Natural Resources Regulatory Manager (5299) - Rec and Parks (146509)

Application Opening: 4/23/25
Application Deadline: 5/6/25
Appointment Type: This is a Position-Based Test conducted in accordance with CSC Rule 111A.
Contact: For questions about this position or how to apply, please contact Antonio Archuleta at [email protected]

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.  San Francisco recently became the first city in the United States for which 100% of its residents live within a ten-minute walk of a park.  Considered by San Franciscans to be one of the City’s most popular and effective public agencies, our Department manages and maintains more than 225 parks, playgrounds, and open spaces in San Francisco, including two outside of city limits: Sharp Park in Pacifica and Camp Mather in the High Sierras. Our 4,100- acre system includes 25 recreation centers, 9 swimming pools, 5 golf courses and numerous athletic facilities, including sports courts, ball diamonds, soccer fields and gymnasiums. Included in the department’s responsibilities are Golden Gate Park, Coit Tower, the Marina Yacht Harbor, the Palace of Fine Arts, and TPC Harding Park golf course.

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.

About The Natural Resources Division
The Natural Resources Division is a branch of San Francisco Recreation and Park Department (SFRPD) responsible for managing the city’s natural areas. Its mission is two-fold: to preserve, restore, and enhance remnant natural areas, and to develop and support community-based site stewardship of these areas. Some of our natural areas includes Bayview Hill, Corona Heights, Glen Canyon, Grandview Park, John McLaren Park, Lake Merced, Mount Davidson and Twin Peaks. Learn more about our Natural Resources Division by visiting: https://sfrecpark.org/1395/Natural-Resources.

Under direction of the Natural Resources Manager, the Natural Resources Regulatory Manager serves as the Department's lead advisor on complex environmental and regulatory issues, ensuring projects and operations comply with local, state, and federal environmental laws. The essential duties of the Natural Resources Regulatory Manager include, but are not limited to:

1. Advises and makes recommendations to the Recreation and Parks Department on complex environmental regulatory issues involving Rec and Parks operations and capital projects in areas including but not limited to climate change, pollution, water, coastal protection, wetlands conservation, and endangered species to ensure compliance with local, state, and federal laws.
2. Manage the preparation and review of environmental documents and technical materials by Rec and Parks staff and consultants to ensure regulatory compliance and prepares and presents reports relating to environmental impacts.
3. Compiles and analyzes technical environmental data such as water quality, soil quality, and biodiversity/wildlife habitat data pertaining to departmental projects to ensure regulatory compliance and support decision-making.
4. Evaluates City planning initiatives, policies, and development projects that intersect with Rec and Parks operations to ensure compliance with environmental regulations, advance sustainability objectives, and support effective resource management.
5. Interprets environmental laws and requirements for Rec and Parks personnel, partner agencies, and other stakeholders using knowledge of laws, zoning regulations and land use policies to provide accurate guidance, mitigate risks and ensure regulatory compliance.
6. Acts as the Rec and Parks primary representative in engagements with government officials, community organizations, and other stakeholder groups on wide-ranging environmental and natural resource management matters including biodiversity conservation, climate action planning and adaptation, urban forestry management, endangered species conservation, urban wildlife, and other issues to ensure regulatory compliance, promote sustainable practices, and foster interagency collaboration.
7. Performs additional duties as assigned.

Education: Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university; AND

Experience: Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in the areas of planning, environmental review, or environmental law, of which at least four (4) years must be in environmental review or environmental law, including management and scheduling experience.

Substitution: Advanced degrees in related fields of planning, science or law may be substituted for up to two (2) years of experience; or an equivalent combination of training and experience.

Note: One year of full-time employment is equivalent to 2000 hours. (2000 hours of qualifying work experience is based on a 40-hour work week.)

Desirable Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in environmental studies/science, biology, natural resources, cultural resources or a closely related field; or a Juris Doctor (JD) with a specialization or concentration in environmental law.
• Experience managing or overseeing CEQA Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs), Mitigated Negative Declarations (MNDs), NEPA Environmental Impact Statements (EISs), and/or Environmental Assessments (EAs).
• Experience in applying requirements of Chapter 31 of the San Francisco Administrative Code.

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

Verification of Education and Experience:
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.

Behavioral Consistency Questionnaire (Weight: 100%): Qualified candidates will be sent a Behavioral Consistency Questionnaire that must be completed by the set date. Candidates will be evaluated on their relative knowledge, skill and ability levels in job-related areas including, but not limited to: environmental and natural resource management; environmental policy and regulatory compliance; urban planning and environmental Impact; analytical and strategic problem-solving; public policy and stakeholder engagement; project and program management; data analysis and management; and adaptability and flexibility.

A passing score must be achieved on the Behavioral Consistency Questionnaire in order to be placed/ranked on the Eligible List. Candidate responses on the Behavioral Consistency Questionnaire cannot be changed once submitted. Candidates will be placed in rank order according to their final score on the Behavioral Consistency Questionnaire. 

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.

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-2022-23.pdf

Certification Rule: The certification rule for the eligible list resulting from this examination will be Rule of 3 scores. Additional selection processes may be conducted by the hiring department prior to making final hiring decisions.

Exam Type: Combined Promotive and Entrance

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.sf.gov/. 

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.

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

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

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.