02.04.2022 Update: This Job Ad has been amended to extend the filing period to accept more applicants. This recruitment could close at any time but not before February 11, 2022. Applicants who already applied to this recruitment do not need to reapply.

The Office of the Assessor-Recorder is responsible for carrying out property tax-related functions governed by the State Constitution and State and local laws. Our core responsibilities include locating all taxable property in the City and County of San Francisco, identifying ownership, establishing a taxable value, and applying all legal exemptions. Property broadly includes both real property and personal property owned by businesses. The Office of the Assessor-Recorder is also responsible for recording documents and maintaining those public records. Over 400 different types of documents are recorded annually, including deeds of trust, reconveyances, liens, and public marriage licenses. The Office is also responsible for collecting any transfer tax due upon a change in property ownership. The Office of the Assessor-Recorder strives to conduct our work with the core principals of professionalism and integrity.

What We Do

Heightened activity in the real estate and business markets means increased demand for the work of our office. Every year, property tax revenue remains the largest single source of funding for the City’s General Fund revenue, representing over $2.4 Billion in Fiscal Year 2020-21. This revenue funds crucial services like public safety, education, neighborhood improvements, and health and family support services. This past year, the dedicated work of the Assessor-Recorder staff to close the property tax roll represented a cumulative value of over $328 Billion and generating over $3.7 Billion dollars in local revenues. This is due in part to strong growth in the real estate market, additional construction across San Francisco, and our office’s efforts in increasing efficiency. In recent years, we have taken significant steps toward modernizing our operations, including kicking off a multi-organization effort aimed at modernizing City-wide Property Assessment & Taxation Systems (Project SMART).

The Office of the Assessor-Recorder currently has full time vacancies in class 4215 Senior Office Specialists. This is the senior-level class of the Assessor-Recorder support series. Incumbents work under direction to perform the most difficult and specialized clerical and technical duties that require advanced knowledge of technical administrative policies and procedures, most of which are unique to the Assessor-Recorder’s Office. Duties emphasize advanced and technical level activities pertaining to document examining, property ownership and transactions, change in ownership assessment determination recommendations, transfer tax assessment, complex exemptions, and real/personal property appraisal services. Incumbents perform assigned duties with substantial independence, applying advanced knowledge of technical assessment and recording requirements, policies and procedures to make decisions and perform assignments.

Other essential duties may include, but are not limited to:

1. Performs highly specialized technical work and analysis requiring in-depth knowledge and a high level of independence involving review and processing of real property transactions and/or complex document recording processes within the Assessor-Recorder’s Office; receives, examines, evaluates, and records deeds, reconveyances, releases of liens, judgments, marriage certificates and various legal and other documents; interprets various codes, statutes and ordinance in examining and recording a wide variety of complex documents; performs detailed and complex document examination to ensure sufficiency, completeness, jurisdiction, appropriateness for recording, and/or adherence to legal codes and state and county recording requirements; provides follow up with customers and other parties as appropriate to resolve problems; refers customers to other Office staff and/or outside agencies as required
2. Ensures compliance with the Transfer Tax Ordinance by reviewing change of ownership transactions; requests and analyzes documentation of proof of exemption; and collects transfer taxes in real-time, in accordance with the Revenue and Taxation Code and State and local tax laws and ordinances
3. Searches deeds to determine real property ownership; receives and verifies records supporting property statements
4. Receives and collects payments for a wide range of complex service fees based on Revenue and Taxation codes as well as state and local tax laws and ordinances; issues receipts and accounts for money received by balancing records. May receive and collect payments of recordable documents; balance cash receipts and receivables; prepare balance sheets and processing forms; and post receivables and credit appropriate accounts
5. Provides complex technical information in person, on the phone, and via email and regular mail regarding policies and procedures pertaining to recording requirements, assessment and recording laws, regulations, policies and procedures to attorneys, government agencies and the public
6. Performs technical tax assessment activities by reviewing and evaluating real property transactions such as grant deeds, quitclaim deeds, affidavits of death, court orders, final decrees of distribution, leases, foreclosure sales deeds and other documents; researches property rolls to verify changes in ownership, transfer of property, boundary discrepancies and overlap or breaks in the chain of title for real property; makes recommendations regarding property transfer tax and other assessments, based on State and County laws and codes
7. Provides technical assistance to professional appraisers pertaining to real property appraisals; collects structural classification data in the field or in the office for residential dwellings, apartment complexes, commercial concerns and industrial firms; notes construction characteristics related to foundation, exterior, interior, plumbing, lighting and heating; determines shape classifications using perimeter and square footage calculations; takes photographs of structures
8. Gathers property and/or business data to determine welfare tax exemption status; gathers and tabulates data to determine appropriate exemption percentage allowable; inspects property based on application information and other data; and prepares inspection reports; explains exemption programs¿ eligibility requirements; evaluates program applications and determines eligibility based on well defined, pre-established criteria; responds to and researches complaints regarding determinations; works with other divisions and the Tax Collector’s Office to ensure that exemption accounts are adjusted appropriately
9. Researches and compiles property value data; identifies comparable sales; searches deeds to determine delivered prices; provides technical support for cost analyses and/or income analyses for both real and business/personal property; receives and verifies records supporting property statements from public accountants for client firms; researches, gathers and tabulates data from financial and operating statements
10. Explains appraisal procedures and policies to builders, contractors, real estate brokers and the general public; serves as a technical liaison to various agents regarding appraisal processes
11. Maintains and updates statistical data; prepares and maintains complex statistical reports
12. May serve as a lead worker by directing and monitoring the work of a small group of subordinate employees and serving as a technical resource regarding the more complex work issues in the unit. May be required to provide training to entry level classifications
13. Operates personal computers, computer terminals and other equipment to research databases, documents and records and locate requested information; provides and/or sends copies of requested documents according to Office policies and procedures
14. Types and prepares a wide variety of correspondence, forms and complex documents; independently initiates correspondence pertaining to areas of assignment
15. Performs other technical administrative duties; attends meetings and trainings; may serve on committees and task forces

