Physician Assistant (2218) - Citywide

City and County of San Francisco; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 218,000 - 338,000; Full time

Job summary

The San Francisco Department of Public Health is seeking a Physician Assistant to assess and manage patients in general medical settings and specialty clinics, including procedures such as bone marrow biopsy and thoracentesis. You will interpret tests, order diagnostics, and develop care plans in collaboration with physicians and the care team.

Responsibilities include counseling patients, maintaining records in compliance with privacy laws, and participating in meetings and quality improvement

Qualifications

• Valid Certification as a Physician Assistant issued by the California Board of Medical Quality Assurance.
• License status must be Renewed & Current according to search.dca.ca.gov/

Responsibilities

• Assess and manage patients in general medical settings and specialty clinics.
• Interpret tests and perform procedures such as bone marrow biopsy, lumbar puncture, thoracentesis and paracentesis.
• Issue and manage drug order forms based on supervising physician protocols.
• Order diagnostic tests including labs and imaging.
• Develop care plans, assess diagnoses, and create treatment plans.
• Counsel and educate patients, collaborate with the healthcare team.
• Consult with physicians on complex diagnoses and treatments.
• Maintain accurate medical records and ensure patient privacy.
• Participate in staff meetings, patient care conferences, and quality improvement activities.

Job description

Company Description

The Department of Public Health prioritizes equitable and inclusive access to quality healthcare for its community and values the importance of diversity in its workforce. All employees at the Department of Public Health work to advance equity, inclusion, and diversity with a specific lens and focus on race, ethnicity, gender, sex, sexuality, disability, and immigration status.

Company Description

The Department of Public Health prioritizes equitable and inclusive access to quality healthcare for its community and values the importance of diversity in its workforce. All employees at the Department of Public Health work to advance equity, inclusion, and diversity with a specific lens and focus on race, ethnicity, gender, sex, sexuality, disability, and immigration status.

This is a Citywide Exam posting. Your application to this posting is an application to take a citywide exam.

• Application Opening: Friday, September 25, 2026
• Application Deadline: Continuous
• Salary: $217,750 - $338,312 Annually
• Appointment Type: Permanent Civil Service
• Recruitment ID: CCT-2218-
• Work Arrangement: Onsite

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.

The Mission of the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) is to protect and promote the health of all San Franciscans. Fulfilling this mission requires employees working across our hospitals, clinics, programs, and offices to deliver services and support the communities we serve. Individuals interested in joining SFDPH should expect to work in person across these settings.

The San Francisco Health Network, Population Health, Behavioral Health Services, and Administration are the core divisions of SFDPH. The San Francisco Health Network is the City’s only complete system of care and has locations throughout the City, including Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center, and over 15 primary care health centers. The Population Health Division (PHD) provides core public health services for the City and County of San Francisco: health protection, health promotion, disease and injury prevention, and disaster preparedness and response. Behavioral Health Services operates in conjunction with SFHN and provides a range of mental health and substance use treatment services.

Job Description

• Assess and manage patients in general medical settings and specialty clinics (e.g., Hematology, Oncology, and Infusion Center).
• Interprets test results and performs procedures such as bone marrow biopsy, lumbar puncture, thoracentesis and paracentesis.
• Issues and manages drug order forms based on protocols established, adopted or approved by the supervising physician. A physician assistant may administer, provide or issue a drug order for Schedule II through V controlled substances without advance approval by a supervising physician if the education standards set forth by the Physician Assistant Committee (PAC) have been completed by the PA.
• Orders diagnostic tests such as lab work, imaging (CT and PET scans), and other specialty-specific tests.
• Develops care plans, assesses, diagnoses, develops treatment plans.
• Counsels and educates patients, collaborates with the healthcare team
• Consults with physicians on complex patient diagnoses and treatments.
• Maintains accurate medical records while adhering to patient privacy regulations.
• Participates in staff meetings, patient care conferences, and quality improvement activities.
• Organizing image studies, laboratory test results, and pathology reports
• Ordering, interpreting, and recording results of clinical tests and reporting results to physicians and other primary health care providers
• Participates in clinic staff meetings and conferences (including tumor boards and multidisciplinary patient-care meetings).
• The Physician Assistant may perform other duties as assigned/requested.

Please note that incumbents in this classification may be required to perform duties as listed in the class specification, which can be found on DHR’s website: https://careers.sf.gov/classifications/

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications (Required)

License/Certificate:

• Possession of a valid Certification as a Physician Assistant issued by the California Board of Medical Quality Assurance.

License status must be "Renewed & Current" according to search.dca.ca.gov/

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 or experience verification is required, information on how to verify education and experience 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.

Additional Information

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

Training and Experience Evaluation (Weight: 100%)

The Training and Experience Evaluation is designed to measure the knowledge, skills, and abilities in job related areas which may include but not be limited to: Knowledge of the PA role, scope of practice, medical diagnosis and treatment, and specialty care. Ability to provide patient care, education, and counseling; recognize when physician consultation is needed; and coordinate care with the healthcare team. Ability to communicate effectively, follow written instructions, and maintain accurate records.

Candidates must achieve a passing score on the Training and Experience Evaluation exam in order to continue in the selection process and will be placed on the confidential eligible list in rank order according to their final score.

Additional selection processes may be conducted by the hiring department prior to making final hiring decisions.

Certification

The certification rule for the eligible list resulting from this examination will be theRule of List.

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.

Candidate names will remain on the list for a maximum period of 12 months. Candidates that are not selected and expire off the list may re-apply.

To find Departments which use this classification, please see the city’s Position Counts by Job Codes and Departments.

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

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