Entry Level Mainframe Developer Jobs in California

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.

Application Opening: 5/25/2022
Application Reposted: 11/06/2023*
*Announcement reposted to reflect changes in the minimum qualifications.
Application Deadline: Continuous

How to Apply:
Applications for Assistant Information Systems Engineer - Networks Specialty are only accepted through an online process. Visit https://careers.sf.gov/interest/tech/ to begin the application process. Select "Apply Now" at the top of the job ad and follow instructions on the screen.

Applicants may be contacted by email about this announcement 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).

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.

Under general supervision, assists in analyzing, planning, implementing, maintaining, troubleshooting and enhancing large complex systems or networks consisting of a combination that may include mainframes, mini-computers, LANS, WANs and the physical and logical components that integrate these systems together as an enterprise networking backbone. 

The 1041 Assistant Networks Engineer is the entry level in the Engineer series. The class is distinguished from the Journey level by the complexity of the systems or networks supported. Positions at this level perform a significant portion of the work assigned to the journey level, but without the independence or full responsibility expected of positions at the journey level. Assignments are generally limited in scope and are set within procedural frameworks established by higher level positions. As experience accrues, the incumbent performs with increasing independence. Work requires incumbents to exercise some judgement in selecting appropriate established guidelines to follow. Significant deviations require prior approval. Interpretation of general administrative or operational policies is sometimes necessary. Serves as an assistant technical architect and systems integrator for large complex systems or networks.

Essential Duties:
1.    Assists with establishing networking environment by installing, configuring, testing and documenting the equipment/network systems according to the design and specifications.
2.    Assists with day-to-day networking tasks to ensure network reliability, availability and serviceability within minimal interruption.
3.    Provides technical support, responds to work orders and tickets from the users, analyzes and solves reported network problems.
4.    Assists with configuring firewall security settings to access permissions groups for individuals and sets up provisions for incoming data.
5.    Assists with network technology upgrade or expansion projects, including installation of hardware, software and integration testing, as well as coordinating these activities without disturbing function of other systems.
6.    Assists with producing documentation for installation, network topology and troubleshooting of communications hardware or software.
*This position may include additional duties as assigned.*

These minimum qualifications establish the education, training, experience, special skills and/or license(s) which are required for employment in the classification. 

Education:
An associate degree in computer science, computer engineering, information systems, or a closely-related field from an accredited college or university OR its equivalent in terms of total course credits/units [i.e., at least sixty (60) semester or ninety (90) quarter credits/units with a minimum of twenty (20) semester or thirty (30) quarter credits/units in one of the fields above or a closely-related field].

Substitution:
Experience in analyzing, installing, configuring, enhancing and/or maintaining the components of an enterprise network may be substituted for the required degree on a year-for-year basis (up to a maximum of two (2) years). One (1) year is equivalent to thirty (30) semester units/ forty-five (45) quarter units with a minimum of 10 semester / 15 quarter units in one of the fields above or a closely-related field.

Completion of the 1010 Information Systems Trainee Program may be substituted for the required degree.

Verification:
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, you must provide a copy of your diploma showing major or transcripts showing coursework completed. Information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at http://sfdhr.org/how-verify-education-requirements.

If experience verification is required, you must submit a letter from your employer on the employer's business letterhead stating your name, job title(s), dates of service in complete form (mm/dd/yy), a detailed description of duties performed and the verification letter must be signed by the employer or appropriate designee, such as a Human Resources Representative. Performance evaluations showing duties performed and dates of employment may also be submitted as verification documentation. Resumes are NOT verification.

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.

Note: Any applicant whose application is deemed not qualified may reapply after 1 month upon successfully meeting the minimum qualifications for the given specialty area.

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.

Additional Department Specific Requirements
Positions with the San Francisco Airport
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Security Clearance: Candidates for employment with the San Francisco Airport Commission are required to provide a complete employment history for the past ten (10) years and an explanation of all gaps in employment during that period. The past ten (10) years of the candidate's employment will be verified. In addition, candidates will be required to undergo a criminal history check, including FBI fingerprints, 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 with the San Francisco Airport Commission 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.

Positions with the Sherriff's Department
Security clearance issued by the Sheriff's Department is required prior to appointment of positions with Jail Health Services and must be maintained for continued employment. Failure to demonstrate/show proof of security clearance may result in dismissal and/or termination of employment.

Positions with the Port
Positions with the San Francisco Port Commission require that incumbents are able to obtain a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) certificate as a condition of employment. Additionally, candidates must be insurable under the Port's automobile liability insurance policy. Insurability must be maintained throughout employment.

Supplemental Questionnaire:
Applicants are required to complete a Supplemental Questionnaire as part of the online application process. The purpose of the Supplemental Questionnaire is to allow candidates to self-certify their qualifications for the position. Applicants must also complete the official application.

Tech Engineer - Networks Core Exam (Weight: 100%)
Candidates self-certifying meeting the Minimum Qualifications will be invited to participate in the online Tech Engineer - Networks Core Exam. Candidates will be sent a web link via email that will allow them to take the online Tech Engineer - Networks Core Exam that is designed to measure basic analytical and technical abilities associated with the target job, which may include but not be limited to:

    Knowledge of networking and routing protocols (e.g., EIGRP)
    Knowledge of configuring and maintaining routers, switches and firewalls (e.g., CCNA)
    Knowledge of configuring secure network (e.g., VLANS)
    Knowledge of configuring secure wireless networks (e.g., 802.1x Authentication)
    Ability to design, plan, implement and troubleshoot complex network infrastructures
    Analytical thinking
    Ability to configure multifunction devices
    Ability to document developed procedures and protocols

This computer-administered test can be taken at home or at a time and location of one's convenience, but only within a two-week period specified on the test notification.  Candidates must have access to a computer and reliable internet connection to participate in this exam. The test consists of 25 questions and it must be completed within 60 minutes. Questions are presented one at a time on the computer screen. There is no penalty for guessing. Candidates may not return to questions presented earlier in the exam; they can only move forward. A passing score must be attained on this test in order to continue further in the selection process. Test questions and answers are not available for public inspection or review.  

Note: A passing score must be achieved on all examination components in order to be placed on the Eligible List. The hiring department may administer additional position-specific procedures to make final hiring decisions. Achieving a passing score in one class does not guarantee placement on eligible lists for the other classes. You must apply to each class for which you would like to be considered. There are different exams for each of the SF Civic Tech specialty areas (Applications, Networks, Security and Systems), and each class (1041, 1042, 1043 and 1044) has a different passing score for each exam. 

Candidates' scores on the Tech Engineer - Networks Core Exam may also be applied to other announcements involving other job titles, when directed by the Human Resources Director.

Score Banking: Scores attained on the Tech Engineer - Networks Core Exam will be 'banked' for three years, starting from the date of the examination. This means that, during this three-year time period, candidates need not take this test again. Rather, if another announcement you applied to and are deemed qualified for requires the Tech Engineer - Networks core Exam and is held within one year of your Tech Engineer - Networks core Exam date your score will be automatically applied to that announcement. However, after one year, a candidate has the option to either (a) apply their 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 test and only in association with a candidate's eligibility for another announcement to which the candidate has applied and is deemed qualified. If a candidate opts to re-test, the re-test score becomes the candidate's official score since it is the most recent.

If a significant modification is made to this exam in the future, the application of "banked" scores may no longer be appropriate. In such a rare circumstance, candidates with "banked" scores would be required to re-take the exam sooner than the three-year period specified above should they apply to another job opportun...