Job Description

** ABOUT CUSTOMER SERVICE BUREAU**

The Customer Service Bureau (CSB) division operates the administration, customer accounts, field services, and business center sections. Services include processing new service installations, service renewals, billing and collections, managing customer inquiries, cashiering and payment processing, meter reading, and field investigations.

This bureau employs about 110 positions and operates on a $16 million annual budget. CSB is comprised of committed employees using the latest operational efficiencies to deliver complete customer satisfaction through effective customer service.

** POSITION SUMMARY**

The Customer Service, Billing and Collections Manager, under direction, administers and supervises the activities and personnel of the operating section of SFPUC Customer Services, Retail Electric Services. Essential position functions include planning, assigning, and monitoring work of subordinate staff; implementing, supervising and coordinating section or division operations, objectives, responsibilities, policies and procedures; recommending policy changes; managing the section budget; informing the public, other departments and agencies; and directing preparation of reports and records.

The essential duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following:

• Plans, assigns, and inspects the work of subordinate staff, to ensure operational efficiency relating to electric services and land leases and permits, as well as conformance with departmental policies, procedures, laws, and regulations.
• Oversees the operations of Retail Services for effectiveness and efficiency, identifies, investigates, analyzes, and mitigates operational issues.
• Directs the preparation of complex financial, statistical, and operational reports and records including customer bills, service records and collection accounts.
• Maintains effective communication with representatives from various City departments, contractors, banking officials and the general public in connection with departmental policies, rules and regulations.
• Oversees the preparation and maintenance of a wide variety of records, reports and documents consisting of the Bureau’s financial, statistical, and operational information.
• Collaborates with managers and supervisors on Customer Information System (CIS) system development and implementation. Participates in hiring and staff development practices, establishes, and maintains effective working relationships, conducts timely performance reviews.
• Coordinates section or division operations, including complex technical issues involving various types of accounts, new services, deposits, receipts, collections, disbursements and reporting activities with other areas or agencies.
• Oversees various complex customer information systems utilized in billing and collection of electric services, land leases and permits.
• Class 0922 – Customer Service, Billing and Collections Manager performs other related duties as required.

Qualifications

If you are interested in a job like this, we are looking for people that have the following minimum qualifications:

1. Possession of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university; AND
2. Five (5) years of verifiable professional work experience in a customer service, billing, or collection department of a utility, public works organization, tax collector’s office, bank, retail service, insurance company, or credit agency; AND
3. Possession of a valid driver’s license.

_ SUBSTITUTION_
Additional experience as described above may be substituted for the required degree on a year-for-year basis. One (1) year is equivalent to thirty (30) semester units/forty-five (45) quarter units.

Please Note: __ Applicants must meet the minimum qualification requirement by the final filing date unless otherwise noted.

_ DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS_
The stated desirable qualifications below, may be used to identify job finalists at the end of the selection process when candidates are referred for hiring:

• Two (2) years of supervisory experience as part of the professional work experience in customer service or billing and collection in a large utility, public works organization, or tax collector's office as listed in the minimum qualifications.
• Extensive experience in management, organization, leadership, decision making, and problem solving, including strong computer and communication skills.
• Proficiency in two or more of the following database applications:
  1. Microsoft Office Applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, Access & Visio)
  2. Mobile and field computing
  3. Utility Customer Care and Billing System
  4. Work Order Management System
  5. Advanced Customer Call Center Applications
  6. Water or Electric Meter Reading System

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.

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 How to Verify Education Requirements.

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.

All work experience, education, training and other information substantiating how you meet the minimum qualifications must be included on your application by the filing deadline. Information submitted after the filing deadline will not be considered in determining whether you meet the minimum qualifications.

Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed City and County of San Francisco application.

Applications completed improperly may be cause for ineligibility, disqualification or may lead to lower scores.

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 Examination (Weight: 100%): Candidates who meet minimum qualifications will be invited via a separate link to complete the Supplemental Questionnaire Examination. The purpose of the Supplemental Questionnaire Examination is to evaluate the experience, knowledge, skills and abilities that candidates possess in job-related areas, which have been identified as critical for this position and include, but are not limited to:

• Knowledge of water, wastewater and power services policies and practices refers to the knowledge and understanding of the laws, ordinances, regulations, and policies governing municipal utility services, including utility rate rules and regulations and applicable code violations.
• Knowledge of utility billing methods refers to knowledge of the procedures necessary to perform billing audits to detect discrepancies, and make adjustments to customer billings.
• Leadership refers to the ability to influence, motivate, and challenge others, work with authority to identify and define problems, determine methodology, evaluate data, make recommendations with appropriate justification and develop/implement a plan of action.
• Decision Making refers to the ability to make sound, well-informed and objective decisions; perceives the impact and implications of decisions; commits to action, exercise independent and good judgment, to follow through on projects and achieve results; demonstrate resilience to setbacks and flexibility to reprioritize and to quickly adapt to changing situations.
• Budget Preparation refers to ability develop, control and administer the Division's budget and expenditures.
• Interpersonal Skills refers to the ability to work with a variety of internal and external constituents, to create, develop, sustain and support external partnerships with important stakeholder groups and community leaders and advisory groups.
• Supervision refers to the ability to inspire, motivate and guide others toward goal accomplishments; develop and sustain cooperative working relationships; encourage and facilitate cooperation within the organization and with customer groups; foster commitment and trust; and develop leadership in others through coaching, mentoring, rewarding and guiding employees.
• Organizational Skills refers to ability to use time, energy and resources effectively to achieve goals; the ability to meet deadlines, multi-tasking, work independently and plan for future projects.
• Analytical ability refers to the ability to collect and synthesize large volumes of data, and perform complex quantitative and qualitative analytical work.
• Computer Skills refers to the ability to use business-related computer applications such as Microsoft Office programs: Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Microsoft databases; and effectively navigate applications and databases for billing and collection of utility services, as well as land leases and permits.
• Oral Communications refers to the ability to express information, ideas or facts to individuals or groups effectively, makes clear and convincing oral presentations, listens to others, attends to non-verbal cues and respond appropriately.
• Written communications refers to the ability to prepare and present comprehensive technical, fiscal and administrative reports and data related for utility services.

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.

Candidates will be placed on the eligible list 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.

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 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.

To find Departments which use this classification, please see https://sfdhr.org/sites/default/files/documents/Forms-Documents/Position-Counts-by-Job-Codes-and-Department-FY-2023-24.pdf

Certification: The certification rule for the eligible list resulting from this examination will be Rule of the List.

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. Clerical errors may be corrected by the posting the correction on the Department of Human Resources website at https://careers.sf.gov/.

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.

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

HOW TO APPLY
Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process. Visit https://careers.sf.gov and begin the application process.

• Select the “Apply Now” 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.

Exam Analyst Information: If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the exam analyst, Dave Jung, at DJung@sfwater.org.

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.

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.