Planner II

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AGENCY

The Alameda County Community Development Agency's mission is to enhance the quality of life of Alameda County residents and plan for the future well-being of the County's diverse communities; to balance the physical, economic and social needs of County residents through land use planning, environmental management, neighborhood improvement, and community development, and to promote and protect agriculture, the environment, economic vitality and human health.  To learn more about the Alameda County Community Development Agency, visit the website https://www.acgov.org/cda/

THE POSITION

Planner II positions are located in the Planning Department of the Community Development Agency in Hayward.  Incumbents work on the less difficult planning projects under the supervision of a Senior Planner, or they assist a Planner III with a major planning project.  With experience, they assume responsibility for carrying out projects of expanded scope.  Duties may include preparing background studies for the General Plan, Plan Elements and Amendments; assists in preparing specific plans, environmental impact reports and zoning studies; the analysis of subdivision, site development review and zoning applications. 

Either I

Experience:

The equivalent of one year full time experience in the class of Planner I in the Alameda County classified service. 

Or II

Education:

Possession of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, with a major in planning or a related field such as architecture, landscape architecture, geography, urban/environmental studies, economics, sociology, public management/administration. If Bachelor’s degree is not in a related field, major must show nexus to planning work experience.  

AND  

The equivalent of two years full time professional experience in county, city, or regional planning.  

NOTE:  A Master's degree from an accredited college or university in city, regional, or urban planning or a related field, may be substituted for one year of the required experience. The Master’s degree in a related field must show nexus to planning work experience.  

Special Requirements:   Candidates may be required to possess and maintain a valid California Driver’s License and may be required to drive in the performance of duties.   On an as needed basis, it may be necessary for Planners to attend night and/or weekend meetings regarding projects that they are assigned.  

NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:

NOTE: The level and scope of the following knowledge and abilities are related to duties listed under the "Examples of Duties" section of this specification.  

Knowledge of:  

• The principles of land use, city, regional, and environmental planning and zoning administration.
• Elements of public administration, economics, and sociology.
• Implications of economic, population, and sociological trends on land development and community planning.
• Elementary statistical methods.
• Proportion, spatial relationships, and aesthetic concepts of physical planning.
• Laws relating to planning, zoning, subdivision and environmental protection.
• Basic GIS principles.  

Ability to:  

• Apply the principles, methods, and techniques involved in city and regional planning.
• Plan and organize.
• Make decisions and exercise judgement.
• Analyze and problem solve.
• Demonstrate interpersonal sensitivity.
• Communicate effectively, orally and in writing.
• Use basic GIS software.

THE EXAMINATION WILL CONSIST OF the following steps: 1) A review of candidates' applications to verify possession of minimum requirements. Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process. 2) A review of candidates’ Supplemental Questionnaires to select the best qualified applicants to continue in the process. 3)  An oral interview which will be weighted as 100% of the candidate's final examination score. The oral interview may contain situational exercises.  CANDIDATES MUST ATTAIN A QUALIFYING RATING ON EACH PORTION OF THIS EXAMINATION.  We reserve the right to make changes to the announced examination components.

Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit.  Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position.  Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position, in which case, the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position.  Other recruitments may be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies, or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work.

To learn more about our recruitment and selection process, please visit the “What You Need to Know” section of our website, www.acgov.org/hrs.

Alameda County offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that affords wide-ranging health care options to meet the different needs of a diverse workforce and their families. We also sponsor many different employee discount, fitness and health screening programs focused on overall well being.  These benefits include but are not limited to*:

For your Health & Well-Being

• Medical – HMO & PPO Plans
• Dental – HMO & PPO Plans
• Vision or Vision Reimbursement
• Share the Savings
• Basic Life Insurance 
• Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage for eligible employees) 
• County Allowance Credit
• Flexible Spending Accounts - Health FSA, Dependent Care and Adoption Assistance
• Short-Term Disability Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Voluntary Benefits - Accident Insurance, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity and Legal Services
• Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

• Retirement Plan - (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
• Deferred Compensation Plan (457 Plan or Roth Plan)

For your Work/Life Balance

• 11 paid holidays
• Floating Holidays
• Vacation and sick leave accrual
• Vacation purchase program
• Catastrophic Sick Leave
• Employee Mortgage Loan Program
• Group Auto/Home Insurance
• Pet Insurance
• Commuter Benefits Program
• Guaranteed Ride Home
• Employee Wellness Program (e.g. At Work Fitness, Incentive Based Programs, Gym Membership Discounts)
• Employee Discount Program (e.g. theme parks, cell phone, etc.)
• Child Care Resources
• 1^st United Services Credit Union 

*Eligibility is determined by Alameda County and offerings may vary by collective bargaining agreement.  This provides a brief summary of the benefits offered and can be subject to change.