1822 Policy Analyst

Recruitment #PEX-1822-108209

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Introduction

Appointment Type: Permanent Exempt, Full Time – This position is excluded by the Charter from the competitive Civil Service examination process and shall serve at the discretion of the Appointing Officer.

This announcement has been amended to extend the filing date and allow for additional applications. 
Applicants who already applied will be included in the applicant pool and need not reapply.
 

ABOUT THE COMMISSION

The San Francisco Ethics Commission was created directly by the City’s voters with the passage of Proposition K in November 1993. Through its 24-member staff, the Commission is responsible for the independent and impartial administration and enforcement of laws related to campaign finance, public financing of candidates, governmental ethics, conflicts of interests, and registration and reporting by lobbyists, campaign consultants, permit consultants, and major developers. The Commission has an operating budget of roughly $4.8 million also administers a $7 million Election Campaign Fund that provides partial public financing for qualified candidates for City elective office.

Our mission is to practice and promote the highest standards of integrity in government. We achieve that by delivering impactful programs that promote fair, transparent, and accountable governmental decision making for the benefit of all San Franciscans. With public service a public trust, our aim is to ensure that San Franciscans can have confidence that the operations of the City and County and the decisions made by its officials and employees are fair, just, and made without any regard to private or personal gain.

The Ethics Commission is committed to recruiting, hiring, and retaining and a diverse, collaborative, and high performing staff of individuals whose individual experiences, knowledge, and talents collectively drive achievement of the Commission's unique mission in San Francisco city government. We honor and value diversity, inclusion, and engagement, and are committed to promoting racial equity and to creating and sustaining a work environment that reflects and engages the diversity of our communities. Applicants who contribute to this diversity are strongly encouraged to apply. The Commission provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetics, or any other protected category.

ABOUT THE TEAM

The Policy Division is a two-member team comprised of the Senior Policy & Legislative Affairs Counsel and the Policy Analyst. The Division leads the Commission’s public policy research, analysis, and legislative work. It is responsible for analyzing how well current laws and programs are achieving their intended purposes and formulating new regulatory and legislative approaches to ensure the City’s political reform laws strong, workable, and enforceable. Related duties assigned to the Division include media relations, interpreting and advising on the law, and stakeholder outreach and engagement. The Policy team collaborates closely with other staff teams in the office and may lead cross-divisional projects. 

In an era that has challenged the public’s faith in government, the work of the Policy Division plays a vital role in supporting the Ethics Commission’s core mission to help build trust in governmental institutions. 

ABOUT THE ROLE 

The Policy Analyst will perform critical research to inform the Commission’s policymaking. The Policy Analyst will apply solid analytical and strategic thinking skills, sound independent judgment, and exceptional communication skills in researching, developing, and recommending improvements in laws, regulations, and programs. The Policy Analyst will be responsible for objectively evaluating City’s ethics laws using sound practices of public policy analysis and development. This work will require a thorough understanding of the purposes the laws intend to serve and how they operate in practice and a demonstrated commitment to clean government. 
The position reports to the Senior Policy & Legislative Affairs Counsel, who leads the division and reports directly to the Executive Director.  

Collaborating closely with the Senior Policy & Legislative Affairs Counsel, the Policy Analyst will play a major role in the Commission’s Government Ethics Policy Project, a limited three year project designed to provide focused Commission resources on the analysis, development, and enactment of policy solutions to strengthen the City’s ethics laws and address problems revealed in ongoing federal corruption investigations of San Francisco officials and contractors. The Policy Analyst will be responsible for framing effective policy approaches to issues of public corruption, gathering and analyzing data, engaging with stakeholders, and developing creative and practical policy solutions. Following enactment of any new laws, the Policy Analyst will collaborate closely with Commission staff in other divisions to effectively implement the laws and will develop, monitor, and report on metrics to assess progress toward achieving the identified policy goals.

