About Orinda
The beautiful City of Orinda is a family-oriented community of approximately 20,000 residents who enjoy a semi-rural setting surrounded by majestic tree-studded hillsides within its 12.8 square miles. It is bordered by the cities of Lafayette, Moraga, Berkeley, and Oakland. Orinda is located in Contra Costa County, within 20 minutes of downtown San Francisco. A BART station is situated in the center of the community allowing a convenient commute within the Bay Area.
Orinda incorporated as a City in 1985, after more than 100 years of gradual development and has a reputation as a well-managed and stable municipal government. The City operates under a Council/Manager form of government, with five elected city council members who serve at-large, each for a four-year term. The City of Orinda has a dedicated and professional staff of approximately 40 budgeted employees supplemented with part-time and seasonal staff.
Location
Description
The City of Orinda Planning Department seeks a strong customer-service oriented Planning Technician to primarily staff the Planning Counter and process code-enforcement cases. Depending on experience, the successful candidate may also gain opportunities to assist with various current and long-range planning tasks. This non-exempt position reports to the Director of Planning.
Minimum Qualifications: Candidates with the following qualifications are encouraged to apply:
This is an entry level position in the professional planning field. Applicants must meet at least one of the following education/experience qualifications.
- A four-year bachelor’s degree in planning or a related field
- Equivalent to two years of college, supplemented by at least two years of job experience or training in the planning or a related field
- Four years of planning and building administrative support experience
License or Certificates: Possession of, or ability to obtain a valid California driver's license.
Special Requirements: Essential duties require the following physical skills and work environment: Ability to work in a standard office environment including ability to sit, stand, walk, kneel, crouch, stoop, squat, twist, and lift 25 lbs.; ability to travel to different sites and locations.
Application and Selection Process:
To be considered for this position, qualified job applicants are required to submit the following by the final closing date of this announcement:
- Apply Online! You can now apply online by visiting CalOpps.org.
- Please submit a cover letter and resume with your application for the Planning Technician position.
A limited number of applicants with the most desirable qualifications as determined by initial screening of application and supplemental documents will be invited to participate in an interview and testing process that will consist of a practical test and oral board interview. All applicants will be notified by phone or email if they are invited to participate further in the selection process.
Completed application materials must be submitted on the CalOpps.org website by the close date.
Any candidate selected by the hiring department will be required to successfully complete a pre-employment process, which may consist of a background history check, conviction history check, as well as a medical exam including a pre-placement drug screen before hire.
Primary duties of the Planning Technician include (but are not limited to):
- Assist the public at the service counter, collect and process forms, permit applications and plans.
- Respond to counter and telephone inquiries and provide information related to building and planning applications, plan checking procedures, policies, and functions.
- Compute required fees.
- Assist with data collection, analyze data using a variety of data sources, including GIS.
- Create and maintain departmental activities files. Research files for information in response to department staff requests.
- Assist with reporting requirements such as the Annual Progress Report for the Housing Element.
- Create building permit database and land use tracking systems
- Maintain and update GIS mapping system and other databases, create charts and maps as requested.
- Process code enforcement cases.
- Coordinate and conduct follow-up abatement procedures, including preparing correspondence, and property owner site visits. Conduct code and ordinance research for compliance. Receive, track/monitor and investigate public staff municipal codes and ordinances, standards, health and safety and other complaints.
- Conduct review of discretionary planning applications for design review, exceptions, tree removal, and other related requests.
- Serve as the City’s staff liaison to various groups (i.e., Orinda Historical Society)
Basic mathematical principles.
- Proficiency in GIS mapping.
- English usage, spelling, vocabulary, grammar and punctuation.
- Working knowledge of modern office equipment and procedures, including the use of a variety of software applications.
- Principles and procedures of record keeping.
- Business letter writing and report preparation.
- Excellent customer service skills.
The information contained within this announcement may be modified or revoked without notice and does not constitute either an expressed or implied contract.
