Senior Energy Specialist (5642) - SF Environment Department
Company Description
Who We Are
The San Francisco Environment Department (SF Environment) advances climate protection and enhances quality of life for all San Franciscans. SF Environment is a department within the City and County of San Francisco, a local government committed to innovation, leadership and collaboration in creating environmental change. SF Environment is recognized worldwide for its environmental policies and programs, which center on achieving zero waste, reducing toxic chemical hazards, advancing environmental justice, promoting sustainable transportation modes, expanding clean energy infrastructure, greening our built environment, and protecting our urban forest. We’re a passionate, mission-driven team that values credibility, collaboration, impact, innovation and equity. SF Environment is also a great place to work, offering an attractive benefits package that includes healthcare and retirement. The Department follows the hybrid work model, where staff work in office four days a week and are able to work from home one day of their choosing.
The Energy team at SF Environment administers energy efficiency incentive programs for San Francisco residents and businesses, advances policies, and directly supports achieving local and state climate goals and objectives. The team is seeking a Senior Energy Specialist (5642) to lead efforts to reduce energy use to lower utility costs and improve refrigerant management to reduce fugitive emissions in San Francisco and beyond.
Recruitment Details: This is a Position-Based Recruitment conducted in accordance with CSC Rule 111A.
SF Environment - Statement on Racial Equity
For over 20 years, SF Environment has worked with San Francisco’s Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities to mitigate environmental burdens, increase accessibility of environmental programs and benefits, engage community members, and improve health outcomes. BIPOC communities are disproportionately exposed to environmental stressors that include air and soil pollution, illegal dumping of toxics and other materials, industrial land uses and transportation impacts. They are more likely to live in housing conditions with limited access to green space and where poor indoor air quality from pests, mold, and the use of toxic products contributes to the prevalence of asthma and other health disparities. They are more likely to be employed in areas with high levels of exposure to toxics. Now, they are the first communities feeling the impacts of climate change, with the fewest resources to respond. SF Environment has a longstanding commitment to the principles of environmental justice, whereby communities most impacted by environmental stressors and climate change are prioritized and the long-time work of community leaders is recognized and supported. We are committed to uplifting the contributions of local environmental leaders of diverse racial backgrounds and ensuring that racial equity is the cornerstone of all of our programs, policies, and services.
Job Description
As the Senior Energy Specialist, you will be responsible for the administration and implementation of one or more state ratepayers-funded energy efficiency, refrigeration, and/or energy-related equity programs. You will oversee multiple projects to ensure successful delivery of program goals and outcomes.
In addition, you will assist with long-range planning – researching and developing policies and programs to decarbonize existing buildings, refrigeration management, and distributed energy resources. You will have day-to-day decision-making responsibilities, as well as the ability to negotiate within project scopes.
Reporting to the Energy Program Manager, you will also supervise a team of direct reports.
What You’ll Do - The duties specified below are representative of the range of duties assigned to this position and are not intended to be an inclusive list.
Recruitment Details:
Education: Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university; AND
Experience: Six (6) years of professional experience in planning, coordinating, implementing, and evaluating qualifying programs or policies. Qualifying programs and policies include those in the field of environment, energy efficiency, refrigeration management, clean transportation, community engagement, or a field related to the position for hire; WITH
(Special Condition) Four (4) years of professional experience in planning, coordinating, implementing, and evaluating qualifying programs or policies within the specialty area of energy programs (such as energy efficiency or refrigeration management).
The above minimum qualifications reflect a special condition associated with the position to be filled. They may differ from the standard minimum qualifications associated with this classification.
Substitution:
Additional experience as described above may substitute for the required degree on a year-for-year basis. Thirty (30) semester units or forty-five (45) quarter units equal one year.
Possession of a Master's degree in public administration, environmental science, environmental health, public policy, public health, or a related field may substitute for one (1) year of experience.
Possession of a Ph.D. in public administration, environmental science, environmental health, public policy, public health, or a related field may substitute for two (2) years of experience.
Desirable Qualifications: The stated desirable qualifications may be considered at the end of the selection process when candidates are referred for hiring. We do not expect any one candidate to have all the qualifications listed. We highly encourage you to apply if you are interested in joining us.
Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire (Weight: Qualifying) - As part of your application, please complete the MQSQ, found here. Candidates will be required to complete a MQSQ as part of the employment application. The MQSQ is designed to obtain specific information regarding 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.
Supplemental Questionnaire Evaluation (Weight: 100%) - Candidates who meet MQs will be emailed a Supplemental Questionnaire Evaluation (i.e. exam) approximately 7-10 days after the application deadline. In order to advance, candidates must complete the Supplemental Questionnaire and it must be submitted before the provided deadline. The information provided on the Supplemental Questionnaire must be consistent with the information on the application and is subject to verification. Once submitted, applicant responses on the Supplemental Questionnaire cannot be changed. Applicants must achieve a passing score on the Supplemental Questionnaire Evaluation in order to be ranked on the eligible list.
The Supplemental Questionnaire is designed to measure knowledge, skills, and/or abilities in job-related areas as described within this announcement.
