Secretary II (1446) Citywide (C00393)

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.

• Takes and transcribes dictation from shorthand notes or transcribes from longhand or recorded dictation.
• Types a wide variety of letters memoranda reports and other material from copy or verbal instructions; may compose routine correspondence in accordance with standard practice and policies.
• Screens office and telephone callers; personally assists those whose business does not warrant seeing the superior; screens incoming correspondence and routes accordingly; answers a wide variety of inquiries and explains office operations policies and procedures.
• Maintains office files for correspondence and records; maintains manuals and updates resource materials.
• Makes appointments and arranges meetings for superior; makes travel arrangements as required.
• May assign and supervise the work of subordinate clerical personnel.

Qualifications :

Experience:

Ability to type 40 net words per minute AND

Two (2) years of secretarial experience encompassing editing and independently composing letters and other correspondence utilizing word processing systems; researching compiling and organizing data for various reports; and maintaining office/record systems.

OR

Three (3) years of verifiable clerical experience comparable to a 1424 Clerk Typist.

Substitution:

A recognized clerical training program of 240 hours or the equivalent of 15 semester units in graded clerical college units may substitute for up to 6 months of experience.

NOTE:

• City and County employees received credit for duties of the class to which appointed. Credit for experience outside of  the employees class is allowed only if recorded in accordance with the provisions of Civil Service Commission Rules.
• Applicants must meet the minimum qualification requirement by the final filing date unless otherwise noted.

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 Information :

Selection Procedure

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

Secretary Multiple-Choice Examination (Weight: 100%):

Candidates will be administered an online multiple choice Secretary exam to determine their relative knowledge skill and ability level in one or more of the following job related areas as appropriate. These areas may include but not be limited to: knowledge of Business English including the ability to edit grammar and spelling and write routine correspondence; ability to operate a computer and enter data which includes the use of Word Outlook and Excel; ability to follow oral and written instructions; knowledge of filing systems and the ability to file alphabetically numerically and chronologically; ability to exercise good judgment in making routine decisions in accordance with existing laws ordinances regulations and departmental policies and procedures; ability to perform clerical tasks relative to keeping financial and statistical records and accounts; ability to perform basic mathematics (e.g. add subtract multiply divide calculate percentage); ability to learn interpret and apply administrative and departmental policies; ability to plan organize and complete work rapidly and efficiently; ability to communicate effectively with various audiences and deal tactfully with the public in person and on the telephone; ability to establish and maintain harmonious working relationships with managers city officials employees and the public; and ability to arrange and maintain appointment calendar and/or travel arrangements for one or more managers/executives.

Candidates must achieve a passing score on the Secretary Exam in order to be ranked on the eligible list.

This is a standardized multiple-choice accordance with Civil Service Rule 111.11.4 inspection privileges do not apply to the questions and answers in this examination.

The multiple-choice exam will be administered remotely. This computer-administered exam can be taken at home. Candidates must have access to a computer and reliable internet connection to participate in this exam. Candidates will be scheduled for a specific time and date to complete the examination.

The score you achieve on this examination shall be valid and banked for three years starting from the date of the examination. This means that during this three-year time period you will not be required to take this test again should you apply and be found eligible for a future announcement for which this particular test is used. If the test for this future announcement is held within one year of the date of this examination your score will be automatically applied to that announcement. However after one year you have the option to either (a) apply your 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 examination and only in association with your eligibility for another announcement for which this test is used. Please note that should you re-test your re-test score would become your official score since it is the most recent (even if it turns out to be lower than your original score).

If a significant modification is made to this exam in the future the application of banked scores may no longer be such a rare circumstance candidates with banked scores would be required to re-take the exam sooner than the three-year period specified above.

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

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

To find Departments which use this classification please see the citys 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 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

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
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement
• Seniority Credit in Promotional Exams

Where to Apply 

All job applications for the City and County of San Francisco must be submitted through our online portal. Please visit  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  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 Anita Nham at  Recruitment ID: C00393

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.

Remote Work :

No

Employment Type :

Full-time