Job Description

Company Description

Application Opening: September 09, 2026

Application Deadline: Apply Immediately. Application filing will be open at least through 5:00pm on September 23, 2026, and will close any time thereafter.

Appointment Type: This recruitment is for a Temporary Exempt (TEX), as-needed appointment. This position is exempt from the Civil Service examination process pursuant to the San Francisco Charter Section 10.104 and shall serve at the discretion of the Appointing Officer.

Please note that this position does include any City health or retirement benefits due to its temporary nature.

Supplemental Questionnaire: Please complete the following supplemental questionnaire to provide your availability: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/g/dxHR5t6wvi

About Us

Amid a dynamic and ever-evolving urban landscape, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department stewards one of the premier urban park systems in America. In 2017, San Francisco became the first city in the nation where all residents have access to a park within a 10-minute walk, a direct result of the Department’s commitment to increasing and improving parkland in the city Learn More. Considered by San Franciscans to be one of the City’s most popular and effective public agencies, our Department currently manages more than 230 parks, playgrounds and open spaces throughout San Francisco, including two outside city limits—Sharp Park in Pacifica and Camp Mather in the High Sierras. The system includes full-complex recreation centers, swimming pools, golf courses, sports fields and numerous small-to-medium-sized clubhouses that offer a variety of sports- and arts-related recreation programs for people of all ages.  Included in the Department’s responsibilities are Golden Gate Park, Coit Tower, the Marina Yacht Harbor, the San Francisco Zoo and Lake Merced.

More than 2,000 talented individuals are part of our team, from gardeners, foresters, and recreation leaders to park rangers, custodians, electricians, painters and more. Our core mission, as it has been throughout our history, is to provide opportunities for San Francisco residents and visitors alike to gather, play, learn, relax, and enjoy nature in the city.

The Aquatics Division operates nine (9) pools across San Francisco's diverse neighborhoods and provides staffing for Camp Mather during its operational season from late May through late August.

Swimming Pools | San Francisco Recreation and Parks, CA (sfrecpark.org)

Job Description

Job Description

Under general direction, the Pool Lifeguard protects the health, safety and welfare of patrons at a municipally operated swimming pool facility. Responsibilities include maintaining discipline in and around the swimming pool; conducting rescue operations; making continuous contact with swimmers and the general public; cleaning and disinfecting the pool, decks, showers, locker rooms and aquatic equipment; and performing related duties as required.

Essential Duties:

1. Patrol and monitor pool activities, facility patrons and swimmers to prevent accidents; identify people in distress or those in danger.
2. Conduct rescue operations; perform lifesaving techniques; assist swimmers in distress and rescue swimmers in danger; pull drowning victims out of the water; call for emergency assistance; perform first aid resuscitative measures when necessary.
3. Communicate with facility patrons; caution swimmers regarding unsafe practices and safety hazards; enforce pool rules and regulations; maintain order in and around the pool.
4. Maintain aquatic facility by inspecting and observing the pool area, lobby, change rooms and deck for safety and cleanliness; preform general pool facility maintenance duties including cleaning and disinfecting pool, lobby, change rooms and deck; may take and record water quality samples in the absence of a supervisor.
5. Prepare the facility for various aquatic events; handle and store equipment and materials when not in use.
6. Collect revenue and fees for facility use and participation in facility activities and events; greet and check in facility guests.
7. Provide customer service; share general information regarding facility operations, programs and schedules.
8. Prepare incident and accident reports as necessary.
9. Perform other related duties as assigned

Please note that incumbents in this classification may be required to perform duties as listed in the class specification https://careers.sf.gov/classifications/?classCode=3208

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

License and Certification:

Current possession and maintenance of the following certifications or the equivalent of:

1. Lifeguarding issued by the American Red Cross or equivalent certified issuing agency;
2. CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer issued by the American Red Cross or equivalent certified issuing agency;

Appointees who do not possess the following certifications or the equivalent of at the time of hire must obtain them within twelve (12) months of their appointment:

1. Oxygen Administration for the Professional Rescuer issued by the American Red Cross or equivalent certified issuing agency
2. Title 22 - First Aid for Public Safety Personnel issued by the American Red Cross or equivalent certified issuing agency

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: 

• All employees must maintain current and valid certifications throughout their employment.
• Certifications for Oxygen Administration and Title 22 must be obtained within twelve (12) months of appointment and maintained thereafter.
• Failure to maintain valid certifications and provide proof of compliance may result in termination of employment. 
• High school students who qualify must obtain a valid work permit, provided they are at least 16 years of age by the date of hire.

Desirable Qualifications:

• Current Water Safety Instructor (WSI)
• Waterfront Certificate issued by Red Cross or equivalent agency

Verification:

Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying certification at any point during the recruitment and selection process. Every application is reviewed to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications as listed in the job ad. Please review our articles on Employment Application and Minimum Qualifications and Verification of Experience and/or Education for considerations taken when reviewing applications.

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.

Additional Information

Steps to Apply: 

1. Carefully review the information presented in this job announcement. 
2. Complete your application with as much detail as possible in the experience section. Please be sure to include all relevant training and experience in your application. It is essential that you provide complete information. A resume will not substitute for a completed application. If you write "see resume" on your application, your application may be rejected.
3. Attach current certifications with your application or send current certifications via email to absar.khan@sfgov.org.
4. Complete the supplemental Questionnaire to provide your availability: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/g/dxHR5t6wvi
5. If selected to continue in this process, be prepared to participate in a selection/performance test.  

Selection Process: 

The selection process will include evaluation of applications in relation to the minimum qualifications. Applicants meeting the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement to the interview. 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 be invited for an interview.

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

Candidates for positions with the Recreation and Park Department may be disqualified from consideration should their conviction history not meet the standards established under California Public Resources Code 5164.

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.

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, @smartrecruiters.com, and notifications@careers.sf.gov).

Race and Social Equity Statement

We believe that parks and open space in San Francisco provides the opportunity to model equitable access for all.  With this belief, San Francisco became the first city in the United States for which 100% of its residents live within a ten-minute walk of a park. The Recreation and Park Department’s goal is to close the gaps and improve equity and access to quality parks and open space, and recreation activities for historically marginalized communities.  

We envision a department that proactively infuses racial and social equity in its internal operations.  With a multi-disciplinary team of talented individuals - gardeners, recreation leaders, park rangers, custodians, craft shop personnel, park and recreation managers and more, the department is committed to doing its part to provide equitable access to parks and programs for all the communities we serve to enjoy, as well as foster a work environment where our differences are celebrated, and everyone has what they need to thrive regardless of their race, age, ability, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or country of origin.

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.