Job Description

This is a Position-Based Test conducted in accordance with CSC Rule 111A.

Application Opening: Monday, July 20, 2026
Application Deadline: Monday, August 10, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. (PDT)
Recruitment ID: PBT-0933-165610 (RTF0165609-01065678)

WHO ARE WE?
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC)

Headquartered in San Francisco, we have 2,300 employees operating across eight counties serving more than 2.7 million customers in the San Francisco Bay Area – 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

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.gov

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.

To learn more about working at the SFPUC, visit our career site at https://www.sfpuc.gov/about-us/careers-sfpuc

About the Environmental Management Group

As part of the SFPUC’s Infrastructure Division, Environmental Management Group (EMG) manages California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) approvals for SFPUC’s capital projects in collaboration with the San Francisco Planning Department (CEQA lead agency) and various federal agencies (NEPA lead agency). EMG also acquires resource agency permits (e.g., U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Regional Water Quality Control Board, California Department of Fish and Wildlife) and ensures environmental compliance during construction. With a variety of power, water, and sewer infrastructure from O’Shaughnessy Dam in Yosemite National Park to the San Francisco Bay, our team enjoys working on diverse projects across urban, agricultural, and natural landscapes.

About the Position

The Manager of the Environmental Management Group (EMG) at the SFPUC directs all California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental review and resource agency permitting for projects of the Water, Wastewater, and the Power Enterprises. The manager of EMG leads, plans, manages and directs all operations of environmental review, resource agency permit acquisition, and environmental construction compliance. This position is within the Infrastructure Division, responsible for delivery of the SFPUC Capital Plan, valued at approximately $12.5B over 10 years.

The Manager of EMG maintains the organizational structure, plans for adequate resources, and oversees adherence of staff with SFPUC core values and the mission. The position establishes goals and objectives for the EMG, sets policies, protocols and procedures, standards of performance for staff and consultants, and issues directives and senior guidance on CEQA and resource agency permitting matters to staff.

This position manages a diverse group of approximately 17 staff and $75M of consultant contracts in CEQA, NEPA, environmental project management and key resource areas such as land use, biology, cultural resources, geology, and construction compliance. In addition to Environmental Impact Reports (EIR), Mitigated Negative Declarations (MND), EMG staff also prepare documentation for categorical and statutory exemptions from CEQA.

Essential duties include but are not limited to:

1. Plans, monitors, evaluates, and supervises the operation of the Environmental Management Group (EMG); coordinates the work of the various teams; advises and consults with managers; meets with appropriate staff to identify and resolve problems or conflicts; makes or recommends final decisions regarding policy, operations, and administrative procedures.
2. Supervises and manages senior environmental project managers and staff in developing policies, procedures, and protocols for compliance with CEQA and other applicable environmental laws and regulations and developing mechanisms to mitigate project environmental impacts and achieve better ecosystem protection and restoration.
3. Directs the allocation of resources to achieve timely outcomes and measurable goals within budget; adjusts plans and programs to meet emerging or new programs, while continuing to address major departmental priorities (including internal staff and professional service consultant contracts).
4. Implements training programs for project management, engineering, and construction management staffs on procedures for environmental compliance on projects.
5. Oversees and directs the preparation of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and associated permitting/compliance documents for the SFPUC 10-year capital plans and projects for Water, Wastewater, and Power Enterprises.
6. Coordinates with SFPUC's Enterprises and Bureaus, City's agencies, and external agencies in establishing protocols to ensure compliance with CEQA and applicable environmental laws and regulations; provides guidance on environmental compliance to SFPUC's Enterprises and Bureaus.
7. Advises SFPUC senior management on CEQA analyses and prepares presentations to Commissions and the public; presents project progress and results to the public.
8. Oversees and administers budget; directs and monitors expenditures in accordance with the approved budget; directs the preparation and maintenance of a wide variety of statistical, fiscal, and operational reports and studies; and provides executive management with an early warning and practical options to potential cost overruns.
   
   The Manager of Environmental Management Group also performs other duties as assigned to Class 0933 Manager V.

The Ideal Candidate

The Leadership Competency Model illustrates what it means to be successful for any leader at the SFPUC, supporting our commitment to organizational excellence. The ideal candidate will have a demonstrated track record and ability to exercise the following competencies which are the most critical to the Manager of Environmental Management Group role:

