ASSISTANT PLANNER

Applications accepted from all persons interested. Reporting location: 611 Walker St, 6th Floor.

About Us

The City of Houston’s Planning & Development Department is a key player in the mayor’s efforts to improve public safety and infrastructure, enhance the quality of life, and maintain an efficient government that works for more than 2 million residents. Much like Houston itself, we are a culturally diverse team committed to improving Houston’s built environment. Our team attracts and retains passionate, curious, lifelong learners and big-picture thought leaders who make a difference every day by balancing the needs and interests of the community we serve. We strive to operate as a customer-focused, goal-oriented, and efficient organization, treating ourselves, our partners, and our customers with respect while placing continuous learning at the center of our operations.

Houston is a place where the cost of living is more than 25% below the top 20 metro average, with no state income tax, making home ownership very achievable. As the fourth largest and most ethnically diverse city in the U.S., Houston offers first-class access to medical care, recreation, food, festivals, sports, museums, and the performing arts.

About the Role

The Community and Regional Planning team is seeking an early-career planner who is organized, curious, and committed to public service. The Assistant Planner will help residents and property owners navigate neighborhood planning and preservation programs, move applications through clear and timely processes, and produce accurate research, maps, notices, and case materials for public decision-making. This is an entry-level professional planning role with meaningful public contact, working under close-to-moderate supervision while building the judgment, technical skills, and municipal planning knowledge needed to manage routine assignments with increasing independence.

Responsibilities

• Application and Program Administration
  • Receive and review applications, conduct initial intake, confirm required materials, and communicate clearly about missing or incomplete information.
  • Maintain complete electronic case files, status trackers, milestone dates, correspondence, calculations, and quality-control records.
  • Monitor deadlines and promptly elevate conflicts, unusual facts, or policy questions to the assigned planner or manager.
• Community Engagement and Customer Service
  • Explain program requirements, timelines, roles, and next steps in plain language to residents, property owners, applicants, civic groups, and other stakeholders.
  • Respond to telephone, email, virtual, and in-person inquiries accurately, courteously, and within established service standards.
  • Help plan, coordinate, and staff community meetings, public hearings, workshops, and applicant consultations, including occasional evening or weekend assignments.
• Research, Mapping, and Analysis
  • Compile information from City systems, public records, adopted plans, ordinances, appraisal-district records, geographic data, and other credible sources.
  • Prepare and quality-check GIS maps, boundary exhibits, parcel lists, tables, basic calculations, and other graphical representations of planning data.
  • Analyze routine development patterns, neighborhood conditions, public responses, and program metrics; summarize findings for staff review.
• Team and Operational Support
  • Participate in cross-training, standard operating procedure updates, records management, website-content review, and continuous-improvement projects.
  • Balance multiple assignments, communicate workload risks early, and assist other planners with projects of varying complexity.
  • Perform other duties consistent with the Assistant Planner classification and business-unit needs.

Requirements

Requires basic knowledge of planning principles and practices. Knowledge of this level is typically obtained through a Bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning, Architecture, Civil Engineering, Geography, Public Policy, or an equivalent in-depth specialized training program directly related to the type of work being performed. No prior experience is required.

Preferences

• Bilingual speakers.
• Demonstrated knowledge of planning and transportation principles and excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Novice proficiency in ArcGIS and Microsoft Office.
• Demonstrated time management and organizational skills.
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects under tight deadlines and adapt well to changes.
• Demonstrated success working with diverse clientele.
• Interest in how properties are planned for development, including property acquisition, subdivision, and construction.
• Eligible veteran applicants who possess the qualifications necessary for the position.

Desired Attributes

• Specific Job Skills: Knowledge of planning principles and practices, excellent written and verbal communication skills; proficient in Microsoft Office with some ArcGIS experience.
• Preferred Personality Traits: Self-driven, results-oriented with a positive outlook, and a clear focus on high quality and customer service; a natural forward-thinking planner who critically assesses their own performance; mature, credible, and comfortable in dealing with mid to high executive levels and politicians; reliable, tolerant, and determined; empathic communicator, able to see things from the other person's point of view; well-presented and businesslike; keen for new experience, responsibility, and accountability; able to work well with others and be a team-player.

Working Conditions

The position is physically comfortable with discretion about walking, standing, etc. There are no major sources of discomfort, essentially a normal office environment with acceptable lighting, temperature, and air conditioning. Workdays are Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, with some nights and weekends required. Schedule is subject to change.

Pay

Factors used in determining the salary offered include the candidate's qualifications as well as the pay rates of other employees in this classification. Pay Grade: 15.