Assistant Planner

City of Sacramento; Sacramento (CA); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Sacramento, Planning Division, seeks an Assistant Planner to review development applications and support public hearings within the Central Area, including River District, Railyards, Downtown, and Midtown. The role involves responding to public inquiries, coordinating pre-application discussions, and assisting with policy development and environmental compliance.

The Assistant/Associate Planner duties cover data analysis, report preparation, and cross-department coordination.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree or equivalent in urban planning or related field.
• Experience: One year of professional planning.
• Substitution: Master’s degree or additional experience may substitute for the required education.

Responsibilities

• Review and analyze proposed minor development projects for conformance with adopted City plans and standards.
• Review tentative subdivision and parcels maps, and recommend revisions to meet city requirements.
• Evaluate environmental effects of proposed projects and prepare environmental documents.
• Conduct onsite investigations of proposed development projects or community areas.
• Provide information to the public on City planning requirements and procedures.
• Prepare and present data in written, graphic, or oral form for officials and community groups.
• Coordinate activities with other City departments and outside agencies.
• Participate in special projects and perform related duties as assigned.
• Negotiate, prepare and manage consultant contracts.

Skills

Urban planning

Public policy

GIS

Communication

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Urban Planning

Master's degree substitution allowed

Tools

GIS

Spreadsheets

Databases

Word processors

Job description

With supervisor approval, incumbents may be eligible for intermittent remote work; however, they must physically reside within the Sacramento region or have the ability to regularly report to a City of Sacramento physical worksite with little notice.

The Planning Division of the Community Development Department is seeking an Assistant Planner to join the Current Planning Section. This position is part of a team focused on the Central Area; a region that includes the River District, the Railyards, Downtown, Midtown, East Sacramento, and Campus Commons. This position primarily manages the review of development applications that require a public hearing. Secondary functions include assisting with general inquiries received from the public and facilitating pre‑application discussions with developers. This recruitment is being conducted to fill one vacancy.

IDEAL CANDIDATE STATEMENT

• Technical Skill: Demonstrates knowledge of principles and practices of planning within an urban setting, including architectural and site design review, historic preservation, the California Environmental Quality Act, and/or the Subdivision Map Act.
• Collaboration & Conflict Resolution: Establishes rapport and maintains mutually productive relationships with internal and external customers, and pursues solutions centered on shared goals.
• Professionalism & Adaptability: Demonstrates ability to create an action plan using available information and resources, manage multiple tasks based on established priorities, and maintain effectiveness when experiencing changes in processes and regulations.

ASSISTANT PLANNER / ASSOCIATE PLANNER

To perform professional, technical, statistical and analytical duties involving land use or other planning studies for a variety of public or private development projects. The scope of assignments includes project management work, land use studies, policy development recommendation, revision or implementation, and preparation of a variety of documents for compliance with state or federal environmental laws.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

Assistant Planner

The class of Assistant Planner is distinguished from Associate Planner by performing less complex to moderately difficult project management work. Incumbents in this class may work independently on assignments but generally do not have the responsibility for team leadership. Positions are flexibly staffed and are normally filled by advancement from the Junior Planner class.

Associate Planner

The class of Associate Planner is distinguished from that of Assistant Planner by the greater complexity of assignments received, and the advanced planning project management work. Associate Planners manage projects with greater independence and limited supervision and lead project teams made up of individuals from various technical disciplines. Positions are flexibly staffed and are normally filled from the Assistant Planner class.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

General direction is provided by a manager who is usually a Senior Planner. Associate Planners may provide direct or indirect supervision and training of other subordinate technicians, planners, or interns. The Assistant Planner usually does not perform direct or indirect supervision of staff.

ASSISTANT PLANNER RESPONSIBILITIES

• Review and analyze proposed minor development projects for conformance with adopted City plans, design/architectural guidelines and standards, applicable codes and ordinances and other regulations, and prepares recommendations on approval of such projects.
• Review proposed tentative subdivision and parcels maps, and recommend necessary revisions to meet City requirements.
• Evaluate the environmental effects of proposed projects and prepare, or supervise the preparation of environmental documents.
• Conduct onsite investigations of proposed development projects or community areas.
• Provide information to the public on City of Sacramento requirements related to City planning, policies, and procedures.
• Prepare and present data in the form of written, graphic, or oral reports for use by elected and appointed officials, special committees, or community organizations involved in planning matters.
• Assist in the coordination of departmental activities with other City departments and divisions, and with outside agencies.
• Participate in special projects and perform related duties as assigned.
• Negotiate, prepare and manage consultant contracts.
• Facilitate discussion groups to aid in building consensus, and resolve conflicts on projects and policy matters, under supervision of a Planning Manager.
• Other related duties may also be performed; not all duties listed may necessarily be performed by each individual holding this classification.

