What are the responsibilities and job description for the Assistant Planner position at City of Berkeley, CA?
BENEFITS OF WORKING FOR BERKELEY
Berkeley, California is a small city with a big reputation. At just ten square miles of land and seven square miles of water, Berkeley is famous around the globe as a center for academic achievement, scientific exploration, free speech, and the arts, and home to over 50 parks, a top-ranked university, and the largest public marina in the San Francisco Bay.
As an employer, the City of Berkeley offers all the benefits of a career in the public sector while fostering diversity, creativity, and innovation. Join a team of high-caliber, experienced staff with a shared mission of serving the Berkeley community and promoting an accessible, safe, healthy, environmentally-sound and culturally-rich city.
See why staff stay at the City of Berkeley: berkeley.careers
JOB OPPORTUNITY
The City of Berkeley invites you to apply for the position of Assistant Planner! In this role, you will have the opportunity to assist higher-level planners in Land Use or Transportation by collecting data, performing research, and preparing reports.
In the Land Use Division of the Planning Department, incumbents are responsible for: Tracking permit activity; Researching zoning history, land use policies, development trends, and precedents; Supporting commission meetings; Preparing written reports and presenting to commissions, committees, community members, and other boards; Assisting in preparing amendments to the General Plan, Municipal Code, and/or other policy and procedure documents. Applicants will be expected to use a variety of software to maintain and update electronic forms, databases, and records, as well as creating maps and graphics in GIS and Adobe Creative Suite.
In the Transportation Division of the Public Works Department, incumbents are responsible for: Assisting with research, planning, conceptual design, and delivery of transportation and parking projects; drafting public notification materials, assisting with organizing and/or attending outreach events, and conducting in-person outreach; producing maps and graphics for transportation projects and parking operations; assisting with the City's coordination and monitoring of privately-operated shared mobility programs, including bicycle sharing and scooter sharing; assisting with preparation of transportation plans and policy documents, including the Pedestrian Master Plan Update, transportation impact analysis guidelines, and Complete Streets Policy implementation guidelines; and supporting the ongoing operation of the City's demand-based parking pricing program (goBerkeley), including conducting periodic data collection, analyzing data in Excel and GIS, and assisting with preparation of parking policy documents.
See the full job description here: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/berkeley/classspecs/105342
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
A typical way of gaining the knowledge, skills, and abilities for this classification is:
Equivalent to graduation from a four-year college with major coursework in city, regional, or urban planning, or a closely related field. Progressively responsible related experience may be substituted for the college coursework on a year-for-year basis.
A valid California driver's license is desirable. Must be able to attend evening meetings as required.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Applications must be received by 5:00 PM Pacific on June 15, 2026 and must include a completed application and answers to the supplemental questions. Please note that resumes are not a substitute for a completed application.
Applications are available in alternative formats (audio-format, braille, large print, electronic text, etc.) upon request to ada@berkeleyca.gov. Please allow 10 days for production of the material in an alternative format.
EXAM PROCESS
The exam process will include, but may not be limited to:
- Application review for minimum qualifications and required documents
- Written exercise (tentatively scheduled for the week of July 6, 2026)
Reasonable Accommodations: The City is committed to making reasonable accommodations in the examination process and in the work environment. Individuals requesting reasonable accommodations in the examination process must submit a request in writing to hr@berkeleyca.gov at the time of application.
PRE-EMPLOYMENT PROCESS
Candidates under final consideration for employment with the City will undergo an employment background check that may include, but is not limited to: confirmation of employment history, educational credentials and degrees, certificates, registrations, and licenses including driver's license; credit check; criminal history check; and Live Scan fingerprinting.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY (EEO) EMPLOYER
The City of Berkeley is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. All employment actions shall be administered regardless of race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, age, physical or mental disability or medical condition, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, marital status, pregnancy, political affiliation, veterans’ status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.
DISASTER SERVICE WORKER
All City employees are required to provide services as Disaster Service Workers in the event of an emergency/disaster.