PRINCIPAL PLANNER

Salary : $118,559.71 - $164,064.78 Annually
Location : San Marcos, CA
Job Type: Full Time
Job Number: 2026 - 36
Department: Development Services
Opening Date: 05/26/2026
Closing Date: 6/16/2026 4:00 PM Pacific
FLSA: Exempt


SUMMARY DESCRIPTION

The City of San Marcos is currently recruiting for a qualified Principal Planner to join the Planning Division of the Development Services Department. Historically one of the fastest growing cities in San Diego County, this is an exciting time to be a part of the City of San Marcos. San Marcos is purposefully shaping its emerging community, and as a Principal Planner, you will help guide that legacy.


Summary Description
Under administrative direction, manages, oversees, coordinates, and participates in the most complex and difficult work of staff responsible for providing current and long range planning related services and activities in assigned program areas; manages multiple sensitive and complex projects in the areas of assignment requiring highly independent coordination with other City staff as well as outside agencies and groups; provides direct supervision to professional planning staff; and provides responsible administrative and highly complex technical staff assistance to the Planning Division Director.

Public Service
Serving the public is paramount to all that we do at City of San Marcos. We are driven to serve the more than 95,000 residents who count on us every day. Our Principal Planner must be responsive, tactful, collaborative, and accountable to our community and customers. This includes working with our residents and other stakeholder groups to deliver projects that make a positive impact.


The Right Perks

• Earn a competitive salary, with a scheduled 5% salary range adjustment effective July 1, 2026.
• Our 9/80 work week means you'll have every other Friday off. Flexible work arrangement may be accommodated once you've had an opportunity to fully jump into the roles and responsibilities of the position and are working effectively with your team.
• Generous health benefits for you and your family (all medical premiums employer paid at 90%, including family plans). Benefits effective the first of the month after hire date.
• Ample time off: 14 paid holidays, 96 hours of sick leave and beginning at 80 hours of vacation leave annually.
• Family focused benefits - 4 weeks of city paid maternity / paternity leave for new parents welcoming a new family member and 1 week of city paid grandparent leave for employees expanding their extended family.
• Participate in the CalPERS retirement system (Classic members 2% @ 55, New members 2% @ 62), and Social Security.
• Enhance your career by taking advantage of our Tuition Reimbursement Program - up to $1,500 per fiscal year which can also be used towards student loan repayment.

Recruitment Timeline
Application period closes: June 16, 2026 - 4:00pm

First Interview: TBD Second Interview: TBD

REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES
The following duties are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all of the listed duties and/or may be required to perform additional or different duties from those set forth below to address business needs and changing business practices.