This includes knowledge of:
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.
Additional Information
Certification - The certification rule for the eligible list resulting from this examination will be Rule of Ten (10) Scores. Additional selection processes may be conducted by the hiring department prior to making final hiring decisions.
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 six (6) months, and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director.
To find Departments which use this classification, please see https://sfdhr.org/sites/default/files/documents/Forms-Documents/Position-Counts-by-Job-Codes-and-Department-FY-2023-24.pdf.
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 https://careers.smartrecruiters.com/CityAndCountyOfSanFrancisco1/.
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.
All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.
Additional Information Regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco:
Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process.
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 position to which they apply. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received.
For any questions regarding the position or hiring process- please contact the recruitment analyst, Sana Ahmed at Sana.J.Ahmed@sfgov.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.
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.
Who We Are
The San Francisco Environment Department (SF Environment) advances climate protection and enhances quality of life for all San Franciscans. SF Environment is a department within the City and County of San Francisco, a local government committed to innovation, leadership and collaboration in creating environmental change. SF Environment is recognized worldwide for its environmental policies and programs, which center on achieving zero waste, reducing toxic chemical hazards, advancing environmental justice, promoting sustainable transportation modes, expanding clean energy infrastructure, greening our built environment, and protecting our urban forest. We’re a passionate, mission-driven team that values credibility, collaboration, impact, innovation and equity. SF Environment is also a great place to work, offering an attractive benefits package that includes healthcare and retirement. The Department follows the hybrid work model, where staff work in office four days a week and are able to work from home one day of their choosing.
The Energy team at SF Environment administers energy efficiency incentive programs for San Francisco residents and businesses, advances policies, and directly supports achieving local and state climate goals and objectives. The team is seeking a Senior Energy Specialist (5642) to lead efforts to reduce energy use to lower utility costs and improve refrigerant management to reduce fugitive emissions in San Francisco and beyond.
Recruitment Details: This is a Position-Based Recruitment conducted in accordance with CSC Rule 111A.
- Application Deadline: June 24, 2026
- Recruitment ID: PBT-5642-165521
- Submit your application online by clicking on "I'm Interested" and completing the application.
- Please include a resume.
- Complete the Minimum Qualifications Supplemental Questionnaire (MQSQ) by Wednesday, June 24, 2026: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/g/3mE1pnx7gD
SF Environment - Statement on Racial Equity
For over 20 years, SF Environment has worked with San Francisco’s Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities to mitigate environmental burdens, increase accessibility of environmental programs and benefits, engage community members, and improve health outcomes. BIPOC communities are disproportionately exposed to environmental stressors that include air and soil pollution, illegal dumping of toxics and other materials, industrial land uses and transportation impacts. They are more likely to live in housing conditions with limited access to green space and where poor indoor air quality from pests, mold, and the use of toxic products contributes to the prevalence of asthma and other health disparities. They are more likely to be employed in areas with high levels of exposure to toxics. Now, they are the first communities feeling the impacts of climate change, with the fewest resources to respond. SF Environment has a longstanding commitment to the principles of environmental justice, whereby communities most impacted by environmental stressors and climate change are prioritized and the long-time work of community leaders is recognized and supported. We are committed to uplifting the contributions of local environmental leaders of diverse racial backgrounds and ensuring that racial equity is the cornerstone of all of our programs, policies, and services.
Job Description
As the Senior Energy Specialist, you will be responsible for the administration and implementation of one or more state ratepayers-funded energy efficiency, refrigeration, and/or energy-related equity programs. You will oversee multiple projects to ensure successful delivery of program goals and outcomes.
In addition, you will assist with long-range planning – researching and developing policies and programs to decarbonize existing buildings, refrigeration management, and distributed energy resources. You will have day-to-day decision-making responsibilities, as well as the ability to negotiate within project scopes.
Reporting to the Energy Program Manager, you will also supervise a team of direct reports.
What You’ll Do - The duties specified below are representative of the range of duties assigned to this position and are not intended to be an inclusive list.
- Manage energy efficiency programs with local utilities and the Bay Area Regional Energy Network, including managing staff, contracts and budgets, conducting regular reporting to funders and the California Public Utilities Commission, and planning future energy efficiency programs.
- Supervise and coach staff to ensure professional growth through goal setting and actionable feedback.
- Manage third-party vendors including their budgets, invoices, change orders, and draft clear scopes of work to maximize their support to the program.
- Obtain participation and manage communications among stakeholders including other City departments and agencies, other local governments, state and federal agencies, advocates, community-based organizations, equipment manufacturers and distributors and trade associations.
- Oversee contract compliance and budgets.
- Oversee database management, including data creation, entry, organization, and supporting implementation of updates by external parties. Retrieve data, generate custom reports, import/export data, and provide guidance to improve workflows and data efficiency.
- Research, analyze, and report on a wide range of energy efficiency and refrigerant management topics and policy issues to provide policy and strategic recommendations with a focus on equity, and participate in development of draft language for policy statements and local legislation.
