Sr. Communications Manager - Water Programs - SFPUC (9251) (158851)

Amended on 10/10/2025: The filing deadline has been extended to Wednesday, October 15, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. Applicants who have already applied to this recruitment do not need to re-apply. 

• Application Opening Date: Thursday, September 25, 2025
• Application Filing Deadline: Friday, October 10, 2025, 11:59 PM PST
• Annual Salary: $152,516 to $185,380 (Last 4 salary steps must be approved by the Department of Human Resources)
• Recruitment ID: RTF-0158850-01069990 / PBT-9251-158851

This is a Position-Based Test conducted in accordance with CSC Rule 111A. Learn more about the City’s hiring process here: https://careers.sf.gov/knowledge/process/ 

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 a day, 365 days a 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.gov/.

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 at https://www.sfpuc.gov/about-us/careers-sfpuc

About the External Affairs
The External Affairs Bureau at the SFPUC oversees the agency's local, state and federal legislative and policy activities, communications, community engagement, community benefits, and environmental justice program. The Communications Division guides the SFPUC’s brand and promotes the agency’s programs, initiatives, and services to internal and external stakeholders.  Our goal is to build trust and engagement among our partners, customers, employees, and the communities we serve through equitable, open, and timely communication.    

Role Description
The Senior Communications Manager for Water leads a diverse team that supports the SFPUC’s water operations, which span nearly the width of the state of California. This position is responsible for developing and executing campaigns that increase awareness, elevate perception, and drive strategic messaging for the agency’s water programs, projects, and initiatives. That includes for internal and external audiences. A major component of the work is creative, robust, and culturally competent outreach for major construction projects. Other responsibilities include brand public relations, program/project marketing, crisis communications, and leadership of the Water Communications Team.

Essential Duties:

• Works closely with the department head, commissioners and senior management to develop and execute effective communications strategies (both internal and external) for water utility projects, programs, and operations. Uses metrics to track effectiveness. Presents findings to executive leadership.  
• Designs and implements creative, robust, and culturally competent outreach for major construction projects across Northern California.   
• Independently plans, implements, and supervises events relating to departmental activities, such as construction groundbreakings, community townhalls, historic recognition ceremonies, and special events.  
• Mentors and leads a team of five direct reports who operate in diverse communities across a broad geographic area.   
• Prepares speeches for senior water executives and other agency leaders.  
• Answers or oversees responses to public complaints.    
• Participates in the after-hours on-call rotation to provide public information in response to emergencies and needed repairs, like water main breaks.  
• Creates, produces, oversees and edits reports, policies, brochures and other materials for distribution to the public; may function as publications editor in writing, reviewing, and supervising updates of publications, including coordinating all aspects of the publication process.    
• Revises and updates departmental publications regarding changes in departmental services and facilities, as necessary.    
• May represent the department, including the department head, to the media as well as before the Board of Supervisors, various community groups, nonprofit agencies, regional partners and delegates from other cities and countries.
• Develops and coordinates strategic public relations campaigns with community partners, influential organizations, and other City departments.

The Class 9251 performs other related duties and responsibilities as assigned.    

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

Experience: Five years of experience in public affairs, public/media relations, community relations, international relations, or a related field.

Substitution: Additional qualifying work experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis.

Applicants must meet the minimum qualification requirement by the final filing date unless otherwise noted. 

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.

• Fluency in Cantonese, Spanish, or Filipino
• Experience at a utility agency or major construction firm
• 3 years of supervisory experience managing public relations team

Verification of Education and Experience

Every application is reviewed to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications as listed in the job ad. Review SF Careers Employment Applications for considerations taken when reviewing applications. Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education verification is required, information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at https://careers.sf.gov/knowledge/experience/education/.

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.

NOTE: 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.

Selection Procedures

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

Supplemental Questionnaire (SQ) (100%)
Candidates who meet minimum qualifications will be invited via a separate online link to complete the SQ Examination. The SQ is designed to measure applicant’s relative knowledge, skills and abilities in job-related areas, identified as critical for successful performance. These may include but are not limited to: 
•    Knowledge of principles, techniques, and practices of effective public relations programs; diplomatic relations.    
•    Knowledge of public policy process, local/regional government and environmental issues; legislative process and procedures at local, state, and federal levels.    
•    Knowledge of public sector business and administrative practices and departmental policies, procedures and operation.    
•    Knowledge of principles and techniques of event planning.    
•    Ability to work effectively with the public, governmental agencies, private companies, media, diplomats, and community organizations in a tactful manner; analyze and implement sensitive and difficult community relations and public relations programs.    
•    Ability to manage projects, measure results, and achieve established goals.    
•    Ability to organize and coordinate special event functions, including ceremonies, press conferences, and honoree functions.    
•    Ability to supervise a staff performing public relations work.    
•    Skill in technical writing and public speaking in public forums; presenting information effectively and representing the department before the media, groups and organizations.    
•    Skill in interpersonal communication and negotiation skills for dealing effectively with a wide range of people and concerns as well as resolving public complaints.    
•    Skill in organizing and performing analytical research, and in preparing clear, concise reports for specific needs and audiences.    

All responses to the SQ are subject to verification and must be consistent with the information provided in your application.

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.

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

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. 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.

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

Where to Apply

All job applications for the City and County of San Francisco must be submitted through our online portal. Please visit https://careers.sf.gov/ to begin your application process.

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.

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.

Applicants will receive a confirmation email from [email protected] 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.

If you have any questions, you may contact Jessica Wong at [email protected].  Recruitment ID: RTF-0158850-01069990.

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.