Senior Investigator & Legal Analyst - SF Ethics Commission (TEX 1823)

• Application Opening: August 13, 2026
• Application Deadline: Applicants are encouraged to apply immediately as this recruitment may close at any time, but no earlier than Thursday, September 3, 2026.
• Compensation Range: $126,126 to $153,296

Appointment Type: This is a Temporary Exempt (TEX) Category 17 Appointment from Civil Service rules pursuant to San Francisco Charter Section 10.104-17. This position is excluded by the Charter from the competitive Civil Service examination process and shall serve at the discretion of the Appointing Officer. Duration of this Temporary Exempt Category 17 appointment is limited to two (2) years per CSC Rule 114, Article VI, Sec. 114.26.7.

ABOUT THE COMMISSION

The San Francisco Ethics Commission was created by the City’s voters with the passage of Proposition K in November 1993. Our mission is to practice and promote the highest standards of integrity in government. We achieve that by shaping and promoting compliance with the laws and by delivering impactful programs that promote fair, transparent, and accountable governmental decision making for the benefit of all San Franciscans. The Ethics Commission is responsible for the independent and impartial administration and enforcement of laws related to campaign finance, public financing of candidates, governmental ethics, conflicts of interest, and registration and reporting by lobbyists, campaign consultants, permit consultants, and major developers.

ABOUT THE TEAM

To fulfill the Ethics Commission’s oversight mandate as an independent administrative enforcement agency, the Enforcement Division is charged with ensuring fair, thorough, and timely investigations and case outcomes that serve as an effective deterrent and promote accountability in government. The Division has responsibility to identify, investigate, and pursue penalties for unlawful conduct within the scope of the Commission’s jurisdiction. The Division’s investigators are responsible for fully and objectively investigating and resolving potential violations of the law to ensure that those who violate the law are held publicly accountable for their actions.

The Commission is seeking a Senior Investigator & Legal Analyst with solid analytical, legal, and investigative skills, exceptional judgment, and a demonstrated commitment to accountable government to perform and resolve highly complex, sensitive, and detailed investigations. As a member of the Enforcement Division, the Senior Investigator & Legal Analyst will play a central role in developing the Commission’s capacity to identify, investigate, and resolve matters of significant complexity and heightened public harm, including by initiating new matters based on self-generated leads. In particular, the individual in this position will specialize in legal analysis and case resolution, including negotiating settlements with respondents, drafting probable cause reports and hearing briefs, and arguing cases at administrative hearings before the Ethics Commission.

This position reports to the Ethics Commission’s Director of Enforcement.

As with all positions at the Ethics Commission, the Senior Investigator & Legal Analyst must be willing to forego involvement in all local political activity while a member of the Commission staff and publicly file an annual Statement of Economic Interests (Form 700).

Important and Essential Duties

Essential duties of the position include but are not limited to the following:

