Principal Planner

Santee Cooper; Santee (CA); Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Santee is seeking a Principal Planner to lead the Planning Division under the Director of Planning and Building. The role includes directing professional planning activities, supervising staff, and guiding complex projects from land use reviews to budgeting and policy development.

The ideal candidate has a strong background in urban planning, 5+ years of relevant experience, and may hold an AICP certification.

Qualifications

• Five (5) years of increasingly responsible and recent professional experience in planning, redevelopment, housing, or public administration.
• Recent experience defined as within the last ten (10) years.

Responsibilities

• Plans, coordinates, and directs workload and operations in the Planning Division.
• Manages development and execution of new ordinances, Municipal Code changes and General Plan updates.
• Interfaces with developers, architects, engineers and others in long-range and current planning.
• Supervises review and management of planning projects including land use, processing, and budgets.
• Represents the City in community and at public/professional meetings, including City Council and outside agencies.
• Responds to difficult citizen complaints and requests.
• Selects, supervises, trains and evaluates assigned staff.
• Conducts complex studies on social, economic and physical development and zoning enforcement.
• Assists in preparing and managing the department budget; helps establish policies and standards.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Urban Planning, Public Administration, Community Development, Urban Design or related field

Master's degree in Planning, Public Administration or related field

AICP certification desirable

Job description

The Position

Under the general direction of the Director of Planning and Building, assists in the direction, coordination and administration of the activities of the Planning Division in the Planning and Building Department; provides technical direction and advice on professional planning operations; performs difficult and complex professional current and advanced planning work; provides supervision for professional, technical and clerical staff; and performs related duties as assigned.

Representative Duties

The following duties are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all of the listed duties and/or may be required to perform additional or different duties from those set forth below to address business needs and changing business practices.

• Plans, coordinates, and directs workload and operations;
• Manages the development and execution of new ordinances, Municipal Code changes and General Plan updates;
• Interfaces with developers, architects, engineers and others involved in both long-range and current planning;
• Supervises the review and management of planning projects, including, but not limited to, land use consistency, project processing and project budget;
• Represents the City in the community and at public and professional meetings, including City Council and outside agencies;
• Responds to difficult citizen complaints and requests;
• Selects, supervises, trains and evaluates assigned staff;
• Conducts complex, detailed studies relating to the social, economic and physical development of the community and in zoning enforcement;
• Assists in the preparation and management of the department budget;
• Assists in establishing department policies and standards; and
• Performs other duties as assigned.

For the complete job description, please go to the City of Santee's website at www.cityofsanteeca.gov

Hybrid/remote work will be available for up to a maximum of 2 days per week at the Department Director's discretion.

Minimum Qualifications

Any combination of education and experience which demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of this classification is qualifying. An example would be:

EDUCATION: A bachelor's degree in Urban Planning, Public Administration, Community Development, Urban Design or a closely related field, and

EXPERIENCE: Five (5) years of increasingly responsible and recent professional experience in planning, redevelopment, housing, or public administration.

A master's degree in Planning, Public Administration or related field and certification from the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) is desirable.

"Recent" experience is defined as relevant experience obtained within the last ten (10) years.

EVALUATION PROCESS

First review of applications may occur the week of September 7, 2026.

Candidates whose qualifications most closely meet the needs of the city will be invited to participate in the examination process for this position which may consist of any or all of the following components: Appraisal interview, a written exercise, or a practical skills assessment.

PANEL INTERVIEW

Tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, September 29, 2026.

SELECTION INTERVIEW

Tentatively scheduled for the week of October 5, 2026.

Special Requirements

The applicant selected will be subject to a criminal history investigation through the California Department of Justice (DOJ) and a thorough background check. A waiver for reference and background information must be completed.

City of Santee employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state law (California Government Code Section 3100-3109). Employment with the City requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect. Employees are required to complete all Disaster Service Worker related training as assigned, and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.

2025 Benefit Summary - General and Management.pdf

01 Do you have a bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. college or university in Urban Planning, Public Administration, Community Development, Urban Design or a related field? If yes, please specify what field. If no degree, please put "N/A".

02 Although not required, I have a (mark all that apply):

• Master's degree in Planning, Public Administration, or related field.
• Certification from the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP)
• None of the above

03 Do you have five (5) years of increasingly responsible and recent professional experience in planning, redevelopment, housing, or public administration? If yes, please state where you were employed, what your title was, and how many years you were there. If no experience, please put "N/A".

04 Please describe your experience planning, coordinating, and directing workload and operations in a planning department/division. If no experience, please put "N/A".

05 Please describe your experience managing the development and execution of new ordinances, Municipal Code changes and General Plan updates. If no experience, please put "N/A".

06 Please describe your experience interfacing with developers, architects, engineers, and others for both long-range and current planning projects. If no experience, please put "N/A".

07 Please describe your experience supervising the review and management of planning projects, including but not limited to, land use consistency, project processing and project budget. If no experience, please put "N/A".

08 Please describe your experience preparing reports and presenting projects to a City Council or elected group of officials. If no experience, please put "N/A".

09 I understand that the Principal Planner position is an at-will, senior management position.

• Yes
• No
• Required Question