Location
Description
CAREER OPPORTUNITY IN OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AS A SENIOR PLANNER
$6926 - $8,420 MONTHLY (paid biweekly)
EXCELLENT BENEFIT PACKAGE
https://www.ceres.gov/DocumentCenter/View/8155/City-of-Ceres-2026-Benefit-Guide-
SENIOR PLANNER
Class specifications are intended to present a descriptive list of the range of duties performed by employees in the class. Specifications are not intended to reflect all duties performed within the job.
SUMMARY DESCRIPTION
Under general supervision, performs a variety of professional planning responsibilities and tasks associated with the coordination and implementation of complex planning projects; performs a variety of duties relating to the collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of technical land use, environmental, zoning, and other City planning data.
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
This is the advanced journey level in the professional planning class series. The position is characterized by the level of technical expertise and skill and independent oversight of out of the ordinary, high profile, complex and atypical projects, while functioning as the project coordinator, working with and leading interdisciplinary teams. The Senior Planner is distinguished from the Associate Planner by the complexity and technical expertise required to work on assigned projects.
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.
- Coordinate, lead, and perform professional level work in the fields of current and advanced planning, zoning administration, design review, and economic development activities.
- Prepare, edit, and review complex reports on a wide range of planning issues; make presentations to the City Council, Planning Commission, standing and ad hoc committees, developers, community groups, and outside agencies.
- Review and approve or deny plan checks for building projects.
- Supervise and participate in the review of complex development proposals for conformance to City standards; resolve disputes between the City and developers or property owners.
- Review and edit letters sent by the Planning Division regarding various City actions.
- Review and respond to referrals from other agencies regarding outside projects that may affect the City.
- Conduct field visits and site assessments.
- Take phone calls and inquiries from the public and other agencies; provide assistance to walk in customers at the counter.
- Participate in the development and implementation of the City’s planning policies.
- Assist in the training of assigned staff.
- Undertake special projects as assigned.
- Attend and participate in professional group meetings; maintain awareness of new trends and developments in the field of municipal planning; incorporate new developments as appropriate into programs.
- Attend a variety of meetings, including Planning Commission meetings and predevelopment meetings; provide support to advisory bodies.
- Perform related duties as required.
Ideal Candidate
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:
Planning practices, urban development and operations, urban design, and basic land economics.
The City’s municipal code, general plan, and other development standards and plans.
Current land use and urban design implementation.
Principles and techniques of project management and supervision.
Development process, economics, practices and procedures.
California development law, City planning and zoning codes, and other applicable federal, state, and local legislation.
Budgeting techniques.
Techniques of negotiation.
Office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and applicable software applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, and databases.
Provide excellent customer service to all members of the public as well as City and other public agency personnel.
Ability to:
Assume responsibility for planning activities on multiple, diverse, and complex projects.
Lead, provide direction, and assist in the training of staff.
Demonstrate effective community relations skills; speak publicly, and explain and interpret City practices and objectives to diverse public and private agencies, organizations, and individuals.
Prepare reports, proposals and written materials of an analytical, budgetary, financial, technical, and evaluative nature.
Engage in complex planning design work.
Read fine print, maps, and blueprints.
Operate office equipment including computers and supporting word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications.
Work additional hours to meet deadlines.
Understand and follow oral and written instructions.
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 Guidelines - 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 course work urban planning, geography, architecture, or a related field.
Experience:
Three years of increasingly responsible municipal planning experience equivalent to that of an Associate Planner with the City of Ceres.
License or Certificate:
Possession of an appropriate, valid driver’s license.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT
The conditions herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.
Environment: Work is performed primarily in a standard office setting; some outdoor exposure and travel from site to site; exposure to all types of weather and temperature conditions; work scheduled and emergency overtime, attend evening and occasional weekend meetings, and travel out of town to attend workshops, conferences, and seminars.
Physical: Primary functions require sufficient physical ability and mobility to work in an office setting; to stand or sit for prolonged periods of time; to occasionally stoop, bend, kneel, crouch, reach, and twist; to lift, carry, push, and/or pull light to moderate amounts of weight; to operate a vehicle to travel from site to site; to operate office equipment requiring repetitive hand movement and fine coordination including use of a computer keyboard; and to verbally communicate to exchange information.
Vision: See in the normal visual range with or without correction.
Hearing: Hear in the normal audio range with or without correction.
Benefits
Health: The City contributes toward the combined monthly premiums for medical, dental and vision a maximum of $810, $1,600 or $2,250, dependent on level of medical coverage enrollment. One of the monthly plan premium options are currently at no cost to the employee only coverage! Any employee contributions to health premiums are taken as pre-tax deductions. Employees eligible to waive medical coverage receive $200 per month in additional taxable compensation. Carriers include: Two Sutter Health HMO's, Sutter Health HDHP HMO, Two Kaiser HMO's; Delta Dental and VSP Vision.
See Rates at: https://www.ceres.gov/DocumentCenter/View/8165/2026-Benefit-Rates
Retirement/Pension: The City offers a generous defined benefit plan pension (membership required) in the Stanislaus County Employees’ Retirement Association (StanCERA), as governed by County Employees’ Retirement Law of 1937 and Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act (PEPRA). “Classic members” (within the last six (6) months a member of StanCERA or a reciprocal retirement plan, e.g. CalPERS) are enrolled in the City’s 2% @ 55 plan; final compensation at retirement is based on the single highest year. Non-classic or “new members” are enrolled in the 2% @ 62 plan, and employees are required to pay 100% of the normal contribution rate as prescribed by PEPRA, currently 9.57%, on a pre-tax basis; final compensation at retirement is based on the average of the three highest years.
See Retirement rates at: https://www.stancera.org/
Other Benefits: See the Memorandum of Understanding for your group - MOU
See MOU at: https://www.ceres.gov/261/Memorandums-of-Understanding-Salary-Sche
Voluntary Benefits & Leave: Employee Assistance Program, voluntary options for Deferred Compensation (457), Short-Term and Long-Term Disability, Voluntary Life and AD&D coverage, 96 hours of sick leave accrued each year with unlimited accrual; vacation accrual based on years of service with maximum accrual of 480 hours and 14 paid holidays (including one personal day) each year.
See benefits guide at: https://www.ceres.gov/DocumentCenter/View/8155/City-of-Ceres-2026-Benefit-Guide-
The City also participates in Social Security, which has a mandatory 7.65% contribution for Social Security and Medicare.
Special Instructions
Incomplete applications will not be accepted and resumes in lieu of applications are not acceptable.
PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR WORK HISTORY ON APPLICATION