Assistant Planner

Salary : $85,030.40 - $113,963.20 Annually
Location : San Jacinto, CA
Job Type: Full-time
Job Number: 2025 - 2
Department: Community Development
Division: Planning
Opening Date: 11/13/2025
Closing Date: Continuous

Summary/Objective
ASSISTANT (Non-Exempt)

Assistant Planner Salary - $40.8830 - $54.7871 hourly ($85,036.64 - $113,957.17 annually)

Initial Screening: December 1, 2025

M-Th 7am-6pm (4x10 work week)
Under general supervision, Assistant Planner performs professional level work in the field of urban planning and zoning administration which involves processing entitlement applications, assisting developers and the general public on planning related matters, and providing technical and responsible support to the Senior Planner or Planning Manager. Assignments are of moderate difficulty and within the design and procedural framework established by higher level management staff. As assigned responsibilities and breadth of knowledge increase with experience, Assistant Planners may reasonably expect their positions to be reassigned to the next higher class of Associate Planner.
Receives general supervision from a Senior Planner or higher level management staff, as assigned. May exercise close to general supervision or lead direction on a project basis over lesser-skilled professional, para-professional, technical, and clerical staff, as assigned.

Examples of Duties

The duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to this class. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the following essential functions:

1. Reviews re-zoning, variances, conditional use permits, designs review, and other similar planning related applications.
2. Prepares legal notices for public hearings.
3. Prepares reports pertaining to advisability and permissibility of the requests.
4. Confers with property owners and petitioners regarding effect and implications of zoning and developments actions.
5. Reviews building plans, grading plans and subdivision proposals for compliance with appropriate regulations.
6. Prepares recommendation reports for review by superiors, various boards and commissions, and the City Council.
7. Compiles information and prepares reports of a moderate to complex nature, and make recommendations on special studies pertaining to land use, zoning, housing, and other planning functions.
8. Assists the general public by providing information on Zoning and General Plan matters and development-related case processing information.
9. Makes recommendations on development permits and presents them to the Development Review Committee, Planning Commission, and City Council.
10. Presents staff reports and provides professional staff support to a board or commission served by the Planning Department as assigned.
11. Analyzes and interprets social, economic, population and land use data and trends.
12. Prepares written and graphic reports on various planning and environmental matters and elements of the General Plan.

Other Job Related Duties Performs related duties or responsibilities as assigned.
Typical Qualifications

Any combination of experience and training that would provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Assistant Planner Education/Experience

Equivalent to a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major study in planning or a related field considered to be useful in City planning work, and a minimum of six (6) months of experience working for a public agency (may include internships). Bachelor's or Masters degree is highly desirable.

Or,

Equivalent to a High School Diploma and a minimum of five (5) years of professional planning experience for a public agency.

Licenses and Certificates
Possession of a valid Class C California Driver's License. Must have and maintain a satisfactory driving record and be insurable to operate City vehicles.
Supplemental Information

Knowledge of:

• Applicable Federal, State and local laws and regulations including California development law, City planning and zoning codes, California Environmental Quality Act.
• Laws related to general plans, zoning, and land divisions.
• Personal computer operation including common office software applications, specifically proficient in Microsoft Office Suite especially Word and Excel.
• Digital graphic presentation applications (such as but not limited to Power Point, ARC GIS, etc.).
• Planning codes and standards governing zoning and building activities.
• Principles and practices of municipal planning and zoning administration.
• Research and investigation procedures.
• Statistical and research methods as applied to the collection, analysis and presentation of planning data.
• Subdivision Map Act.
• Techniques in the field of urban and regional planning.

Skills:

• Communicate expectations to others and provide direction clearly and concisely, orally and in writing.
• Creative thinking and problem solving.

Ability to:

• Provide exceptional customer service.
• Plan and prepare comprehensive, clear, and concise reports with sound recommendations.
• Interpret appropriate State and local laws and ordinances, and apply them to specific cases and to the general public.
• Read building plans, site plans, building elevation plans and grading plans.
• Plan and prepare comprehensive, clear, and concise reports with sound recommendations.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, orally and in writing.
• Work effectively in a high volume, fast paced environment.
• Interpret the planning and zoning programs to the general public.
• Manage multiple projects and issues effectively and meet firm deadlines.
• Provide backup coverage for para-professional, technical and administrative support staff.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with all levels of staff and customers.
• Establish and maintain relationships with internal and external contacts.
• Think creatively, analytically and critically to provide reasoned and creative solutions to complex problems.
• Operate a personal computer and relevant software programs; operate common electronic office equipment such as, photocopiers, scanners, fax machines, telephones, and cell phones.

Supervisory Responsibility

This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

Expected Hours of Work/Work Schedule

Monday - Thursday 7:00 AM - 6:00 PM (4x10 work week). Occasional evening and weekend work may be required as job duties demand.

Travel

10-20% travel is expected for this position.

Work Authorization/Security Clearance
Must complete post-offer/pre-employment Department of Justice finger printing and background screening. Work authorization as required by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is mandatory within three business days of hire.

Disaster Service Worker Requirements
Under California Government Code Sections 3100 - 3109, public employees are designated as disaster service workers. The term "public employees" includes all persons employed by the state or any county, city, state agency, or public district. Disaster service workers are required to participate in such disaster service activities as may be assigned to them by their employer or by law.

Pre-Employment
All employment offers are contingent upon successful completion of a pre-employment physical exam, a criminal background investigation which includes finger printing and a Department of Transportation pre-employment drug/alcohol test.
RECRUITMENT TIMELINE
Due to high volume of calls, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Please refer to the following timeline and if you have additional questions, please email .

Screening Notice: Applications listing duties copied directly from this job posting or job descriptions without contextualizing personal experience will not advance in the process. Original documentation of your skills is required to evaluate candidacy. Applications with responses such as 'See Resume' will be considered incomplete and will not advance in the process.
Maintaining a skilled workforce permits the City to deliver reliable services, safe drinking water, beautiful parks, and well-maintained roads. The City of San Jacinto competes with other municipalities for quality candidates, therefore offers a generous benefit program in order to attract top talent and to retain experienced, knowledgeable employees.

Visit:
01

Please indicate your highest level of education:

• High School Degree or GED
• Some College
• Associate's Degree
• Bachelor's Degree
• Master's Degree or above

02

Please indicate the total number of years of experience you have working in Planning or a closely related field (such as Real Estate, Economic Development, Community Development) for a governmental agency.

• 0 to 6 months
• 6 Months to 1 Year
• 1 Year to 2 Years
• 2 Years to 4 Years
• More than 4 Years

03

Please describe your experience processing land use applications and include the name of the agency. Identify the range of projects, scope, and complexity. Enter N/A if you do not have this experience.
04

Please describe your experience reviewing grading plans, construction drawings, landscape plans, etc.. Include the name of the agency. Enter N/A if you do not have this experience.
05

Please describe your experience in assisting the general public by providing information on Zoning, Development Standards, and Land Use Application Processing. Enter N/A if you do not have this experience.
06

Why are you interested in the Assistant Planner position with the City of San Jacinto? What makes you the best candidate?
Required Question

---