Planner I/II

The County of Ventura Resource Management Agency – Planning Division is seeking job applications for Planner I/II.  Details are as follows:

VENTURA COUNTY
The County’s 1,873 square miles include 1,846 square miles of land with 42 miles of coastline which is home to the fol­lowing cities and points of interest: Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Ojai, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Santa Paula, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, and Ventura as well as national protected areas such as parts of the Angeles National Forest, Channel Islands National Park, and the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

THE AGENCY
The primary goal of the Resource Management Agency (RMA) is to protect the health, safety and welfare of the general public through administration and enforcement of County ordinances, Board policy, and state and federal laws regarding land use, and commercial and environmental regulation. RMA includes five divisions: Environmental Health, Building & Safety, Code Compliance, Operations/GIS, and Planning.

THE DIVISION 
The chief responsibility of the Planning Division is to regulate the use of land and structures within unincorporated areas of the county. Using these regulations and others, the Planning Division issues permits for uses and structures and enforces both permit conditions and maintains consistency with the County’s Zoning Ordinances and General Plan. A GIS Story map with more information about the Planning Division for potential job candidates can be found here: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/37db0d2d1cce4b65bcd09b88443b5d43

THE POSITION
Under immediate supervision (I), to general supervision (II), performs progressively complex professional planning work involving data collection and analysis, report preparation and public contact; assists in zoning and/or planning programs; and performs related duties as required.

The ideal candidate will possess land-use planning experience. The candidate will be a reliable and detail-oriented individual who can identify and solve problems and can demonstrate strong written and oral communication skills. The ideal candidate will have excellent customer service skills. In addition, the candidate must be able to review entitlement applications and conditions of approval, prepare staff reports, and other written documents, as well as understand and administer diverse ordinances, rules, and regulations.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:

Planner I is the entry level in professional planning job series.
Planner II is next in the continuum and performs more complex tasks.

Approximate Salary:
Planner I: $2,296.35 – $3,220.47 Biweekly
Planner II: $2,574.48- $3,600.10 Biweekly

Resource Management Agency, Planning Division, Planner I/II are represented by the Service Employees’ International Union (SEIU) and are not eligible for overtime compensation.

NOTE: If appointed at the lower level, incumbent may be promoted to the higher level without further examination upon meeting the minimum requirements, demonstrating satisfactory performance, and in accordance with the business needs of the department.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
OPENING DATE: 8/01/2024
CLOSING DATE: 9/16/2024

Examples Of Duties
Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Processes planning permits or compliance reviews, updates the Accela permit tracking system, researches permit history, defines problems and alternative solutions, works with applicants, and sets goals and timelines as part of the ongoing planning process.
• Prepares written planning staff reports, CEQA environmental documents, conditions of approval, and policy recommendations for decision making bodies.
• Researches, compiles, synthesizes, analyzes, interprets, and validates information and land-use data using associated computer software and databases to meet planning objectives.
• Coordinates and/or negotiates with other individuals, developers, applicants, consultants, and other departments and agencies on technical or legal aspects of planning projects, some of which may be controversial or politically sensitive.
• Provides general information to the public in response to questions about projects, planning programs, applicable ordinances, policies and procedures.
• Makes oral presentations to governmental bodies that explain and clarify planning projects and staff report recommendations.
• Reviews and interprets Planning ordinances, regulations, and land use policies.
• Conducts field investigation of proposed project sites in order to have direct knowledge of the location or project under study.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Typical Qualifications
These are entrance requirements to the examination process and assure neither continuance in the process nor placement on an eligible list.

EDUCATION, TRAINING, and EXPERIENCE

Planner I: Some experience in land use planning which has led to the acquisition of the required knowledge, skills, and abilities. The required knowledge, skills, and abilities can be obtained by completion of a Bachelor’s degree in urban planning or a related field and one (1) or more years of progressively responsible planning experience.

Substitution: Three (3) years of land use planning experience and non-related degrees may be substituted for the required education for each level.

Planner II: Considerable experience in land use planning which has led to the acquisition of the required knowledge, skills, and abilities. The required knowledge, skills, and abilities can be obtained by completion of a Bachelor’s degree in urban planning or a related field and two (2) or more years of progressively responsible planning experience.

Substitution: Four (4) years of land use planning experience and non-related degrees may be substituted for the required education for each level.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
Must be able to obtain and maintain a valid California driver license.

DESIRED

• Experience reviewing, interpreting, and applying planning and zoning ordinances and/or general plan policies to land-use projects.
• Strong writing and research/analysis skills.
• Time management and organizational skills.
• Previous land-use permit processing experience.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS
Work is performed primarily in an indoor environment, but regular on-site inspections are required, sometimes involving hazardous terrain. Also requires occasional climbing, crouching, kneeling, balancing and keyboard entry.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS and ABILITIES

Some (Planner I) to considerable (Planner II) knowledge of:

• Principles, practices and techniques of urban and regional planning.
• Federal, state, and local laws and regulations relating to planning, land use and environmental protection.

