Senior Planner at City Of Sonoma in Sonoma, California

Job Description:

The Senior Planner performs professional and 
technical urban planning and housing duties 
requiring specialized knowledge; to organize, 
assign and review the work of assigned staff 
engaged in preparing staff reports to the 
Planning Commission; and to provide highly 
responsible professional support to assigned 
management. This is a mid-management 
position with full supervisory responsibilities 
including subordinate evaluations. 
The Senior Planner receives general direction 
from the Community Development Director and 
is supported by two staff, the Associate Planner 
and a Planning Permit Technician. 
The ideal candidate is an open minded, 
perceptive, and proactive leader who posses a 
thorough knowledge of principles and practices 
of current urban planning. In addition, proven 
written and oral communication skills, solid 
interpersonal skills, and an ability to develop and 
maintain effective working relationships with 
staff, other City departments, elected officials, 
and members of the community is critical.
Sonoma Valley’s economy is largely driven by the 
wine industry and tourism. Sonoma is also a 
small town, well loved by its residents, with active 
non-profits, a vibrant community life and an 
authentic friendly culture. With the economic 
boom, Sonoma faces challenges similar to many 
Bay Area communities regarding housing 
availability and affordability, concerns regarding 
increased traffic, and a balancing of interests. As 
the City begins its General Plan process, there are 
important community conversations to be 
conducted in order to determine the 
community’s vision for the next 10 years.
Sonoma’s downtown is the envy of many 
communities with a beautiful 8-acre park that 
regularly hosts events for residents and tourists 
to enjoy. Parking and traffic concerns for the 
downtown are current issues impacting specific 
development projects that are under 
consideration.
The City has invested in updating its website this 
past year and has created robust webpages for 
individual development projects. With this 
commitment to communication, the department 
will continue to build on this foundation and 
continue proactive and transparent 
communication with the public.

Minimum Qualifications 
Any combination of education and experience 
that would likely provide the required 
knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical 
way to obtain the knowledge and abilities 
would be:
EDUCATION:
Equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree from an 
accredited college or university with major 
course work in urban planning, public 
administration, or a related field.
EXPERIENCE:
Two years of responsible journey experience 
similar to Associate Planner with the City of 
Sonoma. 
LICENSE AND CERTIFICATE:
Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid 
California Driver’s License. 

Compensation and Benefits
The City of Sonoma provides a competitive compensation and benefits package. The 
current salary range for the Senior Planner is $8,681 to $10,551 per month. The City of 
Sonoma offers a variety of alternative work schedules including a 9/80

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