Application Opening: January 30, 2026
Application & Supplemental Questionnaire Deadline: February 2, 2026 by 4:30 pm. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply immediately. May close at any time but not before February 2, 2026 by 4:30 pm.
Appointment Type: Temporary exempt, as-needed appointment. This position is seasonal and will not result in an eligible list for a permanent civil service position. Employees serve at the will of the Appointing Officer.
The San Francisco Recreation and Park department is happy to introduce the Youth Employment Program (Y.E.P!). This year, Y.E.P! will begin in May 2026 and run through the end of the summer programming. There may be limited opportunities to continue employment into the academic school year for students who both live and attend high school in San Francisco.
Y.E.P! invites teens to take an active role in strengthening communities while gaining hands-on experience in a fun, supportive, structured work environment. Designed as an entry point for personal and professional growth, Y.E.P! helps teens develop self-confidence, responsibility, and practical skills through meaningful work in our recreation centers and neighborhood parks. Participants learn what it means to contribute, collaborate, and lead, while developing good work habits and positive values that will carry beyond the program. Y.E.P! focuses on personal growth, skill-building, and community connection.
With schedules of up to 25 hours per week in the summer and 10 hours per week during the school year, participants balance school, work, and fun while exploring their potential. Y.E.P! staff, depending on their assignment, support recreation programs, facilities, and open spaces through a range of hands-on activities, including arts, sports, aquatics, gardening, cooking, facility operations, and more.
The Recreation & Park Department is hiring multiple positions in job class 9991 - Unrepresented Aide - Youth Employment Program (Y.E.P!). Assignments are in various neighborhood park and recreation center locations and include activities such as arts and crafts, sports, cooking, gardening, facility support and so much more. The basic work week schedule is Monday through Friday or Tuesday through Saturday and up to 25 hours weekly. Schedules will vary depending on the assignment and may include evenings and weekends. These positions are subject to budgetary constraints.
Eligible high school students can apply to one of four @types of Y.E.P! jobs that interest them. The job @types include:
Day Camp Support - Do you enjoy spending time with kids and bringing energy to fun activities? Join one of SFRPD's summer day camps. You'll support activities like sports, arts & crafts, cooking projects, field trips, and special events while supporting camp staff and creating a great experience for campers.
Recreation Facility Support - Interested in helping your community spaces run smoothly? Work at one of SFRPD's Recreation Centers. You'll support facility staff with event setup and breakdown, help monitor activities in the building, support visitors at the front desk, and keep public display areas neat and informative.
Park Stewardship Support - Love working outdoors and making a positive impact on your environment? Support our gardening teams to help keep parks clean, green, and beautiful. Tasks may include planting, watering, weeding, and supporting general park care throughout the city.
Aquatics Support - Interested in working around the pool environment? Support operations at one of SFRPD's swimming pools. Responsibilities include helping with set up and break down for programs, monitoring pool areas, providing friendly customer service at the front desk, and keeping public display boards updated and organized.
Must be a San Francisco resident or a San Francisco High School student, during the academic year 2026-2027 [*entering 9th, 10th, or 11th grade. Proof may be requested at any time.] AND
[*NOTE: 12th graders graduating in 2026 are ineligible for Y.E.P! and should apply for the 3264 Camp Assistant positions by clicking on the following link: https://us.smrtr.io/4whm4
Must be a minimum of 14 years old as of May 30, 2026. (Verification of age to be required) AND
Applicant must possess an original Social Security Card, valid picture identification, and documents that establish both identity and employment eligibility, such as a birth certificate, state issued proof of identity or proof of a legal right to work in the United States.
All applicants MUST commit to work at least up to 20 hours minimum & up to 25 hours maximum per week during the summer months and 10 hours per week if continuing beyond summer.
Successful candidates will be required to obtain a Work Permit. HOWEVER, students should NOT request a work permit until notified of a job offer.
For additional information please call Yuri Ugarte at (415) 452-3863 (cell), (415) 337-4710 (office) or email YEP@sfgov.org.
DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
Experience in leadership, volunteer work, participation in organized art or sport activities; ability to @type, word processing and/or computer graphics skills; bilingual skills, including American Sign Language (ASL); strong verbal communication skills; ability to write well; participation in a sport, art, or day camp and experience working in ethnically and socially diverse communities are desired. Of particular interest is direct experience in recreation/aquatics, gardening or office/clerical work.
HOW TO APPLY
In addition to applying online, interested applicants MUST also complete the Supplemental Questionnaire (SQ). Only the first three hundred (300) qualified applicants who submit BOTH an online application AND Supplemental Questionnaire by Monday, February 2, 2026, 4:30 pm will be considered for participation in the department's selection process.
