This is a Position-Based Test conducted in accordance with CSC Rule 111A.

Division: External Communications, Marketing & Outreach
Section/Unit: Customer Communications
Work Location: Transportation Management Center, 1145 Market Street, 7th Floor, San Francisco, CA
Work Hours: Monday – Friday, 12PM-9PM

The External Communications, Marketing & Outreach Division is responsible for the management of communications, marketing and outreach with the purpose of engaging and sharing information with agency customers, stakeholders, partners, consultants, the media and the public for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), which oversees all transportation modes for the City and County of San Francisco, including San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni), bicycle, pedestrian, parking and taxis. The division handles media and public relations; public outreach and engagement; marketing and creative services, digital communications and social media, public events and customer communications.

Application Opening: April 11, 2024
Application Deadline: No earlier than April 25, 2024

Recruitment ID: PBT-5408-143700

Under supervision of the division chief of staff and manager of Customer Communications, the Customer Communications 5408 Coordinator of Citizen Involvement oversees a combined team responsible for both processing and addressing Muni customer complaints and feedback from 311 and the agency’s online Muni feedback form as well as for providing real-time Muni transit alerts and customer service and public information over multiple systems and channels.

The team fields 1,000 to 2,000 pieces of feedback from 311 and through our online portal per month, in addition to the daily real-time engagement.

The position will require a high level of engagement with the public, as well as senior managers and other stakeholders.

Examples of 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. Uses a deep knowledge and understanding of the Muni system and close coordination with the Transportation Management Center (TMC) to maintain and strengthen the credibility of the SFMTA and the Customer Communications team
2. Trains and leads a team that is resourceful and proactive in keeping agency customers informed on agency operations and projects
3. Develops and maintains effective communications systems designed to solicit attitudes and needs of our customers to facilitate agency plans and resolutions
4. Develops and prepares messaging that communicates agency values, goals, projects, and topics of media and public interest via social media, including video, photo, and website support
5. Manages daily unit operations, including Human Resources matters, scheduling and TMC coverage, and task distribution
6. Advises Transit and agency management on customer concerns and sentiment
7. Leads frontline crisis communications during transit and transportation disruptions or emergencies
8. Advises management individually and at staff meetings of public relations implications on proposed actions
9. Analyzes existing and proposed policies and procedures for responding to SFMTA customer inquiries
10. Investigates complaints directed at the department’s operation; recommends corrective action to preclude further adverse action or opinion; and prepares replies to such complaints
11. Engages social media followers with positive and resourceful customer assistance
12. Oversees Muni Accessibility Review process and provide escalation assistance
13. Provides staff information updates about changes in process, Muni policies, service changes, and key information needed
14. Maintains records and files to meet all government agency requirements
15. Recommends specific programs and activities to facilitate the goals and objectives of developing and maintaining citizen participation in agency activities
16. Performs related duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Nature of Work:
The position may require working weekends and late nights on an as-needed basis, working outdoors in varying weather conditions, standing, walking and/or sitting for prolonged periods of time, occasional lifting of objects weighing up to 25 pounds and the transport of materials and equipment.

The following are required to be possessed as of the filing deadline for applications:

Education:  Possession of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university; AND

Experience:  Three (3) years experience directing or coordinating community engagement, legislative affairs or public affairs programs

Education substitution:  Additional experience as described above may be substituted for the education requirement on a year-for-year basis. Thirty (30) semester units or forty-five (45) quarter units equal one (1) year.

Experience substitution: Possession of a Master’s degree in public administration, public relations, political science, business, or journalism may be substituted for one (1) year of the required experience.

One year of full-time employment is equivalent to 2000 hours. (2000 hours of qualifying work experience is based on a 40-hour work week.) Any overtime hours that you work above forty (40) hours per week are not included in the automatic calculation to determine full-time employment

Desirable qualifications:  The stated desirable qualifications may be considered at the end of the selection process when candidates are referred for hiring.

