Planning Manager

The City of East Palo Alto Invites Applications for the Position of PLANNING MANAGER $12,513 - $15,209 Monthly $150,156 – $182,515 Annually Plus, an attractive benefits package Deadline to Apply: September 16, 2026, at 11:59 PM The City of East Palo Alto is seeking a dynamic, collaborative, and experienced Planning Manager. The Planning Manager plans, organizes, oversees, coordinates, and reviews the work of professional, technical, and administrative staff performing tasks related to all programs and activities of the Planning Division. The Planning Manager oversees current, advanced, and historic preservation planning activities. The selected candidate will ensure the effective use of the City's planning resources to improve organizational productivity and customer service. The Planning Manager provides highly complex and responsible support to the Community and Economic Development Director in areas of expertise and performs related duties, as assigned. This is an open competitive/promotional recruitment, meaning that it is open to qualified current EPA employees and any other applicants who meet the minimum qualifications. Two employment lists will be created: an internal promotional list and an open list of all other non-current EPA employees. IDEAL CANDIDATE: The ideal candidate will: Be flexible, nimble, and able to adapt to shifting priorities in a dynamic political multicultural environment. Provide well-reasoned, objective recommendations grounded in best practices and free from personal or political bias. Possess the qualities essential for effective leadership, including empathy, decisiveness, integrity, emotional intelligence, and strong communication and listening skills. Have extensive experience with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Possess experience in planning and administering a General Plan. Possess the ability to plan and administer special programs or projects as directed by the City Council and Planning Commission. Have the ability to analyze, propose, and implement solutions for complex planning problems in an independent manner. Possess experience in annual budgeting, including estimating expenditures and projecting revenues. Possess experience resolving complex and sensitive customer service issues. Have municipal experience in overseeing the permitting functions of a department, including application, fee assessment and collection, application and plan review, permit issuance, inspection and occupancy. Possess experience in intergovernmental decisions and legislation affecting departmental operations and taking appropriate action. QUALIFICATIONS: Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be: Education: Equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in Land-Use Planning, Urban Planning, Public Administration, Business Administration, Community Development, or a closely related field. Experience: Seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in urban planning with emphasis in current and advanced planning; and two (2) years of supervisory experience and training. License and Certifications: Possession of a valid California Class C Driver’s License and a good driving record, at the time of appointment. Possession of an American Institute of Certified Planners certification is desirable. Medical: The City contracts with Sutter Health and Kaiser Permanente. The City pays 100% employee-only Kaiser Coverage and 65% Dependent Coverage up to the Kaiser Coverage Plan. If enrolled in Kaiser High Deductible Plan, the City will contribute $2,000 into a Health Equity Savings Account prorated to date of hire. Dental insurance: is through Delta Dental. The City pays the full cost for employees only. Vision: Supplemental Insurance with VSP (employee paid) Long Term Disability: City paid. Life Insurance: The City pays for coverage of Basic Term Life: $100,000 Division Managers Retirement: CalPERS Classic Members – 2.5% @ 55 formula. Employee pays 8% employee contribution CalPERS New Members—2% @ 62 formula. Employee pays 7.75% based on three (3) year average final compensation. Sick Leave: 3.7 hours biweekly Vacation: Accrual ranges from 80 – 200 hours per year based on years of continuous service with the City Holidays: 13 Paid Holidays per year Management Leave: Up to sixty (60) hours of Management Leave annually for those employees who are exempt from the overtime provisions of the FLSA. Bilingual Pay: Additional $50 / per pay period. Deferred Compensation Plan: The City offers an optional 457 Plan through Mission Square. Employee Assistance Program: The City of East Palo Alto offers an employee assistance program for employees and dependents that provides counseling and other services for dealing with life’s challenges at no cost to the employee. Flexible Spending Plan: Voluntary pre-tax employee contributions up to $2,650 for health care expenses and up to $5,000 for dependent care expenses per year. The City of East Palo Alto is not responsible for the failure of internet forms or email in submitting your application. Candidates with a disability who may require special assistance in any phase of the recruitment process should advise Human Resources Additional inquiries about the position may be directed to Human Resources, View email address on click.appcast.io , and cc: View email address on click.appcast.io with subject line: "Planning Manager Recruitment", or call View phone number on click.appcast.io. The City of East Palo Alto is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EEO) and as such does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, veteran and/or military status, protected medical leaves, domestic violence victim status, political affiliation, and any other status protected by state or federal law in its employment actions, decisions, policies and practices. #J-18808-Ljbffr