• Provides assistance to the Planning Division Director in planning and organizing the activities of the Planning Division; prioritizes, assigns, supervises, reviews, and participates in the work of staff responsible for providing planning related services and activities in assigned program areas.
• Prepares and presents complex and technical staff reports, formal presentations, and recommendations at community meetings, advisory boards, and public hearings including to the City Council, Planning Commission, local committees, and neighborhood groups.
• Reviews and analyzes civil engineering, architectural, landscaping, and other development plans for conformance with the City's Zoning and General Plan, conditions of approval, and mitigation requirements.
• Reviews environmental technical and federal studies and evaluates findings with consultants, internal departments, and public agencies.
• Establishes schedules and methods for providing assigned services; identifies resource needs; reviews needs with appropriate management staff; participates in developing the department budget by providing input.
• Participates in the selection of assigned professional and paraprofessional staff; provides or coordinates staff training; works with employees to correct deficiencies; implements discipline procedures.
• Reviews and evaluates existing programs for overall effectiveness and efficiency in meeting division and department goals, initiating action for operational improvements as necessary.
• Communicates and conveys complex information to City management, staff and members of the public.
• Serves as staff on a variety of boards, commissions, and committees including City commissions, councils, and planning groups; prepares and presents staff reports and other necessary correspondence.
• Develops and prepares amendments to the Zoning Code, General Plan, Specific Plans, and Area Plans.
• Prepares and/or reviews and edits legal documents including resolutions, CCRs, deed restrictions, conservation, open space, access easements, development agreements, and improvement agreements; prepares drafts of official correspondence for department head or elected official signature.
• Coordinates federal and environmental review and permitting for City Capital Improvement Projects; advises other departments of environmental and permitting requirements and recommends a course of action; prepares environmental documents; coordinates public notice requirements; coordinates with local, state, and federal agencies to prepare appropriate environmental clearances and to secure regulatory permits; coordinates public informational workshops; participates in contractor preconstruction meetings to brief contractors on environmental requirements.
• As assigned, serves as project manager for multiple current and long range planning projects (including all types of discretionary projects including General Plan Amendments, Specific Plans, etc.) in administration of the City's General Plan, Zoning, and other Municipal Codes, policies, and procedures.
• Analyzes problems, identifies solutions, and anticipates issues related to proposed actions.
• Assists in the development, implementation, and ongoing update of planning policies, procedures, and regulatory frameworks, including amendments to the General Plan, Zoning Code, Specific Plans, and related policy documents.
• Conducts and coordinates long-range planning activities necessary to maintain consistency with adopted state laws, regulatory requirements, and evolving legal mandates, while also identifying opportunities to streamline planning and development review processes.
• Maintains City website content for the Planning Division; maintains Planning Division page on City's Intranet.
• Attends and participates in professional associations and group meetings; stays abreast of new trends and innovations in the field of urban planning.
• Participates in the selection of, trains, motivates, and evaluates assigned personnel; works with employees on performance issues in coordination with Human Resources; implements discipline in consultation with Human Resources; responds to staff questions and concerns.
• Performs other related duties as required.

QUALIFICATIONS
The following generally describes the knowledge and ability required to enter the job and/or be learned within a short period of time in order to successfully perform the assigned duties.

Knowledge of:
Operations, services, and activities of a community planning and development program; advanced principles and practices of zoning, community planning, and site planning; development practices and development review procedures and requirements; project management principles and practices; City General Plan policies and implementation and City ordinances; principles of supervision, training, and performance evaluation; organization and functions of various agencies involved in the planning processes; permitting requirements for state and federal agencies; recent developments, current literature, research methods, and sources of information related to municipal planning, urban growth, and development; methods and techniques of effective technical report preparation and presentation including for complex development proposals; methods and techniques of eliciting community participation in planning and development issues; modern office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and supporting software applications; pertinent federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations including laws underlying general plans, land use planning, zoning, and land divisions including applicable environmental laws and regulations.

Ability to:

Independently perform complex and sensitive planning duties in the development, implementation, and modification of City plans and regulations requiring a high level of technical expertise; recommend and implement goals, objectives, policies and procedures for providing assigned services, activities, and operations; prepare and interpret codes and policies and apply to specific situations; coordinate and direct assigned sections and/or functional areas within the City's Planning Division; supervise, organize, and review the work of staff involved in assigned program areas; select, train, and evaluate staff; serve as project manager on multiple complex and sensitive projects involving coordination with other departments and outside groups and organizations; plan and organize work to meet changing priorities and deadlines; staff and manage assigned commissions and committees; understand the organization and operation of the City and of outside agencies as necessary to assume assigned responsibilities; interpret, analyze, apply, implement, and explain pertinent federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations including City codes and departmental policies and administrative directives; analyze projects and potential projects for consistency with zoning ordinance standards, planning and environmental regulations, general planning principles, General Plan policies, and architectural quality; ensure project compliance with state, federal, and local rules, laws, and regulations; independently coordinate necessary communication between staff, developers, and other agencies; understand, evaluate, and interpret complex technical engineering, architectural, structural, landscape, and topographical plans, maps, legal documents, and related documents; utilize engineering and architectural scale to read plans; prepare and analyze highly technical and administrative reports, statements, and correspondence; effectively present technical information and respond to questions from groups of managers, council members, committee and commission members, and the general public; effectively represent the City to outside individuals and agencies to accomplish the goals and objectives of the unit; work cooperatively with other departments, City officials, and outside agencies; read, analyze, and interpret information from professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations; operate modern office equipment and computers including specialized computer applications; demonstrate an awareness and appreciation of the cultural diversity of the community; communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing; establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:
Education/Training

