Transit Operator

Job Description

This recruitment will be used to fill both full-time and part-time positions.

Under general supervision, operates a variety of transit vehicles such as diesel and electric motor coaches, cable cars, streetcars and light rail vehicles; transports passengers along a specific route and makes designated stops as required; accepts fares, issues transfers, gives general directional information; and performs related duties as required.

Examples of Important and Essential Duties
According to Civil Service Commission Rule 409, 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.

1. Conducts pre-operational inspection of the transit vehicle, in accordance with federal and state laws and departmental regulations, to ensure it is functioning properly.
2. Inspects the passenger compartment of the vehicle to ensure it is free from hazards (such as spills, loose handrails and stanchions, defective seats, etc.) and that the video camera lenses are not obscured.
3. Safely navigates the vehicle through traffic along assigned routes, under various environmental conditions, in accordance with traffic laws and departmental regulations.
4. Operates the disability access lifts to assist people in wheelchairs onto the vehicle and properly secures their wheelchairs when they are on the vehicle.
5. Collects fares from passengers and issues transfers; checks passenger transfers, fast passes, and electronic passes to ensure they are valid.
6. Uses vehicle's intercom system to communicate instructions to passengers and to call out vehicle stops and transfer points.
7. Responds to customers' questions regarding routes, directions, fares and transfers.
8. Conducts a post-operational inspection of the outside of the vehicle to detect defects and body damage, broken windows, and graffiti.
9. Contacts Central Control regarding various emergencies such as medical emergencies, vehicle malfunctions, vehicle evacuations etc. and/or circumstances that may affect service such as heavy traffic, road hazards, road obstructions etc.
10. Completes accident, incident and/or miscellaneous reports to document unusual occurrences.
11. Performs related duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Nature of Work: Incumbents in this class may be required to work rotating shifts, holidays and weekends; to work outdoors in all weather conditions; and to use computers.  In addition, may require standing and/or sitting for prolonged periods of time; performing different physical activities such as pulling poles, cranking switches in the subway, resetting retrievers to return disabled transit vehicles to service and assisting in the movement of disabled vehicles when possible.  All employees, and prospective employees must comply with FTA and San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency mandates. All operators bid for assignments by seniority. Work hours and days off may change several times per year.
 

Qualifications

1.  Must be at least 21 years old by November 23, 2026; AND
2.  Possession of a valid High School Diploma, GED or California High School Proficiency Certificate; AND
3.  One (1) year of verifiable satisfactory public contact or customer service experience; AND
4.  Possession of a valid class C Driver License. Must have been a licensed driver for at least three (3) continuous years from November 23, 2023 through November 23, 2026; AND
5.  Possession of or the ability to obtain a Class B - Driver License with a Passenger (P) Endorsement and no restrictions that prohibit operation of a San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency public transit vehicle; AND
6.  A good driving record during the three (3) years between November 23, 2023 through November 23, 2026 and through the date of appointment, meeting the following requirements: 

• No more than 1 moving violations between November 23, 2025 and November 23, 2026;
• No more than 3 moving violations between November 23, 2023 through November 23, 2026;
• No accidents where applicant contributed to cause; 
• Has not had driving privilege suspended, revoked, or placed on probation more than once for a cause involving the unsafe operation of a motor vehicle; 
• No convictions of California State Vehicle Code Section 20001 (leaving the scene of an accident involving bodily injury or death); Sections 23103 through 23109 (reckless driving); or Sections 23152 - 23153 (driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs), or equivalent convictions in another state;
• Other violations and/or accidents will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and may be cause for non-selection; AND

7.  No convictions within the past seven (7) years between November 23, 2019 through November 23, 2026 of any offense related to the use, sale, possession, or transportation of narcotics, habit forming drugs, or dangerous drugs; AND
8.  No convictions of any sex offense as defined in Section 44010 of the Education Code; AND
9.  Ability to obtain a School Pupil Activity Bus (SPAB) certificate issued by DMV. 

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.

Selection Process: (General Exam Process Information) 
After application submission, candidates deemed qualified must complete all subsequent steps to advance in this selection process, which includes the following:

Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire (MQSQ): Candidates will be required to complete a MQSQ as part of the employment application at a later time This MQSQ is designed to obtain specific information regarding an applicant's experience in relation to the Minimum Qualifications (MQ) for this position. The MQSQ will be used to evaluate if the applicant possesses the required minimum qualifications.

