Planning Aide​/Assistant Planner​/Associate Planner

Position: PLANNING AIDE/ASSISTANT PLANNER/ASSOCIATE PLANNER
This recruitment will remain open until filled. The first review of applications is scheduled to occur for applications received before 5:00 PM on March 3, 2026, and will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until the position is filled. This recruitment may close at any time after that date, once a sufficiently strong candidate pool has been established.

Note:

The job descriptions are currently being updated and are under review for final approval.

This posting is a job series in which applications will be accepted, reviewed, and considered based on the qualifications listed on the application. The candidates that meet the minimum qualifications will be invited to test at the appropriate job level within the series. Only ONE APPLICATION needs to be submitted to be considered for this job series.

SALARY RANGE:

Planning Aide: $60,777.60 - $85,508.80 Annually

Assistant Planner: $75,649.60 - $ Annually

Associate Planner: $90,480.00 - $ Annually

In Huntington Beach, we believe passionately that the key to becoming the best beach City in the world starts and ends with finding the right people to join our team. At this time, we have an outstanding career opportunity available, as we're looking for the "right person" to serve as Planning Aide, Assistant Planner or Associate Planner in our Community Development Department's Permit Center Division.

The ideal candidate is a detail-oriented and customer-focused professional with a solid foundation in planning and zoning regulations. They thrive in a public-facing environment, providing direct assistance at the Permit Center counter by answering zoning and land use inquiries, guiding applicants through submittal requirements, and ensuring a smooth permit intake process. They are motivated to learn and strengthen their skills, and gain much experience in an energetic and productive setting.

In addition to strong customer service skills, the ideal candidate has hands-on experience conducting zoning plan checks for a variety of residential and commercial projects. They are proficient in reviewing plans for residential remodels, additions, custom homes, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and commercial tenant improvements, ensuring compliance with development standards such as setbacks, building height, lot coverage, floor area ratio, and use classifications.

Experience with land management software and digital plan reviews is desired.

Community Development Department

The Community Development Department is comprised of two primary areas:
Development Services and Community Enhancement. Development Services is comprised of the following divisions:
Planning, Building, and the Permit Center. Community Enhancement is comprised of the Housing, Code Enforcement, Economic Development, and Real Estate divisions. The Planning Division is responsible for Advance (or Long Range) and Current Planning activities. Advance Planning involves updating the City's General Plan, Local Coastal Program and Specific Plans. These documents contain goals and policies to manage long-term growth of the City and Coastal Zone.

Current Planning is responsible for coordinating the review of development proposals to ensure compliance with the City's General Plan, Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance, as well as applicable Federal and State regulations. This includes processing applications for entitlements such as permits, subdivisions, and variances conducting environmental reviews, and providing plan check services. Current Planning also staffs the Planning Commission, Zoning Administrator, and Design Review Board.

The Permit Center Division is responsible for assisting residents, businesses, and developers at the front counter. Permit Center Planning staff works directly with the public, handling general processing and plan checking of ministerial permits, coordinating plan reviews, and resolving zoning-related issues in collaboration with internal departments such as Building, Public Works, and Fire.

The Position

The Planner series consists of five levels. The distinction amongst levels is determined according to the complexity of the work assigned, the range of supervision received and exercised, and the expertise required to perform the work at the designated level.

Planning Aide - This is the entry-level classification in the Planning series. Employees assigned to this class receive explicit direction and training, develop practical experience by performing routine and standardized duties and must possess functional knowledge of the basic principles and theories required to perform the work.

Assistant Planner - This is the intermediate-level classification in the Planning series. Employees assigned to this class receive general direction in performing routine work with minimal complexity in accordance with established priorities and procedures and possess knowledge of the generally accepted principles, theories, and best practices required to perform the work.

Associate Planner - This is the fully trained journey-level…