Trainee Computer Programmer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

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.

Specific information regarding this recruitment process is listed below.

Application Opening: 5/25/2022
Application Reposted: 11/06/2023 - Announcement reposted to reflect changes in the minimum qualifications.
Application Reposted: 6/24/2026 - The announcement has been reposted to incorporate updates to the class specification. These updates include a job title change, from IS Engineer - Journey to Technology Engineer and revisions to the minimum qualifications.
Application Deadline: Continuous

Under direction, analyzes, plans, designs, implements, maintains, troubleshoots and enhances technology. Serves as the technical contributor for systems or platforms.

The 1042 Technology Engineer Associate is the journey level position in the Engineer series. The class is distinguished from the Senior level by the complexity of the systems or networks supported, and is more independent than the 1041 Technology Engineer - Associate level. This classification performs a wide range of complex analytical, design, planning, implementation, enhancement and problem resolution tasks on systems and platforms. It works within a framework of established procedures and interprets policies, procedures and guidelines. This level may formulate recommendations consistent with directives, policies, standards and regulations. Incumbents require only occasional instruction or assistance. Work is reviewed upon completion and for overall results.

The Technology Engineer series is distinguished from the Technology Analyst/Designer series as the Technology Engineers build, implement, and maintain core technology infrastructure, whereas the Technology Analyst/Designers analyze business needs, designs systems and services, and oversee implementation and ongoing improvement.

Supervision Exercised:
May provide direction to subordinate Engineer staff and other technical staff. May provide consultation and guidance to all other Technology job families. Such responsibilities are ancillary to the main intent and focus of the position.

Essential Duties:
1.    Establishes wired and wireless network environments and connectivity solutions by installing, configuring, testing and documenting the equipment/network systems according to the design and specifications.
2.    Performs 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 and connectivity problems.
4.    Configures firewall security settings to access permissions groups for individuals and sets up provisions for incoming data.
5.    Participates in network and connectivity technology upgrade or expansion projects, including installation of hardware, software and connectivity services and integration testing, as well as coordinating these activities without disturbing function of other systems.
6.    Develops and produces documentation for installation, network topology and troubleshooting of network and connectivity hardware, software, and services.
*This position may include additional duties as assigned.*

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

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].

Experience:
One (1) year of experience analyzing, installing, configuring, enhancing, and/or maintaining the components of a system or platform.
Substitution:
One year of additional experience as described above may be substituted for the required degree.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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 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 his/her 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 opportunity where the modified exam is used.

Additional Information

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.

Upon passing the exam, candidates will be placed on the eligible list for a period of 12 months.

Certification: The certification rule for the eligible list resulting from this examination will be Rule of the List.

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.  [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...