Senior Planner

The Position

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There is an additional 3.35% Management Differential which is added to the posted salary for this class.

This is a limited continuous filing exam. Next filing cut-offs are at 5:00 pm on:
6/20/24, 7/3/24, 7/17/24, 7/31/24 (Final)
Under general direction, the Senior Planner directs, manages, supervises and/or coordinates the activities and operations of professional and technical staff engaged in planning and environmental review and assessment services that involves the administration and development of community and general plans, zoning regulations and environmental documents; coordinates assigned activities with other divisions, departments, outside agencies, and the general public.

Examples of Knowledge and Abilities

Knowledge of

• Principles and practices of supervision, discipline, leadership, mentoring, and training
• Applicable federal, state, and local laws, codes, ordinances, regulations, policies, and procedures related to urban planning, environmental regulations, and community development
• Principles and practices of governmental planning in urban and urbanizing areas
• Trends and statistics affecting community and environmental planning
• The State Planning, Zoning and Land Use laws, Subdivision Map Act, California Environmental Quality Act, National Environmental Policy Act, and pertinent County ordinances such as the Zoning Code
• General provisions of State and Federal regulatory requirements pertaining to the environment, including but not limited to the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act, State and Federal Endangered Species Acts, the State and Federal Clean Water Acts, and State and Federal Clean Air Acts
• Principles of contract and grant administration and monitoring
• Principles and techniques of preparing and monitoring program-level budgets
• Office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and applicable software applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and other specialized applications related to area of assignment
• English usage, spelling, grammar, and punctuation

Ability to

• Select, supervise, train, and evaluate professional and/or technical staff
• Plan, coordinate, assign, and review the work of subordinate staff
• Investigate and resolve disciplinary issues
• Manage contracts and review the work of consultants
• Work independently, prioritize work, coordinate activities and meet critical deadlines
• Develop, monitor and interpret budgets, grant applications, and other financial documents
• Plan, manage, and complete complex work assignments
• Supervise the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data pertaining to planning and zoning situations
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both verbally and in writing
• Conduct meetings and lead the discussion
• Develop and maintain cooperative, effective working relationships with subordinates and the public
• Interpret and apply applicable federal, state, and local laws, codes, regulations, policies and procedures
• Apply customer service skills, including the identification of customer needs and follow up to ensure customer commitments have been met
• Influence and persuade others to accept a particular viewpoint or follow a particular course of action
• Interpret and summarize a variety of data and information
• Exercise discretion and maintain confidentiality of information
• Use current technologies, tools, and equipment to achieve program goals

Employment Qualifications

Minimum Qualification:

Either: 1. One year of full-time paid experience employed by the County of Sacramento in the class of Associate Planner.

Or: 2a. Two years of full-time paid professional experience in environmental, urban and/or regional planning which must have included performing analytical duties in one of the following kinds of planning activities associated with a planning agency: comprehensive, regional, area, or community planning; public infrastructure environmental analysis; plan/proposal review; general plan amendments; CEQA/NEPA document preparation; zoning; land division; housing administration; information services; urban renewal; or planning administration; of which one year must have been in a supervisory capacity;

And

2b. A Bachelor's Degree or higher from an accredited college or university in public administration, ecological studies, environmental planning and management, environmental studies, geography, natural resources, urban or regional planning or other field closely related to the intent of the class.

Or: 3. Six years of full-time paid professional experience in environmental, urban and/or regional planning which must have included performing analytical duties in one of the following kinds of planning activities associated with a planning agency: comprehensive, regional, area, or community planning; public infrastructure environmental analysis; plan/proposal review; general plan amendments; CEQA/NEPA document preparation; zoning; land division; housing administration; information services; urban renewal; or planning administration; of which one year must have been in a supervisory capacity.

Note: Related fields above may include archaeology, anthropology, architectural history, biology, botany, business administration, climatology, economics, engineering, geology, historic preservation, hydrology, political science, range management, recreation administration (outdoor resource management), watershed management, and wildlife management.

Note: If the word "experience" is referenced in the minimum qualifications, it means full-time paid experience unless the minimum qualification states that volunteer experience is acceptable. Part-time paid experience may be accumulated and pro-rated to meet the total experience requirements.

Note: If the minimum qualifications include an educational or certificate/license requirement, applicants must submit proof of requirements with the application. Failure to submit proof of requirements may result in disqualification from the examination. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. For guidelines on submitting acceptable proof of educational requirements, please click here (Download PDF reader) or speak to someone in our office before the cut-off date listed in this notice.

General Qualifications

Criminal History and Background Checks: The County may access criminal history information on candidates who have accepted a conditional offer of appointment for this class consistent with the provisions of Board of Supervisors Resolution No. 82-602, Personnel Policies, and applicable federal and state laws. The County shall not consider for employment any candidate who has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor that relates to or impacts the candidate's ability to perform the job duties of this class unless it is determined that mitigating circumstances exist. For purposes of accessing criminal history information, the candidate will be fingerprinted. A subsequent arrest notification may be obtained.

The County may also conduct a background check on the candidate prior to appointment to a position within this class. The background check may include personal and professional reference checks, credit history checks where authorized by Labor Code section 1024.5, Social Security Number verification, professional license/registration verification, military service information and driving history. Information obtained in the course of this background check will be considered by the appointing authority in the selection process. In obtaining such information, the County will comply with applicable consent and disclosure practices in the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the California Investigative Consumer Reporting Agencies Act.

License Requirement: A valid California Driver License, Class C or higher, is required at the time of appointment. Failure to obtain or maintain the appropriate California Driver License may constitute cause for personnel action in accordance with Civil Service Rules or applicable bargaining agreement. Individuals who do not meet this requirement due to disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Physical Requirements: While most work will be in an office setting, incumbents will occasionally visit sites of proposed development, construction sites, etc. and be required to:

• Walk and stand for long periods of time.

Individuals who do not meet these requirements due to disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Working Conditions: While most work will be in an office setting, incumbents will occasionally visit sites of proposed development, construction sites, etc. and be required to:

• Work on rough, uneven terrain.
• Work in loud or noisy areas.
• Work outside in all types of climatic conditions including inclement, very hot and/or cold weather.
• Work around dirt, dust, fumes, and/or odors.
• Work around machinery and equipment with moving parts.
• Work near vehicular traffic.
• Work in potentially hazardous areas.

Probationary Period

The probationary period for this classification is six (6) months.