Job Description

Under the supervision of the Director of Policy and Communications, you will serve as a Public Information Officer for tree planting projects managed by the Bureau of Urban Forestry at San Francisco Public Works.

Your contributions as part of the project delivery team are important to provide exceptional customer service and perform effectively to meet crucial timelines.

The Project: Our Bureau of Urban Forestry will plant and establish thirty-five hundred (3,500) trees in equity priority neighborhoods, to transform the tree canopy while creating workforce development opportunities.

Important and Essential Duties:
Your duties as a Public Information Officer may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Provide timely and accurate information to San Francisco residents, businesses, community groups, elected officials, partner agencies and other interest groups on tree planting, for furnishing information and explaining policy and procedures.
• Produce content for mailings, websites, social media posts, background briefings for department leadership, fact sheets, PowerPoint presentations and related materials.
• Respond to constituent inquiries and troubleshoot concerns.
• Conduct site visits and organize and/or attend community forums.
• Develop publicity releases of department events, programs and activities for print, broadcast, and online media.
• Make regular contact with the public, outside organizations and departmental staff for furnishing or obtaining information or explaining policy and procedures related to tree planting.
• Participate in project team meetings and work collaboratively with the Bureau of Urban Forestry, Communications and Outreach teams.

Working Condition: Nature of the work may involve exposure to adverse weather conditions, walking long distances, and driving a vehicle to project sites and meetings. May require work occasionally on nights, weekends and/or holidays.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

Education:
Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.

Experience:
Two (2) years of professional experience in public relations, public affairs, public information, editorial, newspaper, magazine, radio, television, social media, digital engagement, advertising, marketing or similar work directly responsible for the preparation and dissemination of news and information in a variety of formats for internal and external audiences, wherein the preparation or direction of informational material for mass media on the development of a public information program was a major part of the position.

Substitutions:

1. Additional experience as described above may be substituted for the required degree on a year-for-year basis. Thirty (30) semester units or forty-five (45) quarter units equal one year.
2. Possession of a Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in public relations, journalism, mass communications, marketing or a closely related field may substitute for one (1) year of the required experience.

Notes: One-year full-time employment is considered 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 calculation to determine full-time employment.

Desirable Qualifications : The stated desirable qualifications may be used to identify candidates advancing to the interview process and/or to identify job finalist(s) at the end of the selection process when referred for hiring.

• Bilingual proficiency in English/Cantonese.
• Ability to work effectively under tight deadlines and adjust rapidly to changing priorities.
• Experience in capturing photos and videos and producing accompanying written content for use on social media and print platforms.
• Experience with community engagement, such as public events and neighborhood outreach.
• Experience with neighborhood stakeholders such as district supervisor offices and community organizations.

Verification:
Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. More information can be found at: https://sfdhr.org/recruitment-details#verification

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.

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

Supplemental Questionnaire (SQ): Candidates may be required to complete a Supplemental Questionnaire (SQ) as part of the employment application. This SQ is designed to obtain specific information regarding an applicant's experience in relation to the Minimum Qualifications (MQ) for this position. The SQ will be used to evaluate if the applicant possesses the required minimum qualifications. Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through all of the steps in the selection procedure.

The selection process will include an evaluation of applications in relation to minimum requirements. Depending on the number of applicants, the department may establish and implement additional screening mechanisms to comparatively evaluate the qualifications of candidates. If this becomes necessary, only those applicants whose qualifications most closely meet the needs of the department will move forward in the recruitment process.

Additional Information

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
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: At the City and County of San Francisco, we share a commitment to a diverse, inclusive and equitable community. Each member of our organization is responsible and accountable for what they say and do to make San Francisco an inclusive and equitable place to live and work by employing fair and just practices to and for all.

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.

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the analyst, Kristi Sevilla, at kristi.sevilla@sfdpw.org.

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.