Chief Payroll and Personnel Clerk (1226) - Dept. of Public Health - (162445)

The Department of Public Health prioritizes equitable and inclusive access to quality healthcare for its community and values the importance of diversity in its workforce. All employees at the Department of Public Health work to advance equity, inclusion, and diversity with a specific lens and focus on race, ethnicity, gender, sex, sexuality, disability, and immigration status. 

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/ 

• Application Opening: Friday, February 13, 2026 
• Application Deadline: Application filing will close on or after Monday, February 23, 2026
• Salary: $107,068 - $130,078 Annually
• Appointment Type: Permanent Civil Service
• Recruitment ID: PBT-1226-162447

Becoming a City employee means being a part of a team that cares about making a difference. Your work will shape both the present and future of San Francisco. When you work for the City, you’re choosing a job with purpose. 

The Mission of the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) is to protect and promote the health of all San Franciscans. SFDPH strives to achieve its mission through the work of multiple divisions - the San Francisco Health Network, Population Health, Behavioral Health Services, and Administration. The San Francisco Health Network is the City’s only complete system of care and has locations throughout the City, including Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center, and over 15 primary care health centers. The Population Health Division (PHD) provides core public health services for the City and County of San Francisco: health protection, health promotion, disease and injury prevention, and disaster preparedness and response. Behavioral Health Services operates in conjunction with SFHN and provides a range of mental health and substance use treatment services.  

The Mission of the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) is to protect and promote the health of all San Franciscans. SFDPH strives to achieve its mission through the work of two main Divisions - the San Francisco Health Network and Population Health. The San Francisco Health Network is the City’s only complete system of care and has locations throughout the City, including Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center, and over 15 primary care health centers.

According to Civil Service Commission Rule 109, the duties specified below are representative of the range of duties assigned to this job code/class and are not intended to be an inclusive list.

• Manages and directs assigned staff performing complex payroll/personnel duties using computerized systems, including the maintenance and control of complicated payroll/personnel records.
• Supervises staff, and assigns and evaluates work performed in areas such as time reporting, payroll and personnel processing, human resources functions, and position control systems.
• Interprets and implements pertinent laws, ordinances, regulations, policies and procedures to clarify and expedite payroll and personnel processing.
• Develops and updates procedures and techniques for payroll and related personnel functions; writes new procedures for the implementation of policies; maintains expenditure records; may prepare budget and statistical data.
• Provides customer service to employees or members of the general public.
• Determines and verifies proper salary payment in compliance with prescribed rules and regulations, such as various government codes, charter provisions, and union contracts; maintains related accounting controls for audit purposes.
• Reconciles and maintains position control systems; reviews, updates, and approves the processing of status changes, such as new hires, transfers, leaves of absence, and separations of personnel.
• Prepares payroll/personnel reports, memos, and responses to correspondence and telephone inquiries regarding a wide variety of salary and payroll/personnel matters.
• Confers with other departmental personnel and representatives of other agencies/organizations in connection with the various laws, codes, rules, and regulations applicable to particular departmental payroll/personnel operations.

The 1226 Chief Payroll and Personnel Clerk also performs other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications - Required

EXPERIENCE: Five (5) years of progressively responsible clerical and office experience in the preparation and maintenance of detailed and complex payroll and personnel records and reports, including at least two (2) years of responsible supervisory experience.

Substitution:

• Completion of thirty (30) semester / forty-five (45) quarter units of coursework, with a minimum of twelve (12) semester/eighteen (18) quarter units of coursework in business administration, accounting, mathematics, human resources, or a closely related field may substitute for one (1) year of the required non-supervisory experience.

OR

• Possession of a Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) Certificate issued by the American Payroll Association may substitute for one (1) year of the required non-supervisory experience.

The above minimum qualifications reflect special conditions associated with the position(s) to be filled. They may differ from the standard minimum qualifications associated with this classification.

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

One year of full-time employment is equivalent to 2,000 hours (2,000 hours of qualifying work experience is based on a 40-hour work week).

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 or experience verification is required, information on how to verify education and experience 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. 

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 Examination (Weight: 100%):

The Supplemental Questionnaire is designed to measure the knowledge, skills, and abilities in job related areas which may include but not be limited to: 

• Knowledge of complex payroll and personnel system operations
• Knowledge of applicable laws, ordinances, policies, rules, and regulations
• Ability to manage and plan; supervise, assign, and evaluate staff
• Ability to analyze, research, and problem solve
• Ability to use a computer
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships
• Ability to speak in a clear and effective manner
• Ability to write in a clear and effective manner

Candidates must achieve a passing score on the Supplemental Questionnaire exam to continue in the selection process and will be placed on the confidential eligible list in rank order according to their final score. 

Additional selection processes may be conducted by the hiring department prior to making final hiring decisions. 

Certification 

The certification rule for the eligible list resulting from this examination will be the Rule of 10 Scores. 

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 6 months and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director. 

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.  

Applicants may be contacted by email about this recruitment. Please consider using a personal email address that you check regularly rather than a work or school account. 

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 regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the analyst, Herbert Chau at [email protected] or (628) 271-6707. 

We may use text messaging to communicate with you on the phone number provided in your application. The first message will ask you to opt in to text messaging.

POSITION #: 01108569

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.