Exempt to Permanent - Senior Telephone Operator (1708) Citywide (168003)

Company Description

THIS IS A CITYWIDE RECRUITMENT FOR CURRENT CITY EMPLOYEES ONLY.

This is an Exempt to Permanent recruitment. Only currently active, exempt employees of the City and County of San Francisco in this recruitment’s classification will be placed on the eligible list for consideration of future permanent positions.

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.

• Application Opening:  Tuesday, September 1, 2026
• Application Deadline: Application filing will close on or after Friday, September 4, 2026
• Salary: $73,268 - $88,998 Annually
• Appointment Type: Permanent Civil Service
• Recruitment ID: ETP-1708-168003

Job Description

Under general supervision, the Senior Telephone Operator performs the duties of an attendant console operator, operating voice and data communication equipment, Public Branch Exchange, Centrex, emergency and monitoring equipment, and related systems.

Essential Duties:

The 1708 Senior Telephone Operator performs the following essential job functions:  

• Answer, screen and route incoming calls
• Uses call management systems and computers to provide the public with information regarding public events, City functions, and services, ensuring accurate and timely responses.
• Prepare reports of telephone activities and other records
• Update personnel and department directories
• Reports hardware and/or software problems with communications equipment to the telephone company, supervisors and/or appropriate city personnel
• Assists in the distribution and tracking of telecommunication equipment, may include pagers, Wi-Fi devices, and mobile phones. Processes requests to the IT department for equipment allocation, setup, and maintenance, ensuring all devices are properly managed and operational.
• Supervises/acts as lead operator by issuing work assignments and monitoring work schedules and performance.
• Operates two-way radio communication equipment in order to communicate emergency and other third-party information to mobile units and institutional police, to communicate with disaster teams during drills, actual disasters or when the telephone network is not functioning.
• Dispatches teams of medical emergency workers in response to code blues and other requests for emergency assistance.
• Operates overhead public address system for public announcements and paging employees
• Initiates service requests for repairs and installations of equipment by coordinating with the Department of Telecommunication and Information Services, telecommunication carriers, and other vendors
• Trains and instructs operators in the procedural operation of a voice and data communication console and related equipment.

The 1708 Senior Telephone Operator also performs other related duties as required.

Qualifications

1. Current Category 16, 17, or 18 Exempt Employee in Class 1708 who has worked at least 2,080 hours in class 1708; AND
2. EXPERIENCE: One (1) year of experience as an operator of a multiple line voice communication console or a computerized telecommunication system. Ability to type 35 words per minute.

Applicants must meet the minimum qualification requirement by the filing deadline.

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).

Special Requirements:

Special Qualifications including specialized knowledge, abilities, education, experience, or license may be established for individual positions.

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 a lower score.

Additional Information

SELECTION PROCEDURES:

1. Job Application - Applicants must fully complete the job application. Information from resumes does not substitute for the information on the job application or preliminary questionnaire.
2. Preliminary Questionnaire – Training and Experience Assessment (100% Weight) -During the application process, candidates will be prompted to complete a Preliminary Questionnaire as part of the online employment process. Please answer the Preliminary Questionnaire carefully and thoroughly.  It will serve as the Training and Experience Assessment for this recruitment and will be used to determine your eligibility for this recruitment as well as your score and rank on the eligible list. Qualified applicants will be ranked on the eligible list based on the length of their exempt City service (in Category 16, 17, and/or 18) in the 1708 Senior Telephone Operator class, along with any additional qualifying points (e.g., promotive status), as outlined in Civil Service Commission (CSC) rules. All work history will be verified using official City records, which will serve as the final authority in determining qualifying service.

Additional selection processes may be conducted by the hiring department prior to making final hiring decisions.

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. 

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

Eligible List/Score Report:
Once you pass the exam, you will be placed onto an eligible list and given a score and a rank. For more information, visit https://careers.sf.gov/knowledge/process/

The duration of the eligible list resulting from this examination process will be 6 months and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director.

How to apply:

Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted online at SmartRecruiter. 

Our e-mail communications may come from more than one department so please make sure your email is set to accept messages from all of us at this link.

Applicants may be contacted by email about this recruitment. Please consider using a personal email address that you check regularly rather than a work or school account.

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.

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 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 
• Conviction History 
• Employee Benefits Overview 
• Equal Employment Opportunity 
• Disaster Service Workers
• Reasonable Accommodation
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement
• Veterans Preference
• Seniority Credit in Promotional Exams

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the analyst, Diane Zhou at diane.zhou@sfdph.org or 628-271-6703.

We may use text messaging to communicate with you on the phone number provided in your application. The first message will ask you to opt in to text messaging.

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.

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