Associate Planner

Who We Are

The City of Beverly Hills has a long-standing reputation for providing superior customer service to residents, businesses, and visitors. This characteristic, combined with outstanding staff in all departments, has been a hallmark of success for this high-performance organization. The municipal government (approximately 1,000 full-time and part-time employees) provides the highest quality safety services, recreational, municipal services, and physical environment.

What We Do

The Community Development Department guides the planning, development, and preservation of the City of Beverly Hills. The department is composed of six divisions (Administration, Community Preservation, Community Filming and Event Permits, Development Services, Planning, and Rent Stabilization) and provides staff support to three commissions (Architectural and Design Review, Cultural Heritage, and Planning). Community Development is responsible for the review and processing of all private development projects to ensure compliance with the General Plan, Zoning Ordinance, and Building Code including planning entitlements, zoning and plan review, permits, and inspections. The department preserves the community’s character and high quality of life through the code enforcement and historic preservation programs and administration of the Rent Stabilization Ordinance.

Who We're Looking For
The Associate Planner is a journey level professional position who performs current planning activities, which involves reviewing and analyzing development projects for consistency with the City’s Municipal Code, State laws, and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), as well as providing zoning information and minor project reviews at the City’s public counter. As a journey-level professional in the Planner Series, incumbents receive supervision and training on new aspects of assignments and work is reviewed in progress and upon completion. Associate Planners have acquired the skills and experience to perform planning duties of moderate difficulty and require less supervision. We are looking for a forward thinking, hands-on, detail-oriented individual, with superior written/oral communication and customer services skills, and a desire to build positive relationships within the overall community and colleagues. The ideal candidate will possess a high degree of professionalism and exhibit proactive planning and project management skills, and interest in various initiatives for the City.

Detailed Job Description:

Associate Planner Job Description

Selection Process:

• Candidates must meet the minimum qualifications as outlined in the job bulletin at the time of submission unless specified otherwise.
• When an application is being reviewed, only information included in the Education, Work Experience, Certificates and Licenses, and Skills sections of the application will be considered to determine whether an applicant meets the minimum qualifications. 
• Résumés and cover letters are not reviewed or considered when screening for minimum qualifications.  
• Résumés and cover letters are not accepted in lieu of a complete job application. 
• Required supplemental attachments (i.e. diplomas, degrees, certifications, or transcripts, etc.) must be included as part of the original application and may not be emailed separately unless explicitly stated otherwise or approved to be submitted separately. 
• Applications must have clear, concise, and complete information regarding their qualifications for the position, including detailed responses to all supplemental questions, if applicable.
• Incomplete applications will not be considered or reviewed. 
• The utilization of Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) during any step in the selection process will be grounds for disqualification.

The selection process may include any combination of the following:

• Supplemental Questionnaire
• Virtual Interview Exam
• Technical Writing Project (tentative)

Benefits

This position is represented by the Management and Professional Employees Association and is covered by the negotiated terms and conditions of that Association's Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), a copy of which is located at www.beverlyhills.org/mou. 

Conviction History

As a finalist for a job, 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 (or arrest, in limited circumstances) conflicts with the specific duties and responsibilities of the job for which you are a finalist. Having a conviction history does not automatically preclude you from a job with the City. If you are selected as a finalist, you will be contacted to schedule a fingerprinting appointment. 

Conclusion:

Verification: Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. Note: Falsifying one's education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City of Beverly Hills.

Disaster Service Workers

All City of Beverly Hills employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law (California Government Code Section 3100-3109). Employment with the City requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect. Employees are required to complete all Disaster Service Worker-related training as assigned, and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.

Applicant Support

If you have problems creating a user account or submitting your online application. Please review the online applicant guide or contact NEOGOV applicant support directly at 855.524.5627 (Please note: Applicant Support hours are Monday through Friday, 8am - 5pm Pacific Time and, depending on call volume, may be an automated voicemail system or live support).

Condition of Employment 

All newly hired or rehired City of Beverly Hills employees are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. For details on how this is applicable to your employment, please contact Human Resources at (310) 285-1067. 

Associate Planners are journey level professionals, performing current, advance planning and environmental analysis implementing the Municipal Code, Local guidelines, and State Law. This is the second working level in the Planner series. Associate Planners have acquired the skills and experience to perform planning duties of moderate difficulty and require less supervision.

Some of the core duties include, but are not limited to:
Current Planning:

• Checks simple and complex commercial, industrial, and residential development plans and provides advice regarding zone requirements at the public counter and on the telephone.
• Reviews more complex zoning, variance, permit applications and development proposals for compliance with city codes; works with developers to bring any plans into compliance with zoning and all other laws.
• Confers with and advises architects, builders, attorneys, contractors, engineers, and the general public regarding City development policies and standards.
• Processes permits for planning applications (variances, conditional use permits, re-zoning requests, etc.) including issuance of public notice, preparation of staff reports, inspection of sites, and analysis and preparation of recommendations to the Planning Commission.
• Analyzes proposals for potential aesthetic and environmental impacts and compliance with appropriate regulations.
• Evaluates and prepares graphic displays and/or photographs of project sites.
• Prepares written and presents oral reports on projects to Planning Commission, Architectural Commission, Design Review Commission, and City Council.
• May assist secretary to relative Commissions and participates in meetings, assists chairperson, answers questions, record notes, and assists applicants in presenting their cases.
• Prepares agendas for meetings, staff reports, notices, and maintains files for all related assignments.

Advance Planning:

• Compiles information and makes recommendations on special studies and prepares planning reports.
• Prepares zoning code and General Plan amendment studies.
• Researches and drafts ordinances for review.
• Researches, analyzes, and interprets social, economic, population and land-use data and trends; prepares written reports on various planning matters and elements of the General Plan.
• Monitors projects in adjacent jurisdictions and provides updates to Planning Commission and City Council.

Environmental:

• Analyzes, develops and prepares studies regarding environmental impacts when required for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

Other:

• May act as department liaison on interdepartmental projects such as technology, human resources and others.
• Develops budget recommendations.
• Prepares activity reports for City, county, and federal government as required for the federally sponsored Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.
• Performs other related tasks as assigned.

(These qualifications are typically required. An equivalent combination of education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities sufficient to satisfactorily perform the duties of the job may be substituted).

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited College or University in planning, architecture, economics, geography, public policy or related field.
• A Master's degree is desirable.
• Three or more years of progressively responsible current and/or advanced planning or community development experience.
• AICP is desirable.
• Six months of internship experience may be considered as part of work experience.
• Possession of a California driver's license.

Knowledge:

• Intermediate knowledge of principles and practices of urban planning, site planning, and architectural design.
• Intermediate knowledge of state zoning and planning laws and codes including CEQA, subdivision map act, and zoning laws.
• Intermediate knowledge of current literature, information sources, and research techniques in the field of urban planning.
• Intermediate knowledge of technical drawings, graphics, and computer generated visual materials.
• Intermediate knowledge of building and engineering practices.
• Intermediate knowledge of applicable environmental laws and regulations.

Skills:

• Skill in photography and graphics.
• Knowledge of principles of community development and ability to work closely with community groups.
• Ability to use or be trained to use several specialized planning tools, such as word processing, spreadsheet, GIS, PowerPoint and data base applications.
• Ability to seek and implement creative solutions to problems.
• Respect members of the public and to implement a high level of customer service to a diverse population.
• Ability to explain complex codes and procedures to public.
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal).

Salary : $95,971 - $119,231