Job Description

Under direction, the Sheriff’s Sergeant functions as a line-level supervisor in the Custody, Field Operations, Administration and Programs, and Planning and Projects divisions: performs a variety of duties relating to the supervision of inmates in custody; serves as a supervisor of bailiffs in civil, criminal, and juvenile courts; serves as a field or support services supervisor in the enforcement of civil processes; supervises other sworn or civilian staff in the performance of law enforcement and administrative duties related to investigations, training, technical services, warrants service, inmate transportation, personnel management, fiscal administration, and public building and grounds security; performs and supervises performance of related law enforcement duties as assigned.

According to Civil Service Commission Rule 109, the duties specified below are representative of the range of duties as assigned to this class(es) and are not intended to be an inclusive list.

1. Supervises sworn staff in the care and control of inmates in the county jail or jail alternative programs; supervises maintaining of order and security in and around jail facilities; supervises line staff in the performance of routine jail duties such as cell inspections and searches, contraband searches and seizures, movement, recreation, counts, meals, visits, mail, commissary, medical calls, and other day-to-day jail operations; performs related facility area administrative duties involving operating a computer terminal, making arithmetical calculations, posting and explaining policies and procedures, investigating inmate grievances or disciplinary actions, and preparing detailed narrative reports; serves as Assistant Watch Commander; serves as acting Watch Commander in the absence of a regularly assigned commander or higher rank.
2. Assumes facility area command in the event of jail emergencies or extraordinary events such as fights, riots, fires, criminal acts, or other situations; intervenes to diffuse potential problem situations, by identifying inmate emotional and physical conditions; supervises movement of inmates under exceptional circumstances; assures proper documentation of jail emergencies.
3. Supervises bailiffs in civil, criminal, and juvenile courts.
4. Serves as field operations or support services supervisor in receiving and enforcement of civil processes.
5. Supervises and performs law enforcement and administrative duties related to criminal, internal affairs, or background investigations; supervises performance of duties of law enforcement and jail operations training officers assigned to the Training Unit; supervises warrants service for the Central Records and Warrants Unit and Community Programs, including general administrative oversight and field operations; supervises inmate transportation, including inter-facility transportation, out-of-country transportation, and transfers of arrestees from Police Department district stations to the county jail; supervises personnel functions, hiring, performance evaluations, disability accounting, and related operations; performs and supervises sworn and civilian staff in public building and grounds security operations, including monitoring of visitor ingress through metal detectors, maintaining order in public buildings and grounds, and roving patrol of access points; serves as commander of established Sections, Units, and other subdivisions of the San Francisco Sheriff's Office.
6. Performs and supervises performance of related law enforcement duties as assigned, codified under section 830.1 PC.

Qualifications

1. Experience: A total of four (4) years of experience in the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office in classes 8302 Deputy Sheriff I/8304/8504 Deputy Sheriff/8306/8506 Senior Deputy Sheriff; or any combination of the above-mentioned classes; AND
2. Training: Possession of a POST Basic Certificate; AND
3. License: Valid California Driver’s License.

Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications above by close of application filing.

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 Procedure: **
After application submission, candidates deemed qualified must complete all subsequent steps to advance in this selection process, which include two components: 1) Video-based human relations exercise and 2) Performance exercise.

A pass-point will be established, and only candidates scoring at or above the minimum passing score will be placed on the eligible list and considered for appointment. In addition, the Office may conduct final interviews before making final selections from the eligible list. A Prep Guide will be made available prior to exam administration. A description of the exam components, including component weights, will be included. The Prep Guide will also list the job-related task clusters and knowledge and abilities for the job classification. Qualified applicants will be notified when the Prep Guide becomes available. The exam will be designed to measure candidates’ relative knowledge and ability in job-related areas.

_ Reference Materials:_
Candidates should be familiar with all Sheriff’s Office policies, manuals and other references listed on this link. This is a suggested reading list only.

** Testing Information:**
Qualified applicants will be notified by email of the exact dates, times, and locations of the exam components, which are tentatively scheduled to be administered early October 2026. Candidates must successfully complete all exam components to receive a final score.

_ Certification:_
The certification rule for the eligible list resulting from this exam will be Rule of Three scores.

_ Eligible List:_
A confidential eligible list of applicant names will be created from this recruitment. Candidates that successfully achieve passing scores on all the selection procedures listed above will be placed on the eligible list. 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 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.

The duration of the eligible list resulting from this examination process will be 24 months and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director.

Additional Information

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 https://sf.gov/departments/civil-service-commission. ****

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

Where to Apply
All job applications for the City and County of San Francisco must be submitted through our online portal. Please visit https://careers.sf.gov/ to begin your application process.

Computers are available for the public (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday) to file online applications in the lobby of the Dept. of Human Resources at 1 South Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor and at the City Career Center at City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 110.

Ensure your application information is accurate, as changes may not be possible after submission. Your first and last name must match your legal ID for verification, and preferred names can be included in parentheses. Use your personal email address, not a shared or work email, to avoid unfixable issues.

Applicants will receive a confirmation email from notification@smartrecruiters.com 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 this recruitment or application process, please contact the exam analyst, Lilimae Santander at Lilimae.santander@sfgov.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.