Senior Planner

Description

The City of Anaheim Planning & Building Department seeks a dynamic and well qualified Senior Planner to provide expertise and leadership in the Planning Services Division. Senior Planners perform the most technical and complex tasks within their assigned areas of responsibility and must be technically proficient, collaborative, and effective working in a team-oriented environment. Anaheim is an exciting, complex, and dynamic city in which to work, with major planning efforts and transformative projects such as ocV!BE, a $4 billion entertainment and housing development, and DisneylandForward reflecting the scale and significance of development activity occurring in the City. The successful candidate will serve as an integral member of the Planning and Building team and will support the Department’s work in providing high-quality planning services to the Anaheim community. Experience working in a municipal planning agency is highly desirable.

When Assigned to Current Planning, specific responsibilities will include, but not be limited to: coordinate and provide project management for large and complex planning projects; analyze and ensure compliance with land use policies and regulations; prepare reports, presentations, and recommendations for planning commission and city council; and supervise current planning staff. DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:This is the advanced journey level class in the Planner series. Positions at this level are distinguished from other classes within the series by the level of responsibility assumed and the complexity of duties assigned. Employees perform the most difficult and responsible types of duties assigned to classes within this series. Employees at this level are required to be fully trained in all procedures related to the assigned Planning Department area.
Deadline for the first review of applications is Wednesday, July 1, 2026 at 5:00PM.

Essential Functions

The following functions are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all of the listed functions and/or may be required to perform additional or different functions from those set forth below to address business needs and changing business practices.

• Provide lead supervision and technical assistance to professional and technical planning staff; coordinate and assign work activities, projects and programs; monitor work flow; review and evaluate work products, methods and procedures; provide staff training.
• Coordinate the revisions of policies and procedures; research, analyze and prepare recommendations to adopt ordinances; perform research regarding implementation of policies established by the general plan, zoning ordinance or other land use and development ordinances.
• Review proposed legislation; evaluate the effects of outside policies, regulations, and legislation on the City’s planning goals.
• Review development proposals and agreements; prepare requests for proposals, scopes of work, and agreements for professional services; oversee and monitor the work of consultants.
• Coordinate and provide project management for large and complex planning projects.
• Attend and represent the Planning Services Division at public meetings and interdepartmental meetings and serve on related committees as needed; respond to requests for information at public meetings; make presentations related to current and advanced planning; and provide technical planning information to elected and appointed City officials.
• Coordinate and serve as liaison between the business community and City staff with regard to current or advanced planning special projects; advise City staff, developers and the general public on planning policies, issues and concerns.
• Research and analyze requests for code amendments and special studies; prepare reports to the City Council and Planning Commission; coordinate the preparation and submittal of new ordinances.
• Confer with engineers, developers, architects, agencies representatives, realtors, and appraisers, and the general public in researching and coordinating planning and zoning matters; provide information regarding City development requirements and policies.
• Interpret and apply codes, laws and regulations to ensure development applications, City projects and municipal code amendments are in compliance; assist in the negotiation of development agreements.
• Respond to questions and provide information to the public; investigate complaints and recommend corrective action as necessary to resolve complaints.
• Develop and monitor Planning Services Division program budgets; submit justifications for development projects; monitor and control expenditures.
• Assist in the development and implementation of goals and objectives, policies and procedures for assigned area; establish schedules and methods for current and advanced planning projects.
• Stay abreast of new trends and innovations in the fields of current and advanced municipal and regional planning and zoning.
• Perform related duties as required.

Supplemental Information

IMPORTANT APPLICATION INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTION
Applications will be accepted on a continuous basis until a sufficient number of qualified applications have been received. The deadline for the first review of applications is on Wednesday, July 1, 2026 at 5:00PM. Applicants are encouraged to apply early. Applicants that apply after the first review are not guaranteed to be considered for this recruitment. This recruitment may close at any time without notice after the first review date. 
 
The selection process will consist of a writing assessment and oral interview.
 The eligibility list established from this recruitment may also be used to fill the current and/or additional vacancies throughout the Planning and Building Department.  
Candidates must be specific and complete in describing their qualifications for this position.  Failure to state all pertinent information may lead to elimination from consideration.  Stating "See Resume" is not an acceptable substitute for a completed application.   The successful candidate will be required to undergo a reference / background check (to include a conviction record) and pass a post-offer pre-employment medical examination (which will include a drug/alcohol screening).  The City of Anaheim utilizes E-Verify and new employees must provide documentation to establish both identity and work authorization. Communication regarding your application and/or status will be sent to the email address listed on your application.  Please check your email regularly throughout the recruitment process as you will not receive communications by any other method.

Work for Warriors is a no-cost employment program of the California Military Department for Service Members, Veterans, and military family members. The Veterans Service Coordinator for City of Anaheim is Steven Rosales.