Entry Level Process Engineer Jobs in Novato, CA (NOW HIRING)

• Application Opening: 9/10/2026
• Application Filing Deadline: 9/16/2026
• Recruitment ID:   RTF0164367-01159191

APPOINTMENT TYPE: Exempt: This position is excluded by the Charter from the competitive Civil Service examination process and shall serve at the discretion of the Appointing Officer. The duration of the appointment shall not exceed 36 months.

WHO ARE WE?
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC)
Headquartered in San Francisco, we have 2,300 employees operating across eight counties serving more than 2.7 million customers in the San Francisco Bay Area - 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.

Our Mission: To provide our customers with high quality, efficient, and reliable water, power, and wastewater services in a manner that values environmental and community interests and sustains the resources entrusted to our care.

Our Vision: We are an innovative utility leader, recognized for excellent results in service, safety, stewardship, and inclusiveness.

We are an award-winning and industry-leading utilities organization committed to our customers, community interests, and the environment. To learn more about our organization, please visit our website at https://www.sfpuc.gov.

We are proud of our infrastructure and programs, but most importantly, we value our highly qualified and dedicated workforce which ensures that this vision becomes a reality.

To learn more about working at the SFPUC, visit our career site at https://www.sfpuc.gov/about-us/careers-sfpuc

Project: Streetlight and Pole Use review

The Junior Engineer of the Power Enterprise Distribution Engineering Group performs entry-level engineering works on distribution engineering issues related to streetlight review, pole use , and the electric interconnection of municipal load and services for new and existing customers within the City and County of San Francisco's service area.

This is a temp position focused on pole use application review. As of June 2026, there are over 800 active DAS sites throughout the City, administered under Master License Agreements (MLA) with the mobile network providers/affiliates. Approximately half of these provide 4G or 5G service, and we are anticipating more than 200 applications from the carriers for upgrading existing sites to 5G and for deployment of over 100 new 5G installations. The majority of these are from a single mobile carrier that is undertaking a major nationwide technology upgrade, so although the program anticipates triple the volume of applications in 2026-2027 and an associated increase in deployments in 2027 and 2028, this volume will taper back to typical levels by 2029. In addition to reviewing DAS applications, Junior Engineer may also review permit applications to aid in meeting the mayor's goals of faster review time for PUC power related projects.

Essential Functions:

• Review and comment on carrier applications for pole use for compliance with SFPUC standards
• Creating and improving standards and processes for pole use
• Review and comment on developer provided files/information for compliance with PUC/Power Streetlight standards
• Review and comment on developer provided files/information for compliance with PUC/Power Interconnection requirements
• Assists in providing policy and technical assistance, operational guidance, and engineering support on the maintenance of City-owned high-voltage substation, transmission and distribution systems and other primary and secondary service facilities, including meters.
• Assist in conducting site assessments to evaluate and/or confirm details of existing infrastructure.
• Assist in the management for all stages of the contracting process through the various City Departments and Agencies, legal review, permitting, finance, purchasing, and all approvals Assists in the preparation of reports, contract specifications, lists of materials, cost estimates, schedules, and progress payments.
• Assist in the Management of small-scale distribution projects, including design, procurement of materials, construction, and closeout. Support development and tracking of the project budget and schedule to ensure the project goals and milestones are achieved.
• Assists in the preparation of departmental reports and reports concerning field conditions, the progress of projects, the results of studies, and other matters.
• Performs specialized duties in the areas of electrical engineering and its related sub-disciplines (Power, Computer, Communications).
• Perform photometric studies

1. Possession of a baccalaureate degree or graduate degree from an engineering program that is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) with a major in Electrical Engineering.

OR

2. Possession of a baccalaureate degree or graduate degree from a non-ABET accredited engineering program with a major in Electrical Engineering; AND possession of a valid Engineer-in-Training certificate issued by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES).

OR

3. Possession of a Professional Engineer (PE) license in Electrical Engineering from the California Board of Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists.

Note: Most positions require a valid California driver license.

Applicants must meet the minimum qualification requirement by the final filing date unless otherwise noted.

Verification of Education and Experience:

Every application is reviewed to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications as listed in the job ad. Please review our articles on Employment Application and Minimum Qualifications and Verification of Experience and/or Education 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.

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. Applications completed improperly may be cause for ineligibility, disqualification or may lead to lower scores.

Important Note:

Please make sure it is absolutely clear in your application exactly how you meet the minimum qualifications. Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. Please be aware that any misrepresentation of this information may disqualify you from this recruitment or future job opportunities.

One-year full-time employment is equivalent to 2,000 hours (2,000 hours of qualifying work experience is based on a 40-hour work week). Any overtime hours that you work above 40 hours per week are not included in the calculation to determine full time employment.

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
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

Applicants will receive a confirmation email from [email protected] 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.

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

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 updated. 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 from [email protected] 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.

Job Analyst Information: If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the job analyst, Rocio Mendoza at [email protected].  

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.