Step 1 - Applicants are encouraged to apply immediately by clicking on the 'Apply Now' or I'm Interested' button and follow instructions as prompted. AND
Step 2 - Complete and submit the Supplemental Questionnaire by clicking on the following link: https://forms.gle/xkm41kcw51mSRK6P7
Note: Failure to complete all required steps above will result in an incomplete application packet. Late or incomplete application submissions will not be considered. Mailed, hand delivered or faxed applications will not be accepted.
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.
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. Applications completed improperly may be cause for ineligibility, disqualification or may lead to lower scores.
If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the analyst, Lilli Ann Bobila at 415-831-2731 or by email at lilliann.bobila@sfgov.org.
All completed applications will be reviewed in detail. Previous paid or volunteer experience with the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department does NOT guarantee employment.
Important Information:
Applications must be filled out by the job seeker. While it may seem helpful, parents, guardians, teachers or counselors may NOT prepare or submit the applications. The information provided on the application and supplemental application will be used to screen applicants and should come from and be prepared by the student directly to ensure accuracy.
Applicants should keep a copy of the email confirmation notice that verifies the application was submitted as well as copies of their application materials and any other documents submitted. The Recreation and Park Department is not responsible for unsubmitted or misdirected applications sent to the wrong recruitment or other city department. Without documented proof of timely submission, applications in question will not be considered.
Applicants are advised to maintain the email account that was used to register. To ensure that important information does not get directed into a 'Bulk Mail' or 'SPAM' folder, applicants are reminded to allow messages from the following City and County email extensions:@sfgov.org. The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department is not responsible for information that was sent to an invalid or closed email account.
Compensation: $19.18 / Hourly
Interview Workshop: Candidates invited for an interview can get tips and practice to help you feel confident for your Y.E.P! interview. No registration required.
DATES: February 25, 2026, 4:30 pm-6:30 pm, and
February 28, 2026, 11:00 am-1:00 pm
LOCATION: Minnie & Lovie Ward Recreation Center, 650 Capitol Avenue, SF, CA 94112
Questions? Contact Yuri Ugarte at (415) 452-3863 or email YEP@sfgov.org (workreation@sfgov.org)
Panel Oral Interviews: March 5, 2026 - March 7, 2026
Interview notices with date, time, and location will be sent via email in late February to qualified candidates. We are unable to schedule interviews outside of these dates. Plan accordingly as there will be no make-up dates available.
Selected applicants must attend all mandatory trainings, workshops, and new employee orientation.
Employment processing for selected applicants only: April 11, 2026
Mandatory Orientation: Saturday, May 30, 2026. Location - Minnie & Lovie Ward Rec Center 650 Capitol Ave SF, CA 94112 (Time to be determined)
Mandatory Y.E.P! Workshops: Saturday, May 30, 2026. Location - Minnie Lovie Ward Recreation Center 650 Capitol Avenue SF, CA 94112 (Time to be determined)
Amid a dynamic and ever-evolving urban landscape, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department (https://sfrecpark.org/384/EXPLORE-OUR-PARKS) stewards one of the premier urban park systems in America. In 2017, San Francisco became the first city in the nation where all residents have access to a park within a 10-minute walk, a direct result of the Department's commitment to increasing and improving parkland in the city Learn More (https://sfrecpark.org/419/Who-We-Are) . Considered by San Franciscans to be one of the City's most popular and effective public agencies, our Department currently manages more than 230 parks, playgrounds and open spaces throughout San Francisco, including two outside city limits-Sharp Park in Pacifica and Camp Mather in the High Sierras. The system includes full-complex recreation centers, swimming pools, golf courses, sports fields and numerous small-to-medium-sized clubhouses that offer a variety of sports- and arts-related recreation programs for people of all ages. Included in the Department's responsibilities are Golden Gate Park, Coit Tower, the Marina Yacht Harbor, the San Francisco Zoo and Lake Merced.
More than 2,000 talented individuals are part of our team, from gardeners, foresters, and recreation leaders to park rangers, custodians, electricians, painters and more. Our core mission, as it has been throughout our history, is to provide opportunities for San Francisco residents and visitors alike to gather, play, learn, relax, and enjoy nature in the city.
Race and Social Equity Statement
We believe that parks and open space in San Francisco provides the opportunity to model equitable access for all. With this belief, San Francisco became the first city in the United States for which 100% of its residents live within a ten-minute walk of a park. The Recreation and Park Department's goal is to close the gaps and improve equity and access to quality parks and open space, and recreation activities for historically marginalized communities.
We envision a department that proactively infuses racial and social equity in its internal operations. With a multi-disciplinary team of talented individuals - gardeners, recreation leaders, park rangers, custodians, craft shop personnel, park and recreation managers and more, the department is committed to doing its part to provide equitable access to parks and programs for all the communities we serve to enjoy, as well as foster a work environment where our differences are celebrated, and everyone has what they need to thrive regardless of their race, age, ability, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or country of origin.
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.