Important and Essential Duties 

Essential duties of the position include, but are not limited to the following:
• Participate in all stages of a policy project, including scoping, empirical research, stakeholder engagement, reporting, legislation drafting, legislative advocacy, regulatory rulemaking, program implementation, education, and evaluation. 
• Research and develop thorough knowledge base of recent investigations and prosecutions of City officials and contractors for allegations of unethical conduct.
• Review state and local conflict of interest (COI) laws and assess local COI programs and outcomes, including production of comparative jurisdictional surveys summarizing particular ethics rules in other jurisdictions in the U.S.
• Survey existing scholarship on municipal ethics, including pay-to-play schemes; build relationships with civil society institutions, including academic, NGO, and other research organizations.
• Analyze the extent to which current laws and programs are effective in prohibiting, deterring, and detecting unethical behavior, including data gathering and analysis regarding current public disclosure practices and outcomes.
• Engage with stakeholders, including other City departments, advocacy groups, the regulated community, and members of the general public to solicit input, including the administration of stakeholder engagement meetings.
• Design policy solutions to address any shortfalls in current laws and programs, including legislation, regulations, administrative processes, and communications.
• Secure adoption of proposed solutions by Ethics Commission, including through preparation and presentation of reports containing detailed findings and recommendations that are fully supported and cited.
• Perform legislative affairs work to secure enactment of any new laws or regulations by Board of Supervisors, including preparation of targeted research memoranda that address issues raised in response to the initial findings and recommendations.
• Consult with Commission staff throughout the legislative development process and collaborate on development of administrative processes and educational materials to support effective implementation of new policy solutions.
• Perform administrative and program management duties as assigned, including development, monitoring, and reporting on metrics to assess progress toward achieving the identified program and policy goals.
• Assist with conducting the Commission’s monthly public meetings and other duties as assigned.
• Abstain from local political activities, disclose personal economic interests, and comply with outside employment restrictions. 

Highly Desirable Qualifications

During the selection process the following desirable qualifications may be used to identify applicants selected to become a job finalist. 
• A Master’s degree in public policy, public administration, or a closely related field of study. 
• Prior experience and strong proficiency in performing empirical research, analysis of data, and making data-driven policy recommendations. 
• Experience interpreting and communicating complex laws to layperson audiences.
• An established interest in government accountability programs, including ethics, lobbying, or campaign finance. 
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent organization and time management skills; the ability to work in a remote environment  and meet multiple deadlines. 
• Flexibility and adaptability to thrive in a dynamic work environment while effectively adjusting to changes in priorities and assignments.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Essential knowledge, skills, and abilities of the position include, but are not limited to the following:
• Knowledge of principles and methods of public policy research and evaluation, including quantitative and qualitative research methods.
• Experience conducting targeted empirical research using a wide array of sources, including public disclosures, interviews, surveys, academic works, and legal sources.
• Orientation to detail and accuracy and ability to synthesize information into conclusions and recommendations supported by strong research.
• Ability to evaluate the costs,  benefits, and potential consequences of various approaches, 
including unintended consequences.
• Ability to understand and explain the purposes behind laws and to translate these concepts into practice.
• Written and verbal communication skills, including public speaking and report development and writing.
• Computer and data analysis skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Office suite (in particular Excel), are required. Familiarity with PowerBI, Tableau, or other statistical/analytics tools is a plus.
• Ability to plan, prioritize, exercise initiative, and complete multiple competing projects within established timeframes while also ensuring accurate, high-quality work products.
• Interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships that foster engagement and creative problem-solving as a member of a diverse staff team. 
• Ability to apply sound independent judgment and exhibit professionalism and respect in politically sensitive and highly visible contexts. 
• Ability to work objectively in a politically sensitive environment and a willingness to forego all local political activity.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive and confidential information while working comfortably in an open government environment.
• Ability to exercise tact, initiative, sound independent judgment, and the highest standards of integrity in carrying out duties.

