Associate Planner

Job Characteristics

***OPEN & PROMOTIONAL JOB ANNOUNCEMENT***


ASSOCIATE PLANNER

***A 5% salary increase is scheduled for July 7, 2025***
The City of Concord is seeking to fill one Associate Planner vacancy in the Community Development Department.

What you will doing:

• Processing moderately complex residential and commercial current development projects and land use applications, and serving as the project manager.
• Developing, drafting, and implementing various policies and programs such as inclusionary housing, streamlining the development review process, implementing Senate Bill 9, Senate Bill 330, and other state laws, and cannabis.
• Responding to public inquiries in person at the Permit Center counter as well as responding to both phone and email inquiries.
• Reviewing, analyzing, and making a determination on the appropriate environmental review for various projects in conformance with the California Environmental Quality Act, as well as managing environmental consultants.
• Publicly presenting various projects to the Design Review Board, Planning Commission, City Council, and other boards for their consideration.
• Reviewing building permits, businesses licenses, and administrative planning permits for compliance with the Development Code.
• Conducting site inspections to determine compliance for laws, regulations, and conditions of approval.

The Community Development Department:
The City of Concord’s Community Development Department, or CDD, is home to several divisions, which work together to maintain and improve the quality of life for residents and visitors. From Planning and Housing to Building and Engineering, CDD focuses on enhancing the quality of life for Concord's residents and businesses.

The Planning Division provides the public with information about property regulations and is responsible for developing long-range planning policies and plans, evaluating development projects, implementing housing programs, and assisting with redevelopment of the former Concord Naval Weapons Station.

We are looking for someone who:

• Is a proactive and solutions-oriented professional, with an ability to break down complex planning concepts to the general public and decision makers.
• Possesses a collaborative, inclusive, and team-oriented approach to problem solving and thoughtful decision-making.
• Possesses robust local government experience in both current and long range planning with demonstrable knowledge.
• Has the ability to manage competing work priorities and meets deadlines.
• Possesses excellent communication skills, both orally and in writing, with a strong attention to detail.
• Has a high level of proficiency for conducting analysis and compiling data and research.
• Has proven experience providing high-quality customer serviceto both internal and external customers.
• Embraces, promotes, and is guided by the City’s Mission, Vision, and Values .

What we offer:
The City of Concord offers the opportunity to take part in a collaborative and exciting work experience, where you can grow in your career while working alongside the community to make Concord a city of the highest quality. The City is an employer that invests in its employees’ professional and personal development, values work-life balance, is dedicated to employee wellness and provides numerous benefit and retirement options, to include the following:

• Participation in CalPERS pension, tiered based on date of hire
• A variety of health care plans or a cash-in-lieu benefit of $200 monthly if waiving coverage
• City-paid dental insurance; employee-paid vision insurance (Change to City-paid if confidential)
• Vacation accruals starting at 10 days per year, 12 days sick leave per year, and 11 paid holidays per year
• Generous tuition reimbursement program
• 457 deferred compensation plan
• Flexible spending accounts (FSAs) for healthcare, dependent care and commuting costs
• Life and disability insurance
• A wellness program that offers annual health expos, health and nutrition education, as well as a variety of mental health resources
• Option for alternative work schedules (including 9/80 and up to 3 days of remote work per week), based on prior approval
  

*Salary is negotiable within the advertised range. Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice. Additional information can be found at www.cityofconcord.org .

SELECTION PROCESS
1. Submit a completed City of Concord application and the required supplemental question responses online at www.cityofconcord.org by 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, June 3, 2025. Only application materials submitted online during the filing period will be accepted.

2. All qualified applications and supplemental responses will be competitively evaluated, and those candidates demonstrating the strongest qualifications for the position will be invited to participate in a panel interview. If you are selected to participate in the panel interview and are unavailable, we regret that we will not be able to reschedule you.

3. Candidates that pass the panel interview will be placed on the hiring list, based on rank, for further consideration to fill the current regular vacancy, as well as others occurring over the next 12 months.

Conviction History:
If you receive a conditional job offer, you will be fingerprinted, and your fingerprints will be sent to the California Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The resulting report of your conviction history (if any) will be used to determine whether the nature of your conviction conflicts with the specific duties and responsibilities of the job for which you have received a conditional job offer. If a conflict exists, you will be asked to present any evidence of rehabilitation that may mitigate the conflict, except when federal or state regulations bar employment in specific circumstances. Having a conviction history does not automatically preclude you from a job with the City of Concord.