These minimum qualifications establish the education, training, experience, special skills and/or license(s) which are required for employment in the classification. Please note, additional qualifications (i.e. special conditions) may apply to a particular position and will be stated on the exam/job announcement.

Education:

Experience:

Pattern I Experience: Three (3) years equivalent to or higher than a 4213 Assessor-Recorder Office Assistant in the City/County of San Francisco; OR

Pattern II Experience: Two (2) years equivalent to or higher than a 4214 Assessor-Recorder Office Specialist in the City/County of San Francisco; OR

Pattern III Education: Completion of sixty (60) semester (or equivalent quarter) units from an accredited college or university, with major coursework in business administration, accounting or a closely-related field.

Experience: Three (3) years of progressively responsible legal document technical review, researching documents, and processing experience, preferably in a legal environment or county Assessor or Recorder’s office, including two (2) years performing journey-level duties comparable to or higher than those assigned to the class of 4214 Assessor-Recorder Office Specialist in the City/County of San Francisco.

License and Certification: None

Substitution:

1. Additional specialized assessment/recording-related experience may substitute for the above-required education on a year-for-year basis, where one year of experience is equivalent to thirty (30) semester or forty-five (45) quarter units, OR
2. Possession of Certificate of Recognition certifying that the applicant has successfully completed the Recordable Document Examiner course administered by the County Recorder’s Association of California may substitute for six (6) months of the required experience described in Pattern III of the Minimum Qualifications

Verification:
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 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

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

Selection Procedures

Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire - (Weight: Qualifying)
Candidates will be sent a Supplemental Questionnaire consisting of a Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire as part of the online employment application. The Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire is designed to obtain specific information regarding an applicant's experience in relation to the Minimum Qualifications for this position. 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.

Written Multiple-Choice Examination - (Weight: 100%)
Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications will be administered a written multiplechoice examination to determine their relative knowledge, skills and abilities in job-related areas which may include but not be limited to: Knowledge of: advanced policies, procedures, terminology, & practices pertaining to technical county assessment & recording practices; laws, regulations and requirements that apply to county assessment and recording administrative procedures; advanced office practices & procedures, including methods of researching, gathering, tabulating, and reporting technical data; principles, practices & methods of customer service; business data processing principles & practices, including the uses of computer equipment, correct English usage including grammar, spelling & punctuation. Skill of: basic arithmetic. Ability to: establish & maintain effective working relationships, including the relationship between the Assessor-Recorder, Controller & Tax Collector's offices; perform a wide range of technical duties pertaining to county assessment & recording and services activities; review, evaluate, record & interpret complex information including customer eligibility for welfare exemption programs, processing property transactions, and/or examining documents to ensure recording standards are met; research a variety of sources to gather data pertaining to historic, reproduction & replacement costs for property whose value could be impacted by the results of such research; organize & maintain data, files & records; prioritize work & perform multiple activities; communicate effectively in-person, on the phone, or in writing with correct grammar, punctuation & spelling.

The multiple-choice exam will be administered in a paper format. This is a standardized multiple-choice examination. In accordance with Civil Service Rule 111.11.4, inspection privileges do not apply to the questions and answers in this examination. A passing score must be achieved in order to be placed/ranked on the Eligible List. The hiring department may administer additional position-specific selection procedures to make final hiring decisions.

Candidate scores on this exam may also be applied to other announcements involving other job titles, when directed by the Human Resources Director.

Date(s) of Examination: Those applicants meeting the minimum qualifications will be notified of the exact date, time, and location to report to the examination.

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

Eligible List
The purpose of an examination is to provide a list of qualified persons to be considered for employment. Candidates are ranked on an eligible list according to their overall scores in the examination.

The duration of the eligible list resulting from this examination process will be six months, and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director. Upon approval of the Human Resource Director (Civil Service Rule 111A.26.5), the eligible list/score report resulting from this announcement may be used by other departments that also use this classification or a similar classification.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Friday, February 11, 2022 at 11:59PM

SALARY RANGE: $73,424-$93,678 annually

CONTACT: If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the human resources analyst, Kimberly Gibney by email at [email protected].

Important Information

• Employee Benefits Overview
• Equal Employment Opportunity
• ADA Accommodation
• Veterans Preference
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement
• Seniority Credit in Promotional Exams

CONVICTION HISTORY REVIEW: 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.

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 31003109). 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.

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.

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.

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 email the Human Resources Analyst listed on this announcement.

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT:  All City and County of San Francisco employees are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment.  For details on how it is applicable to your employment, please click here.

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.