Technology Engineer – Principal (1044) – Systems Specialty - Citywide (C00101)

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 Technology Engineer series is distinguished from the Technology Analyst/Designer series as the Technology Engineers build, implement, and maintain core technology infrastructure, whereas the Technology Analyst/Designers analyze business needs, designs systems and services, and oversee implementation and ongoing improvement.

Specific information regarding this recruitment process is listed below.

Application Opening: 5/25/2022

Application Reposted: 11/06/2023 - Announcement reposted to reflect changes in the minimum qualifications.

Application Reposted: 6/24/2026 - The announcement has been reposted to incorporate updates to the class specification. These updates include a job title change, from IS Engineer – Senior to Technology Engineer – Senior and revisions to the minimum qualifications.

Application Deadline: Continuous

Preliminary Questionnaire

Applicants are required to complete a Preliminary Questionnaire as part of the online application process. The purpose of the Preliminary Questionnaire is to allow candidates to self-certify their qualifications for the position.

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

Tech Engineer – Systems Core Exam (Weight: 100%)

Candidates self-certifying meeting the Minimum Qualifications will be invited to participate in the online Tech Engineer – Systems Core Exam. Candidates will be sent a web link via email that will allow them to take the online Tech Engineer – Systems Core Exam that is designed to measure basic analytical and technical abilities associated with the target job, which may include but not be limited to:

This computer-administered test can be taken at home or at a time and location of one’s convenience, but only within a two week period specified on the test notification. Candidates must have access to a computer and reliable internet connection to participate in this exam. The test consists of 25 questions and it must be completed within 60 minutes. Questions are presented one at a time on the computer screen. There is no penalty for guessing. Candidates may not return to questions presented earlier in the exam; they can only move forward. A passing score must be attained on this test in order to continue further in the selection process. Test questions and answers are not available for public inspection or review.  Note: A passing score must be achieved on all examination components in order to be placed on the Eligible List. The hiring department may administer additional position-specific procedures to make final hiring decisions. Achieving a passing score in one class does not guarantee placement on eligible lists for the other classes. You must apply to each class you would like to be considered. There are different exams for each of the SF Civic Tech specialty areas (Applications, Networks, Security and Systems), and each class (1041, 1042, 1043 and 1044) has a different passing score for each exam. Candidates’ scores on the Tech Engineer – Systems Core Exam may also be applied to other announcements involving other job titles, when directed by the Human Resources Director.

Score Banking

Scores attained on the Tech Engineer – Systems Core Exam will be 'banked' for three years, starting from the date of the examination. This means that, during this three-year time period, candidates need not take this test again. Rather, if another announcement you applied to and are deemed qualified for requires the Tech Engineer – Systems Core Exam and is held within one year of your Tech Engineer – Systems Core Exam date your score will be automatically applied to that announcement. However, after one year, a candidate has the option to either (a) apply his/her test score to the other announcement or (b) re-take the test. Re-testing is permitted no sooner than one year from the date of the test and only in association with a candidate’s eligibility for another announcement to which the candidate has applied and is deemed qualified. If a candidate opts to re-test, the re-test score becomes the candidate’s official score since it is the most recent.

If a significant modification is made to this exam in the future, the application of “banked” scores may no longer be appropriate. In such a rare circumstance, candidates with “banked” scores would be required to re-take the exam sooner than the three-year period specified above should they apply to another job opportunity where the modified exam is used.

Additional Information

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.

Upon passing the exam, candidates will be placed on the eligible list for a period of 12 months.

Certification

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

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 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 sf.gov/departments/civil-service-commission.

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

Information About The Hiring Process

Conviction History

Equal Employment Opportunity

Disaster Service Worker

ADA Accommodation

Veterans Preference

Seniority Credit in Promotional Exams

Right to Work

Copies of Application Documents

Diversity Statement

How to Apply

All job applications for the City and County of San Francisco must be submitted through our online portal. 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, San Francisco, CA.

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. Upon successful submission, applicants will receive a confirmation email from [email protected]. Keep this email for your records. If you do not receive it, your application was not submitted successfully.

Recruitment Analyst Information: If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the analyst Melinda Miyagishima via email at [email protected]. Recruitment ID: REF11425P

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.

