The City of Palo Alto is offering an exciting opportunity for an experienced planning professional to fill the position of Current Planning Manager in the Planning and Development Services Department.

Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Palo Alto is a vibrant, well-educated, and involved community. It boasts a high-livability score and is and home to many tech companies.

The Current Planning Manager will work with senior management, boards and commissions, city leaders, and the community. This position is responsible for the processing and review of various development applications for conformance with the City's Comprehensive Plan, zoning ordinance, and land use regulations and policies. Top-level candidates are familiar with public outreach and engagement, project management, working with consultants, and local, State, and Federal land use laws.

For more information on the City of Palo Alto, click here.

For more information on the Planning and Development Services Department, click here.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate will:

• Have strong experience managing complex projects and competing priorities.
• Have 5 years of experience with implementing the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) including EIRs and MNDs.
• Have knowledge of accepted practices of local and State laws and regulations relating to California municipal planning and zoning, and experience implementing State density bonus, Housing Accountability Act, SB 330, and similar State legislation.
• Have experience evaluating and processing major housing applications.
• Be an organized, creative, and energetic self-starter with excellent communication and project management skills, who enjoys working within a collaborative team dynamic.
• Have experience working with and overseeing the work of consultants.
• Have strong analytical, communication, management, and supervisory skills.
• Have served as a liaison to a board or commission.
• American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) certification is desirable.

Essential Duties

Essential and other important responsibilities and duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Supervises technical, clerical, lead staff, and entry level supervisors or managers, which includes prioritizing and assigning work, conducting performance evaluations, ensuring staff are trained, and making hiring, termination, and disciplinary recommendations.
• Manages and directs the operations of a team, including developing policies, principles, procedures, work processes and evaluating achievement of goals and objectives.
• Attends, chairs, and conducts a variety of meetings; serves on committees as requested; makes presentations to the City Council; represents the Department and makes oral presentations at internal meetings, inter-agency meetings, conferences, and other events.
• Prepares and develops budgets; monitors and approves expenditures in accordance with policies and principles of sound fiscal management. Develops and maintains analytical tools for audit and control of programs.
• Manages consultants and contractors.
• Exercises good judgment and manages expectations with sensitive projects in a politically challenging environment.
• Performs other duties of a similar nature or level.

Minimum Qualifications

Sufficient education, training and/or work experience to demonstrate possession of the following knowledge and skills, which would typically be acquired through:

• Bachelor's degree in urban planning, architecture, or a related field.
• Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in municipal government including supervisory experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job such as those listed above.
• Master's Degree is preferred.

Licensing Requirements

• Valid California Driver's License.
• Relevant professional certifications are desirable.

Supplemental Information

The Current Planning Manager falls within the full job description for Planning Manager, which can be found here.

The City of Palo Alto is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EEO). In compliance with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), the City will provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both perspective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.