5278 Planner II – Transportation Policy Planner

Salary: $36.28 – $44.09/hour; $6,288.00 – $7,642.00/month; $75,452.00 – $91,702.00/year

Application deadline: 11/12/15

Appointment Type:

Permanent Exempt (PEX), Full-Time appointment not to exceed three (3) years. This position is exempt from the Civil Service rules pursuant to San Francisco Charter Section 10.104-18 and serves at the discretion of Appointing Officer.

There is a potential that this position may be approved for Permanent Civil Service (PCS) in the future. If/When approved as a PCS position, the candidate selected for this position will be required to participate, be successful, and reachable in the 5291 Planner III examination and then selected through an open competitive process in order to be considered for Permanent appointment.

Introduction:

The San Francisco Planning Department has an opening for a 5291 Planner III to work on complex planning work relating to the design of the built environment in our Current Planning Division.

The San Francisco Planning Department plays a central role in guiding the growth and development in our City. The Department works with other City agencies and the community to help achieve great planning for a great city.

Our mission, under the direction of the Planning Commission, shapes the future of San Francisco and region by: generating an extraordinary vision for the General Plan and in neighborhood plans; fostering exemplary design through planning controls; improving our surroundings through environmental analysis; preserving our unique heritage; encouraging a broad range of housing and a diverse job base; and enforcing the Planning Code.

The Department serves a broad range of constituents, including the citizens of San Francisco, community organizations, elected and appointed policymakers, builders, architects, property owners, tenants, and advocacy groups. All rely on the City’s General Plan and the Planning Code to achieve the City’s development goals.

Current Planning staff help shape the physical development of the City. Planners are responsible for guiding projects through the building permit and land use entitlement process to ensure compliance with the San Francisco Planning Code, San Francisco’s General Plan, zoning regulations, and relevant design guidelines. Planners are responsible for reviewing project applications, processing Neighborhood Notifications for changes of use and residential expansions, implementing the historic preservation work program, and operating the Planning Information Center.

This is an opportunity to work in a dynamic, inter-disciplinary, and innovative department and share in our vision to make San Francisco the worlds’ most livable urban place – environmentally, economically, socially and culturally.

Position Description:

Under general direction, the Planner II performs journey level planning work. The Planner II is responsible for conducting investigations and performing analyses to prepare reports and recommendations pertaining to complex planning issues and problems. The Planner II may provide project management or independent work on minor planning projects. The Planner II may perform supervised work individually or as part of a project team.

The essential functions of the Planner II positions in the Citywide Planning Division include, but are not limited to:

Examples of Essential Duties:

• Assisting in the development of long-range citywide or neighborhood plans and programs;
• Assisting in the preparation, revision and updating of the General Plan and/or Planning Code;
• Assisting with community outreach and engagement processes;
• Preparing recommendations for Department, Planning Commission and other city Commissions/Boards actions;
• Providing information orally and in writing to city agencies, property owners, developers, community organizations, the Planning Commission and the general public;
• Interpreting and explaining legal, technical and procedural aspects of planning work to agencies and members of the public;
• Conducting site and field inspections and conducting surveys and interviews to obtain data;
• Preparing computer based and hard copy graphic materials;
• Designing and preparing graphic presentations to illustrate planning and development concepts;
• Conducting research studies and formulating recommendations to assist in planning policies;
• Providing zoning and permitting information to the general public, including shifts at the Planning Information Counter.
• Processing relevant planning applications and referrals, including: General Plan Referrals, Preliminary Project Assessments, and Community Plan Exemptions; and

Specific Tasks related to Transportation Policy Planning include: assisting in development of long-range transportation policies and proposals, reviewing and analyzing transportation-related data, and assisting with transportation-related components of community planning work. Desired skills include strong understanding of transportation planning and design principles, including all travel modes, understanding of transportation demand management policy and best practices, ability to review and perform transportation analysis and modeling or simulation, and understanding of federal and state regulations and funding programs relating to transportation capital projects.

Incumbents in this job code may be required to attend evening and weekend meetings, occasionally held in community locations.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university AND two (2) years (4,000 hours) verifiable full-time-equivalent experience in city, regional, urban or transportation planning, urban design, historic preservation, architectural or environmental review or other related field; OR
2. Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university in City, Regional, or Urban Planning, or a closely related field such as Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Geography, Urban Studies, Public Administration, Physical Sciences, Historic Preservation, or Environmental Studies AND one (1) year (2,000 hours) verifiable full-time-equivalent experience in city, regional, urban or transportation planning, urban design, historic preservation, architectural or environmental review or other related field; OR
3. Possession of a Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in City, Regional, or Urban Planning, or a closely related field such as Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Geography, Urban Studies, or Environmental Studies.

 Desirable Qualifications

The stated desirable qualifications may be used to identify job finalists at the end of the selection process when candidates are referred for hiring.

• Knowledge, skills, or experience with urban planning, land use planning and transportation planning, including experience with integrated land use and transportation planning.
• Strong written, oral, and graphical communication skills and the ability to interact effectively and maintain cooperative working relationship with peers, staff, outside agencies, and the community.
• Strong interpersonal skills, professionalism, and responsibility and the ability to work collegially on team projects
• Ability to effectively handle multiple projects and demands within deadlines.

HOW TO APPLY:

Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are being accepted through an online process. Visit: http://www.jobaps.com/SF/sup/bulpreview.asp?R1=PEX&R2=5278&R3=066463 to register an account, and view this complete job announcement for application submission requirements.