Planner IV

Position: Planner IV - Planning, Building, and Code Enforcement Department (2301177)

About the Department

This City’s Planning Division provides oversight and assistance towards the City's growth and development in relation to regulations related to land use, zoning ordinances, development standards, neighborhood plans, and environmental impacts. The City wide Planning Team is the section of the Planning Division that maintains the Envision San Jose 2040 General Plan and is responsible for all long-range planning functions of the department. The Citywide Planning Teams is also responsible for the updating of the City’s ordinances and policies relating to land use and urban planning, including the subdivision ordinance, zoning ordinance, and sign ordinance.

Position & Duties

Per the City’s COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination Policy, the City requires all new hires to provide proof of vaccination as a condition of employment absent an approved medical or religious exemption. “Fully vaccinated” means the employee has received two doses of Pfizer, Moderna or Novavax or a single dose of Johnson & Johnson.

Please note that applications are currently not accepted through CalOpps or any other third-party job board application system. To apply, applicants must complete an application via the City of San Jose’s website at www.sanjoseca.gov/citycareers.

The Division is seeking applicants for a Planner IV classification within the Citywide Planning Team. This is a full-time position and is responsible for the supervision and mentorship of a team of Planners (Planner I/II/III) conducting policy work related to implementation of the City’s adopted Housing Element, as well as, leading or managing complex special projects and programs related to housing. Planner IVs also provide valuable feedback to the development community and project design teams by leading preliminary review meetings and by participating in the review of projects submitted to the Planning department for entitlement.

The Planning Division is divided into the following four sections:

• Permit Center: Plan check conformance, review for development projects, front counter/public information, and zoning compliance
• Development Review: Entitlement of zonings and development permits, historic preservation, and community engagement
• Environmental Review: Review of environmental clearances, CEQA compliance review of development projects
• Citywide Planning: Long range planning, General Plan updates and amendments, zoning and sign code amendments, preparation of Urban Village/area plans, station area planning, housing policy, data analysis/GIS, grant management, and community engagement

What We Do

The Department’s Planning Division ensures compliance with the all the above-mentioned obligations by annually reviewing, analyzing, conducting, researching, processing, and issuance of:

• 4,000 compliance review for building permits
• Over 150 commercial, industrial, and residential development permits
• Over 500 of environmental clearance review s for public and private projects
• Over 50 zoning changes
• Multiple General Plan Amendments, specific plans, and policies.
• Over 50 community meetings and workshops

The Citywide Planning Team is seeking a Planner IV to lead its Housing Element and Housing Policy Team that is composed of a team two Planners (Planner I/II/III) and reports to a Principal Planner. The Housing Element and Housing

Policy Team is responsible for implementing and monitoring the programs and policies identified in the City’s recently updated Housing Element.

Th is position and team are also responsible for regular reporting and monitoring related to the City’s progress in implementing its Housing Element and progress toward its housing goals. The team will also be responsible for other special projects related to housing, and also responding to inquiries from housing developers and the public. The duties will require close collaboration with other City departments, and creative analytical thinking to formulate and administer City policies and programs to facilitate new housing.

Examples of Duties and Responsibilities

• Supervises subordinate planning staff, including: prioritizing and assigning work, training, editing documents prepared by subordinate staff, and general review of work performed by the team under supervision, conducting performance evaluations, making hiring, termination and disciplinary recommendations.
• Supervises a team of planners in one or more of the following projects:
• Managing studies relating to formulating land use policies and General Plan designations
• Developing special plans and planning policies
• Developing housing elements, plans and programs
• Gathering and analyzing socioeconomic and demographic data
• Mentor staff to prepare them for future promotional opportunities.
• Coordinates with other City departments and other planning agencies on matters relating to assigned planning programs.
• Meets with applicants, community members, or other interested parties to problem-solve on issues associated with long- range plans and policies, and land use regulations.
• Prepares complex technical reports, responses, and position statements with respect to planning ordinances, regulations, and policies.
• Represents the City and Planning Division at meetings and conferences and consults with citizens, property owners, developers, and professional consultants on various planning and land use issues.
• Makes presentations before the City Council, Planning Commission, Historic Landmarks Commission, neighborhood and community groups, and/ or other agencies.

Qualifications 

The salary range for Planner IV is approximately $125,645.52- $153,011.04 annually. This amount includes an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable pay. Actual salary shall be determined by the final candidates’ qualifications and experience.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in urban or regional planning, urban studies, architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, urban geography, environmental studies or a closely related field Experience: Five (5) years of professional planning experience that includes three (3) years of journey-level experience. Acceptable Substitution:

Master’s Degree or sixty (60) semester units of graduate course work from an accredited college or university in urban or regional planning, urban design, urban studies, architecture, landscape architecture, urban geography, or environmental studies or a closely related field can substitute for two (2) years of planning work experience at the City of San Jose's Planner II/ III level or equivalent.

Licensing

Possession of a valid California driver's license may be required. American Institute of Certified Planners certification is desirable.

Employment Eligibility: Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in this country. Please be informed that the City of San Jose will NOT sponsor, represent or sign any documents related to visa applications/transfers for H1-B or any other type of visa which requires an employer application.

Selection Process

The selection process will consist of an evaluation of the applicant's training and experience based on the application and responses to the Job Specific Questions. Only the candidates whose backgrounds best match the position will be invited to proceed in the selection process. Additional phases of the selection process will consist of one or more interviews.

You will be prompted to answer the following job-specific questions during the online application process:

1. Please describe your knowledge and experience in urban planning, c city ordinances, and/or housing policy including your years of experience.

2. Please describe what values are most important to demonstrate as a team leader and why.

3. Describe your experience managing multiple complex projects in detail, including an example of a time where you were responsible for multiple projects, explain how you handled the situation, what tools you used, and the outcome(s).

Please note that there is a 4,000-character limit, including spaces, for each text response. You will be evaluated on the quality of your response and your written communication skills.

You must answer all job-specific questions in order to be considered for this vacancy or your application will be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration.

If you have questions about the duties of these positions, the selection or hiring processes, please contact Chris Caruthers at [email protected].

Please note that applications are currently not accepted through CalOpps or any other third-party job board application system. To apply, applicants must complete an application via the City of San Jose’s website at www.sanjoseca.gov/citycareers.

The application deadline is August 28th, 2023 at 11:59 PM. Please allow adequate time to complete the application and submit before the deadline or the system may not save your application. If your online application was successfully submitted, you will receive an automatic confirmation email to the email address you provided. IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE THE CONFIRMATION, please email [email protected] and we will research the status of your application. Please contact Human Resources at (408) 535-1285, or [email protected] if you have any questions.

Additional Information 

-Link to Benefits page

-Link to Department website

-California Equal Pay Act: http://www.sjcity.net/DocumentCenter/View/18980