• Experience in publicity work, social media communications, mass media, communications agency work or similar work involving collection, dissemination and communication of news and information to the general public
• Ability to deal courteously, effectively and tactfully with coworkers, the general public and outside organizations and groups
• Familiarity with the Muni transit network and with San Francisco’s transportation network in general
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to produce reports and presentations and to present effectively to senior management, staff and the public
• Experience with problem-solving and calm, clear and effective communication with internal and external customers during emergencies and service interruptions
• Knowledge of procedures used in preparing and distributing publicity and public information material, including but not limited to X, Facebook and other social media
• Ability to navigate computer systems including databases and proprietary software applications to retrieve information, generate data and distribute reports
• Ability and flexibility to work in a dynamic, time-sensitive environment and to respond quickly during unanticipated events
• Work experience in communications across multiple channels including social media platforms
• Oral and written bilingual skills in Cantonese or Spanish, preferred

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 https://sfdhr.org/how-verify-education-requirements

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.
 

Selection Procedures: (General Exam Process)
After application submission, candidates deemed qualified must complete all subsequent steps to advance in this selection process, which includes the following:

Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire (Weight - Qualifying): Candidates will be required to complete a MQSQ as part of the employment application. This MQSQ is designed to obtain specific information regarding an applicant's experience in relation to the Minimum Qualifications (MQ) for this position. The MQSQ will be used to evaluate if the applicant possesses the required minimum qualifications.

Basic Supervisory Exam (Weight – 40%):  Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications will be invited to a written multiple-choice examination that is designed to measure basic knowledge of various supervisory practices and procedures (e.g. directing, counseling, guiding, evaluating, motivating, disciplining, developing and training subordinates, delegation, etc.) as well as customer service and reading comprehension.

A passing score must be achieved on the Basic Supervisory Exam in order to continue in the selection process.  This is a standardized examination and, therefore, test questions and test answers are not available for public inspection or review. The examination is administered via computer or in paper format. Qualified candidates will be notified of the particular format to be used in their test appointment notification. The score you achieve on this examination shall be valid and 'banked' for three years, starting from the date of the examination. This means that, during this three-year time period, you will not be required to take this test again should you apply and be found eligible for a future announcement for which this particular test is used. Please note this test is used for other supervisory classes therefore your test score may be applied to one or more of these classes if you choose to apply to future recruitments. If the test for this future announcement is held within one year of the date of this examination, your score will be automatically applied to that announcement. However, after one year, you have the option to either (a) apply your 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 examination and only in association with your eligibility for another announcement for which this test is used. Please note that, should you re-test, your re-test score would become your official score since it is the most recent.

Training & Experience Evaluation (Weight - 60%): Candidates will be sent a Supplemental Questionnaire via email. The questions are designed to measure relative levels of knowledge, skills and/or abilities in job-related areas. It is important that the information provided on the supplemental questionnaire be accurate and complete. All statements made on the application materials are subject to verification.

For your reference, a Multiple-Choice Test Preparation Manual is available on the DHR website: https://sfdhr.org/sites/default/files/FileCenter/Documents/18426-Multiple%20Choice%20Test%20Prep%20Manual.pdf

Candidates must achieve a passing score on all exam components listed above in order to be placed on the eligible list/score report.

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., as a result of appeals), as directed by the Human Resources Director or the Civil Service Commission.

The duration of the eligible list/score report resulting from this examination process will be 12 months and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director. 

To find Departments which use this classification, please see https://sfdhr.org/sites/default/files/documents/Forms-Documents/Position-Counts-by-Job-Codes-and-Department-FY-2023-24.pdf

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. The correction of clerical errors in an announcement may be posted on the Department of Human Resources website at Careers with purpose | City and County of San Francisco (sf.gov).

The terms of this announcement may be appealed under Civil Service Rule 111A.35.1. The standard for the review of such appeals is ‘abuse of discretion’ or ‘no rational basis’ for establishing the position description, the minimum qualifications and/or the certification rule. Appeals must include a written statement of the item(s) being contested and the specific reason(s) why the cited item(s) constitute(s) abuse of discretion by the Human Resources Director. Appeals must be submitted directly to the Executive Officer of the Civil Service Commission within five business days of the announcement issuance date.  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
• 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
• SFMTA Employee Wellness Program

How to Apply: Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process.
1. Visit Careers with Purpose | City and County of San Francisco (sf.gov)
2. Type "5408" in to the "Search by class or keyword" field.
3. Click the link to open the Job Announcement.
4. 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 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 (@careers.sf.gov, @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.

Exam Analyst Information: If you have any questions regarding the Exam Process, please contact the exam analyst, [email protected].

AN | PBT-5408-143700 | CPE

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.