Planner II (5278) - Citywide - (X00071)

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 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.

THIS IS A CITYWIDE EXAMINATION

This exam announcement has been amended to extend the filing period of this recruitment. The new application deadline is Tuesday, May 28, 2024.

• Application Opening:  April 29, 2024
• Application Filing Deadline:  May 28, 2024, 11:59 PM PST
• Recruitment ID:  CBT-5278-X00071 / REF40722W

Under general supervision, the 5278 Planner II performs difficult city planning work and participates in all phases of city planning; assists in the preparation of planning, research, surveys and projects; conducts investigations, collects and analyzes data on zoning, subdivision design, urban renewal, rapid transit and other land use problems; assists in the conduct of environmental impact reviews; assists in the preparation of written and graphic reports; may supervise subordinate survey, clerical and office personnel; and performs related duties as required.

Requires responsibility for: carrying out and interpreting city planning policies and procedures; making continuing personal contacts with representatives of government, civic and business organizations, and the general public in the explanation and interpretation of laws, ordinances, policies, rules and regulations relating to city planning activities; preparing, checking and reviewing important technical records involving the master plan, capital improvement program, urban renewal, zoning and other technical city planning records.

The essential job functions include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Compiles and prepares technical, physical, economic, social and statistical data in the form of reports and graphs, maps and charts; prepares base maps for use in the development of the master plan and the capital improvement program; collects data, makes studies, performs field investigations and writes reports on specifically assigned problems in the field of zoning, subdivisions, park and recreation areas, population movement and traffic, transportation and other land use studies.
• Prepares maps, charts, photographs and other graphic presentations to illustrate studies of land use, transportation, population, traffic, streets, freeways, residential, business, recreational and playground areas, zoning and subdivisions.
• Assists in and performs research and analysis of economic and sociological problems as a basis for preparation of the master plan, urban renewal and capital improvement program; attends public hearings, meetings or conferences or various city departments, takes notes and prepares summary reports, answers inquiries pertaining to zoning, urban renewal, freeway and street location and other city planning and related problems.
• May process various zoning applications and permits; interprets and explains zoning ordinances and other city planning problems to the public.
• May assist in the analysis and review of environmental impact reports; interprets and explains legal, technical and procedural aspects of environmental review to the public.

Nature of work: Incumbents in this job code may be required to attend evening and weekend meetings, occasionally held in community locations.

Minimum Qualifications

• Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university AND two (2) years (4,000 hours) verifiable full-time-equivalent experience in city, regional, urban or transportation planning, urban design, historic preservation, architectural or environmental review or other related field; OR
• Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university in City, Regional, or Urban Planning, or a closely related field such as Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Geography, Urban Studies, Public Administration, Physical Sciences, Historic Preservation, or Environmental Studies AND one (1) year (2,000 hours) verifiable full-time-equivalent experience in city, regional, urban or transportation planning, urban design, historic preservation, architectural or environmental review or other related field; OR
• Possession of a Master's degree from an accredited college or university in City, Regional, or Urban Planning, or a closely related field such as Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Geography, Urban Studies, or Environmental Studies.

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

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, information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at http://sfdhr.org/index.aspx?page=456

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.

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.

How To Apply

Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process. Submit your application through this job ad. 

• Select the "Apply Now" 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 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.

Selection Procedures

Minimum Qualifications Supplemental Questionnaire (Qualifying):
Candidates will be sent an MQSQ via email as part of the employment application. Applicants will be required to respond to the MQSQ in the time frame indicated, and submit their answers as directed. This MQSQ is designed to obtain specific information regarding an applicant's experience in relation to the Minimum Qualifications (MQs) for this position. The MQSQ will be used to evaluate if the applicant possesses the required minimum qualifications.

Planner Core Exam (Weight: 40%):
Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications will be invited to participate in the online Planner Core Exam. Candidates will be sent a web link via email that will allow them to take the online Planner Core Exam that is designed to measure basic knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with a Planner II position, which may include but not be limited to: knowledge of basic planning principles including land use, zoning, municipal regulation, environmental review, community development, transportation as they relate to planning programs; interpersonal relations ability; and knowledge of graphic presentation methods, systems and techniques required for preparation of maps, charts, illustrations and other complex graphics.

This computer-administered test can be taken at home or at a time and location of one's convenience, but only within a 4-day time period specified on the test notification. Candidates must have access to a computer and reliable internet connection to participate in this exam.

Candidates must achieve a passing score on the Planner Core Exam in order to continue further in the selection process.

The Planner Core Exam will account for 40% of the total weight of the final score.

This is a standardized written multiple-choice examination. In accordance with Civil Service Rule 111.11.4, inspection privileges do not apply to the questions and answers in these examinations.

Qualified applicants will be notified by email of the exact time period of the examination.

Supplemental Questionnaire (Weight: 60%):
Candidates who pass the Planner Core Exam will be sent a Supplemental Questionnaire via email to complete and return. The Supplemental Questionnaire is designed to determine relative knowledge, skills and ability levels in job related areas which may include, but not be limited to:  knowledge of the objectives, principles, practices, procedures and trends of land use, zoning, municipal regulation, environmental review, community development and urban design associated with the preparation, interpretation and implementation of a planning program; includes knowledge of federal, state and local laws as they relate to planning; project/time management ability; interpersonal relations ability; problem solving; and written communication skills.

The Supplemental Questionnaire will account for 60% of the total weight of the final score.

Total weight for Planner Core Exam and Supplemental Questionnaire components: 100% 
A passing score must be achieved on all components of the selection procedures in order to be placed/ranked on the score report. The department may administer additional position-specific selection procedures to make final hiring decisions.

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.

Certification: The certification rule for the eligible list resulting from this examination will be Rule of Ten (10). Additional selection processes may be conducted by the hiring department prior to making final hiring decisions.

The duration of the eligible list resulting from this examination process will be twelve (12) months, and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director.

Upon approval of the Human Resource Director (see Civil Service Rule 111A.26.5), the eligible list/score report resulting from this announcement may be used by other departments that also use this classification or a similar classification. To find other Departments which use this classification, please see:  Position-Counts-by-Job-Codes-and-Department-FY-2023-24.pdf (sfdhr.org)

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.smartrecruiters.com/CityAndCountyOfSanFrancisco1/ .] 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.

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

• Information About The Hiring Process
• Position Based Testing Information
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview  
• Equal Employment Opportunity 
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Veterans Preference
• Seniority Credit in Promotional Exams
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

Exam ...