ASSOCIATE PLANNER

DEFINITION

OPEN / PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITY

BIWEEKLY SALARY RANGE: 
$3,084.09 - $3,242.53 - $3,408.23 - $3,583.00 - $3,766.83 - $3,959.73

FUTURE SALARY INCREASES:

• Effective July 1, 2025, 3% Cost of Living Adjustment 

INCENTIVES FOR NEW EMPLOYEES:

• Sign on Bonus - $2,000 
• 40 hours of sick leave for immediate use 

FUTURE INCENTIVES:

• Employee employed as of 7/1/2025 will receive $2,000 lump sum 

FLSA STATUS:  Exempt

TENTATIVE EXAMINATION DATE: Week of April 9, 2025

 

The Community Development Department (CDD) seeking to fill an Associate Planner position. The CDD is composed of the Planning and Engineering Division, Building and Life Safety Division, and Business Operations Division. The operations center of the Department is located at the Permit Center where the public is served in all aspects of land use, permitting, and development construction. A primary purpose of the Department is to plan for future growth, infrastructure, and service demands of the City in accordance with the General Plan; and provide reviews of proposed land use and property development in accordance with the General Plan, zoning ordinance and building and life safety codes.  

The City of Stockton works a 9/80 work scheduled Monday through Thursday 7:30 am to 5:30 pm and Fridays 8:00 am to 5:00 pm with alternate Fridays off.  Must be willing to attend evening meetings as needed.

Incumbents in this position are included in the Civil Service system, in a "for-cause" employment status, and are represented by the Stockton City Employees' Association. (Classified/Represented)

This list may be used to fill future vacancies.

Prior to appointment, eligible candidates may be required to submit to and successfully pass a background investigation, which will include fingerprinting.

Under general supervision, performs professional municipal current and/or advanced planning work, including conducting planning studies; collects and presents data and prepares reports; may serve as a group or project leader for professional and technical personnel; performs related work as assigned.

CLASS CHARACTERISTICS

Associate Planner is the journey-level class in the professional planning series. Incumbents conduct planning research and analysis on moderate to difficult projects. The work requires the exercise of considerable independence in preparing planning studies and reports on short- and long-range, well-defined assignments and making presentations on such projects. Work may include assisting with the work instruction or project direction of new staff members. This class differs from Senior Planner in that the latter is the lead or specialist class exercising a higher degree of independent judgment on diverse and specialized assignments with a greater degree of accountability and ongoing decision-making responsibility.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES (Illustrative Only)

1. Receives and processes applications for rezoning, general and specific plan amendments, use permits, environmental clearances, variances and related zoning items.
    
2. Administers, interprets and enforces provisions of the City Zoning Code and other planning laws, policies and standards to potential applicants and the public.
    
3. Monitors status of development applications from acceptance to issuance of final permit and conducts periodic reviews of conditional permits.
    
4. Provides information and assistance to developers, property owners and the general public regarding laws, policies, regulations related to the submission of plans, processing of applications and implementation requirements.
    
5. Reviews, investigates and processes various plans and applications for subdivisions, housing and commercial developments, variances, use permits and business licenses; determines conformity with laws, policies, regulations and procedures; recommends approval, identifies problems and alternatives.
    
6. Plans and conducts research studies and prepares reports and recommendations regarding land use, zoning, urban design, population trends, transportation, housing, redevelopment and community service needs.
    
7. Assists with the review, development or revision of the various elements of the General Plan, environmental impact reports, plans, ordinances and other policies and procedures.
    
8. Uses computers and software programs for various technical planning projects and studies.
    
9. Develops and maintains a statistical reporting system; compiles, analyzes and interprets data relating to environmental conditions, social, economic and housing trends, community needs, demographic trends and zoning problems and prepares appropriate documentation.
    
10. Prepares a variety of written communications, including analytical reports, correspondence and drafts of revisions to local ordinances, policies and procedures; directs the preparation of graphic materials.
     
11. Makes field surveys and investigations related to planning and zoning projects or requests.
     
12. Makes oral and graphic presentations or prepares material for presentation to the City Council, boards and commissions and community groups; answers questions and provides information and assistance to the public in person, on the telephone and in writing.
     
13. May act as liaison with other agencies, departments and planning sections.
     
14. May instruct others in work procedures; may provide direction to others on a project basis.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education/Experience:

Possession of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in city, regional or urban planning or a closely related field, and two years of professional planning experience at a level equivalent to the City's Assistant Planner. Sub professional or professional planning experience may be substituted for the education on a year-for-year basis to a maximum of two years. A Master's degree in city, regional or urban planning may be substituted for one year of the professional planning experience.

Other Requirements:

• Must possess a valid California Class C driver's license.
   
• Must be willing to attend evening meetings as required.

Knowledge of:

• Objectives, principles, procedures, standards, practices, information sources and trends of municipal urban planning;
   
• Implementation of zoning and other municipal ordinances;
   
• Application of land use, physical design, economic, environmental and/or social concepts to the planning process;
   
• Housing trends, market analysis techniques, programs and financing mechanisms for low- and moderate-income families;
   
• Statistical analyses and mathematical concepts related to the planning process;
   
• Terminology, symbols, methods, techniques and instruments used in planning and map drafting;
   
• Local government organization and the functions and practices of a municipal planning unit.

Skill in:

• Understanding and applying federal, state and local laws, regulations, policies, procedures and standards pertaining to the planning process;
   
• Interpreting maps, site and building plans and specifications, graphs and statistical data;
   
• Researching, analyzing and summarizing planning data, both manually and with computer applications;
   
• Making persuasive presentations of ideas and recommendations;
   
• Preparing clear, concise and complete technical documents, reports, correspondence and other written materials;
   
• Exercising sound independent judgment within established guidelines;
   
• Instructing others in work procedures and providing specific project directions;
   
• Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of the work.

The Examination:

Applicants who qualify in terms of relevant work experience and education, that best fit the needs of the City, will be invited to participate in the examination process, which may include an Oral Board and/or Training and Evaluation Experience weighted 100%. However, the City reserves the right to utilize alternative testing methods if deemed necessary. Candidates must receive a minimum passing score of 70%, as determined by the relative performance of all candidates in all portions of the examination. In the event of identical ratings, candidates' names will be arranged in order of application date/time, and, if the same, then arranged alphabetically.

NOTE:

• After on-line submittal, immediate notification will appear on your screen indicating your application has been received.  Please print this notice as proof of filing.
• Notification and correspondence will be sent via email only. No paper notices will be mailed to applicants. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure a correct email address is provided and that correspondence is being received.
• NeoGov.com:  You will receive correspondence via the e-mail address you placed on your application.  Some e-mail accounts have been known to place these e-mails in the spam/junk file.  Please check your e-mail folders or accept e-mails ending with neogov.com.

Salary : $3,084 - $3,243