Planner I/II

Napa County, CA is hiring a Planner I/II for its Planning, Building & Environmental Services department. The position involves reviewing development applications, preparing reports, and assisting the public and developers. The role supports the county's growth while maintaining its agricultural heritage and environment. This full-time position offers an annual salary between $90,084.80 and $124,300.80 and is located in Napa, CA, indicating that it is not a remote job.
Salary : $90,084.80 - $124,300.80 Annually
Location : Napa, CA
Job Type: Full Time
Job Number: 1173-2025-07-30
Department: Planning, Building & Environmental Services
Opening Date: 07/29/2025
Closing Date: 8/11/2025 5:00 PM Pacific

The Napa Valley
Napa County is home to 140,000 residents who share a strong sense of community and a legacy of preserving and protecting our rich agricultural heritage.

Located in the heart of California's preeminent wine region, the Napa Valley is also part of the dynamic San Francisco Bay Metropolitan Area. With its sunny Mediterranean climate and proximity to the mountains and ocean, the Valley offers residents easy access to virtually unlimited shopping, dining, cultural and recreational opportunities.

The Napa Valley's strategic location, natural and cultural resources, history of responsible land use planning and attractive quality of life provide the ideal mix of small town living and big city amenities.

Napa County as an Employer
As an organization, Napa County is dedicated to improving the lives of our citizens and reflecting the best of the community's values: Respect, Accountability, Dedication, Integrity and Innovation. Learn more
The Position
The Planning, Building, and Environmental Services (PBES) department partners with the community to promote the health, safety, and sustainability of Napa County by providing a range of development services while balancing agricultural, environmental, and economic vitality. PBES is comprised of nine divisions: Planning, Building, Engineering & Conservation, Environmental Health, Natural Resources, Code Compliance, Parks, Administrative and Technical Support. The Department is supported by a $24+ million budget and 100+ full-time employees. Learn more about PBES .

Planning is responsible for the review of development applications for consistency with the County's General Plan, County Code, and State and Federal law, including local implementation of the . The Planning division is charged with charting the orderly growth and development of the unincorporated areas of Napa County, while maintaining its quality of life, agricultural heritage, and natural environment. Division staff maintain and update the County Code, General Plan, and the Zoning Ordinance, as well as provide staff support to the Planning Commission, the Airport Land Use Commission, and other advisory boards and commissions.

Following are the sub-disciplines within which a Planner I/II may work:
Current and Advanced Land Use Groundwater and Water Resources Sustainability
Napa County is currently seeking applicants for one(1) vacancy assigned to the Current & Advanced Land Use to perform a variety of responsible professional duties in the field of current and advance land use planning, which include preparing, processing, and presenting reports, researching findings and agenda items; disseminating information to the public and provide assistance to the public and developers on complex matters; and, as assigned, performing business process analysis and oversee interdepartmental permitting coordination as well as processing building and grading permits to ensure compliance with the general plan and zoning regulations and to ensure efficiency of the Department's permit information tracking systems.

The ideal Candidate

Strong analytical skills and proficient in conducting research, data analysis and utilizing tools to evaluate and interpret data.Excellent written and verbal communication skills to effectively convey planning concepts and present findings.Ability to work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams.Strong problem-solving abilities to identify issues, propose creative solutions, and evaluate the planning initiatives. Strong organizational skills to manage multiple projects, meet deadlines, and prioritize tasks effectively.Detail oriented and ability to analyze data accurately.
Scheduled salary increases and Winter Time Off (WTO):
3.5% COLA increase effective 7/01/2632.0 hours of paid Winter Time Off (WTO)
POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

Experience and Education:Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge, skills, and abilities would be:

PLANNER I ($43.31 - $51.76 hourly)

Option I
Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with bachelor's degree in city, regional, land use or environmental planning, or related field

Option II
Experience: Two years of the experience providing planning information to the public and processing administrative permits such as sign permits, temporary trailer permits, home occupations, event permits and ABC compliance checks.
AND Education: Graduation from an accredited college with an associate's degree in city, regional, land use or environmental planning or possession of a planning certification from an accredited college or professional planning association.

Option III
Experience: Four years of the experience providing planning information to the public and processing administrative permits such as sign permits, temporary trailer permits, home occupations, event permits and ABC compliance checks.