Working (Planner I) to considerable (Planner II) knowledge of:

• Research and statistical methods.
• Interagency relationships.
• Map reading.

Working ability to:

• Collect, analyze and interpret data to formulate recommendations.
• Solve problems at increasingly complex levels as experience level increases to the Planner II
• Speak and write effectively.
• Prepare technical reports on increasingly complex projects as experience level increases to the Planner II.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with the public and other agencies to provide information and coordinate planning efforts.
• Make oral presentations to governmental bodies that explain and clarify planning projects and staff report recommendations.

Recruitment Process
FINAL FILING DATE: Applications must be received by the County of Ventura Human Resources no later than 5:00 p.m. on September 16, 2024.

FIRST REVIEW: A first review of applications is anticipated to occur on or around September 20, 2024, and subsequent reviews may be conducted until sufficient applications are received to meet business needs.

To apply on-line, please refer to our web site at www.ventura.org/jobs. If you prefer to fill out a paper application form, please call (805) 654-5129 for application materials and submit them to County of Ventura Human Resources, 800 South Victoria Avenue, L-1970, Ventura, CA 93009.

NOTE: If presently permanently employed in another “merit” or “civil service” public agency/entity in the same or substantively similar position as is advertised, and if appointed to that position by successful performance in a “merit” or “civil service” style examination, then appointment by “Lateral Transfer” may be possible. If interested, please click here (Download PDF reader) for additional information.

Note to Applicants: It is essential that you complete all sections of your application and supplemental questionnaire thoroughly and accurately to demonstrate your qualifications. A resume and/or other related documents may be attached to supplement the information in your application and supplemental questionnaire; however, it/they may not be submitted in lieu of the application.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE – qualifying: All applicants are required to complete and submit the
questionnaire for this examination AT THE TIME OF FILING. The supplemental questionnaire may be used throughout the examination process to assist in determining each applicant’s qualifications and acceptability for the position. Failure to complete and submit the questionnaire may result in removal of the application from further consideration.

APPLICATION EVALUATION – qualifying: All applications will be reviewed to determine whether or not the stated requirements are met. Those individuals meeting the stated requirements will be invited to continue to the next step in the screening and selection process.

TRAINING and EXPERIENCE EVALUATION: The Training and Experience Evaluation (T&E) is a structured evaluation of the job application materials submitted by a candidate, including the written responses to the supplemental
questionnaire. The T&E is NOT a determination of whether the candidate meets the stated requirements; rather, the T&E is one method for determining who are the better qualified among those who have shown that they meet the stated requirements. In a T&E, applications are either scored or rank ordered according to criteria that most closely meet the business needs of the department. Candidates are typically scored/ranked in relation to one another; consequently, when the pool of candidates is exceptionally strong, many qualified candidates may receive a score or rank which is moderate or even low resulting in them not being advanced in the process.

NOTE: The selection process will likely consist of an Oral Exam, which may be preceded or replaced with the score from a Training and Experience Evaluation (T&E), contingent upon the size and quality of the candidate pool. In a typical T&E, your training and experience are evaluated in relation to the background, experience and factors identified for successful job performance during a job analysis. For this reason, it is recommended that your application materials clearly show your relevant background and specialized knowledge, skills, and abilities. It is also highly recommended that the supplemental questions within the application are completed with care and diligence.

 ORAL EXAMINATION – 100%
A job-related Oral Examination may be conducted to evaluate and compare participating candidates’ knowledge, skills, and abilities in relation to those factors which job analysis has determined to be essential for successful performance of the job. Candidates must earn a score of seventy percent (70%) or higher to qualify for placement on the eligible list.

NOTE:  If there are three (3) or fewer qualified applicants, an exam will not be conducted. Instead, a score of seventy percent (70%) will be assigned to each application, and each applicant will be placed on the eligible list.

ELIGIBLE LIST
Candidates successfully completing the examination process may be placed on an eligible list for up to a period of one (1) year. The eligible list established from this recruitment may be used to fill current and future Regular (including Temporary, Fixed-Term), Intermittent, and Extra Help this and similar vacancies within the Resource Management Agency. There is currently one (1 ) regular vacancies within the Planning Division Planning Programs Section. Future vacancies may occur in any of the Planning Division sections.

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: A thorough pre-employment, post offer background investigation which may include inquiry into past employment, education, criminal background information and driving record is required for this position.

For further information about this recruitment, please contact Magali Rodriguez by email Magali.Rodriguez@ventura.org or by telephone at (805) 654-3805.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
The County of Ventura is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.