Senior Planner

Petaluma is in the midst of a number of key initiatives to develop and maintain a long-term vision for its community.  To that end, the City is looking for a Senior Planner to join its Community Development Department to help oversee and lead a long-range planning portfolio that includes but not limited to the General Plan and Zoning Code updates, Petaluma North SMART Station Specific Plan, as well as housing and climate policies to advance its goals as a city that works for everyone.  

As a Senior Planner, you will work alongside current Community Development staff, primarily Planning Division planners responsible for performing complex planning work related to review of development applications and development/implementation of comprehensive plans and city policies.

SALARY AND BENEFITS PACKAGE

• SALARY RANGE: $102,523.20 - $124,592.00 annually ( 3% COLA in July 2025)
• FOR YOUR HEALTH AND WELL BEING: 
  • MEDICAL INSURANCE: Choice of a variety of CalPERS Health Plans.  City pays ~95% of the Bay Area Kaiser premium for employee & eligible dependents; or alternative option to receive Medical Cash Back (if you have medical coverage elsewhere).  Please see the 2025 Health Plan Contribution Memo
  • DENTAL & VISION INSURANCE: Coverage for employees & eligible family members, paid for by the City.
  • LIFE INSURANCE: 1.5x annual compensation up to maximum of $200,000. Option to purchase additional insurance. Long-Term Disability up to 60% of your current monthly salary after eligibility requirements are met and subject to maximum amounts.
  • EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM: Support and benefits, for you and eligible family members, paid for by the City.
  • WELLNESS BENEFIT: $500 annual allowance (is subject to the annual budget approval process and may change in the future.)
• FOR YOUR FINANCIAL FUTURE:
  • CALPERS RETIREMENT PACKAGE
    • 2% at 60 for classic CalPERS members
    • 2% at 62 for PEPRA CalPERS members
  • DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN: Voluntary participation in your choice of three plans. 
• FOR YOUR WORK / LIFE BALANCE (annual amounts):
  • Vacation: 80 Hours, increasing with years of service, up to 5 years service credit towards vacation accrual rate for prior qualifying employment.
  • Sick Leave: 96 hours
  • Holidays: 12 fixed and 1 floating
• Other Exceptional Benefits:
  • Paid Parental Leave – up to 8 weeks of paid time for qualifying family bonding
  • Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program Employer

For more information regarding the benefits associated with this position, visit our website and look at the Memorandum of Understanding and Employee Benefits. 

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A City that Works for Everyone

Our City has an enormous amount of civic pride which celebrates multiple approaches and points of view.  When we say we are a City that Works for Everyone we mean everyone.   To do that well, we’re creating a workforce that is inclusive and listens to the multitude of voices and views of our employees.   Diversity is an integral part of our organizational identity.  Inclusion is the way we treat and perceive our differences.   Equity is treating all our employees fairly and acknowledging that everyone has value.  This drives our innovation, motivation and connects us even closer to our community.

Class Characteristics
General direction is provided by the Community Development Director; responsibilities include the direct and indirect supervision of lower level professional, technical, and support services positions.Compile and analyze data on economic, social, and physical factors affecting land use and circulation, develop recommendations, and prepare or oversee graphics and narrative reports.

Confer with local authorities, elected and appointed leaders, citizens, regulatory agencies, and land planning and development specialists to devise and recommend arrangements of land and physical facilities for residential, commercial, industrial, and community uses.

Recommend governmental measures affecting land use, public utilities, community facilities, and housing and transportation to control and guide community development and renewal.

Review, evaluate, and manage the preparation of environmental impact reports applying to specified private and public planning projects and programs.

Perform related duties as assigned.Knowledge of:
California Environmental Quality Act, Subdivision Map Act.
 
Planning, zoning, and development regulations. 

General planning principles and theories.

Office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and applicable software applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, and databases.

Education and Experience
Any combination equivalent to the education and experience likely to provide the required knowledge and abilities would be qualifying. A typical way to gain such knowledge and abilities would be:

Education:
A Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in planning or a related field.

Experience:
Three years related experience and/or training or equivalent combination of education and experience.While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand, walk, use hands to finger, handle, or feel, and talk or hear. The employee frequentlyis required to reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and taste or smell. The employee must frequently lift and/or move weight up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to outside weather conditions. The employee is occasionally exposed to fumes or airborne particles. The employee occasionally works with use of vehicle. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Salary : $102,523 - $124,592