Nursery Specialist (3428) - Natural Resources & Lands Management Division - SFPUC (151975)

This is a Position-Based Test conducted in accordance with CSC Rule 111A.

• Application Opening Date: Friday, November 8, 2024
• Application Filing Deadline: Friday, December 6, 2024 at 11:59PM (PDT)
• Recruitment ID: PBT-3428-151975/REF45592P
• Location: 505 Paloma Way, Sunol, CA, 94586, USA

WHO ARE WE?
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC)
Headquartered in San Francisco, we have 2,300 employees operating across eight counties serving more than 2.7 million customers in the San Francisco Bay Area – 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.

Our Mission: To provide our customers with high quality, efficient, and reliable water, power, and wastewater services in a manner that values environmental and community interests and sustains the resources entrusted to our care.

Our Vision: We are an innovative utility leader, recognized for excellent results in service, safety, stewardship, and inclusiveness.

We are an award-winning and industry-leading utilities organization committed to our customers, community interests, and the environment. To learn more about our organization, please visit our website at https://www.sfpuc.org/.

We are proud of our infrastructure and programs, but most importantly, we value our highly qualified and dedicated workforce which ensures that this vision becomes a reality.

To learn more about working at the SFPUC, visit our career site here.

About the Natural Resources and Lands Management Division
The Natural Resources and Lands Management (NRLM) Division within the Water Enterprise of the SFPUC is responsible for the management of approximately 61,000 acres of Bay Area watershed lands under SFPUC ownership as well as 150 miles of utility right-of-way. NRLM Division is responsible for managing, protecting, restoring, and monitoring the ecological resources on these lands and environmental compliance for the operations and maintenance of the Hetch Hetchy Regional Water System which serves 2.7 million customers. We are committed to responsible natural resources management that protects and restores viable populations of native species and maintains the integrity of the ecosystems that support them for current and future generations. We strive to become a leader in science-based and collaborative environmental stewardship in order to continue providing high-quality and reliable water supplies to our customers.                

About the Position
This position is based in Sunol, California at the Sunol Native Plant Nursery (SNPN) to support the Accreditation in Restoration (AIR) certified SNPN facility and the Alameda Creek Watershed Center Discovery Garden as part of the Natural Resources and Lands Management Division. Under direction, the Nursery Specialist participates in or leads the performance of a wide variety of California native plant propagation activities in a nursery, greenhouse, and SFPUC owned lands, while implementing Nursery Phytophthora Best Management Practices (NPBMPs).

Working Relationship: This position will report to the Chief Nursery Specialist and work closely with: SFPUC Interns (such as classifications 5382, 9922, etc.), Alameda Creek Watershed Center Education staff, community volunteers and school groups.

Essential duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to:

1. Implements and maintains best management practices to reduce or eliminate Phytophthora and other destructive plant pathogens in a nursery setting; supports re-accreditation process in AIR program biennially. 
2. Participates in or leads the performance of a variety of nursery activities with phytosanitary protocols; collect seed from wild and domestic locations; cleans and stores seed; treats and sows seed; transplants seedlings to pots or flats; pots and repots plants, amplifies propagule material such as seeds and bulbs.  
3. Supports the SNPN Integrated Pest Management program; prepares and applies pesticides to be used in the nursery (sparingly); observes, records, and treats a variety of nursery and greenhouse pests including ground squirrels, mice, aphids, powdery mildew, wasps, thrips, etc.            
4. Sterilizes and mixes soils and amendments to be used in plant propagation activities; applies fertilizers to crops when needed; prunes and stakes nursery stock.      
5. Makes necessary adjustments to Nursery equipment regarding ventilation, temperature humidity and other environmental factors affecting plant materials; participates in or leads the irrigation and cultivation of all crops.
6. Assist with tracking nursery orders and intake forms; coordinates with city and external representatives on status and revisions to Nursery orders.        
7. Maintains accurate and detailed records of plant propagation activities; performs regular and accurate data entry into IrisBG database.
8. Supports Nursery facilities and equipment inspection and repair including shade house, greenhouse, trailers, boiler, oven, lab refrigerators, seed cleaning equipment, Garden and Nursery irrigation; may make minor repairs as needed.
9. Participates in or leads the Phytophthora testing program; tests nursery stock using multiple techniques including pear baiting and pathogen testing strips; maintains inventory of testing materials; stays current on research and management of invasive plant pathogens in horticulture and its impact on ecological restoration.      
10. Mentors SFPUC interns.
11. Supports maintenance of the Alameda Creek Watershed Center (ACWC) Discovery Garden and interpretive programs as needed.
12. Supports Natural Resources Volunteer and Education programming including Nursery and Garden tours; formal and informal presentations to staff, outside agencies, and public; volunteer management in the Nursery and Garden; and a variety of kindergarten to college educational programs.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION: Essential duties require the following physical skills and work environment: may occasionally work in inclement weather, lift floral exhibits and/or move plants of moderate weight.

Minimum Qualifications: Minimum qualifications reflect the lowest level of acceptable education and/or experience required of an individual such that the individual reasonably could be expected to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position.  Candidates must meet all the requirements established by the MQs to be considered for the position. 

• Experience: Two (2) years of professional experience in the propagation and culture of plants in a commercial or municipal nursery, greenhouse or conservatory.
• License and Certification: Possession of a valid California Driver’s License; AND

Candidates who become eligible for appointment will be required to obtain a Qualified Applicator’s Certificate (QAC) or a Qualified Applicator’s License (QAL) from the State of California Department of Pesticide Regulation. Incumbents who fail to obtain this certificate or license within a six (6) month time period from the date of appointment will be separated from employment.

