About the Department of Elections  

The mission of the Department of Elections (Department) is to provide equitable access to voting and election-related services and to conduct free, fair, and functional elections for the City and County of San Francisco.

Serving more than half a million registered voters, the Department maintains open and transparent operations in order to inspire public confidence in the integrity of San Francisco’s elections. The Department is committed to maintaining an inclusive workplace by providing the training, resources and tools necessary for all employees to succeed in delivering equitable services to City residents. (To learn more about the Department’s internal racial equity goals, please read our 2021-23 Racial Equity Action Plan.) To find out how our employees put democracy into action on a day-to-day level and learn about some of the tasks that Department of Elections are involved in, watch this short video about  Working at the Department of Elections.

The Department of Elections (Department) conducts all public federal, state, district and municipal elections in the City and County of San Francisco in a manner that is free, fair, and functional, and provides residents with access to elections-related services and voting. Serving approximately 500,000 registered voters, the Department operates in an open and transparent manner and invites community members to observe elections processes and to provide feedback, making a concerted effort at all times to inspire public confidence in the integrity of elections in the City.

In preparation for the June 7, 2022 Statewide Direct Primary Election, the Department is seeking applications for a seasonal bilingual position to assist with translating, proofreading and audio proofing official election materials and providing election information to the public over the phone. Applicants must be bilingual in Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin, or both) with a high command of English.

This is a seasonal position, with the start date contingent upon completion of the hiring process. The Department intends to fill this position by March 7, 2022. The end date for the position is approximately June 17, 2022; the exact end date will be determined by the operational needs of the Department in the post-election cycle.

The person in this position must be available to work on-site at City Hall. Work hours will generally be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The person in this position must be available to work overtime both during the week and on weekends as necessary. This position also requires sitting and standing for prolonged periods, being able to multitask between phone and computer, and may need to occasionally lift and move materials weighing up to 25 pounds.

This is a temporary exempt as-needed position. Temporary exempt as-needed employees who have worked more than 1040 hours in any consecutive 12 month period, and whose normal work week at the time of inclusion in the system is not less than 20 hours are eligible for health coverage and retirement benefits. For more information on the City and County of San Francisco benefit policies, refer to the Employee Handbook available at https://sfdhr.org/sites/default/files/documents/Forms-Documents/Employee-Handbook.pdf

Position Salary: $26.8125/hour

 Position Responsibilities

The ideal candidate has a strong work ethic and a high level of integrity. This position requires excellent written and oral communication skills in English, including grammar and spelling, with equivalent proficiency in written Traditional Chinese appropriate for official government publications. The ideal candidate has strong attention to detail and demonstrated abilities to learn new subject matter and work on several projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines.

Typical tasks include:

·       Translating materials for use by the public

·       Extensive proofreading (words, numbers, and format)

·       Comparing vendor translations to English text and preferred Chinese terminology, suggesting revisions only as needed

·       Creating candidate lists with accurate content and formatting

·       Maintaining organized paper and electronic document files

·       Assisting the public over the phone in a phone bank setting

Initially, staff in this position will translate and proofread materials and website content and will assist with compiling, proofing, and producing all versions of the official ballot, in paper, touchscreen and audio formats, in English and Chinese and the Voter Information Pamphlet in English and Chinese.

Approximately one month prior to Election Day, this position will transition to work on the phone bank to provide election information to the public in English and Chinese.

Minimum Qualifications:

This position requires bilingual skills such as proficiency in reading, writing, typing, speaking, and listening in English and Chinese.

Selected candidates must pass language proficiency and proofreading tests that will be administered as part of the interview process.

EXPERIENCE: One (1) year of clerical experience including preparing and maintaining a variety of records and/or documents, filing, use of office equipment, public contact and processing of incoming and outgoing mail.

SUBSTITUTION:

Any one of the following may substitute for six (6) months of the required experience:

1.       Completion of a clerical training program (240 hours); OR

2.       15 semester units (or equivalent quarter units) of coursework from an accredited college or university; OR

3.       Completion of an approved City and County of San Francisco Clerical Administrative training program.

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 40 hours per week are not included in the calculation to determine full-time employment.

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

Desired Qualifications

·       Willingness to follow instructions and maintain strict version control

·       Computer skills, including MS Word, MS Excel, Adobe Acrobat, and Internet research in English and Chinese are highly desired

·       Verifiable professional experience or university-level coursework in written translation from English to Chinese, as well as professional or university-level writing in English

·       General knowledge of San Francisco neighborhoods and districts

·       Experience providing excellent customer service

How to Apply

To be considered for this position, you must:

•       Check the boxes in the application that indicate that you speak, read, and write Chinese.

•       Include a resume and, if possible, a brief cover letter in English and Traditional Chinese detailing how you meet the above qualifications.

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact Tish McNorton, by email at [email protected]

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

Carol Isen - Human Resources Director

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

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.