INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLY: 

1. Complete this Utility Plumber Apprentice I (7463) job application on SmartRecruiters; AND
2. Complete the Minimum Qualifications and Supplemental Questionnaire (MQSQ)

Interested applicants are required to complete both items: MQSQ and job application. Job applications will only be considered if supplemented by a completed MQSQ. 

Utility Plumber Apprenticeship Program 

The Utility Plumber Apprenticeship is a paid five (5) year apprenticeship leading to the journey level 7388 Utility Plumber.  Apprentices are expected to satisfactorily complete the training and related instruction for each type of equipment in order to qualify for the promotion to 7464 Utility Plumber Apprentice II.  This requires progressive responsibility for carrying out duties according to instructions.

Apprentices will work under direct supervision of a qualified journey level Utility Plumber during the apprenticeship as required by the trade.  They will learn the operation, repair and maintenance of water mains, pipes, meters, fire hydrants, gates and valves, the work typical of the 7388 Utility Plumber.

Starting pay for this Program is $62,790 per year along with City medical, dental, retirement and other benefits.  Apprentices receive pay increases every 6 months as long as you make satisfactory progress in your training and educational classes.  Failure to meet satisfactory progress in the Program will result in dismissal from the Program.

About Apprenticeships in the City & County of San Francisco

ApprenticeshipSF is the City's apprenticeship program.  Apprenticeships are a City-Union partnership using an "earn and learn'' model using a unique combination of structured classroom learning with on-the-job training from an assigned journey level mentor. Apprenticeships are multi-year training programs, upon completion of an Apprenticeship program, participants receive an industry issued, nationally recognized credential that certifies occupational proficiency, is portable, and provides a pathway to a fulfilling career.

San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC)
Headquartered in San Francisco, we have 2,300 employees working in seven counties with a combined annual operating budget of over $900 million.

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.org/.

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.

About City Distribution Division (CDD)

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s City Distribution Division (Water Department) is responsible for directing approximately 322 employees in the operation and maintenance of the water distribution system within the City and County of San Francisco.  These activities include, but are not limited to: operating and maintaining 9 pump stations, 16 hydro stations, 13 reservoirs, 8 storage tanks, 20 regulators as well as other ancillary appurtenances and equipment; installing, repairing and maintaining 1,266 miles of water distribution mains including service connections and meters; four water systems (potable, ERWS, recycled, G.W.); engineering and designing new main and feeder extensions; managing the flora and fauna on over 1,000 acres of city owned property and rights-of-ways; and responding to all two-alarm or greater fires to assist the Fire Department in maintaining adequate water volume and consistent pressure while fighting fires.

Under immediate supervision of a qualified journey level Utility Plumber, the Utility Plumber Apprentice I (7463) performs apprentice work by assisting in the installation, care and maintenance of water mains, pipes, meters, fire hydrants, gates and valves. Work is performed as part of a recognized program of the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of the United States and Canada and is subject to the local coordinating committee of the Joint Apprenticeship Committees of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry; all work that may be performed is specified in the Points of Jurisdictions of the existing collective bargaining agreement. Nature of work involves considerable dexterity in the use of fingers, hands, limbs and body with exposure to physical and working conditions where moderately serious injuries may occur.

Examples of Important and Essential Duties

1. Assists Utility Plumbers in the installation and maintenance of water services and appurtenances including air vacuum valves, air release valves and blow offs.

2. Assists Utility plumbers in locating and repairing underground and surface leaks on service pipes and water mains; makes repairs under water pressure, using various methods; installs, changes, removes, and makes field repairs to water meters; sets meters and meter boxes in conformity with established sidewalk grades; installs, relocates or changes temporary water mains and makes necessary alterations to water services and meters; removes meters and conducts flow and pressure tests; repairs and maintains high pressure recorders; assists with maintenance of building standpipes; assists in the excavation and backfilling of trenches.

3. Assists in cleaning and maintaining traps; repairs gate valves, changes broken or worn spindles; repacks glands; assists in the operation of gate valves; checks air valves when filling mains; repairs leaks in cast iron mains using leak clamp for minor breaks, or in the case of large breaks, cuts out and removes broken meters or registers on water mains and meters; re-caulks joints on new and old mains; lays out and installs new mains and pertinent fittings; assists with the removal, installation, cleaning and maintenance of all pipes, valves and tanks in and around the reservoirs; assists with performing incidental maintenance or installation of inside plumbing when required.

4. Assists in the laying and maintenance of various types of fire devices, services, parts and equipment, including high and low pressure fire hydrants.

1. Apprenticeship: Applicant must be on the current UA Local 38 Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry Apprentice Out-of-Work list; AND  

Applicant must be a current indentured UA Local 38 Plumber Apprentice who has not completed more than 2,879 hours of on the job training. AND

2. License: Possession of a valid Class C California driver's License.

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

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS:

• Construction experience
• Utility or house plumbing experience
• Experience working with hand tools
• Experience soldering copper pipes
• Ability to lift objects weighing up to 51 pounds
• Ability to climb ladders and work in confined spaces

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT:

Upon being hired, the apprentice, the employer Department of Human Resources and the Joint Apprenticeship Committee must sign an apprenticeship indenture.  This is an agreement with the employer City and the Apprentice, which is filed with the State of California Department of Industrial Relations Division of Apprenticeship Standards, that the employer will train the apprentice in accordance with the apprenticeship standards and the collective bargaining agreement or MOU.

Physical skills require considerable physical effort in the installation, repair and maintenance of water mains, pipes, meters, fire hydrants, gate valves, the ability to lift heavy objects up to 51lbs; physical stamina to stand, stoop, bend, climb ladders and for confined space entry in tight crawl spaces.

Work environment may require: Exposure to working conditions where minor abrasions, bruises and burns may be encountered; occasional disagreeable work inside close and dirty spaces. 

Please note:

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.

KEY DATES

Monday, November 15, 2021 - Job Announcement Opened

Sunday, November 28, 2021 (11:59pm PST) - Submittal Deadline for Job Application and MQSQ 

• Information About the Hiring Process 
• Compensation
• Benefits
• Equal Employment Opportunity
• Conviction History

All City and County of San Francisco employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law (California Government Code Section 3100-3109). Employment with the City requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect. Employees are required to complete all Disaster Service Worker-related training as assigned, and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.

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, @famsf.org, @ccsf.edu).

Exam Analyst Information: If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the exam analyst, Tina Siu, at [email protected].

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT:  All City and County of San Francisco employees are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment.  For details on how it is applicable to your employment, please click here.

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.