Associate/Senior Planner

Job Characteristics

***OPEN & PROMOTIONAL JOB OPPORTUNITY***

Associate/Senior Planner

The City of Concord's Community Development Department is currently seeking to fill one full-time Associate/Senior Planner vacancy. This position may be filled at either the Associate Planner or the Senior Planner level based on experience.

Associate Planner: $8,494 - $10,325 monthly, requiring 3 years of experience
Senior Planner: $9,506 - $11,554 monthly, requiring 5 years of experience

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

The Planning Division implements and administers the policy direction of the City Council and addresses the community's needs regarding its built environment, development and growth. To this end, the Planning Division provides the public with information about development and use regulations, develops long-range planning policies and plans, evaluates development projects, implements housing programs, and assists with the Concord Reuse Project to develop the former Concord Naval Weapons Station.

Potential duties:

• Processing development and land use applications of moderate to high complexity, serving as the project manager, and coordinating with applicants, consultants, and other City staff to provide an efficient, responsive, and technically sound review process.
• Updating the City's development code to implement the City's Housing Element objectives, new state housing laws, federal wireless facility regulations, and other City Council priorities.
• Responding to public inquiries regarding land use and development issues, in person and via phone and email.
• Serving as the liaison to the Design Review Board by preparing agendas, reviewing staff reports, and supporting the Board in its discussions.
• Reviewing projects and preparing analysis regarding conformance with the California Environmental Quality Act, including managing environmental review consultants.
• Presenting various projects to, and responding to questions from, the Zoning Administrator, Design Review Board, Planning Commission, City Council, and other review bodies 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.

We are looking for someone who:

• Is a proactive and solutions-oriented project manager, who can foresee potential issues and work through obstacles with a high degree of independence.
• Is a skilled verbal and written communicator, with an ability to explain complex planning concepts to the general public and decision makers.
• Embraces a collaborative, inclusive, and team-oriented approach to problem solving and decision-making.
• Has local government experience and demonstrable knowledge in both current and long range planning.
• Can manage competing work priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced, customer-focused environment.
• Has a high level of proficiency for conducting detailed analysis and compiling data and research.
• Possesses extensive high-level customer service experience to 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 Monday, July 13, 2026. Only application materials submitted online will be accepted. Please attach a copy of your resume when you apply. You must complete the job application in its entirety in addition to the resume submission in order to be considered.

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

3. Successful candidates 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 complex planning projects including analyzing and evaluating site and architectural plans, performing technical review for routine project plans and applications, and making 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 impact reports; recommends determinations of the environmental impact of projects; reviews environmental documents of other agencies.Provides lead direction to Assistant and Associate Planners on assigned projects; coordinates and reviews the preparation of various reports, correspondence, tabulations, and summaries; provides input regarding the quality of performance to supervisors. (Senior Planner only)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 authoritative bodies such as the Planning Commission, Design Review Board, City Council, 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.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 positions of Associate Planner and Senior 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 minimum supervision; to provide lead direction and coordinate the work of other professionals; to monitor and evaluate professional staff; to perform and coordinate activities, such as the collection, analysis, and preparation of reports and recommendations pertaining to 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.

Associate Planner Minimum Qualifications

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.

Senior Planner Minimum Qualifications

Education: A Bachelor's Degree in Urban Planning, Environmental Planning, or related field.

Experience: Five years of increasingly responsible professional planning experience involving general plan, zoning and development services, which includes at least three years of project management and two years of lead or supervisory experience.

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: 7/13/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

City of Concord

925-671-3407 Show more