SENIOR/PRINCIPAL PLANNER (DOQ)

SENIOR/PRINCIPAL PLANNER (DOQ)

Salary

$103,826.25 - $172,268.03 Annually

Location

San Marcos, CA

Job Type

Full Time

Job Number

2026 - 56

Department

Development Services

Opening Date

08/24/2026

Closing Date

9/24/2026 4:00 PM Pacific

FLSA

Exempt

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION

The City of San Marcos is currently recruiting for a Senior or Principal Planner to join the Planning Division of the Development Services Department. Historically one of the fastest growing cities in San Diego County, this is an exciting time to be a part of the City of San Marcos. San Marcos is purposefully shaping its emerging community and you will have an opportunity to help guide that legacy.

Summary Description

This recruitment may be filled at either the Senior Planner or Principal Planner level, depending on the selected candidate's qualifications and experience.

Both levels perform complex professional planning and project management work involving current and long-range planning, development review, environmental analysis, and coordination with City departments, outside agencies and the community. The Senior Planner is the advanced journey-level classification and may provide technical and functional supervision to planning staff. The Principal Planner works at a higher level of responsibility, managing the most complex and sensitive projects and providing direct supervision and leadership to professional planning staff.

Public Service

Serving the public is paramount to all that we do at City of San Marcos. We are driven to serve the more than 95,000 residents who count on us every day. The successful candidate must be responsive, tactful, collaborative, and accountable to our community and customers. This includes working with our residents and other stakeholder groups to deliver projects that make a positive impact.

The Right Perks

• Earn a competitive salary.
• Our 9/80 work week means youll have every other Friday off. Flexible work arrangement may be accommodated once youve had an opportunity to fully jump into the roles and responsibilities of the position and are working effectively with your team.
• Generous health benefits for you and your family (all medical premiums employer paid at 90%, including family plans). Benefits effective the first of the month after hire date.
• Ample time off: 14 paid holidays, 96 hours of sick leave and beginning at 80 hours of vacation leave annually.
• Family focused benefits - 4 weeks of city paid maternity / paternity leave for new parents welcoming a new family member and 1 week of city paid grandparent leave for employees expanding their extended family.
• Participate in the CalPERS retirement system (Classic members 2% @ 55, New members 2% @ 62), and Social Security.
• Enhance your career by taking advantage of our Tuition Reimbursement Program - up to $1,500 per fiscal year which can also be used towards student loan repayment.

Recruitment Timeline

Application period closes: September 24, 2026 - 4:00pm

First Interview: TBD

Second Interview: TBD

REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES

Please click the links below to review the full job description for each classification. Candidates will be considered for the level that best matches their qualifications and experience:

Senior Planner - $103,826.25 - $143,676.39 annually

Class Specifications | SENIOR PLANNER | Class Spec Details

Principal Planner - $124,487.70 - $172,268.03 annually

Class Specifications | PRINCIPAL PLANNER | Class Spec Details

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Education/Training

Senior Planner: A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in urban planning, community development, geography, public administration, or a related field is preferred. A master's degree is highly desirable. However, equivalent experience, certification, licensure and/or education from an accredited college or university will be considered in lieu of a degree.

Principal Planner: A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in urban planning, regional planning, environmental studies, architecture, or a related field. A master's degree is desirable.

Experience

Senior Planner: Four years of increasingly responsible professional land development or planning experience at a level comparable to an Associate Planner within a local government including project management experience.

Principal Planner: Six years of increasingly responsible, professional urban planning experience in local government, including project management, administrative, and/or supervisory responsibility.

License or Certificate

Professional certification, or membership in the American Planning Association (APA) and American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), although not a requirement, will receive favorable consideration.

Holidays - The City observes fourteen (14) paid holidays that include eleven (11) specifically designated days and three (3) floating holidays.

Vacation Leave - A new employee will accrue eighty (80) hours of vacation per calendar year for the first two years of service, one hundred, twenty (120) hours for years three through five, one hundred, sixty (160) hours for years six through ten and two hundred (200) hours after eleven years. Vacation accrual begins immediately; however, a new employee is not eligible to take vacation leave until the completion of six (6) months of service with the City.

Sick Leave - A new employee will earn ninety-six (96) hours of sick leave each year.

Bereavement Leave - Employees are eligible to use up to 40 hours of bereavement leave per fiscal year.

Executive Leave - As a "Mid Management Exempt" At Will employee, you will receive sixty (60) hours of Executive Leave per fiscal year. This leave cannot roll over, has no cash value, and any leave not used by June 30th of each year will be lost.

Group Health Insurance Program - A new employee will become a member of one of the Citys group health plans (Aetna HMO, Aetna AWH HMO, Aetna PPO, or Kaiser HMO) effective the first day of the month following their date of hire. The City will pay 90% of the health care premium and employees will pick up 10% of the premiums of the plan they select.

Voluntary Dental/Vision Insurance Programs - The City offers two voluntary dental insurance programs, an HMO program and a PPO Program, as well as a voluntary vision insurance program.

Section 125 Flexible Spending Account - All employees are eligible to participate in the Citys Section 125 Flexible Spending Account plan administered by Benefit Coordinators Corporation (BCC). This is an IRS-approved plan which enables you to have withheld from your paycheck an amount to cover eligible dependent care, and certain eligible medical expenses without being subject to federal income or social security tax on the income used to pay for these benefits.

Retirement - The City participates in both the Social Security (FICA) and the California Public Employees Retirement Systems (CalPERS). The City currently contracts with CalPERS for the 2% at 55 benefit formula, Post-Retirement Survivor Allowance, and 3 year average final pay for CLASSIC members and 2% at 62, Post-Retirement Survivor Allowance, and 3 year average final pay for PEPRA (new) members. Employees will contribute 7% or 6.5% towards CalPERS, depending whether a classic or new member.

Retiree Health Savings (RHS) - All employees participate in a Retiree Health Savings plan through the ICMA/MissionSquare Retirement Corporation.

Deferred Compensation Employer Match Program - The City offers a Deferred Compensation Employer Match Program, matching employee contributions up to 2%

Additional Benefits - The City offers additional benefits such as short and long-term disability, group life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, employee benefit allocation program and workers compensation insurance.

01

Describe your planning experience in the areas of current and long range land use planning, site design planning, and environmental planning. Include your experience with general plans, specific plans, and development ordinances/codes. Identify your responsibilities in each of the areas. Also identify the public agencies with which you interacted.

02

Please describe your experience leading and/or supervising planning staff. Include your role, the number and level of staff, and your responsibilities related to assigning or reviewing work, mentoring, training, performance management, or supervision. If you have not formally supervised staff, describe your experience serving in a lead capacity.

03

Describe your experience preparing environmental analyses, specifically CEQA & NEPA, and in working with other public agencies and consultant firms. Include your role and responsibilities, purpose for the analysis, how this information was used and by whom, and how often you prepared an environmental analysis.

04

Tell us about some of the public engagement methods you have used when conducting a community planning process. Which of those methods seemed to work best or seemed to satisfy the publics desire to provide comments or give input?

05

Describe your experience developing a scope of work, negotiating, and administering consultant contracts.

06

Describe your experience making presentations to planning commissions, citizens groups, and staff, including the display materials and programs you developed and utilized. Identify the group, include your role and responsibilities, and indicate the frequency and reason for the presentations.

Required Question

Employer City of San Marcos

Address 1 Civic Center Dr.

San Marcos, California, 92069

Phone 760-744-1050

Website http://www.sanmarcosca.gov