Planning Technician – Planning, Building and Code Enforcement

Job Information

Job Category

Land Use

Company Name

City of San Jose

Position Level

Entry

Job Description

About the Department  This City’s Planning Division provides oversight and assistance towards the City's growth and development in relation to regulations related to land use, zoning ordinances, development standards, neighborhood plans, and environmental impacts. The goal is to encourage development that strives to ensure safety, high quality of living standards, inclusion, and support of the health and wellbeing of all persons living and working in San Jose.   Positions & Duties Per the City’s COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination Policy, the City requires all new hires to provide proof of vaccination as a condition of employment absent an approved medical or religious exemption. Fully vaccinated means a person has received the following:
  • Two doses of the monovalent Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine; or
  • Two doses of the monovalent Moderna COVID-19 vaccine; or
  • Two doses of the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine; or
  • One dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine; or
  • One dose of the bivalent Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine; or
  • One dose of the bivalent Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
Please note that applications are currently not accepted through CalOpps or any other third-party job board application system. To apply, applicants must complete an application via the City of San Jose’s website at www.sanjoseca.gov/citycareers.   The Division is seeking applicants for the Planning Technician classification within the Development Review section. This is a full-time position that is responsible for directly assisting customers through the permit application process by completing the initial processing of applications, including but not limited to the calculation of application fees, determination of application completeness, data input into the City's permitting system database, creation of maps and graphics, and routing electronic plans and documents to other City departments and outside agencies. The Planning Division is divided into the following four sections:
  • Development Review: Entitlement of zonings and development permits, historic preservation, and community engagement.
  • Permit Center: Plan check conformance, review for development projects, front counter/public information, and zoning compliance.
  • Environmental Review: Review of environmental clearances, CEQA compliance review of development projects.
  • Citywide Planning: Long range planning, General Plan updates and amendments, zoning and sign code amendments, preparation of Urban Village/area plans, station area planning, housing policy, data analysis/GIS, grant management, and community engagement.
  What We Do: The Department’s Planning Division ensures compliance with the all the above-mentioned obligations by annually reviewing, analyzing, conducting, researching, processing, and issuance of:
  • Over 70 major commercial, industrial, and residential development and use permits;
  • Over 500 minor applications including permit adjustments and amendments;
  • Over 500 environmental clearances for private and public projects;
  • Over 50 rezonings; and
  • Over 50 in-person and virtual public hearings and community meetings.
  Salary Information: The salary range for Planning Technician is $65,454.48 - $79,497.60 annually. This amount includes an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable pay. Actual salary shall be determined by the final candidate’s qualifications and experience.   Position & Duties: The Planning Division is committed to developing, maintaining, and continually improving the quality of services and the customer experience with the goals mentioned above. The successful applicant will recognize and value these goals and qualities while striving to achieve the objectives and tasks of the classification as listed below. Typical duties of a Planning Technician position may include but are not limited to:
  • Respond to customer inquiries related to land-use planning and zoning related questions to ensure customers understand the basic processes.
  • Provide information regarding permit processing, policies, and procedures to applicants to be sure applicants are briefed and successful in the next steps of the process.
  • Creating and maintaining maps, graphic illustrations, permit applications, documents, spreadsheets, and other land use planning materials primarily using computers and associated software including Adobe Suite, Microsoft Office Suite, and ArcGIS.
  • Assisting in the preparation and general conduct of public meetings. Providing technical support for public meetings, including Planning Commission, Historic Landmarks Commission and Planning Director hearings, requiring some late-night availability.
  • Searching official records from City departments and outside agencies to obtain information such as the use of property using a variety of research techniques.
  • Works with applicants of development permits including application intake and providing fee information and general zoning and land use information.
  • Provides detailed, technical, and specialized support work to City Planners.
  • Performs other duties of a similar nature or level.
This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this, or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment.   Selection Process: The selection process will consist of an evaluation of the applicant's training and experience based on the application and responses to the Job Specific Questions. Only the candidates whose backgrounds best match the position will be invited to proceed in the selection process. Additional phases of the selection process will consist of one or more interviews. You will be prompted to answer the following job-specific questions during the online application process. Please note that there is a 4,000-character limit, including spaces, for each text response. You will be evaluated on the quality of your response and your written communication skills.
  1. Do you have experience working with applicants of development permits, including providing general information to applicants and application intake processing? If you do not have experience working with applicants of development permits, do you have experience in providing general customer service? If yes, please describe your responsibilities and length of experience.
  2. Tell me about a time when you identified an inefficiency or opportunity for improvement in a process. How did you address the issue and implement changes?
  3. How would you deal with a customer who is difficult or doesn't understand the process?
You must answer all job-specific questions in order to be considered for this vacancy or your application will be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration.   The application deadline is 11:59 PM on Thursday, September 21, 2023. If you have questions about the duties of these positions, the selection or hiring processes, please contact Vaishali Vashistha at [email protected].            

Required Skills / Experience / Education

Education: High school, General Educational Development (G.E.D.) Certificate, or California Proficiency Certificate.  Experience: Two years of technical experience using a personal computer to create word processing documents, computer graphics, databases, spreadsheets and maps.  Acceptable Substitution for Experience: An associate degree from an accredited college with an emphasis in a technical field such as computer science, geographic information systems, computer graphics, or architectural drafting with completed coursework in each of the following software applications: word processing, computer graphics, databases, spreadsheets and maps. Employment Eligibility: Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in this country. Please be informed that the City of San Jose will not prepare or file a labor condition application with the Department of Labor.

US Citizenship Required?

Yes

Will security clearance be required?

No

Salary Range

$65,454.48 - $79,497.60 annually

Job Start Date

10/30/2023

Position Type

Permanent Full-Time

Travel

None

Primary Language Required

English

Industry

Municipal

Job Location

Location Address

200 E Santa Clara St
3rd Floor
San Jose, California
95113

Contact Information

Hiring Contact Name

Travis Hobson

Email

[email protected]

Phone Number

(408) 535-7883

Website

https://sanjoseca.taleo.net/careersection/ex/jobdetail.ftl?job=2301214