The City of Orinda is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex origin or disability. In accordance with Federal law, the City of Orinda will only hire individuals who are legally authorized to work in the United States. Candidates with a disability which may require special assistance in any phase of the application or testing process should submit a request for accommodation with the application. Documentation of the need for accommodation must accompany the request.
Ideal Candidate
In addition to the minimum qualifications, the following are preferred knowledge, skills & abilities:
- Coursework and/or experience with aspects of urban planning, long-range planning, urban redevelopment, public policy, civic engagement, stakeholder participation, and governance.
- Ability to remain flexible and work both independently and collaboratively in a diverse and dynamic environment.
- Ability to learn fast and adapt quickly without compromising the quality of work.
- Principles and procedures of record keeping.
- Proficiency in ESRI ArcGIS.
Benefits
This position is part of the General Employees' Unit and is represented by Teamsters Local Union No. 856. The City of Orinda offers a comprehensive benefit package, including:
- 9/80 Work Schedule: To support employee work/life balance, City employees work a 9/80 Work Schedule with every other Friday being a standard "Regular Day Off".
- Salary Increases: Employees have an opportunity for 5% step increases dependent upon performance in addition to any negotiated COLA increases.
- Retirement: The City contributes thirteen percent (13%) of base salary to a MissionSquare Retirement 401(a) Money Purchase Plan defined contribution plan. There is a three-year vesting period. The City of Orinda does not provide a defined benefit pension plan (i.e. CalPERS). The City does not participate in Social Security, except for Medicare premiums.
- Deferred Compensation: Employees have an option of participating in an MissionSquare Retirement 457 deferred compensation plan where contributions are from employee earnings. The City will match up to three percent (3%) contributed by the employee.
- Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance: The City offers several medical benefit plan options for the employee and his/her dependents. The city contributions vary by plan and there are zero or very low cost plans available. An in-lieu medical option is available upon proof of medical coverage for the employee and all his/her dependents. The City pays the full family premium for dental and vision coverage.
- Leave Accruals: In lieu of vacation and sick leave, the City provides General Leave (PTO) of 19 days during the first year of employment. Accrual is increased by one day for each subsequent year, up to a maximum of 25 days.
- Holidays: The City observes 14 paid holidays per year. This includes 2 floating holidays (9 hours each) provided each fiscal year.
- Life Insurance, Long-Term Disability & SDI: The City pays for a life insurance policy for an amount equal to one (1) times the annual salary up to a maximum of $150,000, as well as the cost of the monthly premium for Long Term Disability. The City participates in SDI, which is fully funded by the employee.
Additional Benefits:
- The City offers a Flexible Benefits Plan for out-of-pocket health care expenses and dependent care expenses.
- The City participates in a Transit Plan allowing participants to purchase transit fare on a pre-tax basis. We are located close to the Orinda BART station.
- The City provides an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) paid for by the City.
- Reduced employee and dependent fees for City of Orinda Parks & Recreation classes and programs.
- Educational/Professional Growth benefits.
Special Instructions
PLEASE NOTE: All work experience must be listed on the application form to be considered. Begin with your most recent experience. Voluntary non-paid experience will be accepted if job-related. A resume or other supporting documentation may be attached but it may not be used as a substitute for completing the Application.
Application and Selection Process:
To be considered for this position, qualified job applicants are required to submit the following by the final closing date of this announcement:
Apply Online! You can now apply online by visiting CalOpps.org/city-of-orinda.
Please submit a resume with your application for the Planning Technician position
A limited number of applicants with the most desirable qualifications as determined by initial screening of application and supplemental documents will be invited to participate in an interview and testing process that may consist of a practical test and an oral board interview using the Zoom platform. All applicants will be notified by phone or email if they are invited to participate further in the selection process.
Completed application materials must be submitted on the CalOpps.org website by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 17, 2025. For more information, contact Human Resources at (925)253-4214 or via email at humanresources@cityoforinda.org.
Pre-Employment Processes:
Any candidate selected by the hiring department will be required to successfully complete a pre-employment process, which consists of a background history check, conviction history check, as well as a medical exam including a pre-placement drug screen before hire.