Helpful tips when applying:

• It is important to carefully read the complete job bulletin before submitting your application so you are aware of all requirements of both the position and the process.
• When preparing your application, consider reviewing the job announcement and classification specification so that you may emphasize work experience relevant to the position for which you are applying.
• Job duties should be an accurate reflection of the work you completed. Copying and pasting from your job description is not recommended as there may be duties listed that you did not perform.
• Answer all required supplemental questions completely and honestly. The information you put in the supplemental questionnaire must also be verified in your work history so if you say you have certain experience in the questionnaire, make sure we can see it listed in your job history as well so we know where you performed those functions and for how long.

Examples of duties include, but are not limited to

Serves as a project manager for moderately complex planning projects, particularly commercial and residential projects involving redevelopment of underutilized or development of vacant parcels; including performing technical reviews involving analyzing and evaluating site, architectural and landscape plans, preparing written project reports and analyses with appropriate recommendations.Coordinates and performs research and analyses pertaining to the General Plan, area plans, grant programs, related municipal ordinances and policy; prepares related reports and recommendations; and renders professional advice regarding planning issues.Writes and reviews Initial Studies; coordinates the preparation of environmental documents; recommends determinations of the environmental impact of projects; reviews environmental documents of other agencies.Coordinates and attends various meetings for the purpose of providing and receiving information regarding projects and proposals; as assigned, attends and represents the City's interests or policy position on issues including making presentations before such bodies as the Planning Commission and Design Review Board, and the boards, task forces, and legislative bodies of other governmental agencies.Conduct site inspections, including determining if projects are in compliance with laws, regulations, and ordinances; makes recommendations on changes.Provides information on city, regional, and state environmental, zoning, and subdivision requirements to consultants, developers, property owners, and the general public.Promotes the City's Mission to make Concord a city of the highest quality by providing responsive, cost-effective, and innovative government services; understands and subscribes to the Vision and Values Statement adopted by the City.
To view the full class specification for the position of Associate Planner, please visit www.governmentjobs.com/careers/concord/classspecs .

Qualifications

Knowledge and Abilities
Working knowledge of the objectives, principles, procedures, standards, practices, and trends in the field of city planning; of relevant land use, physical design, economic, environmental, and social concepts; of project management techniques; of supervisory theories and principles; of software applications used in planning, including advanced level GIS applications; of relevant mathematical concepts; of the application, modification, and interrelationships among ordinances, policies, standards, procedures, and practices; of federal, state, and local laws and regulations; of the terminology, symbols, methods, and techniques used in Planning; of common reference sources; of local government organization, and of the functions and practices of City and other governmental work units with which coordination is required.

Ability to perform varied and responsible assignments involving the use of initiative and judgment under periodic supervision; to collect, analyze, and prepare reports and recommendations pertaining to moderately complex issues; to interpret laws, policies, procedures, regulations, maps, specifications, site and building plans, graphs, and statistical data; to make and defend decisions; prepare visual displays, such as maps, graphs, and illustrations; to communicate effectively, orally and in writing; to understand and carry out oral and written instructions; and to establish and maintain cooperative and effective relationships with those encountered in the course of work.

Education/Experience
Education: A bachelor's degree in Urban Planning, Environmental Planning, or related field.

Experience: Three years of increasingly responsible professional planning experience involving general plan, zoning and development services or an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job as listed above.

Other

A California Driver's License and a satisfactory driving record are conditions of initial and continued employment.

EEO/ADA: The City of Concord is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant employer, committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants.

If you have a disability and require accommodations in the testing process, please contact Human Resources at 925-671-3308 or hrdept@cityofconcord.org prior to the final filing date.

The City of Concord takes pride in offering a generous benefits program that provides flexibility for the diverse and changing needs of our qualifying employees.

For a complete overview, click here .
Below is a brief listing of what the City offers:

• Dental & Vision Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Health Insurance
• Holidays
• Life Insurance
• Pre-tax Savings Benefits
• Retiree Medical (3 levels based on date of hire)
• Retirement Program
• Short-term Disability*and Long-term Disability
• Social Security/Medicare
• Vacation & Sick Leave

*Not available for sworn personnel.

Closing Date/Time: 6/3/2025 11:59 PM Pacific

• 

• City of Concord

• 925-671-3407

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