Substitution: Completion of 30 semester / 45 quarter units in Horticulture, Agronomy or a related field from an accredited college or university may be substituted for one (1) year of the required experience.

Possession of a Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university with major course of study in Horticulture, Agronomy or a related field may be substituted for the required two (2) years of 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.) 

Applicants must meet the minimum qualification requirement by the final filing date unless otherwise noted. Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed to advance through all of the steps in the selection process.

Desirable Qualifications:
The stated desirable qualifications may be used to identify job finalists at the end of the selection process when candidates are referred for hiring.

• Ability to work in Sunol, California five days per week.
• Ability to maintain a flexible work schedule with possible weekend work depending on the needs of the plants, weather, and time of year.
• Demonstrated experience in the care and cultivation of California native plants in a commercial or municipal nursery or greenhouse setting.
• Demonstrated experience with Nursery Phytophthora Best Management Practices (NPBMPs).
• Demonstrated experience planning, collecting, cleaning, and propagating with California native plant populations from conservation lands.
• Demonstrated experience with Integrated Pest Management programming in a nursery and/or formal garden setting.
• Experience operating and light maintenance of equipment such as a boiler/steamer unit, steam aerator, soil trailers, and irrigation control systems.
• Experience developing custom potting media and evaluating and managing plant nutritional needs.
• Experience with data input and generating reports from plant record databases such as Iris-BG, BG-base or similar platforms.
• Experience maintaining landscape planting designs and garden collections.
• Experience with guest engagement and education through tours, talks and supporting interpretive content development.
• Experience in volunteer project planning and volunteer project management, especially in an AIR (Accreditation in Restoration) certified nursery.
• Demonstrated experience integrating racial equity diversity and inclusion into the workplace and contributing to a collaborative team environment.
• Comfortable working outdoors in extreme climate conditions, including freezing temperatures and prolonged heat waves.

Verification of Education and Experience: Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. For more information on how to verify your experience or education please click here. 

Verification of required work experience typically must be on the employer’s letterhead, and must include the applicant’s name, job title, description of job duties, dates of employment, hours per week, and signature of the employer, supervisor, or appropriate representative.

Employees of the City and County of San Francisco may submit performance evaluations showing duties performed to verify qualifying City experience. City employees will receive credit for the duties of the class to which appointed. Credit for experience obtained outside of the employee's class will be allowed only if recorded in accordance with the provisions of Civil Service Commission Rules. CCSF employees will not receive credit for experience obtained outside of their classification unless recorded in accordance with the provisions of the Civil Service Rule 110.9.1/111A.11.2.

Experience claimed in self-employment will only be accepted if supported by documents verifying income, earnings, business license and experience comparable to minimum qualifications above. Copies of income tax papers or other documents listing occupation and total earnings must be submitted.

Verification of qualifying education is a copy of your transcript or diploma. For more information, please click here.

Verification of required valid licensure/certification typically must be a photocopy of the license/certificate including the name of the issuing agency as well as the name of the license/certificate holder, license/certificate number, and expiration date.

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.

DRUG TESTING REQUIREMENT: Applicants for positions in this classification who are not currently employed by the City and County of San Francisco in a safety-sensitive position represented by THE LABORERS INTERNATIONAL UNION, LOCAL 261 are required to pass pre-employment drug and alcohol testing. All employees in this classification may also be subject to drug and alcohol testing upon reasonable suspicion or after a work-related accident. Applicants with a positive result from a pre-employment drug test will be restricted from hire in safety-sensitive positions for six-months after the date of the positive test.

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

Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire (MQSQ): (Weight:  Qualifying) Candidates will be required to complete a MQSQ as part of the employment application at a later time. This MQSQ is designed to obtain specific information 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%): 

Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will be sent a Supplemental Questionnaire via electronic mail after the closing of this filing period. The Supplemental Questionnaire is designed to measure the knowledge, skills and/or abilities in job-related areas required for the position.  Applicants will be given a deadline to return the Supplemental Questionnaire. Those who do not respond by the established deadline will not be eligible to continue in the examination process and will not be added to eligibility list resulting from this process. All applicants’ responses to the Supplemental Questionnaire are subject to verification. The Supplemental Questionnaire examination component may include but not be limited to:

• Knowledge of plant and ornamental horticulture, the principals of floricultural display.
• Knowledge of soil mixtures and fertilizers for specialized plants and the effects of environment on plant life.
• Ability and Skill to effectively execute a program of plant propagation and display.

A passing score must be achieved on the Supplemental Questionnaire Examination in order to continue in the selection process and be placed on the eligible list. Candidates will be placed on the eligible list in rank order according to their final score. Candidate scores on this examination may also be applied to other announcements involving other job titles, when directed by the Human Resources Director.

The department may administer additional position-specific selection procedures to make 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 of twelve (12) months, and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director.

Certification: The certification rule for the eligible list resulting from this examination will be Rule of the Three.  The hiring department may administer additional position-specific selection procedures prior to making final hiring decisions.

To find Departments which use this classification, please see here.

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 here.

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.

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

How to Apply: Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process. Visit https://careers.sf.gov/ and begin the application process.

• Select the “Apply Now” button and follow instructions on the screen 

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, @careers.sf.gov and @smartrecruiters.com).

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.

Having trouble? If you are having trouble with the application, please visit https://sfdhr.org/having-technical-difficulties or email [email protected]. SmartRecruiters recommends using Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge web browser to submit your application.

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

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.