjunction with the maintenance and construction of roads, streets, and underground utilities and performs servicing on equipment. The essential functions of this job include: operating backhoes, loaders, cranes, motor graders, bulldozers, rollers, pavers, milling machines, forklifts, extended boom forklifts, tractors and tub grinders; and performing related duties and responsibilities as required. Operating Engineers also perform maintenance tasks such as greasing, cleaning and inspecting equipment; and may be required to calculate loads using equipment load charts. This position may require the ability to wear appropriate forms of safety protection equipment such as ear protectors, eye goggles, respirators and safety vests.

Nature of Work: This position requires sustained physical effort frequently under adverse weather conditions and/or disagreeable working conditions, being exposed to hazardous materials, raw sewage, loud noises; and may include working weekends, nights, holidays and/or temporarily outside the San Francisco city limits.

Examples of Important and Essential Duties:

1. Operates backhoes, loaders, cranes, forklifts, and extended forklifts to hoist machinery, construction materials, chemicals, vegetation, etc. in connection with various construction and maintenance projects.
2. Operates motor graders, bulldozers, rollers, planers, pavers, milling machines, and tub grinders in connection with construction and maintenance projects.
3. Services and makes minor repairs to heavy equipment; tasks include lubrication of equipment, changing oil and oil filter, etc.,
4. Operates backhoes, loaders and bulldozers to trench and excavate areas and remove debris; or to load and backfill materials in connection with sewer and street repair, mudslide prevention, dam maintenance and other projects, and heater, planer in excavating and making street repairs.
5. Operates milling machines, pavers, and rollers in connection with asphalt paving.
6. Operates tractors with agricultural attachments such as rototillers and rotary mowers to clear areas for weed and fire control.
7. Operates an air compressor to operate pneumatic tools and other construction equipment.
8. Prepares and maintains routine records of equipment operations.
9. Performs other related duties as required.

How to qualify

Training and Experience:
Three (3) years of verifiable operating engineer experience. At least one (1) year of this experience must have been in operating a backhoe.

License:
Possession of a Class B Driver’s License and a valid Medical Examiner’s Certificate issued by the California Department of Motor Vehicles. A copy of the license and certificate must be submitted at the time of appointment.

For crane operation, must have a valid certificate of competency issued in accordance with Cal/OSHA by an accredited certifying agency for the type of cranes operated by City Departments.

Special Condition:
Possession of a Class A Driver’s License

The above minimum qualifications reflect special conditions associated with the position(s) to be filled. They may differ from the standard minimum qualifications associated with this class code.

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

• Knowledge of high rail vehicle operation.
• Knowledge of high rail equipment operation to include Swing master and knuckle boom.
• Experience working with Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) & Diversity initiatives.

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.

Selection Process
The selection process will include evaluation of applications in relation to minimum requirements. Depending on the number of applicants, the Department may establish and implement additional screening mechanisms to comparatively evaluate 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.

Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed to advance through all of the steps in the selection process.

Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire (MQSQ):
Candidates will be required to complete an MQSQ as part of the employment application. This MQSQ is designed to obtain specific information regarding an applicant's experience in relation to the Minimum Qualifications (MQ) and special condition for this position. The MQSQ will be used to evaluate if the applicant possesses the required minimum qualifications.

What else should I know?

Terms of Announcement:
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/.

Drug Testing: The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) has determined that Class 7328 Operating Engineer, Universal is a “safety-sensitive” position, under regulations issued by the Federal Transit Administration (49 CFR Part 655). Federal law requires that all transit employees who perform safety-sensitive functions be subject to random, post-accident, reasonable suspicion, return-to-duty and follow-up drug and alcohol testing. All applicants for Safety-Sensitive positions shall undergo urine drug testing prior to employment and within 90 days prior to performing Safety-Sensitive functions for the first time. Receipt by the SFMTA of a negative test result is required prior to the employee being placed on the payroll. A positive, adulterated, negative dilute or substituted test will result in a decision not to hire, and the applicant’s name will be removed from the list of eligibles for Safety-Sensitive positions. The SFMTA will not consider hiring any person who tested positive, adulterated, substituted or refused to submit to testing for a minimum of two years following the positive test.

In addition, each applicant who has worked for a Department of Transportation (DOT) – regulated employer(s) within the last two years will be required to sign a consent form, prior to appointment, authorizing SFMTA to obtain information from their prior employers concerning their drug and alcohol test history. Each applicant will also be required to provide SFMTA with information regarding whether, during the last two years, the applicant tested positive or refused to test on any pre-employment drug or alcohol test administered by an employer to which the applicant applied for, but did not obtain, safety-sensitive transportation work covered by DOT drug and alcohol testing rules. SFMTA will not hire any applicant for a safety-sensitive position who fails to provide this information or fails to provide written consent for the release of information from prior employers.

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 and How to Apply
Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process.

1. Visit Careers with Purpose | City and County of San Francisco (sf.gov)
2. Type "7328" in to the "Search by class or keyword" field.
3. Click the link to open the Job Announcement.
4. Select the “Apply Now” button and follow instructions on the screen.

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 notifications@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.

Exam Analyst Information: If you have any questions regarding the Application Process, please contact the Exams Analyst, Susan.Lee@sfmta.com. SL I TPV-7328-163846 I Entrance

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.