Assistant Engineer (Transportation) [5203] - Citywide (C00403)

City and County of San Francisco; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 159,000; Full time

Job summary

City and County of San Francisco is seeking a permanent Assistant Engineer for Citywide projects and policy guidance. The role involves preparing designs, reviewing plans, and performing field inspections using AutoCAD and related tools.

The position requires a Civil/Transit/Traffic focus, EIT or PE credentials, and one year of relevant engineering experience. It is a full-time, on-site civil service role with career progression through professional licensure.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or higher in Civil/Transit/Transportation/Traffic Engineering.
• A valid EIT certificate is required.
• A PE license in Civil/Traffic/Transportation engineering is acceptable.

Responsibilities

• Prepares, reviews, and checks routine studies, designs, drawings, sketches, and plans using AutoCAD and other software tools.
• Conducts field inspections of structures to determine construction needs and collect data.
• Performs routine field inspections to ensure conformance with plans and codes.
• Gathers and maintains engineering data, records, and reports.
• Prepares reports, specifications, cost estimates, schedules, and progress payments.
• Produces departmental reports and project progress updates.
• Responds to inquiries from agencies, contractors, and the public.
• May supervise junior engineers or trainees.
• Prepares correspondence and problem-solving documents regarding policies and environmental issues.
• Meets with engineers, contractors, and the public on engineering matters.
• Performs related duties as required.

Skills

Field inspections

Data collection

Reports

Contract specs

Design reviews

Education

Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering

PE license (Civil/Traffic/Transportation)

Tools

AutoCAD

Job description

Department: Citywide
Job class: 5203-Assistant Engineer
Salary range: $130,416.00 - $158,574.00
Role type: Permanent Civil Service
Hours: Full-time
Exam type: Class Based Test
Rule: Rule of the List
List type: Combined Promotive and Entrance

About:

THIS IS A CITYWIDE EXAM
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.

• Application Opening: October 9, 2025
• Application Filing Deadline: October 24, 2025 at 11:59 PM

Under general supervision, performs engineering work of average difficulty in the field and office following established engineering methods and procedures; applies engineering principles and practices to civil, mechanical, electrical, environmental, or transportation engineering problems; performs related duties as required.

Examples of Major and Essential Duties:

1. Prepares, reviews, and checks routine studies, calculations, designs, drawings, sketches, and plans for a variety of engineering projects using AutoCAD and other software tools.

2. Conducts field inspections of existing structures to determine the necessity for future construction, repair, or maintenance; conducts preliminary field studies and surveys and collects data relative to the preparation of designs and drawings; reviews and analyzes field data and results of office research to determine necessary corrective measures.

3. Conducts routine field inspections of construction and repair projects in progress to ensure conformance with plans, specifications and codes; checks and records work progress at various construction sites.

4. Gathers, prepares and maintains engineering data, records and reports.

5. Prepares reports, contract specifications, lists of materials, cost estimates, schedules, and progress payments.

6. Prepares departmental reports and reports concerning field conditions, the progress of projects, the results of studies, plans for future developments and improvements, and other matters.

7. Provides written and oral responses to a variety of inquiries from other agencies, contractors, and the general public.

8. May exercise limited supervision over junior engineers, student engineering trainees, and related personnel.

9. Prepares correspondence, minutes, and reports for a variety of inquiries and problems regarding engineering policies, procedures, standards, environmental impact issues, appeals, and other related project activities; may prepare and process legislation for engineering related issues.

10. Meets and consults with professional engineering personnel, contractors, and the public regarding engineering matters.

11. Performs related duties and responsibilities as required.

How to qualify

1. A. Possession of a baccalaureate degree or graduate degree from an engineering program with a major in Civil Engineering, Transit Engineering, Transportation Engineering or Traffic Engineering.

B. Possession of a valid Engineer-in-Training (EIT) certificate issued by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). AND

C. One (1) year of verifiable professional Transportation engineering experience performing at least three of the following tasks:

a. Preparing or assisting in preparing studies, designs, drawings, sketches, and plans using AutoCAD and other software tools.

b. Collecting data to assess project needs and define project scope through site visits, surveying, review of existing documents, reports, drawing and manuals, performing measurements, collecting samples, or/and interviews with the stakeholders.

c. Preparing or assisting in the preparation of contract specifications, lists of materials, cost estimates, schedules, and progress payments.

d. Preparing or assisting in the preparation of engineering reports and reports concerning field conditions, the progress of projects, the results of studies, and other matters.

e. Conducting data analyses and mathematical calculations, in order to determine type or size of material or equipment.

f. Conducting routine field inspections of construction and repair projects in progress to ensure conformance with plans, specifications and codes; checks and records work progress at various construction sites.

Note: Internships, drafting experience and student design work do not qualify as professional engineering experience.

OR

2. Possession of a Professional Engineer (PE) license in Civil, Traffic, or Transportation Engineering from the California Board of Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists.

Verification of Education and Experience:

Every application is reviewed to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications as listed in the job ad. Review SF Careers Employment Applications 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. If education verification is required, information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at https://careers.sf.gov/knowledge/experience-education/ .

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.

FLEXIBLE STAFFING - Promotional Opportunities under the Flexible Staffing Program:

Permanent incumbents in class 5203 Assistant Engineer are eligible to advance to positions in the Associate Engineer class after obtaining a Professional Engineer license from the California Board for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors, completing two years of satisfactory service with a performance evaluation of competent and effective as an Assistant Engineer within the same department, and with the approval of the Appointing Officer. Promotion to the Associate Engineer class is not automatic.

Flexible Staffing lists will be established for class 5207 Associate Engineer when the incumbent has met the following requirements:

• permanent civil service appointment as a 5203;
• completion of two years of satisfactory service as a Permanent Civil Service 5203;
• registration as a licensed Professional Engineer from the California Board for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors; and
• the department requests to flexibly promote an incumbent into an approved budgeted position.

SELECTION PROCEDURES

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

Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire (MQSQ) with Training and Experience Evaluation (100%):
Candidates will be prompted to complete a Supplemental Questionnaire as part of the online employment application at a later time. This Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire is designed to obtain specific information regarding an applicant's experience in relation to the Minimum Qualifications for this position. Applicants must also complete the official application. It is essential that applicants provide complete information in identifying their education, experience, and training.

The Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire will be used to evaluate if the applicant possesses the required minimum qualifications and if so, it will also be used to determine the final score and rank on the eligible list/score report.

What else should I know?

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 6 months, and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director.

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/ .]

Additional Information Regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco:

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 [e-mail] 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.

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.