Planning Assistant 1

City of Coquitlam; Coquitlam; Hybrid; CAD 47,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Earned day off / flex day

Hybrid work options

Vacation and extended benefits

Municipal Pension Plan

Job summary

City of Coquitlam is seeking a Planning Assistant I to join the Development Services team. The role supports urban planning tasks, processes development applications and assists with map creation and data reporting.

The position is temporary full-time with hybrid work options, a focus on customer service, research, and planning support across multiple projects for a growing municipal planning office.

Qualifications

• Education in urban and regional planning.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and organizational skills.
• Experience in municipal planning office preferred.
• Knowledge of OCP and zoning bylaws.
• Customer service experience with the public.
• Analytical research and data analysis skills.
• Graphic design for urban planning; maps and infographics.

Responsibilities

• Provide customer service excellence for development and land use information.
• Receive and input Development Applications and Sign Permits.
• Research using paper, digital and microfilm records; prepare background documents.
• Prepare and maintain records, reports and statistics.
• Create zoning, context, location and other maps for Development Applications.
• Support other planning activities as needed.
• Perform other planning-related work.

Skills

Interpersonal communication

Customer service

Organizational skills

Analytical research

Graphic design for urban planning

Urban planning knowledge

Education

Urban and Regional Planning education

Tools

Microsoft Office

Adobe Acrobat

AMANDA

Bluebeam

ArcGIS

SketchUp

Job description

City of Coquitlam

Planning Assistant 1

Temporary Full Time

About Us One of BC’s Top Employers, the City of Coquitlam offers meaningful career opportunities to make a difference within the local community. As the sixth largest city in BC, we are home to more than 150,000 residents. Our diverse municipality is a great place to work as it continues to grow through innovative urban design, inspiring arts, culture and recreation programs, and state-of-the-art transportation systems. Our brand is built on managing our resources in a responsible and sustainable manner, while supporting a vibrant, growing regional urban centre. We envision a bright future in Coquitlam that we hope includes you!

About You / What We Are Looking For We are looking for highly organized, customer service oriented team players to join the Planning and Development Department’s Development Services division in the role of Planning Assistant I. The successful incumbent in this role will be working with our highly skilled Development Planning team to gain planning experience working on specific planning projects. In this moderately complex, technical and project based role, the work may include:

• Providing Customer service excellence in providing development and land use information to the public;
• Receiving and inputting Development Applications and Sign Permit applications
• Conducting research using paper files, digital records, and microfilm records and preparing background documents;
• Preparing and maintaining records, reports, and statistics related to their work;
• Creating Zoning, Context, Location and other maps for Development Applications;
• Providing support for other miscellaneous planning work for Planning staff;
• Performing other planning related work as required.

Minimum Qualifications Along with an education in Urban and Regional Planning, excellent interpersonal, communication and organizational skills and, preferably, some experience in a municipal planning office, the individual selected will possess proven knowledge of:

• The principles, practices, and objectives of urban planning;
• Policies, regulations, bylaws and legislation governing urban planning;
• Official Community Plan (OCP) and Zoning Bylaw policy interpretation and analysis;
• Customer service and interacting with the public;
• Analytical research and data analysis skills;
• Graphic design for urban planning, including documents, maps and infographics;
• Proficiency with multiple software programs, including Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, AMANDA, Bluebeam, ArcGIS, and SketchUp

What We Offer: This CUPE position has an hourly rate range $34.25 - $40.23 (2026 rates). The rate of pay is based on a variety of factors including qualifications, knowledge, experience and skills. You will have the chance to join a rapidly growing and diverse team dedicated to supporting the local community, and be able to engage in variety of learning and development opportunities. Additionally, there is an opportunity to participate in an earned day off/flex day program. This position is based in Coquitlam with some flexible, hybrid work options available. The City offers an attractive vacation and extended benefits package, including the ability to contribute to the Municipal Pension Plan.

Accessibility / Equal Opportunity Employer The City of Coquitlam is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer working towards enhancing equitable practices in our recruitment and retention processes. As an organization we are committed to creating an inclusive work environment to support our growing and diverse work force. To learn more about what equity, diversity, and inclusion means, and the City’s efforts in support of these principles, please visit coquitlam.ca/edi for more information. If at any time during the application or recruitment process you require additional assistance or an accommodation, please contact our team for confidential support. Staff can also provide in-person support if required. Applicants under consideration may be required to undergo a police information check (with no adverse reports).