Classification Description

Small Team – Big Opportunity
If you are seeking a career in government where you can make a difference in the community every day and be part of a positive work culture that supports professional development, the City of Moorpark is the place for you. We are seeking an experienced Principal Planner to join our team. We welcome your application if this opportunity aligns with your career goals and experience. The City of Moorpark is a great place to make a big impact as part of a small team.
We offer a competitive salary and a generous benefits package comprised of 90% City paid health insurance for employee and dependents, 100% City paid dental, vision, life, short-term and long-term disability insurance for employee and dependents, CalPERS retirement, 2% City contribution of employee gross salary to deferred compensation, annual leave bank, 11 ½ days paid holidays, Flexible Spending Plan, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), tuition reimbursement, voluntary life insurance, 9/80, and work/life balance e.g., flexible work schedule/remote work. (See and review the benefits tab). Here at City Hall, we have a mentorship program, an Employee Engagement Team, and we celebrate and recognize employees every quarter.
About the City of Moorpark
The City of Moorpark was incorporated in 1983 as a general law city and operates under the Council-Manager form of government. We are conveniently located in the southeastern part of Ventura County near the cities of Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley, within an hour’s drive to Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, and close to the Southern California beaches. Moorpark is nestled in a flourishing valley with spacious mountain views, a perpetual vacation climate, beautiful residential neighborhoods, cultural arts, shopping, a variety of restaurants, outstanding schools, and the exceptional Moorpark Community College. Moorpark also has 19 city parks with sport courts and fields, open grass, picnic areas, hiking, and viewpoints.
Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to
“Strive to preserve and improve the quality of life in Moorpark.”
Below are some employee comments on why they like working for the City of Moorpark:

• "As a parent, I like the flexible schedule. I can start at 7:00 a.m. and be done by 4:00 p.m. to be with my children”.
• “There is teamwork in my department. When I need help, there is someone always there to assist me”.
• “I like the All-Employee Meeting. The food is always good, and the City Manager gives updates on what is happening. We play games and recognize employees.”
• “I like working with professionals who are trying to do their best for the City.”
• “Flexibility in my schedule and easy-going employees.

Job Description:

The City of Moorpark is seeking an experienced planning professional to join our Community Development team. The Principal Planner position provides an excellent career opportunity to be involved with a broad range of current and advance planning projects. Moorpark is rapidly moving forward with many exciting projects including the development of strategic mixed-use zoning tools, downtown revitalization efforts, enhanced economic development strategies, multiple complex residential developments, organizational process improvements and streamlining efforts, and the deployment of new electronic permitting and tracking systems. The successful candidate must demonstrate excellent writing and presentation skills, comprehensive planning experience, program administration, and experience in the application of the California Environmental Quality Act.
The Principal Planner will review and process major development projects, the preparation of specific plans, zoning ordinance amendments, and environmental documentation under the California Environmental Quality Act, and the management of assigned activities with other City departments and outside agencies. The Principal Planner will also provide responsible and administrative support to the Planning Manager and/or Community Development Director. AICP Certification is desirable. This position is overtime exempt; receives general direction from the Planning Manager and/or Community Development Director; may exercise primary supervision over technical and clerical staff; administers contracts and monitors performance.

Essential Functions

• Plan, prioritize, prepare or assign, supervise, and review the work of staff responsible for the City planning function including current and comprehensive planning projects and special studies; provide technical assistance to professional and technical planning and code compliance staff and consultants.
• Provide responsible staff assistance and support to the Community Development Director or Planning Director.
• Recommend and assist in the development and implementation of department goals and objectives; implement approved policies and procedures.
• Establish schedules and methods for providing planning services; identify resource needs; review needs with appropriate management staff; use resources accordingly.
• Participate in the selection of planning staff and consultants; provide or coordinate staff training; prepare performance evaluations; work with employees to correct deficiencies.
• Participate in the preparation and administration of the division or department budget; submit budget recommendations; monitor expenditures; prepare time accounting and cost recovery information.
• Review, coordinate, and process General Plan amendments and related entitlement applications including zone changes, subdivision maps, planned development permits, and conditional use permits, review and inspect projects, meet with architects, engineers and construction personnel.
• Update or coordinate consultant preparation of updates to General Plan elements and prepare yearly General Plan status report; prepare written staff reports and verbal presentations; to City Council, Planning Commission, City Council and ad hoc committees, other agency staff and representatives.
• Interpret and enforce the City's General Plan, zoning ordinances, related local and state regulations.
• Confer with developers, engineers, architects, landscape architects, environmental and planning consultants, other agency staff, elected officials, the general public regarding City development policies, standards, and the processing of development project and entitlement applications.
• Review and provide comments on other agency projects and environmental documents and CEQA compliance.
• Review programs related to housing and housing rehabilitation to further compliance with housing goals.
• Perform complex architectural, site, landscape and other development plan examining activities; coordinate and direct staff in making recommendations on plan components.
• Prepare professional services agreements and manage the work of consultants.
• Attend and participate in professional group meetings; stay abreast of new trends and innovations in the field of current and comprehensive planning and environmental analysis.
• Provide regular reports to the department head on the status of development applications and code compliance activities.
• Maintain organized and accurate records, files, and databases for entitlement processing, including key deadlines for action and expiration dates for permits or agreements.

