Job Description

Department: Citywide
Job class: 1704 - Communications Dispatcher I
Salary range: Steps 1 – 5, $69,523-$84,154 annually*
Role type: Permanent Civil Service What does this mean?
Hours: Full-time
Exam type: Class Based Test
Rule: Rule of the List
Application Opening: July 8, 2026
Recruitment ID: ETP – 1704 – 166311

*** This posting has been re-opened to collect additional applications. Candidates who have previously applied do not need to reapply. The posting will close no sooner than Tuesday, August 11, 2026.***

* Note - the above reflects the 1704 Communications Dispatcher salary range as negotiated between the SF Community College District (CCD) and SEIU Local 1021. Please refer to the City and County of San Francisco Department of Human Resources website ( Job Classifications and Compensation | City and County of San Francisco) for up-to-date salary information with other City departments.

THIS IS A CITYWIDE RECRUITMENT FOR CURRENT CITY EMPLOYEES ONLY

This is an Exempt to Permanent recruitment in accordance with Class-Based Test (CBT) Civil Service Rules. This recruitment is restricted to current exempt employees of the City and County of San Francisco, San Francisco Unified School District, or San Francisco City College, working within the 1704 Communications Dispatcher I classification.

ABOUT THE CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO:

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.

Under supervision, the Communications Dispatcher I performs a variety of specialized duties in connection with communications dispatch functions.

Essential Functions: Essential functions of the 1704 Communications Dispatcher I class include but are limited to the following:

1. Operates a variety of communications equipment and information transmitting devices such as, multi-line telephones, two-way radio and pager systems utilized to receive information, request reports and emergency calls from a number of mobile radio field units and telephones, or to transmit messages to field units and/or to route calls to proper bureau or detail for action.

2. Verifies and evaluates messages received to determine if information is accurate and may follow up to ensure proper receipt and understanding to determine type of action necessary and appropriate staff and/or agency to be notified.

3. Dispatches mobile units and equipment to specific work locations, including locations where traffic control, citing and towing services are needed; makes phone requests for ambulance, tow-truck or other emergency services; makes inquiries of other agencies as requested by field units; reads maps and gives directions on how to get to location of emergency.

4. Records essential information and facts from messages transmitted or received by radio and telephone by entering and retrieving data from computer, time stamping and logging messages for permanent record keeping, maintaining continuous records of the status of units assigned, and maintaining a regular log of all messages transmitted and received by radio and telephone.

5. Assists communications dispatchers to coordinate communications emergency procedures by working with staff from various City departments (e.g., Police, MUNI, Fire, Sheriff & PUC,) and communications dispatchers from 911 and DPW, during accidents, emergencies and natural or other disasters.

6. Transmits alarm information to supervisor on duty when the department needs assistance; notifies the Police department daily of streets scheduled for no-parking zones; prepares records and performs other clerical duties related to this procedures. May monitor surveillance equipment and intrusion alarms from on-site buildings.

7. Performs other related duties as assigned for the purpose of ensuring the efficient and effective functioning of the work unit.

Qualifications

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

1. Current Category 16, 17, or 18 Exempt Employee in Class 1704 who has worked at least 2,080 hours in class 1704; AND
2. One year of verifiable experience operating a two-way radio communications base station, receiving, recording and transmitting messages from one source to another; OR
3. Combined total of one year of verifiable experience operating a multi-line telephone, and a two-way radio communications base system. Six months of this experience must have been operating a two-way radio base station.

Verification: Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process.

Please review our articles on Employment Application and Minimum Qualifications and Verification of Experience and/or Education for considerations taken when reviewing applications.

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.

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 supplemental questionnaire.
   
2. Supplemental Questionnaire – Training and Experience Assessment (100% weight) - After the application process, candidates will be prompted to complete a Supplemental Questionnaire as part of the online employment process. Please answer the Supplemental 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 1704 Communications Dispatcher I 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.

What else should I know?

Eligible List/Score Report:

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

CERTIFICATION RULE

The certification rule for this recruitment is Rule of the List.

HOW TO APPLY

Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process. Visit https://careers.smartrecruiters.com/CityAndCountyOfSanFrancisco1/ and begin the application process.

• Select the “I’m Interested” button and follow instructions on the screen

Note:

1. Please ensure the information on your application is accurate. It may not be possible to change after you’ve applied.

2. Your first and last name should match your legal ID for verification purposes. A preferred first name may be included in parentheses. Here is an example: Samuel (Sam) Jackson

3. Your email address should be consistent across all jobs applied to on our website.

4. Use a personal and not a shared email address. Doing so may prevent your application from submitting properly.

Upon successful submission, applicants will receive a confirmation email from notification@smartrecruiters.com Keep this email for your records. If you do not receive it, your application was not submitted successfully.

Important Email Contact Information: Applicants may be contacted by email about this recruitment and, therefore, it is your responsibility to ensure that your registered email address is accurate and kept up-to-date. Also, applicants must ensure that emails from CCSF is not blocked on your 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, @smartalerts.info, and @smartrecruiters.com).

Additional Information

• 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

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.smartrecruiters.com/CityAndCountyOfSanFrancisco1/ .] 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

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the exam analyst, Edward Tang at ehgtang@ccsf.edu Be sure to include the recruitment ID, E2P-1704- E166311, in your subject line. Thank you.

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.

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.