Principal Planner - City of Concord

The City of Concord’s Community Development Department, or CDD, is home to several divisions, which work together to maintain and improve the quality of life for residents and visitors. From Planning and Housing to Building and Engineering, CDD focuses on enhancing the quality of life for Concord’s residents and businesses. 

The Department's Planning Division implements and administers the policy direction of the City Council and the needs of the community with regard to the City’s built environment, including its development and growth. The Planning Division provides the public with information about property regulations and is responsible for developing long-range planning policies and plans, evaluating development projects, implementing housing programs, and assisting with the Concord Reuse Project. 
 
We are looking for someone who:

• Possesses extensive experience in either current development projects, long range planning projects, or both.  This includes experience managing complex development projects and creating and/or implementing policies for public agencies, particularly housing policy. 
• Has specific experience with General Plan amendments and rezoning. Experience in Specific Plan development/implementation and General Plan amendments/updates, including Housing Element updates and implementation is highly desired.
• Has the ability to manage multiple projects while concurrently adhering to established budgets and timeframes.  
• Possesses exceptional oral and written communication skills, including active listening skills, clear articulation, and the ability to adapt communication style when engaging with the public, community stakeholders, developers, and elected officials.
• Has some supervisory experience.  Knowledge of and experience with Accela and GIS software is also highly desirable.  
• Embraces and is guided by the City’s Mission, Vision and Values.
   

What we offer:
The City of Concord offers the opportunity to take part in a collaborative and exciting work experience, where you can grow in your career while working alongside the community to make Concord a city of the highest quality. The City is an employer that invests in its employees’ professional and personal development, values work-life balance, is dedicated to employee wellness and provides numerous benefit and retirement options, to include the following:

• Participation in CalPERS pension, tiered based on date of hire
• A variety of health care plans or a cash-in-lieu benefit of $200 if waiving coverage
• City-paid dental insurance; employee-paid vision insurance
• Vacation accruals starting at 15 days per year, 12 days of sick leave per year, 11 paid holidays per year, plus 80 hours of administrative leave per year available upon completion of probation
• Generous tuition reimbursement program
• 401(k) and 457 deferred compensation plans, including an employer paid contribution of 3% plus $2000 annually
• Flexible spending accounts (FSAs) for healthcare, dependent care and commuting costs
• Life insurance in the amount of twice the annual salary (up to $400,000 max) and disability insurance
• A wellness program that offers yoga and fitness classes, annual health expos, health and nutrition education, as well as a variety of mental health resources
• Option for alternative work schedules, with department approval

*Salary is negotiable within the advertised range. Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice. Additional information can be found at www.cityofconcord.org.

The Community:
Nestled in the foothills of Mt. Diablo, Concord is a major East Bay community located 29 miles east of San Francisco and 58 miles north of San Jose. With a population of almost 130,000 residents occupying an area of 31 square miles, Concord is the largest city in Contra Costa County. The City’s central location offers easy access to the entire Bay Area including Oakland, San Francisco, and the Silicon Valley. Concord has much to offer; its local lifestyle reflects a careful blending of the City’s early California heritage, along with modern planned development. It is a harmonious community of quiet neighborhoods, an excellent park system, convenient shopping centers, large preserves of open space, a state-of-the-art hospital, and a wide variety of restaurants. Additionally, diverse public and private educational opportunities for students of all ages are available in Concord. Concord residents enjoy a Mediterranean climate with warm, dry summers and mild winters. The ideal weather and natural beauty of Concord make the area ideal for visitors and locals seeking active outdoor activities. In Concord, where “Families Come First,” one is never far from a park or an open green space for active play or just relaxing. Todos Santos Plaza, the heart of downtown Concord, features a year-round Farmer’s Market, several seasonal and community celebrations, as well as serving as a wonderful outdoor space for all to enjoy.


 1.  Submit a completed City of Concord application and the required supplemental question responses online at www.cityofconcord.org. A resume and cover letter are not required but highly encouraged.  
 
2.  All qualified applications and supplemental responses will be competitively evaluated, and those candidates demonstrating the strongest qualifications for the position will be invited to participate in a panel interview. If you are selected to participate in the panel interview and are unavailable, we regret that we will not be able to reschedule you.
 
Conviction History:
If you receive a conditional job offer, 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 conflicts with the specific duties and responsibilities of the job for which you have received a conditional job offer. If a conflict exists, you will be asked to present any evidence of rehabilitation that may mitigate the conflict, except when federal or state regulations bar employment in specific circumstances. Having a conviction history does not automatically preclude you from a job with the City of Concord.