Minimum Qualifications

These minimum qualifications establish the education, training, experience, special skills and/or license(s) which the City and County of San Francisco requires for employment in the classification.  

1. Possession of a graduate degree (Master's degree or higher) from an accredited college or university; and one (1) year full-time equivalent experience performing professional-level analytical work, as described in Note A; OR

2. Possession of a graduate degree (Master's degree or higher) from an accredited college or university with major coursework as described in Note B; OR

 3. Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, and two (2) years full-time equivalent experience performing professional-level analytical work as described in Note A; OR

 4. Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework as described in Note B and one (1) year full-time equivalent experience performing professional-level analytical work as described in Note A;

 SUBSTITUTION: Applicants may substitute up to 2 years of the required education with additional qualifying experience in budget analysis, financial analysis and reporting, legislative/policy analysis, or contract/grant administration. One year (2000 hours) of additional qualifying experience will be considered equivalent to 30 semester units/45 quarter units.

 Notes on Qualifying Experience and Education:

A. Qualifying professional-level analytical experience must be in one or more of the following functional areas: complex budget analysis, development and administration; complex financial/fiscal analysis and reporting; development of complex contracting systems and administration of competitive bid processes and complex contractual agreements; development and evaluation of complex management/administrative policy; complex grant administration and monitoring; complex program evaluation and planning; complex legislative analysis; complex economic analysis; or other functional areas related to the duties of positions in Class 1822, where the primary focus of the job is complex professional-level analysis for evaluation, recommendation, development and implementation of major programs and functions of department/organization. Analytical experience equivalent to the duties of Class 1820 is considered qualifying.

 B. Coursework applicable to a baccalaureate or higher degree in specialized subject matter areas such as public or business administration, management, business law, contract law, public policy, urban studies, economics, statistical analysis, finance, accounting or other fields of study closely related to the essential functions of positions in Class 1822.


How To Apply

Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process. Visit www.jobaps.com/sf to register an account (if you have not already done so) and begin the application process.

  • Select the PEX-1822-108209 job announcement
  • Select “Apply” and read and acknowledge the information
  • Select either “I am a New User” if you have not previously registered, or “I have Registered Previously”
  • Follow instructions on the screen

PLEASE NOTE: In line with the Official Public Health Order to slow the spread of COVID-19, “shelter-in-place” has been issued for all San Francisco residents that is expected to be in effect until further notice.  As a result, Department of Human Resources (DHR)’s office (located at 1 South Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103) is currently closed to the general public. If you have any questions, please feel free to email the Human Resources Analyst listed on this announcement. 

Applicants may be contacted by email about this announcement 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).

Applicants will receive a confirmation email 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.

IMPORTANT: All work experience, education, training and other information substantiating how you meet the minimum qualifications MUST be included in your application by the filing deadline. Failure to submit a complete and accurate application at the time of filing may result in your ineligibility for this recruitment. Information submitted after the filing deadline will not be considered in determining whether you meet the minimum qualifications.

Applicant MUST attach the following documents online through Job Aps at time of application filing; however, resumes will NOT be accepted in lieu of a completed City and County of San Francisco application. 

1.     Resume (Upload through “Resume” tab)

2.     Statement of Interest (Upload through “Other” tab) - Statement of Interest that details your interest in the Policy Analyst position and describes your relevant skills and experiences, including any prior policy work you have performed on issues related to accountable government or public integrity. 

3.     Writing Sample (Upload through "Writing Sample" tab) of no more than 10 pages (single-spaced) in which you used empirical data to analyze a public policy issue and recommend solutions. The writing sample should reflect your own work that was not substantially edited by anyone else. The writing sample can be academic work produced in a graduate program or work product from a prior work experience.  The writing sample should cite to all sources of information or data relied on in the document. 

Applications that do not contain the requested information will not be considered.

Complete applications will be reviewed as they are received and applicants selected to advance to the interview process will be contacted by phone or email.