ASSOCIATE PLANNER RESPONSIBILITIES

• Compile and analyze data and make recommendations on complex planning matters, involving issues related to land use, traffic, parking, aesthetics, environment, landscaping, energy and preservation.
• Review and analyze proposed major development projects for conformance with adopted City plans, City design/architectural guidelines and standards, applicable codes and ordinances and other regulations; prepare recommendations on approval of such projects.
• Review criteria for various Federal and State grants and prepare necessary reports.
• Develop work programs, budgets, scope of work, and time estimates.
• Program, coordinate, and oversee the work of other planners and individuals from other disciplines and sectors as their work relates to completion of a project.
• Supervise and train staff as assigned, and provide technical advice to subordinate staff.
• Prepare, analyze, and interpret recommendations of new revisions and existing City regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Assist in the development and implementation of goals, objectives, policies and priorities.
• Confer with, and conduct meetings with elected and appointed officials, other City departments, members of the public, neighborhood organizations and developers to explain policies, procedures, proposed development, proposed regulations and policies, and code enforcement.
• Represent the City in community and official meetings with other City departments, organizations and professional groups on planning matters.
• Facilitate discussion groups to aid in building consensus, and resolve conflicts on projects and policy matters.
• Other related duties may also be performed; not all duties listed are necessarily performed by each individual.

ASSISTANT PLANNER KNOWLEDGE

• Principles and practices of local urban planning, environmental planning, economics, public administration and/or other related disciplines as applied to urban planning.
• Research techniques, sources and availability of information, methods of report presentation, and basic project management skills.
• State and federal planning and environmental laws.
• Computer applications such as GIS, spreadsheets, databases, word processors.

ASSISTANT PLANNER ABILITY

• Prepare required maps and other graphic material; evaluate statistical data and present facts and conclusions clearly in written and oral form.
• Conduct meetings with other public agencies or citizens groups.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with the general public.
• Read and understand architectural plans.
• Understand and apply the adopted City plans, code, ordinances, and other materials in evaluating specific projects or plan elements.
• Work with interested parties to resolve issues related to planning and policy projects.
• Build consensus among diverse groups.
• Learn new computer software programs.

EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE

Education: Equivalent to a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in urban planning or a closely related field.

Experience: One year of professional planning. A Master's degree in Urban Planning or a closely related field may substitute for the required experience.

Substitution: Additional years of professional planning experience beyond the minimum may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis.

PROOF OF EDUCATION

Should education be used to qualify for this position, then proof of education such as, but not limited to, university/college transcripts and degrees should be submitted with your application and will be required at the time of appointment. Unofficial documents and/or copies are acceptable.

An applicant with a college degree obtained outside the United States must have education records evaluated by a credentials evaluation service. Evaluation of education records will be due at time of appointment.

PROBATIONARY PERIOD:

Employees must complete twelve (12) months of probation at a satisfactory performance level prior to gaining permanent status.

ASSOCIATE PLANNER KNOWLEDGE (Additional)

• Regulations and procedures affecting local planning agencies.
• Specific comprehensive knowledge of one or more activity areas utilized in urban planning, and advanced project management skills.

ASSOCIATE PLANNER ABILITY (Additional)

• Program and manage projects and lead project teams; motivate individuals assigned to a project team.
• Present written and oral reports, representing Department positions to elected and appointed officials, special committees, or community organizations.
• Identify and define issues, and solve problems.
• Build consensus among diverse groups.
• Manage multiple projects at one time.

EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE (Associate Planner)

Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities would be qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Education: Equivalent to a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in urban planning or a closely related field.

Experience: Two years of professional planning experience performing duties comparable to those of an Assistant Planner in the City of Sacramento,
- OR -
One year of experience performing duties comparable to those of an Assistant Planner in the City of Sacramento AND a Master’s degree in Urban Planning or a closely related field.

Substitution: Additional years of professional planning experience beyond the minimum may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis.