Civic Art Collection and Public Art Program Director, job code 0922, San Francisco Arts Commission - City and County of San Francisco

This is a Position-Based Test conducted in accordance with CSC Rule 111A.

• Application Opening –April 22, 2024
• Application Deadline – Apply immediately.  Application will be open until May 3, 2024 by 11:59 p.m.
• The portal will close at 12:00 a.m. on May 4, 2024, and applications will no longer be accepted.
• Salary:
  Range A  $128,050-$163,514
  Range B  $163,540-$189,306
  Range C  $189,332-$198,744
• Appointment Type: Permanent Civil Service
• Recruitment ID: PBT-0922- 145058

The San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) is the City agency that champions the arts as essential to daily life by investing in a vibrant arts community, enlivening the urban environment and shaping innovative cultural policy. Learn more about our work at: http://www.sfartscommission.org/

SFAC Racial Equity Statement The San Francisco Arts Commission is committed to creating a city where all artists and cultural workers have the freedom, resources and platform to share their stories, art and culture and where race does not predetermine one’s success in life. We also acknowledge that we occupy traditional and unceded Ohlone land. Fueled by these beliefs, we commit to addressing the systemic inequities within our agency, the City and County of San Francisco and the broader arts and culture sector. This work requires that we focus on race as we confront inequities of the past, reveal inequities of the present and develop effective strategies to move all of us towards an equitable future.

The Public Art and Collections unit is an award-winning program known nationally for its public art practices, the quality and innovation of the artworks commissioned for public spaces and the care of the City’s collection. The Civic Art Collection and Public Art Program Director is responsible for the management of the Public Art Program, which administers approximately $5-10 million annually generated by the City’s art enrichment ordinance. This position oversees program management, policy development, financial analysis and oversight of all aspects of the program. The Civic Art Collections and Public Art Director will collaborate with external agencies and the SFAC project design team to explore possible project locations or approaches and coordinate the artist selection process.  The Civic Art Collection and Public Art Program Director provides simultaneous management of approximately 7-10 art projects at various stages of development and supervises the work of four Public Art Project Managers. 

Please note that incumbents in this classification may be required to perform duties as listed in the class specification. 

1. Meet with client agency and project design team to learn about the project and discuss possible project locations or approaches; attend community meetings to introduce the project to the community.  Accompany PAPMs for initial meetings with client agency or for critical meetings as necessary. Provide input on artwork opportunities and community component.

2. Management of public art projects from procurement to completion, utilizing government funding or on government property.

3. Present the project to the Visual Arts Committee and Arts Commission at critical project junctures for approvals; make presentations of artist’s work and/or proposal to other city and governmental agencies, community organizations and the general public.  Prepare and present project reports; develop program master plans. Review of agenda, and responding to Commissioners at VAC meetings.

4. Conduct the artist selection process, including establishing a pool of qualified panelists, writing and issuing Request for qualifications, developing and implementing an outreach plan to inform artists of the opportunity, researching and recruiting qualified artists, scheduling and conducting the artist selection panel in accordance with PAP protocols. Audit Selection panels conducted by junior staff.

5. Review with the PAP Director and Senior Registrar all artist proposals prior to public presentation for feasibility, safety, durability of materials, site appropriateness.  Review proposed budget to ensure that it is realistic and substantiated.

6. Draft and negotiate contracts with artists and other contractors; monitor contract compliance, ensuring that all contract requirements, deliverables and deadlines are met; approve and track payments.

7. Facilitate interaction between the artist and the client agency, project design team (architect, landscape architect, etc.) and the community.  Ensure the artist’s project is documented in all project design and construction documents; review all bid documents and specifications for full and correct documentation of the artwork into the construction documents and specifications; when necessary, consult with experts to ensure that artwork as designed fabricated and installed complies with building and fire codes and ADA requirements; is properly engineered, fabricated and installed by qualified licensed contractors.

8. Research as necessary materials, fabrication means, and other discipline experts as necessary to assist the artist in realizing his/her design intent, and to ensure that the work as designed, fabricated and installed meats all codes, is durable, and can be maintained within the Arts Commission’s resources.

9.Manage work of direct reports; assign projects, provide guidance, approve annual work plans, meet with direct reports bi-monthly for supervision.

10. Contribute to the efforts of the PAP Director, other program staff, and the commission to develop policies, procedures and guidelines as necessary. Assist in developing annual program budget and allocation of resources; assess staff and resource needs. Attend monthly racial equity meetings; Actively assist in identifying means for improving the program.

11. Anticipate and address possible problems or issues that may arise in course of the project to prevent future complications, and to use initiative, creativity and diplomacy to address and resolve any problems and conflicts that arise in the course of the project, either technical issues, or disagreements between the parties, problems with the interface between the project and the community or assessment of climate factors with outdoor art pieces.

12.The Civic Art Collection and Public Art Program Director, (0922 Manager I) may perform other duties as assigned/required.

Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university;AND

Five (5) years experience performing professional-level management and management of public art projects. Experience performing professional administrative duties in functional areas such as: program/office/operations management, budget development and/or administration, development and administration of procurement and/or grants, or other closely related functional areas with a desirable qualificationthat two (2) of those years include supervisory experience. Management class minimum qualifications

One year of full-time employment is equivalent to 2000 hours. (2000 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.

Desired Qualifications:  The stated desired qualifications may be considered at the end of the selection process when candidates are referred for hiring.

• Experience working in the visual arts/public arts such as arts administration, studio art, art history, or museum studies, or related fields such as design, architecture or landscape architecture
   
• Commitment to racial equity and supporting agency’s goals in racial equity

Please review our articles on Employment Application and Minimum Qualifications and Verification of Experience and/or Education for considerations taken when reviewing applications.

Important Note: Please make sure it is absolutely clear in your application exactly how you meet the minimum qualifications. Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. Please be aware that any misrepresentation of this information may disqualify you from this recruitment or future job opportunities. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed City and County of San Francisco application.

Throughout this process, you may recieve several emails that appear to be system-generated. This is a normal part of the process, and you should be sure to take the time to read each message carefully and respond.

Selection Procedures:
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.

Supplemental Questionnaire (SQ) Exam (Weight: 100%): Supplemental Questionnaire (SQ) is designed to measure the knowledge, skills, and abilities in supervisory competencies as well as job related areas which may include but not be limited to: Management and administrative techniques applicable to operations in
the public art and art installation, State and Federal regulations appropriate to unit, and management of a public art program budget greater than $2 million in annual expenditures.

The SQ will be emailed to the address listed on the candidate’s online application. Candidates will be required to respond to the SQ in the time frame indicated and must submit the completed questionnaire as directed in order to have it evaluated. Responses cannot be changed once submitted. Candidates will be evaluated based on their SQ responses. Candidates must achieve a passing score on the SQ in order to continue in the selection process and will be placed on the confidential eligible list in rank order according to their final score.

 Additional selection processes may be conducted by the hiring department prior to making final hiring decisions.

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

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 six (6) months and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director.

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 Workers
• Reasonable Accommodation
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement
• Veterans Preference
• Seniority Credit in Promotional Exams

Applicants will receive a confirmation email from notifications@careers.sf.gov 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. It is important to pay attention to any dates that are listed; we are not allowed to accept late applications.

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact Lauren Rowe at lauren.rowe@sfgov.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.