Company Description

THIS IS A CITYWIDE RECRUITMENT FOR CURRENT CITY EMPLOYEES ONLY.

This is an Exempt to Permanent position in accordance with Class-Based Test (CBT) Civil Service Rules. This recruitment is restricted to current exempt employees of the City and County of San Francisco, San Francisco Unified School District, or San Francisco City College, working within the 5620 Regulatory Specialist classification and only those who meet this requirement will be placed on the eligible list for consideration of future permanent position.

Application Opening: Friday, March 6th, 2026

Application Deadline: Application filing will be open at least through 11:59 PM (P.S.T) of Friday, March 20th, 2026 and will close any time thereafter
Recruitment ID: ETP-5620-163959 / RTF0163958-01103099
Appointment Type: Permanent Civil Service

San Francisco is a vibrant and dynamic city, at 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 heightening 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. The City and County of San Francisco employs more than 28,000 individuals in various professional jobs in a diverse array of services such as maintaining City streets & parks, driving buses and cable cars, providing public health services, keeping the streets safe, and firefighting.

Job Description

Under direction, the Regulatory Specialist assists in assuring that all Port of San Francisco and its tenants and San Francisco Public Utilities Commission operations, planning and development, property management, maintenance and maritime projects comply with federal, state and local laws and regulations and Port requirements.

Essential functions of the position include: maintaining a working knowledge of the laws and regulations promulgated by various federal, state and local environmental and regulatory agencies; inspecting property, facilities, operations and construction activities to assure compliance with applicable laws and regulations; providing compliance assistance and/or enforcing environmental regulatory requirements; working well with others in multi-tasking situations; coordinating efforts among Port or PUC staff, with other City departments and with regulatory and resources agencies to acquire the necessary authorizations to operate and to undertake new projects and maintenance activities; advising management of pertinent regulations affecting planned or in-progress projects and activities; collecting, reviewing and/or analyzing quantitative environmental data; reviewing and coordinating work of technical consultants; reviewing and/or preparing risk assessment, environmental compliance, environmental monitoring, and/or CEQA/NEPA reports; coordinating with other utilities, regulatory and planning agencies and the public; developing and administering project budgets and establishing and maintaining records and regulatory files. The nature of the job may require: performing field investigations on foot in rough terrain and uneven surfaces; confined space entry; climbing and descending ladders and travel and work at distant facilities.

MAJOR, IMPORTANT, AND ESSENTIAL DUTIES
According to Civil Service Commission Rule 109, the duties specified below are representative of the range of duties assigned to this job code/class and are not intended to be an inclusive list.

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

2. Research and track all federal, state and local regulations that may affect the department.

3. Advise management of pertinent and timely regulations and make recommendations on the appropriate departmental actions. Provides regulatory expertise and permit processing support to managers and staff.

4. Reviews plans including planning and development plans, capital improvement project plans, property management & maintenance plans, and other related plans.

5. Performs or oversees consultants' performance of an environmental sample collection and analysis program.

6. Assists in making technical presentations to regulatory agencies and related public agencies.

7. Implements and assists in developing permit processing and inspection practices and procedures related to compliance with regulations affecting operations and facilities maintenance projects, property development and management and land-use programs to manage environmental liabilities.

8. Develops and maintains effective working relationships with a diverse staff.

9. Establishes and maintains permit files.

10. Drives city vehicles.

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Current Category 16, 17, or 18 Exempt Employee in Class 5620 who has worked at least 2,080 hours in class 5620; AND
Education: A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in natural sciences, engineering, environmental or resource planning or a related field; AND
Experience: Four years of verifiable work experience in environmental permitting and regulations; environmental investigations; environmental or other regulatory compliance; or environmental project management; or utility regulatory analysis; AND
License and Certification: Possession of a valid California driver's license.

Substitution

A Master’s degree in natural sciences, engineering, environmental or resource planning, public policy, economics or a related field may substitute for one (1) year of work experience.
A law degree may substitute for one (1) year of work experience.
A PhD in natural sciences, engineering, environmental or resource planning, public policy, economics, or related field may substitute for two (2) years of work experience.

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

Verification of Experience and/or Education
Every application is reviewed to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications as listed in the job ad. Please review the information on Employment Application and Minimum Qualifications and Verification of Experience/Education | City and County of San Francisco 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. More information can be found at: https://sfdhr.org/information-about-hiring-process#verification

Failure to provide the required verification may result in rejection of application and/or removal from eligibility for referral and appointment in this class.

Note: 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. Any misrepresentation or falsification of 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 PROCEDURES/EXAMINATION REQUIREMENTS

1. Job Application: Application must fully complete the job application for this recruitment on the City and County of San Francisco’s website. Information from resumes does not substitute for the information on the application or preliminary questionnaire. 
2. Questionnaire - Training and Experience Assessment (Weight 100%): During the application process, applicants will be prompted to complete a questionnaire as part of the online employment process. 

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.

Important: Please answer the questionnaire thoroughly, even if the information is already included in your application or resume.

*The Department of Public Works reserves the right to modify the selection process and examination to conform to administrative or operational necessity. The information in this announcement is subject to change and will be accompanied by a notice of amendment in this announcement. 

Ranking Based on Verified Exempt In-Class Service Duration

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 5620 Regulatory Specialist 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.

NOTE: Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed to advance through all the steps in the selection process. The department may administer additional position-specific selection procedures to make the final hiring decision.

Eligible List/Score Report

A confidential eligible list of qualifying candidates will be created and used for certification purposes only. A 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 selection process is subject to change after adoption (e.g., because of appeals), as directed by the Human Resources Director or the Civil Service Commission.

Duration of Eligible List

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

Certification

The certification rule for this selection process will be "Rule of the List".

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

HOW TO APPLY

Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process. Visit https://careers.smartrecruiters.com/CityAndCountyOfSanFrancisco1/ and begin the application process.

Select the ““I’m interested” button and follow instructions on the screen.

Note

1. Please ensure the information on your application is accurate. It may not be possible to change after you’ve applied

2. Your first and last name should match your legal ID for verification purposes

3. Your email address should be consistent across all jobs applied to on our website.

4. Use a personal and not a shared email address. Doing so may prevent your application from submitting properly.

Upon successful submission, applicants will receive a confirmation email from notification@smartrecruiters.com. Keep this email for your records. If you do not receive it, your application was not submitted successfully.

Important Email Contact Information: Applicants may be contacted by email about this recruitment and, therefore, it is your responsibility to ensure that your registered email address is accurate and kept up-to-date. Also, applicants must ensure that emails from CCSF is not blocked on your 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).

Exam Analyst Information: If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please get in touch with the exam analyst, Kathy Mei at kathy.mei@sfdpw.org. Please include the recruitment ID, ETP-5620-163959, in the subject line.

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

Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: At the City and County of San Francisco, we share a commitment to a diverse, inclusive and equitable community. Each member of our organization is responsible and accountable for what they say and do to make San Francisco an inclusive and equitable place to live and work by employing fair and just practices to and for all.

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.

Exempt to Permanent – Regulatory Specialist (5620) - Citywide (163959)

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About this role

Company Description

Job Description

Qualifications

Additional Information