• Decision Making and Problem Solving: Takes ownership of problems and makes timely, responsible, transparent, and clear decisions. Involves others in addressing problems and seeking solutions. Gathers relevant information and conducts appropriate analyses. Understands the impact of decisions.
• Innovation: Creates a thriving culture in which employees feel both safe and encouraged to explore new ideas and improve existing ones. Develops new insights, questions conventional approaches, and encourages others to develop new ideas and innovations.
• Relationship Management and Resolution: Builds open, honest, and respectful relationships through effective communication and collaboration techniques. Develops networks and lasting partnerships across boundaries to maintain strategic relationships and achieve common goals. Utilizes a variety of communication approaches to successfully gain support, influence others, and strengthen relationship.
• Strategic Planning: Formulates objectives and priorities, implements plans, and allocates resources to achieve the long-term goals of the organization.
• Talent Management: Builds and develops a highly skilled workforce based on organizational goals, budget considerations, and staffing needs. Ensures that employees are appropriately recruited and provides resources and support to ensure that the workforce is able to meet current and future business needs.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:
Education: Possession of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university; AND

Experience: Eight (8) years of professional experience in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), of which three (3) years must include experience supervising professionals.

Education Substitution: Additional qualifying experience as described above may be substituted for the required degree on a year-for-year basis up to a maximum of two (2) years. One (1) year is equivalent to thirty (30) semester units/forty-five (45) quarter units.

Note: One (1) year of full-time employment is considered equivalent to two thousand (2,000) hours. Any overtime hours that you work above forty (40) hours per week are not included in the calculation to determine full-time employment.

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

Desirable Qualifications: The stated desirable qualifications may be considered at the end of the selection process when candidates are referred for hiring:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in environmental studies/science, biology, natural resources, cultural resources or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated results in managing programs and projects for CEQA and NEPA water, power and sewer infrastructure for a large public utility organization.
• Experience in applying requirements of Chapter 31 of the San Francisco Administrative Code.

Verification of Experience and/or Education:

Every application is reviewed to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications as listed in the job ad. Please review Employment Application and Minimum Qualifications and Verification of Experience and/or Education for considerations taken when reviewing applications.

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

Failure to provide the required verification may result in rejection of the application and/or removal from eligibility for referral and appointment in this class.

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.

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. Applications completed improperly may be cause for ineligibility, disqualification or may lead to lower scores.

Selection Procedures:

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

1. Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire (MQSQ) (Weight: Qualifying)

Candidates will be required to complete a MQSQ as part of the employment application at a later time. This MQSQ is designed to obtain specific information regarding an applicant's experience in relation to the Minimum Qualifications (MQ) for this position. The MQSQ will be used to evaluate if the applicant possesses the required minimum qualifications.

2. Supplemental Questionnaire Examination (Weight:100%): Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will be sent a Supplemental Questionnaire Examination via a separate email after the closing of the application filing period. The Supplemental Questionnaire Examination is designed to measure the knowledge, skills and/or abilities in job-related areas required for the position which may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Knowledge of CEQA, NEPA, and other environmental laws and regulations.
• Knowledge of organizational management principles and practices.
• Ability to manage, supervise, train, and coordinate complex functional areas of responsibility and groups of employees.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other SFPUC's Enterprises and Bureaus, City's departments, other agencies, and the public.
• Skill to apply the principles and practices of public administration, financial and personnel management.
• Ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, and present clearly and concisely.

Applicants will be given a deadline to return the Supplemental Questionnaire Examination. Those who do not respond by the established deadline will not be eligible to continue in the examination process and will not be added to eligibility list resulting from this process. All applicants’ responses to the Supplemental Questionnaire Examination are subject to verification.

A passing score must be achieved on the Supplemental Questionnaire Examination in order to continue in the selection process and be placed on the eligible list/score report.

Candidates will be placed on the eligible list/score report in rank order according to their final score. Candidate scores on this examination may also be applied to other announcements involving other job titles, when directed by the Human Resources Director.

The department may administer additional position-specific selection procedures to make the final hiring decision.

NOTE: Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed to advance through all of the steps in the selection process.

Additional Information

Eligible List/Score Report: A confidential eligible list of applicant names that have passed the civil service examination process will be created, and used for certification purposes only. 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/score report 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 of six (6) months, and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director.

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

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. Clerical errors may be corrected by the posting the correction on the Department of Human Resources website at Careers with purpose | City and County of San Francisco

The terms of this announcement may be appealed under Civil Service Rule 111A.35.1. The standard for the review of such appeals is ‘abuse of discretion’ or ‘no rational basis’ for establishing the position description, the minimum qualifications and/or the certification rule. Appeals must include a written statement of the item(s) being contested and the specific reason(s) why the cited item(s) constitute(s) abuse of discretion by the Human Resources Director. Appeals must be submitted directly to the Executive Officer of the Civil Service Commission within five business days of the announcement issuance date. 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
• Veterans Preference
• Seniority Credit in Promotional Exams
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

HOW TO APPLY

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

• Select the “Apply Now” button and follow instructions on the screen

Applicants may be contacted by email about this recruitment 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, @smartalerts.info, and @smartrecruiters.com).

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, Vivian Yeung at VYeung@sfwater.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.