Planner IV - Planning, Building and Code Enforcement Department

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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 Citywide 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.

The Division is seeking applicants for the Planner IV classification within the Citywide Planning Team. These positions are 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 IV’s 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 reviews for public and private projects
• Over 50 zoning changes
• Multiple General Plan Amendments, specific plans, and policies.
• Over 50 community meetings and workshops

Position Duties

Salary Range for the Planner IV classification is:
$144,777.36 - $176,314.32 Annually
This salary range(s) includes an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable compensation. Actual salary shall be determined by the final candidates’ qualifications and experience.

The Planning Division is seeking to fill two Planner IV Full-Time positions: one on the Housing Element and Housing Policy Team and one on the Permit Center Team.

The Division is seeking applicants for one Planner IV on its permit center team. This position that is responsible for directly supervising a team of planning professionals who process an annual average of 1,300 administrative Planning permits and zoning verification applications, review about 3,800 building permits for zoning compliance, and provide public information services. This Planner IV oversees day-to-day team operations, manages staff workloads, provides staff development and training, facilitates process improvements, and coordinates across Planning Division teams and with interdepartmental partners.

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.

This 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.

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.

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 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 Requirements (such as driver’s license, certifications, etc.)
Possession of a valid driver's license may be required. AICP certification is desirable.

Form 700
This position requires a disclosure of outside investments, real property interest, income, and business positions. You must complete and file an “Assuming Office Form 700” with the City Clerk’s Office within the first 30 days of employment with the office.

Other Qualifications

The ideal candidate will possess the following competencies, as demonstrated in past and current employment history.

Job Expertise - Demonstrates knowledge of and experience with applicable professional/technical principles and practices, Citywide and departmental procedures/policies and federal and state rules and regulations.

Leadership - Leads by example; demonstrates high ethical standards; remains visible and approachable and interacts with others on a regular basis; promotes a cooperative work environment, allowing others to learn from mistakes; provides motivational support and direction.

Teamwork & Interpersonal Skills - Develop effective relationships with co-workers and supervisors by helping others accomplish tasks and using collaboration and conflict resolution skills.

Creativity - Addresses objectives and problems while questioning traditional assumptions/solutions in order to generate creative ideas and new ways of doing business; exhibits creativity and innovation when contributing to organizational and individual objectives; seeks out opportunities to improve, streamline, reinvent work processes.

Multi-Tasking - Can handle multiple projects and responsibilities simultaneously; has handled a wide variety of assignments in past and/or current position(s).

Political Skill - In taking action, demonstrates an understanding and consideration of how it will impact stakeholders and affected areas in the organization.

Problem Solving - Approaches a situation or problem by defining the problem or issue; determines the significance of problem; collects information; uses logic and intuition to arrive at decisions or solutions to problems that achieve the desired outcome.

Project Management - Ensure support for projects and implement agency goals and strategic objectives.

Supervision - Sets effective long and short-term goals based on a good understanding of management practices; establishes realistic priorities within available resources; provides motivational support; empowers others; assigns decision-making and work functions to others in an appropriate manner to maximize organizational and individual effectiveness.

Communication Skills - Communicates and listens effectively and responds in an timely, effective, positive and respectful manner; written reports and correspondence are accurate, complete, well- organized, legible, concise, and in proper grammatical form; responds to statements and comments of others in a way that reflects understanding of the content and the accompanying emotion; asks clarifying questions to assure understanding of what the speaker intended, ensures consistent communication takes place within area of responsibility.

Selection Process:

The selection process will consist of an evaluation of the applicant's training and experience based on the application and responses to all the job specific questions.Only those 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.

If you have questions about the duties of these positions, the selection or hiring processes, please contact Jennifer Macias at Jennifer.Macias1@sanjoseca.gov.

Additional Information:

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.

You must answer all job-specific questions to be considered for this vacancy or your application will be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Applicants are expected to write their own essays/responses.

Please note that applications are currently not accepted through CalOpps or any other third party job board application system.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this, or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment.

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 CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov and we will research the status of your application.

AI and the Hiring Process

We recognize that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming part of daily life and can be a valuable tool for learning, research, and professional growth. We encourage candidates to use AI responsibly as a support in preparing application materials, live assessments, and interviews. However, we value authenticity, accuracy and truthfulness. Application responses and interview answers must reflect your own knowledge, skills, and experiences. While AI can supplement preparation, it cannot replace the originality and judgment we look for in our employees. This ensures fairness, transparency, and equity for all applicants in the hiring process.

The City of San Jose offers a wide range of core health benefits including Medical, Dental, Vision, Employee Assistance Program, Life Insurance, Disability, and Savings Plans. Please visit the City's benefits pagefor detailed information on coverage, cost, and dependent coverage.

For information on the City’s Retirement Plan(pension for full-time employees), please visit the Office of Retirement Services website. You will be able to view information based on different Sworn/Federated job classification.

In additional to the benefits above, there is an additional perks siteto explore further benefits of working for the City of San Jose like paid leave, educational reimbursements, and holiday pay are specific to the job classification and union membership.

Closing Date/Time: 8/6/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

City of San Jose

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