• Application Opening: September 14, 2026
• Application Filing Deadline: September 28, 2026
• Annual Salary: $147,524 - $179,348
• Recruitment ID: (U00057) (REF60928B)

THIS IS A CITYWIDE EXAM

Job Description

The Chemist III, under general direction, plans, coordinates, and conducts research projects related to the laboratory analysis of water, wastewater, and environment matrices. They develop and apply analytical methods to identify and quantify specific components in water, wastewater, and environmental matrices using sophisticated analytical instrumentation. They work independently and in conjunction with engineers and laboratory personnel to resolve water quality process problems and to achieve compliance with state and federal regulations. Incumbents function as the lead worker and are assigned non-routine work, research or special projects, and may train technical and professional personnel in instrumental analysis and applications, and communicates results orally and in writing. The Chemist III requires comprehensive knowledge in theory and principles of analytical chemistry and expertise and experience in extraction, purification, high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), Atomic Absorption, and inductively coupled plasma - atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) instrumental techniques.

The essential job functions of the Chemist III include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Plans, coordinates, and conducts laboratory studies; develops and performs methods in instrumental analysis of diverse environmental matrices for determination of specific organic and inorganic constituents.
• Consults with Supervising Chemist and develops methods to resolve problems in treatment processes and to achieve regulatory compliance; trains laboratory personnel in the operation of laboratory instrumentation and application of developed methods.
• Utilizes gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, and high performance liquid chromatography in development and applications of methods; utilizes ICP-AES, and inductively coupled plasma - mass spectroscopy (ICP/MS), and Atomic Absorption spectroscopy in developing method; performs diagnostic, corrective, and preventative maintenance on complex instruments; evaluates instrumental capabilities and performance in preparing for purchase of laboratory instrumentation.
• Researches relevant literature for most current technology and application to environmental analysis; prepares technical reports and findings for water quality personnel, clients and constituents, and departmental management personnel; prepares technical reports and papers for publication in scientific publications
• Handles and processes data from instrumental data acquisition systems; uses a variety of software applications to facilitate reporting of results.
• Class 2487 Chemist III performs other related duties as required.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

1. Possession of baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with a major in chemistry or closely related laboratory science;
AND
2. Six (6) years verifiable laboratory experience in instrumental analysis, methods development and applied research in the fields of organic and inorganic chemistry
AND
3. Possession of a current valid driver license;

Notes:

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). Any overtime hours that you work above forty (40) hours per week are not included in the calculation to determine full-time employment.

Verification:

Every application is reviewed to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications as listed in the job ad. Please review our articles on Employment Application and Minimum Qualifications and Verification of Experience and/or Education 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.

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.

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 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.

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 (100%):

Qualified candidates will be required to complete a Supplemental Questionnaire Examination as part of the selection procedures. The Supplemental Questionnaire Examination is designed to measure the knowledge, skills and abilities required for the Chemist III position and may include, but are not limited to: knowledge of chemistry, EPA methods analysis of water/wastewater, QA/QC protocols, laboratory safety rules and regulations, communication skills, and supervisory skills.

All relevant experience, education and/or training must be on the supplemental questionnaire in order to be reviewed in the rating process. The information provided on the Supplemental Questionnaire Examination must be consistent with the information on the application and is subject to verification. Once submitted, applicant responses on the Supplemental Questionnaire Examination cannot be changed. Only those applicants who qualify will receive a score on the Supplemental Questionnaire Evaluation.

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.

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/score report. Candidates will be placed on the eligible list/score report 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.

NOTE: Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed to advance through all of the steps in the selection process.

Additional Information

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

Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process. Visit https://careers.smartrecruiters.com/CityAndCountyOfSanFrancisco1/ and begin the application process.

• Select the "I'm Interested" 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, 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.

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 https://careers.sf.gov/.] The 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 https://sf.gov/departments/civil-service-commission.

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

Analyst Information: If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the Human Resources Analyst, David Jung at [email protected].