A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in urban planning, regional planning, environmental studies, architecture, or a related field. A Master's degree is desirable

Experience

Six years of increasingly responsible, professional urban planning experience in local government, including project management, administrative, and/or supervisory responsibility.
License or Certificate

Professional certification, or membership in the American Planning Association (APA) and American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), although not a requirement, will receive favorable consideration.
Holidays - The City observes fourteen (14) paid holidays that include eleven (11) specifically designated days and three (3) floating holidays.
Vacation Leave - A new employee will accrue eighty (80) hours of vacation per calendar year for the first two years of service, one hundred, twenty (120) hours for years three through five, one hundred, sixty (160) hours for years six through ten and two hundred (200) hours after eleven years. Vacation accrual begins immediately; however, a new employee is not eligible to take vacation leave until the completion of six (6) months of service with the City.


Sick Leave - A new employee will earn ninety-six (96) hours of sick leave each year.


Bereavement Leave - Employees are eligible to use up to 40 hours of bereavement leave per fiscal year.

Executive Leave - As a "Mid Management Exempt" At Will employee, you will receive sixty (60) hours of Executive Leave per fiscal year. This leave cannot roll over, has no cash value, and any leave not used by June 30th of each year will be lost.

Group Health Insurance Program - A new employee will become a member of one of the City's group health plans (Aetna HMO, Aetna AWH HMO, Aetna PPO, or Kaiser HMO) effective the first day of the month following their date of hire. The City will pay 90% of the health care premium and employees will pick up 10% of the premiums of the plan they select.

Voluntary Dental/Vision Insurance Programs - The City offers two voluntary dental insurance programs, an HMO program and a PPO Program, as well as a voluntary vision insurance program.

Section 125 Flexible Spending Account - All employees are eligible to participate in the City's Section 125 Flexible Spending Account plan administered by Benefit Coordinators Corporation (BCC). This is an IRS-approved plan which enables you to have withheld from your paycheck an amount to cover eligible dependent care, and certain eligible medical expenses without being subject to federal income or social security tax on the income used to pay for these benefits.
Retirement - The City participates in both the Social Security (FICA) and the California Public Employees' Retirement Systems (CalPERS). The City currently contracts with CalPERS for the 2% at 55 benefit formula, Post-Retirement Survivor Allowance, and 3 year average final pay for CLASSIC members and 2% at 62, Post-Retirement Survivor Allowance, and 3 year average final pay for PEPRA (new) members. Employees will contribute 7% or 6.5% towards CalPERS, depending whether a classic or new member.
Retiree Health Savings (RHS) - All employees participate in a Retiree Health Savings plan through the ICMA/MissionSquare Retirement Corporation.
Deferred Compensation Employer Match Program - The City offers a Deferred Compensation Employer Match Program, matching employee contributions up to 2%
Additional Benefits - The City offers additional benefits such as short and long-term disability, group life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, employee benefit allocation program and workers' compensation insurance.
01


Describe your planning experience in the areas of current and long range land use planning, site design planning, and environmental planning. Include your experience with general plans, specific plans, and development ordinances/codes. Identify your responsibilities in each of the areas. Also identify the public agencies with which you interacted.
02


Please describe, in depth, your experience with supervising planning staff. Your response should include your job title, the number of years in the position, the number and level of staff you supervised, and the scope of your supervisory responsibilities (for example, hiring, assigning work, conducting performance evaluations, mentoring, training, etc.)
03


Describe your experience preparing environmental analyses, specifically CEQA & NEPA, and in working with other public agencies and consultant firms. Include your role and responsibilities, purpose for the analysis, how this information was used and by whom, and how often you prepared an environmental analysis (#/month).
04


Tell us about some of the public engagement methods you have used when conducting a community planning process - which of those methods seemed to work the best or seemed to satisfy the public's desire to provide comments or give input?
05


Describe your experience developing a scope of work, negotiating, and administering consultant contracts.
06


Describe your experience making presentations to planning commissions, citizens' groups, and staff, including the display materials and programs you developed and utilized. Identify the group, include your role and responsibilities, and indicate the frequency and reason for the presentations.
Required Question