Certification Rule: Rule of the List

Exam Type: Continuous

Work Hours: Regular

Job Code and Title: 1044-IS Engineer-Principal

Fill Type: Permanent Civil Service

Eligible List Type: Combined Promotive and Entrance

Compensation: USD 171158 - USD 243646 - yearly

Under general direction, provides direct ongoing supervision to other Technology Engineers and/or provides technical leadership and direction and assumes technical responsibility for completion of major projects, or serves as the top technical authority for one or more related specialties. Performs and reviews complex work involving analysis, planning, designing, implementation, maintenance, troubleshooting and enhancement of systems or platforms. Serves as the lead technical architect for systems or platforms.

The 1044 Principal Technology Engineer is the highest level in the Engineer series and may be assigned to function as a supervisor, expert or project leader. When assigned as a supervisor, develops, coordinates and executes policies, methods and procedures, and supervises personal; when assigned as an expert, performs work requiring a very high level of technical knowledge of a specific area or ability to integrate at a high level the knowledge of several areas (this is not considered to be a part of the normal career path for employees in this series; rather it is reserved for those employees with a mastery of specific technologies or a particular expertise); when assigned as a project leader, manages and provides technical leadership of projects involving large-scale, complex and highly analytical tasks. Work is performed within a broad framework of general policy and requires creativity and resourcefulness to accomplish goals and objectives, and in applying concepts, plans and strategies which may deviate from traditional methods and practices.

Supervision Exercised

May supervise subordinate Engineers staff and technical staff in the assigned work unit; or as a Project leader, coordinate a team of workers within the assigned work unit or jointly with other unites. May be expected to provide consultation and guidance to Technology professionals and non-Technology professionals.

Essential Duties

*This position may include additional duties as assigned.*

Every application is reviewed to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications as listed in the job ad. Please review our articles on Employment Applications and Minimum Qualifications and Verification of Experience and/or Education for considerations taken when reviewing applications.

Education

An associate degree in computer science, computer engineering, information systems, or a closely-related field from an accredited college or university OR its equivalent in terms of total course credits/units [i.e., at least sixty (60) semester or ninety (90) quarter credits/units with a minimum of twenty (20) semester or thirty (30) quarter credits/units in one of the fields above or a closely-related field].

Experience

Five (5) years of experience analyzing, installing, configuring, enhancing, and/or maintaining the components of a system or platform.

Substitution

One year of additional experience as described above may be substituted for the required degree.

Completion of the 1010 Information Systems Trainee Program may be substituted for the required degree.

Note: Any applicant whose application is deemed not qualified may reapply after one (1) month upon successfully meeting the minimum qualifications for the given specialty area.

Additional Department Specific Requirements

Positions with the San Francisco Airport

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Security Clearance: Candidates for employment with the San Francisco Airport Commission are required to provide a complete employment history for the past ten (10) years and an explanation of all gaps in employment during that period. The past ten (10) years of the candidate's employment will be verified. In addition, candidates will be required to undergo a criminal history check, including FBI fingerprints, in order to determine eligibility for security clearance and may be required to undergo drug/alcohol screening. Per Civil Service Commission Rule Section 110.9.1, every applicant for an examination must possess and maintain the qualifications required by law and by the examination announcement for the examination. Failure to obtain and maintain security clearance may be basis for termination from employment with the Airport Commission.

Customs Clearance: This position with the San Francisco Airport Commission requires that the incumbent be qualified for unescorted access to the San Francisco International Airport U.S. Customs Security Area. An application for a U.S. Custom Access Seal may be submitted to Customs ONLY after employment has commenced. Employment in this position requires that the incumbent submit an application for, successfully acquire and maintain a Customs Access Seal. Per Civil Service Commission Rule 110.9.1, every applicant must possess and maintain the qualifications required by law and by the examination announcement for this examination. Failure to acquire or maintain customs access, a requirement for this position, may be basis for termination from employment with the Airport Commission. Customs Access Seal requirements and procedures are located in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 19, Part 122, Sections 181 or 189.

Positions with the Sherriff’s Department

Security clearance issued by the Sheriff’s Department is required prior to appointment of positions with Jail Health Services and must be maintained for continued employment. Failure to demonstrate/show proof of security clearance may result in dismissal and/or termination of employment.

Positions with the Port

Positions with the San Francisco Port Commission require that incumbents are able to obtain a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) certificate as a condition of employment. Additionally, candidates must be insurable under the Port's automobile liability insurance policy. Insurability must be maintained throughout employment.

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.

Employee Benefits Overview