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the analyst, Gilda Cassanego via e-mail at Gilda.Cassanego@sfgov.org.

VERIFICATION:  Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point in the application and/or departmental selection process. Written verification (proof) of qualifying experience must verify that the applicant meets the minimum qualifications stated on the announcement. Written verification must be submitted on employer’s official letterhead, specifying name of employee, dates of employment, types of employment (part-time/full-time), job title(s), description of duties performed, and the verification must be signed by the employer. City employees will receive credit for the duties of the class to which they are appointed. Credit for experience obtained outside of the employee’s class will be allowed only if recorded in accordance with the provisions of the Civil Service Commission Rules. Experience claimed in self-employment must be supported by documents verifying income, earnings, business license and experience comparable to the minimum qualifications of the position. Copies of income tax papers or other documents listing occupations and total earnings must be submitted. If education verification is required, information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at http://sfdhr.org/index.aspx?page=456.

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.

Selection Plan

Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire (Weight: Qualifying):

Candidates will be prompted to complete a Supplemental Questionnaire as part of the online employment application. 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.

Depending on the number of applicants, the Department may establish and implement additional screening mechanisms to comparatively evaluate qualifications of candidates. Only those applicants whose qualifications most closely meet the needs of the Department will be invited for an interview.

Note: Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed to advance through all of the steps in the selection process. 

** Please note that due to ongoing COVID19 public health restrictions all candidate interviews will take place online using remote technology. In addition, subject to further official notice from the City and County of San Francisco, the successful candidate should expect to perform their duties working fully remotely at least through June 30, 2021, however any City employee may be called in for Disaster Service Work duty or to work on site subject to the City’s and Department’s established Health and Safety protocols. In such instances, employees may be required be on site with 24-hours’ notice.

Selection Procedures

Conviction History

As a selected candidate for a job, you will be fingerprinted, and your fingerprints will be sent to the California Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The resulting report of your conviction history (if any) will be used to determine whether the nature of your conviction (or arrest, in limited circumstances) conflicts with the specific duties and responsibilities of the job for which you are a selected candidate. If a conflict exists, you will be asked to present any evidence of rehabilitation that may mitigate the conflict, except when federal or state regulations bar employment in specific circumstances, such as:

  • Candidates for positions with the Unified School District and the Community College District may be disqualified from consideration should their conviction history not meet the standards established under the California Education Code.
  • 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.

Having a conviction history does not automatically preclude you from a job with the City.

If you are a selected candidate, the hiring department will contact you to schedule a fingerprinting appointment.

Disaster Service Workers

All City and County of San Francisco employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law (California Government Code Section 3100-3109). Employment with the City requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect. Employees are required to complete all Disaster Service Worker-related training as assigned, and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.

Conclusion

General Employment Information:

Important Employment Information for the City and County of San Francisco can be obtained at https://sfdhr.org/information-about-hiring-process

Terms of Announcement:  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 www.jobaps.com/sf.

Reasonable Accommodation Requests: Applicants with disabilities who meet the minimum eligibility requirements for this job announcement can find information on requesting a reasonable ADA Accommodation at: http://sfdhr.org/information-about-hiring-process#applicantswithdisabilities

Right to Work: All persons entering the City and County of San Francisco workforce are required to provide verification of authorization to work in the United States.


Appointment Type: Permanent Exempt (PEX)
Issued: December 10, 2020

Carol Isen, Acting Human Resources Director
Department of Human Resources

Recruitment ID Number: PEX-1822-108209
ETH / GC / Gilda.Cassanego@sfgov.org

Benefits

All employees hired on or after January 10, 2009 will be required (pursuant to San Francisco Charter Section A8.432) to contribute 2% of pre-tax compensation to fund retiree healthcare. In addition, most employees are required to make a member contribution towards retirement, ranging from 7.5%-13.25% of compensation. For more information on these provisions, please contact the personnel office of the hiring agency.

For more information about benefits, please click here.

 



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