Career Opportunity

Chemist III (City Wide- 2487-U00003)

Recruitment: REF9667G

Published: June 21, 2022

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

About:

GENERAL INFOMATION
•    Application Opening: June 7, 2022
•    Application Deadline: June 21, 2022
•    Analyst Name: Michelle Chee
•    Location: Millbrae
•    Annual Salary: $122,954- $149,422
•    List ID: CBT-2487-U00003; REF9667G

THIS IS A CITYWIDE EXAM

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, plans, coordinates, and conducts research projects related to the laboratory analysis of water, wastewater, and environment matrices. Develops and applies analytical methods to identify and quantify specific components in water, wastewater, and environmental matrices using sophisticated analytical instrumentation. Works independently and in conjunction with engineers and laboratory personnel to resolve water quality process problems and to achieve compliance with state and federal regulations. Trains technical and professional personnel in instrumental analysis and applications, and communicates results.

Essential Duties

• Plans, coordinates, and conducts laboratory studies; develops and performs methods in instrumental analysis of diverse environmental matrices for determination of specific organic and inorganic constituents.
• Consults with Supervising Chemist and develops methods to resolve problems in treatment processes and to achieve regulatory compliance; trains laboratory personnel in the operation of laboratory instrumentation and application of developed methods.
• Utilizes gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, and high performance liquid chromatography in development and applications of methods; utilizes ICP-AES, and inductively coupled plasma - mass spectroscopy (ICP/MS), and Atomic Absorption spectroscopy in developing method; performs diagnostic, corrective, and preventative maintenance on complex instruments; evaluates instrumental capabilities and performance in preparing for purchase of laboratory instrumentation.
• Researches relevant literature for most current technology and application to environmental analysis; prepares technical reports and findings for water quality personnel, clients and constituents, and departmental management personnel; prepares technical reports and papers for publication in scientific publications
• Handles and processes data from instrumental data acquisition systems; uses a variety of software applications to facilitate reporting of results.

How to qualify

1. Possession of baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with a major in chemistry or closely related laboratory science; 
                                                            AND
2. Six (6) years verifiable laboratory experience in instrumental analysis, methods development and applied research in the fields of organic and inorganic chemistry
                                                            AND
3. Possession of a current valid driver license;

Special conditions: Some positions may require additional qualifications such as special conditions that may differ from the standard minimum qualifications associated with this classification.

Verification of Education and Experience:
Applicants must meet the minimum qualification requirement by the final filing date unless otherwise noted.  Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment process. For education verification information, including verifying foreign education equivalency, click HERE. 

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.
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.

What else should I know?

How To Apply
Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process. Select the “I’m Interested” 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 INFORMATION
Exam Type: Combined, Promotive and Entrance
Certification Rule: Rule of Three (3)
Eligible List Duration: Twelve (12) months.
The duration of the eligible list may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director. 

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

1. Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire (MQSQ) completed online (Qualifying)
2. Online Supplemental Essay Exam (100%)

Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire (MQSQ)
Once the application is closed, qualified candidates will be sent a Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire (MQSQ) to complete.  
Supplemental Questionnaire Essay Exam (100%)
The purpose of the Supplemental Questionnaire (SQ) 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 chemistry, EPA methods analysis of water/wastewater, QA/QC protocols, laboratory safety rules and regulations, communication skills, and supervisory skills.

Qualified candidates will be sent email notices to complete the MQSQ and SQ exam. Failure to complete these steps by the established deadlines will result in disqualification. 
A passing score must be achieved on the exam to be placed on the eligible list and continue in the selection process.  Additional selection processes, like interviews, may be conducted by the hiring department prior to making final hiring decisions.

Score Report/Eligible List
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. 

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

• Copies of Application Documents
• Conviction History
• Disaster Service Worker 
• Diversity/Equal Employment Opportunity
• Employee Benefits Overview
• Information About the Hiring Process 
• Reasonable Accommodation
• Right to Work
• Seniority Credit in Promotional Exams
• Veterans Preference

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. 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.

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the exam analyst, Michelle Chee by email at mchee@sfwater.org.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT:  All City and County of San Francisco employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Someone is fully vaccinated when 14 days have passed since they received the final dose of a two-shot vaccine or a dose of a one-shot vaccine. Any new hire must present proof of full vaccination status to be appointed. Any new hire who will be routinely assigned or occasionally enter High-Risk Settings, must provide proof of having received a COVID-19 booster vaccine by March 1, 2022, or once eligible.

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.