Associate Planner

APPLICANTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY TO THE FOLLOWING RELATED RECRUITMENTS:

• Junior Planner
• Assistant Planner

Associate Planner positions develop and manage environmental, general, community, and urban plans; manage land use and land development projects; review and write environmental documents; prepare and coordinate processing of local, state, and federal permits; perform development permit review, landscape review and plan checks; review and analyze technical drawings, specifications, and reports; research, review, and prepare ordinances and policies; make presentations on environmental and planning issues at public hearings and meetings; review projects and advise citizens and developers during the application process to ensure compliance with City regulations; interpret regulations and requirements to the public; engage community members in the planning process; prepare planning reports; perform Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping; handle complex projects; perform site inspections; review and enforce plans and specifications; perform quality control for document preparation and submittals and coordinate with various City departments, as well as federal, state, and local agencies; monitor mitigation requirements for environmentally sensitive projects; perform proper documentation and reporting; lead the work of subprofessional staff; may manage contracts; and perform other duties as assigned.

NOTE:

• Eligible benefitted employees originally hired on or after July 10, 2021, will be automatically enrolled in the San Diego City Employees Retirement System (SDCERS).

You must meet the following requirements on the date you apply, unless otherwise indicated.

EDUCATION: Bachelor's Degree or equivalent education (i.e., minimum completed units = 120 semester/180 quarter).

NOTE:

• Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for education lacked on a year-for-year basis. One year of full-time experience = 30 semester/45 quarter college-level units.

EXPERIENCE: Two years of full-time professional-level planning experience. Qualifying professional-level experience must be in at least ONE of the following areas:

• Prehistoric or historic archeology.
• Historic preservation.
• Environmental review or analysis.
• Resource management.
• Landscape planning or landscape architecture.
• Environmental, general, and community planning.
• Transportation planning.
• Design, redevelopment, and capital improvement projects.
• Zoning administration and enforcement.
• Architecture and urban design.
• Site planning.
• Discretionary permit review and processing.

NOTES:

• A Master's Degree in Archeology, History, Urban Planning, Urban Studies or Urban Design, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Historic Preservation, Economics, Geography, Geographic Information Systems, Public Administration, Life Science (e.g., Biology, Zoology, Ecology, Botany), Environmental Studies, or a closely related field may be substituted for a MAXIMUM of one year of the required experience.
• City of San Diego employees using Out-of-Class Assignment (OCA) experience to qualify must submit written documentation signed by their appointing authority or payroll specialist, detailing the work performed, dates, and total number of qualifying OCA hours. OCA experience without the required documentation will NOT be considered.

LICENSE: A valid California Class C Driver License may be required at the time of hire.

HIGHLY DESIRABLE:

• Certified Planner Certification issued from the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).
• College-level course work in Archeology, History, Urban Planning, Urban Studies or Urban Design, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Historic Preservation, Economics, Geography, Geographic Information Systems, Public Administration, Life Science (e.g., Biology, Zoology, Ecology, Botany), Environmental Studies, or a closely related field.
• Conservation biology and/or Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP) experience.
• Experience supporting equitable public engagement for planning initiatives.
• California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) or National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental documentation and compliance experience.
• Watershed or environmental plans.
• American Society of Landscape Architects membership.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS (MUST SUBMIT WITH APPLICATION):

• Proof of degree/transcripts, if utilized to meet the minimum requirements.
• For City of San Diego employees, proof of Out-of-Class Assignment (OCA), if utilized to meet the minimum requirements.

Required documents should be attached electronically to your application. If you are unable to attach at the time of application submittal, you must submit them as soon as possible via fax: ; or to the Employment Information Center: City of San Diego Personnel Department, 1200 Third Avenue - Suite 300, San Diego, CA Include your name and the title of the position for which you are applying.

Please ensure all information is complete and accurate as the responses you provide on the supplemental questions will be reviewed using an automated evaluation system. If you are successful in this initial screening process, your application will be reviewed for applicable education, experience, and/or training to ensure all minimum requirements have been met. Successful candidates will be placed on a list which will be used to fill position vacancies during the next six months (180 days). For each vacancy, only those candidates with the most appropriate qualifications will be contacted by the hiring department for an interview.

PRE-EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS: Employment offers are conditional pending the results of all screening processes applicable to this position, which may include the following: confirmation of citizenship or legal right to work in the United States; completion of a pre-employment medical review and exam (which may include drug and alcohol testing); reference checks; and fingerprinting. Fingerprints will be submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice for a conviction record report. Certain positions may require additional screening processes, which may include a polygraph examination and/or background investigation. All of these processes must be successfully completed before employment begins. A positive test for alcohol, cannabis/marijuana, illegal drugs, or inadequately explained prescription drugs, or misrepresentation, falsification, or omission of pertinent facts in any step of the screening or selection process, may be cause for disqualification or termination of employment. Nothing in this job posting constitutes an express or implied contract for employment with the City of San Diego. Candidates must notify the Personnel Department of any change in their name, mailing address, email address, or phone number, otherwise they may miss employment opportunities.

Rev. 9 - November 14, 2025 (New Recruitment Date)