• Conduct complex investigations of alleged violations of ethics, conflicts of interest, campaign finance, lobbying, whistleblower protection, and public disclosure laws.
• Develop legal strategy to evaluate allegations, evidence, applicable law, regulations, and policies and apply sound independent judgment to determine case resolution strategy, including identifying matters to be prosecuted before the five-member Commission.
• Communicate with the subjects of investigations and their representatives regarding case resolution options, based on a full assessment of the facts, law, and evidence, and negotiate and draft settlement agreements.
• In coordination with the Director of Enforcement develop, negotiate, and present written stipulated settlements for Commission consideration.
• Prepare probable cause reports, responses to rebuttals, pre-hearing briefs, witness lists and exhibits, motions, and other legal documents necessary to obtain a complete administrative record.
• Present cases before the Executive Director and the Ethics Commission through formal conferences and hearings as needed.
• Represent the Division before the five-member Commission at administrative hearings, including by offering objections, taking testimony, submitting written and oral evidence, and providing oral argument.
• Assist with the implementation of the revised Enforcement regulations including changing enforcement procedures, revising protocol documents, creating guidance materials, updating related information on the Commission’s website, providing training for Enforcement staff, and sharing information with other divisions.
• Identify potential violations of the law, both by evaluating complaints filed with the Commission and through proactive investigative work.
• Perform highly complex, sensitive, and detailed investigative and/or legal research pertaining to alleged violations of the law to support the effectiveness of the Ethics Commission’s mandate as an independent administrative enforcement agency.
• Identify and obtain a wide range of information and source documents to elicit factual information and evaluate compliance with laws within the Commission’s jurisdiction, including through investigative research, document requests, the exercise of subpoena power, and witness interviews.
• In coordination with the Director of Enforcement, assist in reviewing and proposing improvements to investigative and case resolution processes, including the Commission’s hearing process.
• Analyze and evaluate data and information to identify facts and develop evidence-based conclusions.
• Collaborate with other Division members to develop investigative strategies and case theories.
• Prepare and present investigative reports, including detailed exhibits to summarize complex data and other relevant information and document findings, and make recommendations to resolve investigative outcomes, including advising the Director of Enforcement and Executive Director regarding potential dismissals, warning letters, probable cause, and penalties.
• Perform administrative and management duties as assigned, including regular progress updates and assisting management in program reporting and resource planning.
• Act as an investigative, enforcement and/or legal resource as assigned for other units at the Commission to provide general enforcement context for policy development or other matters.
• Represent Enforcement Division or Ethics Commission with other city departments or external parties, including the Controller’s, City Attorney’s, and District Attorney’s Offices, as assigned.
• Promote knowledge sharing among staff members and assist in cross-training team members on policies, procedures, regulations, systems, operations, and processes related to programs administered.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff, senior management, representatives of other departments/agencies, officials, contractors, and the public to achieve organizational goals.
• Maintain confidentiality of sensitive and confidential information obtained through the course of completing assignments while working comfortably in an open government environment.
• Supervise and train interns, temporary staff, or other staff on project basis, as assigned.
• Perform other related duties as assigned, including periodic attendance and/or presentation at Commission meetings.

Minimum Qualifications

• Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university. 
• Three(3) years full-time equivalent experience performing professional-level analytical work. Qualifying professional-level analytical work includes analysis, development, administration, and reporting in major programs and functions of an organization in the areas of budgets, contracts, grants, policy, or other functional areas related to the duties of positions in the 182X Class series.

Substitution:

• Possession of a graduate degree (Master's degree or higher) from an accredited college or university with major coursework in specialized subject matter areas such as public or business administration, management, business law, contract law, public policy, urban studies, economics, statistical analysis, finance, accounting or other fields of study closely related to the essential functions of positions in the Class series may be substituted for one (1) year of required experience.
• Additional experience as described above may be substituted for the required degree on a year-for-year basis (up to a maximum of 2 years). Thirty (30) semester units or forty-five (45) quarter units equal one year.

Highly Desirable Qualifications

During the selection process the following desirable qualifications may be used to identify applicants selected to become a job finalist.

• Possession of a Law degree
• Prior professional experience planning and performing complex investigations, research, and analysis and developing well-supported findings and recommendations.
• Prior professional experience working on matters involving governmental ethics, campaign finance, lobbying or in related areas of government oversight.
• Prior professional experience working in an oversight, regulatory, administrative, or law enforcement agency.
• Demonstrated ability to plan and complete projects with high quality and on time, including effective use of organizational systems to regularly track and report on progress toward established goals and objectives.
• Experience working objectively, efficiently, and effectively under strict deadlines and in highly visible, highly sensitive or highly politicized settings.

How To Apply

To apply for this position, please complete the online application by Thursday, September 3, 2026 and attach a copy of your resume.

Applications will be screened for relevant qualifying experience and education. Additional mechanisms may be implemented in order to determine candidate’s qualifications. Only those applicants who most closely meet the needs of the Department will be invited to continue in the selection process. Applicants meeting the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement in the process. Applicants selected to advance to the interview process will be contacted by phone or email. Typically, interviews are conducted remotely.

The successful candidate should expect to perform their duties in a hybrid work environment with at least four days onsite per week per current City policy. Additionally, any City employee may be called in for Disaster Service Work duty or to work onsite with 24-hours’ notice.

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

If you have questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please send your inquiries to [email protected].

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.