Training and Experience Evaluation/Supplemental Questionnaire (Weight: 100%): Candidates will be sent a Supplemental Questionnaire via email after submitting their application. Some of the questions are designed to measure knowledge, skills and/or abilities in job-related areas. It is important that the information provided on the supplemental questionnaire be accurate and complete. All statements made on the application materials are subject to verification.

The department may administer additional position-specific selection procedures to make final hiring decisions.

Medical Examination/Drug Testing: Candidates who are being considered for appointment may be required to pass a medical examination. Candidates who cannot meet the medical requirement will be placed under waiver until this requirement is met. The medical examination will be administered only to those applicants who are being considered for appointment. Physical qualifications for drivers as specified by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration can be viewed online HERE.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) has determined that Class 9163 Transit Operator is a “safety-sensitive” position, under regulations issued by the Federal Transit Administration (49 CFR Part 655). Federal law requires that all transit employees who perform safety-sensitive functions be subject to random, post-accident, reasonable suspicion, return-to-duty and follow-up drug and alcohol testing. All applicants for Safety-Sensitive positions shall undergo urine drug testing prior to employment and within 90 days prior to performing Safety-Sensitive functions for the first time. Receipt by the SFMTA of a negative test result is required prior to the employee being placed on the payroll. A positive, adulterated, negative dilute or substituted test will result in a decision not to hire, and the applicant’s name will be removed from the list of eligibles for Safety-Sensitive positions. The SFMTA will not consider hiring any person who tested positive, adulterated, substituted or refused to submit to testing for a minimum of two years following the positive test.

In addition, each applicant who has worked for a Department of Transportation (DOT) – regulated employer(s) within the last two years will be required to sign a consent form, prior to appointment, authorizing SFMTA to obtain information from their prior employers concerning their drug and alcohol test history. Each applicant will also be required to provide SFMTA with information regarding whether, during the last two years, the applicant tested positive or refused to test on any pre-employment drug or alcohol test administered by an employer to which the applicant applied for, but did not obtain, safety-sensitive transportation work covered by DOT drug and alcohol testing rules. SFMTA will not hire any applicant for a safety-sensitive position who fails to provide this information or fails to provide written consent for the release of information from prior employers. 

Class B Permit with Passenger (P) endorsement and Airbrakes: 
Applicants who are successful in the examination process and who do not possess a Class B Driver License with Passenger (P) endorsement and airbrakes, will be required to obtain a Class B Driver Permit with Passenger (P) endorsement and airbrakes prior to starting the Transit Operator training.

Transit Operator Training:
All employees must successfully complete the SFMTA Operator Training Program consisting of both classroom and behind-the-wheel instruction. The rate of pay for a trainee is $31.9750 per hour.

Attendance to all training sessions is required.  If a candidate misses any dates of training without providing proper notification, they will be released from their training class. If proper notification was provided, a candidate released during the training period due to attendance may request to be placed back on the eligible list to be considered for future classes, if the list from which they were hired is still active. Candidates may only request to be placed back on the eligible list one time.  Any candidate not approved to be placed back on the list or not able to be placed in another training class before the list expires will need to re-apply during the next filing period for applications.

Additional Information

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 Director of Transportation 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 Director of Transportation.

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 https://careers.sf.gov.]

The terms of this announcement may be appealed under Civil Service Rule 410.4. Such appeals must be submitted in writing to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency ATTN: Human Resources Examinations and Classification Unit, 1 S Van Ness Avenue, 6th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103” 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.

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
• SFMTA Employee Wellness Program

Where and How to Apply
Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process.

1. Visit Careers with Purpose | City and County of San Francisco (sf.gov)
2. Type "9163" in to the "Search by class or keyword" field.
3. Click the link to open the Job Announcement.
4. Select the “Apply Now” button and follow instructions on the screen.

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.

Exam Analyst Information: If you have any questions regarding the Exam Process, please contact the exam analyst, [email protected]. SL I CBT-9163-T00156 I Entrance

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.