Qualifications

Knowledge of:

• Operations, services and activities of a current and comprehensive planning program.
• Reporting and tracking methods for development applications including entitlement review and compliance with conditions of approval.
• Reporting and tracking methods for code compliance activities.
• Principles of supervision, training and performance evaluation.
• Advanced principles and practices of urban planning and development.
• Advanced site planning and architectural design techniques and methods.
• Planning theory and social policies.
• Methods and techniques of research and analysis related to urban development and environmental impact assessment.
• Applicable environmental laws and regulations.
• Computer functions and related software.
• Geographic Information System software.
• Technical report writing.
• Modern office procedures, methods, and computer equipment and various software programs.
• Principles and practices of contract administration.
• Current literature, information sources and research techniques in the field of urban planning.
• Pertinent Federal, State, and local laws, codes and regulations., including California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
• Principles of supervision, training, and performance evaluation.
• English usage, spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

Ability to:

• Analyze proposed projects for consistency with General Plan and compliance with City codes and policies.
• Analyze site and building design for compliance with code requirements.
• Analyze appropriate land use including terrain constraints, circulation, compatibility with adjacent land use, adequacy of services, and potential fiscal impacts.
• Effectively manage contracts and evaluate the work of contractors and consultants.
• Supervise, organize, and review the work of lower level staff.
• Manage multiple projects and comply with processing time limits.
• Interpret and explain City policies and procedures.
• Independently perform complex research, analysis and report writing.
• Prepare reports that provide essential management information on the status of development applications and code compliance activities.
• Interpret, explain, and enforce local, state, and federal laws and regulations.
• Interpret planning and zoning programs for the general public.
• Analyze and compile technical and statistical information and prepare reports.
• Respond tactfully, clearly, concisely and appropriately to inquiries from the public, press or other agencies on sensitive issues in areas of responsibility.
• Operate and use modern office equipment including computer, printers and copiers.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work including City officials and the general public.
• Maintain physical condition appropriate to the performance of assigned duties and responsibilities.
• Maintain mental capacity, which allows the capability of making sound decisions and demonstrating intellectual capabilities.
• Maintain effective audio/visual discrimination and perception to the degree necessary for the successful performance of assigned duties.
• Perform responsible and difficult administrative work involving the use of independent judgment and personal initiative.

Experience, Training, License/Certificate, Working Conditions

Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Experience: Five years of increasingly responsible complex urban planning experience in either current or comprehensive planning including one year of supervisory responsibility.
Training: Bachelors degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in urban planning, geography, public administration, business management or a closely related field.
License or Certificate: Possession of or ability to obtain and maintain an appropriate, valid California driver's license. AICP is desirable.
Working Conditions: Office and field environment; travel from site to site; exposure to computer screens; exposure to outside atmospheric conditions, dust and noise. Essential functions may require maintaining physical condition necessary for sitting for prolonged periods of time, standing or walking; travel to various locations; light lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling; reaching; handling; use of fingers; talking; hearing; near acuity.

The City of Moorpark operates most divisions on a 9/80 schedule and offers a comprehensive and generous benefit program. Highlights include the following:
Health, dental, and vision insurance:

• Medical insurance is through California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) which offers PPO and HMO plans. The City pays 90% of the PERS Platinum Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) Health Plan family rate towards whichever plan the employee chooses. An employee may convert up to a maximum of $300 per month of the medical insurance allowance to cash out or deposit in deferred compensation each month if not used for medical insurance cost.
• 100% of the dental and vision insurance premiums for employee and dependents is paid by the City.

Life Insurance:$75,000 term life insurance paid by the City.
Supplemental Life Insurance: Employees have the option of increasing their life insurance by purchasing supplemental life through payroll deduction.
Retirement: The City participates in CalPERS to provide retirement benefits for employees. For eligible miscellaneous Classic employees (employees hired before 1/1/2013 with a 2% @ 55 formula and no required employee contribution), the City pays 7% of base salary on employees’ CalPERS contribution. For “New” members (employees hired on or after 1/1/2013 with a 2% @ 62 formula), the employee contributes 6.75% of salary. The City does not participate in Social Security.
Deferred Compensation Saving Plan: 2% of base salary paid by the City.
Annual Leave Accrual: Annual leave (vacation, personal, sick time hours) is accrued based on years of service. Annual Leave accrual rates for Management Employees begins at 22 days per year and maxes out at 32 days per year.
Administrative Leave: Management Employees at salary range 67 or higher receive approximately 68 hours per year. Management Employees at a salary range lower than range 67 receive approximately 44 hours per year.
City Paid Holidays:11 ½ paid legal holidays each year.
Remote Work Option: For certain positions where it may be appropriate without diminishing quality of performance or service delivery, remote work arrangements may be set up after six months of on-site work.
Flexible Work Schedule: For certain positions where it may be appropriate without diminishing quality of performance or service delivery, flexible work schedule arrangements may be set up.
Short and Long-Term Disability:City-paid coverage.
Tuition Reimbursement: Management employees will be reimbursed for courses pre-approved by the City Manager. The annual maximum tuition reimbursement is $1,800 and the lifetime maximum is $10,000.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP): The City provides a comprehensive Employee Assistance Program for confidential counseling and services to City employees and their immediate families.