Career Opportunity

Head Park Ranger (8210) - SF Recreation & Parks (Eligible List ID# 164997)

Recruitment: RTF0164996-01095496

Published: July 28, 2026

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

About:

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

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

This is a Position-Based Test conducted in accordance with CSC Rule 111A. Learn more about the City’s hiring process here: https://careers.sf.gov/knowledge/process/.

Application Opening: July 28, 2026
Application Deadline: Apply Immediately. Application filing will be open at least through August 10, 2026 and will close any time thereafter.
Work Arrangement: Onsite; In-person
Salary Range: $101,608 - $123,474 annually

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.  In 2017, San Francisco became the first city in the nation where all residents have access to a park within a 10-minute walk, a direct result of the Department’s commitment to increasing and improving parkland in the city Learn More. Considered by San Franciscans to be one of the City’s most popular and effective public agencies, our Department currently manages more than 230 parks, playgrounds and open spaces throughout San Francisco, including two outside city limits—Sharp Park in Pacifica and Camp Mather in the High Sierras. The system includes full-complex recreation centers, swimming pools, golf courses, sports fields and numerous small-to-medium-sized clubhouses that offer a variety of sports- and arts-related recreation programs for people of all ages.  Included in the Department’s responsibilities are Golden Gate Park, Coit Tower, the Marina Yacht Harbor, the San Francisco Zoo and Lake Merced.

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

Under direction, the 8210 Head Park Ranger is responsible directly, and through supervision of Park Rangers, for providing public safety, park information, and protecting properties of the Recreation and Park Department.  In this supervisory role, you will assign duties to Park Rangers, patrol 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:

1. Supervises Park Rangers in their assigned duties on a daily basis by inspecting Park Rangers to ensure that they are fit for duty and that they are in correct uniform; briefing Park Rangers in critical security issues; and maintaining regular and frequent radio communications with Park Rangers.
2. Assigns equipment such as mobile units (vehicles, bicycles) and hand-held radios to Park Rangers.
3. Closes park buildings and public restrooms; provides traffic control; and special detailing of Park Rangers in emergency situations.
4. Prepares time reports for subordinates by keeping an accurate account of Park Rangers work hours, vacation, sick leave and comp time and forwards the recorded time rolls in a timely manner. Prepares work reports for administrative staff such as incident reports, discipline reports, worker's compensation reports, employee performance evaluations and other reports as required.
5. Patrols park and recreation facilities on foot or in mobile units (vehicles, bicycles) in order to observe, report and correct, if possible, unusual occurrences, serious accidents, vandalism, or hazardous conditions.
6. Secures department properties such as fields, facilities, and parks, implementing temporary safeguards to damaged entry points and initiates maintenance through proper procedures and channels; ensures closure of such properties when weather or other conditions make them unsuitable for use.
7. Enforces parking regulations by issuing parking citations for vehicles illegally parked on Recreation and Park Department property.
8. Enforces park code by issuing 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.
9. Performs 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
• You will work in a department with integrity, which trusts, engages and values its employees

Working Conditions
This classification requires considerable walking and standing, exposure to physical injury and other danger inherent in security work and arduous working conditions, including inclement weather.  We operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so employees will be required to work any shift and assignment, including nights, weekends, and holidays, and be required to wear a uniform.

How to qualify

Experience: Three (3) years (equivalent to 6,000 hours) of 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); 

License and Certification
Possession of a valid driver’s license. Must obtain a valid California Class C driver’s license by the date of appointment.

Possession of a current California Penal Code Section 832 Powers of Arrest Certification

Substitution
Successful completion of Basic P.O.S.T. Academy may substitute for one (1) year of the required experience and California Penal Code Section 832 Powers of Arrest Certification.  

Possession of thirty (30) semester units or forty-five (45) quarter units in criminal justice, administration of justice, or related field from an accredited college or university may substitute for one (1) year of the required experience.

Applicants must meet the minimum qualification requirement 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:

• Five (5) 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 protected 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 in criminal justice, administration of justice, or related field from an accredited college or university
• Strong supervisory experience
• 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
• Proficient technology skills to utilize 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
• Ability to provide strong customer service

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 are required to submit verification confirming they meet the Minimum Qualifications as stated above prior to the filing deadline. ALL VERIFICATION DOCUMENTATION MUST BE ATTACHED TO THE APPLICATION AT THE TIME OF FILING.  Please see below for guidelines regarding experience and education verification:

Experience*: Verification of qualifying work experience must be on the employer’s business letterhead and include the applicant's name, job title(s), description of job duties, dates of employment, type of employment (part-time/full-time), number of hours worked per week, and signature of the employer or the employer's authorized representative.

*Verification of experience gained as an 8208 Park Ranger working for the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department will be automatically verified by a review of the Human Resources Information System data. If you are employed by the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department as an 8208 Park Ranger, you do not need to submit verification of experience, however, if you have other qualifying experience from another employer that you are using to meet minimum qualifications, you do need to submit verification documents to support the outside work experience.

Education: If you are submitting education verification, information on how to verify education, 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.

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?

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

Basic Supervisory Examination (Weight: 50%): Candidates will be administered a written multiple-choice examination that is designed to measure basic knowledge of various supervisory practices and procedures (e.g. directing, counseling, guiding, evaluating, motivating, disciplining, developing and training subordinates, delegation, etc.) as well as customer service and reading comprehension.

The Basic Supervisory Exam will be administered either on a computer or in paper format.  The type of format will depend on the size of the qualified applicant pool.  Qualified candidates will be notified of the type of exam format in their exam appointment notification.

This is a standardized written 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. Please note this test is used for other supervisory classes therefore your test score may be applied to one or more of these classes if you choose to apply to future recruitments. If the test for this 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.

Supplemental Questionnaire Exam (Weight: 50%): Candidates who receive a passing score on the Basic Supervisory Exam (BSE) will be provided via email, a Supplemental Questionnaire Exam. Candidates will be evaluated on their relative knowledge, skills, and/or abilities in job-related areas identified as critical for this position. Responses to the questionnaire will be reviewed and rated by a panel of subject matter experts and is subject to verification.

A passing score must be achieved on both the BSE and the Supplemental Questionnaire Exam in order to be ranked on the Eligible List. Candidates will be placed on the eligible list in rank order according to their final score. 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 twelve (12) months and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director.

Certification Rule: The certification rule for the eligible list resulting from this examination will be Rule of Three 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 Departments which use this classification, please see the city’s Position Counts by Job Codes and Departments.

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:

• Information About the Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview  
• Equal Employment Opportunity
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Veterans Preference
• Seniority Credit in Promotional Exams [required for Combined, Promotive, Entrance (CPE) Exams only]
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

Candidates for positions with the Recreation and Park Department may be disqualified from consideration should their conviction history not meet the standards established under California Public Resources Code 5164.

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.

Exam Analyst Information: If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, you may contact Exam Analyst, Ian Talley, at ian.talley@sfgov.org . Recruitment ID: RTF0164996-01095496  

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 Parks 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.

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.