Deputy Director of Planning

About the Role

The Deputy Director of Planning plays a central role in advancing the City Council’s goals related to land use, urban design, and the long-term quality and sustainability of the built environment. This senior leadership position helps translate these goals into actionable policy, high-quality development outcomes, and places that matter. The role focuses on creating places, not just projects—taking a holistic view of how buildings, streets, public spaces, infrastructure, and natural systems come together to shape daily life. The Deputy Director will guide this approach, balancing technical requirements, design quality, community values, and economic vitality in both infill and redevelopment contexts.

The department leads complex long-range planning efforts addressing housing, transportation, economic development, environmental sustainability, and climate resilience. The Deputy Director plays a key role in shaping and implementing these initiatives, using data, policy analysis, and professional judgment to guide decision-makers and ensure equitable and resilient growth.

Responsibilities

• Execute the Planning Division’s operations, staffing, and work program.
• Oversee development review and entitlement processes, balancing efficiency, design quality, and community outcomes.
• Navigate politically sensitive and technically complex development proposals with professionalism and sound judgment.
• Mentor and develop professional planning staff and future leaders within the organization.
• Lead and manage complex planning initiatives, including zoning code updates, housing implementation, and infill development projects.
• Serve as an advisor to appointed bodies and elected officials on land use policy, development trends, and planning strategy.
• Represent the department on behalf of the Planning Director as needed, ensuring continuity in leadership and decision-making.

Qualifications

We are seeking a planning leader who combines strategic vision with practical execution—someone who can guide day-to-day operations while keeping a clear focus on long-term outcomes. The ideal candidate brings a proven ability to shape and implement land use policies that create meaningful, livable places, along with the skill to clearly frame complex planning issues for policy makers and the public. This role calls for experience navigating the challenges of infill development, redevelopment, and community-scale change with professionalism and creativity.

Requirements

• Graduation from college with a Bachelor’s degree in urban and regional planning, public administration, or a related field (required). A Master’s degree in Planning, Public Policy, Business Administration, Public Administration, or a related field is highly desirable.
• Six or more years of increasingly responsible professional planning and zoning experience, including employee supervision, project management, community participation, and related work.
• Professional certification by the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) is highly desirable.
• Valid Class C California driver's license and the ability to maintain insurability under the City's Vehicle Insurance Policy.

Examples of Acceptable Substitutions:

• Minimum Qualifications: A bachelor’s degree in urban and regional planning, public administration, or a related field, plus six (6) years of increasingly responsible professional planning and zoning experience, including employee supervision, project management, community participation, and related work in current or advanced planning.
• Substitution: A total of ten (10) years of increasingly responsible professional planning and zoning experience, including employee supervision, project management, community participation, and related work.

Skills

• Knowledge of theories and principles of urban and environmental planning.
• Organization and management of current planning, advanced planning, historic preservation, and zoning services.
• Land use, physical design, demographic, environmental, and social/economic and statistical analysis techniques.
• State planning laws, Subdivision Map Act, California and National Environmental Quality Acts.
• Principles of employee motivation and leadership; customer service practices.
• Principles and practices of supervision, training, and evaluation; budgeting practices; contract administration practices; research and surveying methods.
• Ability to plan, organize, direct, and coordinate the work of professional and technical personnel; select, supervise, train, and evaluate staff.
• Analyze problems, identify alternative solutions, project consequences of proposed actions, and implement recommendations in support of goals.
• Research, analyze, and evaluate new service delivery methods, procedures, and techniques; formulate work plans; prepare clear and concise administrative reports and make effective presentations.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Establish, maintain, and foster positive and harmonious working relationships with staff, management, developers, consultants, and other parties on behalf of the City.
• Operate computer hardware and use word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software.

Benefits

• Budget for renewals of professional certifications (AICP, CNU-A, etc.).
• Investment in continued education, including conferences, educational courses, and continuing professional certifications.
• Flexibility of a hybrid schedule option to occasionally work from home.

Physical and Mental Demands

Physical Demands: While performing the duties of this class, the employee is constantly required to sit and frequently stand, walk, talk, and hear, both in person and by telephone; use hands or fingers to handle, touch, or operate standard office equipment; and reach with hands and arms. The employee occasionally reaches items above or below desk level and lifts and carries records and documents, typically weighing less than 20 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.

Mental Demands: While performing the duties of this class, the employee is regularly required to use oral and written communication skills; read and interpret complex data; thoroughly analyze and solve problems; exercise sound judgment in the absence of specific guidelines; use math and mathematical reasoning; establish priorities and work on multiple assignments and projects concurrently; meet intense and changing deadlines given continual interruptions; and interact appropriately with staff, management, City officials, Commissions, developers, consultants, and others encountered in the course of work.

Working Conditions

The employee works in both office and field settings. The noise level is usually quiet to moderately quiet within the office and at public counter. There is limited exposure to dust, fumes, or odors, or similar hazards. Occasional driving is required to attend meetings at development sites and City and County facilities. The employee may be required to work on weekends to attend various programs and events and during the evenings to attend City Council, Planning Commission, and Design Review Committee meetings.