- Support grant writing and other forms for funding applications including drafting narratives and funding justifications, conducting technical analysis (e.g. cost-effectiveness tests, energy savings and emissions reductions forecast, etc.) to support funding requests, developing implementation schedules, and effectively collaborating with grant partners.
- Update or create program plans, interagency memos, ARC-GIS maps, standard operating procedures manual, and other technical guidance documents, as required.
- Other administrative and technical job duties, such as approving timesheets, completing and tracking purchase orders, task orders, reviewing relevant invoices, etc. as required.
- Provide coverage for team members and partners, as needed.
Recruitment Details:
Education: Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university; AND
Experience: Six (6) years of professional experience in planning, coordinating, implementing, and evaluating qualifying programs or policies. Qualifying programs and policies include those in the field of environment, energy efficiency, refrigeration management, clean transportation, community engagement, or a field related to the position for hire; WITH
(Special Condition) Four (4) years of professional experience in planning, coordinating, implementing, and evaluating qualifying programs or policies within the specialty area of energy programs (such as energy efficiency or refrigeration management).
The above minimum qualifications reflect a special condition associated with the position to be filled. They may differ from the standard minimum qualifications associated with this classification.
Substitution:
Additional experience as described above may substitute for the required degree on a year-for-year basis. Thirty (30) semester units or forty-five (45) quarter units equal one year.
Possession of a Master's degree in public administration, environmental science, environmental health, public policy, public health, or a related field may substitute for one (1) year of experience.
Possession of a Ph.D. in public administration, environmental science, environmental health, public policy, public health, or a related field may substitute for two (2) years of experience.
Desirable Qualifications: The stated desirable qualifications may be considered at the end of the selection process when candidates are referred for hiring. We do not expect any one candidate to have all the qualifications listed. We highly encourage you to apply if you are interested in joining us.
- Skilled in staff leadership, development, and project management.
- Experience supervising staff.
- Experience gaining adoption of and compliance with legislation.
- Experience writing reports and grants.
- Experience navigating and working in or with public organizations.
- Fluency in Cantonese, Spanish or other languages commonly spoken in San Francisco besides English.
- An understanding of equity, inclusion and diversity concepts.
Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire (Weight: Qualifying) - As part of your application, please complete the MQSQ, found here. Candidates will be required to complete a MQSQ as part of the employment application. The MQSQ is designed to obtain specific information regarding 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.
Supplemental Questionnaire Evaluation (Weight: 100%) - Candidates who meet MQs will be emailed a Supplemental Questionnaire Evaluation (i.e. exam) approximately 7-10 days after the application deadline. In order to advance, candidates must complete the Supplemental Questionnaire and it must be submitted before the provided deadline. The information provided on the Supplemental Questionnaire must be consistent with the information on the application and is subject to verification. Once submitted, applicant responses on the Supplemental Questionnaire cannot be changed. Applicants must achieve a passing score on the Supplemental Questionnaire Evaluation in order to be ranked on the eligible list.
The Supplemental Questionnaire is designed to measure knowledge, skills, and/or abilities in job-related areas as described within this announcement.
This includes knowledge of:
- State and federal policies and issues, state energy efficiency and refrigerant management regulations.
- Administration and implementation of state ratepayer funded energy efficiency programs.
- State environment goals and greenhouse gas reduction strategies.
- Manage complex public-facing programs and their budgets.
- Write clearly and concisely, in the appropriate format and style for the reader(s).
- Organize and maintain complex information and data, ensuring accuracy.
- Prioritize tasks and take initiative on projects, ensuring work is completed to time and proactively identifying and communicating issues.
- Work effectively in a formal or informal leadership role with colleagues, department leadership and external stakeholders.
- Work independently on project management and policy research.
- Effectively collaborate with colleagues, leadership, and external stakeholders.
- Modify program and project management, and communication style, based on needs and feedback from colleagues, leadership, and external stakeholders.
- Adeptly lead staff in project management, deliverables, and development.
- Follow complex procedures, maintain accurate records, identify issues proactively, and ensure work is completed accurately, consistently, and on time.
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.
Additional Information
Certification - The certification rule for the eligible list resulting from this examination will be Rule of Ten (10) Scores. Additional selection processes may be conducted by the hiring department prior to making final hiring decisions.
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 six (6) months, and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director.
To find Departments which use this classification, please see https://sfdhr.org/sites/default/files/documents/Forms-Documents/Position-Counts-by-Job-Codes-and-Department-FY-2023-24.pdf.
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 https://careers.smartrecruiters.com/CityAndCountyOfSanFrancisco1/.
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.
All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.
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
Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process.
- Submit your application online by clicking on "I'm Interested" and completing the application.
- Please include a resume.
- Complete the Minimum Qualifications Supplemental Questionnaire (MQSQ) by Wednesday, June 24, 2026: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/g/3mE1pnx7gD
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 position to which they apply. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received.
For any questions regarding the position or hiring process- please contact the recruitment analyst, Sana Ahmed at Sana.J.Ahmed@sfgov.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.
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.