Long-Range Planner, I, II or III - City of Salem, OR

Make an impact:  
The City of Salem is seeking a highly motivated individual to join our Planning Division as a full-time Long-Range Planner I, II, or III in the Community Planning and Development Department. This position is part of a flex classification that provides opportunities for career advancement and could be filled as a Planner I, II or III, dependent on the chosen candidate’s experience.

Salem is a diverse, fast-growing city where long-range planning shapes how our community changes and develops now and into the future. If you are seeking a position where you can expand your professional experience and impact a community’s-built environment and the lives of its residents, look no further than the City of Salem!
 
Learn and grow:
Be part of an organization that provides a family-friendly work environment, and a great family-work balance. With competitive pay, outstanding benefits, liberal remote work policy, and opportunities to develop skills and grow within the organization, the City of Salem is a great place to work.

What you will do:
The Long-Range Planner I, II, or II will work with other departments across the city, partnerships and community stakeholders on a variety of complex long-range planning projects. It is an exciting time to work in Salem, as we are working to develop Salem’s first Housing Production Strategy, implementing the State’s new Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities rules, updating our development code, and advancing the goals and policies in our recently updated Comprehensive Plan.
 
Additional job duties and responsibilities:

• Leading and supporting a wide range of planning projects, including plans and regulations related to land use, housing, transportation, and the environment.
• Preparing research, data analysis, technical reports, and public information materials.
• Conducting broad community engagement, including with underserved communities, businesses, developers, neighborhoods, and community groups.
• Explaining technical information to internal staff, community members, and senior appointed and elected decision-makers.
• Preparing amendments to local development regulations and ushering them through an adoption process.
• Writing legislative findings addressing State and local land use criteria, standards, and/or rules.
• Setting goals, establishing priorities, and recommending budgets.
• Developing and reviewing project scopes of work.
• Conducting annual residential reporting to meet State and other requirements.
• Responding to public inquiries related to development regulations.
• Collaborating with local, regional, and State agencies and other partners.
• Play a major role in determining how our community will look decades into the future.

What can we offer you for all your hard work?

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your family.
• Paid vacation and sick time in accordance with City policies.
• Competitive pay.
• Employer-paid PERS contribution of 6%.
• Opportunity for voluntary pre-tax contributions to a 457b account.
• Health care and dependent care flexible spending accounts.
• Voluntary long-term care.
• Employee wellness program.
• Employee assistance program.
• Employee health clinic.
• Position schedule is Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Our team follows a hybrid schedule working in-office 555 Liberty St. SE 3 days a week and remotely for the rest with manager approval. This is subject to change based on business needs.

Salary range for Planner I: $30.11 - $36.81 hourly
Salary range for Planner II: $33.81 - $41.66 hourly
Salary range for Planner III: $3,197.60 - $3,933.60 biweekly (Exempt)

The City of Salem offers a comprehensive and equitable base salary within the listed range based on your experience, skills, and education. We encourage you to clearly describe how you meet the minimum qualifications and essential attributes in your application materials. Learn more about Equal Pay.

What are the minimum qualifications? 

• Must pass the pre-employment background check.
• Must have reliable transportation or an Oregon Driver license with a driving record that meets the City of Salem's driving standards to attend off site meetings.
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in planning or a related field, or any combination of experience and training that demonstrate possession of the knowledge, skills, and abilities as listed, and ability to perform the essential job functions.

• Must pass the pre-employment background check.
• Must have reliable transportation or an Oregon Driver license with a driving record that meets the City of Salem's driving standards to attend off site meetings.
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in planning or a related field, and two years of professional planning work experience, preferably in local government or in a related field, or any combination of experience and training that demonstrate possession of the knowledge, skills, and abilities as listed, and ability to perform the essential job functions.

• Must pass the pre-employment background check.
• Must have reliable transportation or an Oregon Driver license with a driving record that meets the City of Salem's driving standards to attend off site meetings.
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in planning or a related field.
• Four years of increasingly responsible professionally planning experience, preferably in local government or in a related field, or any combination of experience and training that demonstrate possession of the knowledge, skills, and abilities as listed, and ability to perform the essential job functions.
• American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) certification preferred.
• Hiring managers do not have access to view resumes as part of the application review process, please make sure to give detailed information in your application that includes your experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities as requested in the supplemental questions and job advertisement.

 Preferred Qualifications (Not required to apply):

• Master’s degree in planning or related field is preferred.
• Knowledge and experience in comprehensive planning or land use planning in an urban environment is preferred.
• Experience of urban planning, transportation planning, research and analytical methodology, and application of planning principles to city, county, or regional areas is preferred.
• Bilingual skills in Spanish highly desired, but not required.
• American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) credential is preferred.

 What you will bring along:

• Be part of a highly talented team responsible for a wide range of programs and projects;
• Demonstrate the ability to work both independent and collaborative;
• Ability to work in both field and office environments;
• Ability to work independently and make appropriate decisions regarding work methods and priorities;
• Opportunity to attend workshops, seminars, and conferences;
• Consistently delivering high-quality products and exceptional customer service;
• Ability to work under a highly supportive management structure;
• Ability to work with a very engaged community and a City Council that supports our work;
• Outstanding relationship management skills including the ability to understand customer needs, build trusted relationships and to interact professionally on all levels;
• Excellent working relationships, interact with staff, consultants, contractors, senior managers, elected officials, and the general public;
• Excellent communication, and interpersonal skills. 

About us: 
The City of Salem is the second largest City in the State of Oregon. Located in the lush Willamette Valley, Salem is the capital city of Oregon with a population more than 180,000. Centrally located, Salem is 47 miles south of Portland, an hour from the Cascade Mountains to the east, and an hour from the ocean beaches to the west. Salem is an exceptional community for living and working with exciting new and comfortable well-established neighborhoods and carefully preserved historic buildings.

 
A full-service City, Salem has eight primary departments:
Community Services, Finance, Fire, Enterprise Services, Legal, Police, Public Works, and Community Planning and Development. Several departments also have functional divisions within their department. The City has five labor unions and employs roughly 1,350 talented and dedicated staff members. The Urban Renewal Agency and the Salem Housing Authority are separate municipal corporations. The Agency contracts with the City for services and the Authority is led by the Housing Administrator within the Community and Urban Development department.

Where can I find out more about the position?
Go to the menu option for Class Specifications and search for Planner I, Planner II or Planner III or view by clicking the title link.
 
How can I apply? 
The City of Salem invites individuals of all diverse communities and backgrounds to apply for our available job opportunities as we strive to provide the best service to everyone. The City of Salem is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all and has a culture that values diversity, equity, and inclusion. We believe that by welcoming differences, encouraging new ideas and views, listening to, and learning from each other, we are better able to serve the community.
 
To apply, click on the green “Apply” button to complete your application. Make sure that you specify how you meet the qualifications outlined in the class specification and complete the application.
 
Applicants that meet the minimum qualifications as outlined above but not selected for this position may be placed on an eligibility list, and candidates may be hired from the list. Eligibility lists are valid for six months. The City will send email notifications to eligible candidates about potential hiring opportunities so please ensure your email settings accept our system generated email notifications.
 
You may subscribe for automatic notification of job openings at the City through the Job Interest Cards – sign up today!
 
For more information about employment at the City of Salem, please visit our website at www.cityofsalem.net/jobs.