PLANNER II ($49.94 - $59.76 hourly)
Experience: Two years professional experience in the planning, natural resources, water resources or sustainability/energy field.

Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree in city, regional, land use or environmental planning, environmental policy, environmental science, hydrogeology or related field.
License or Certificate* for Planner I & II: Possession of a valid California Driver's License.

*Any license, certification, or registration required for this position shall be maintained (i.e., active and in good standing) at all times during employment with Napa County. For continued employment with Napa County, you must maintain such license, certification, or registration to meet the minimum qualifications of this position.

The list established by this recruitment will be used to fill one current, full-time vacancy, as well as future full-time, part-time, limited term, and extra help positions as they occur over the next 12 months. The department may choose to fill the vacancy at the I or II level, depending on the qualifications of the candidate pool.

THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Application Deadline 5:00pm PDTAUGUST 11, 2025Application Screening The week of August 11, 2025.Supplemental Question Scoring By August 22, 2025.
Supplemental questions will be scored by subject matter experts. The most qualified applicants from the scoring of the supplemental questions will be invited for an Oral Panel Interview.Oral Panel Interview Tentatively scheduled for the week September 8, 2025.
The most qualified candidates from the interview process will be placed on the eligibility list and may be considered for current and future vacancies for this position for up to one year.
Human Resources reserves the right to change the recruitment process at any time.

Example of Duties
View the full job descriptions, including the example of duties for and Planner II.

Napa County employees automatically become Disaster Service Workers. This means that when Napa County experience emergencies (earthquakes, wildfire, power outage, etc.) you may be asked to pivot from your regular duties to provide critical services to those affected by the emergency (Cal. Gov. Code § 3101.)

Benefits

ADA AccommodationApplicants requiring accommodation during the application and/or selection process pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Act should contact County of Napa Human Resources at (707) 253-4303.

Napa County is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Napa County employees automatically become Disaster Service Workers. This means that when Napa County experiences emergencies (earthquake, wildfire, power outage, etc.) you may be asked to pivot from your regular duties to provide critical services to those affected by the emergency (CA Govt Code § 3102).
PUBLIC SERVICES EMPLOYEES BENEFITS INFORMATION

SALARY -
Salaries are based on a five-step range. Appointments are usually made at the beginning step with advances occurring at six months and the completion of each year thereafter. Salary rates are reviewed annually.

ADDITIONAL BENEFITS INFO -
Click here for additional benefits information for Public Services Employees:
THESE BENEFITS DO NOT APPLY TO EXTRA HELP POSITIONS

EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION

PHYSICAL STANDARDS -
Certain designated County positions require a candidate to pass a physical examination prior to appointment. Offers of employment are conditional upon successful completion of this examination.

FINGERPRINTING -
All employees hired into allocated positions or extra help positions will be fingerprinted.

SELECTION PROCESS -

FOR POSITIONS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND THE PROBATION DEPARTMENT - The selection process will include an oral board interview, psychological assessment, background investigation, and a pre-employment physical exam.
01

Instructions for Supplemental Application Questions. The following questions comprise one of the steps in the selection process for this position and are intended to assist you in presenting your qualifications. Only the information you provide in your answers to these questions will be evaluated and scored to determine the best qualified candidates to continue in the selection process for this position. Please be complete and specific in answering the questions as your score will be based on this information. Applications submitted without responses to the supplemental questions will not be evaluated. Although your experience and education should relate back to your application, your application and or resume will not be reviewed when scoring the supplemental questions. Therefore, please be as detailed as possible in your responses to the supplemental questions. I have read and understand the instructions presented above. Yes No
02

Please indicate which level(s) you are applying for: Planner I Planner II
03

Please describe your education, training, and/or professional planning work experience that meet or exceed the minimum qualifications for this position.
04

Please describe your experience with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requirements. Indicate the types of documents you have prepared (Categorical Exemption, Neg. Dec/Mitigated Neg. Dec/EIR), resources assessed (i.e. hydrology, biology, geology, etc.) and issues raised, level of controversy (if any) and your role. If your experience is with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) or other environmental processes, please explain.
05

Please describe your experience with the following: a) Local (city or county) planning processes, including the application of land use (zoning) regulations b.) Public presentations/meetings and facilitating consensus among competing interests.
06

Describe your customer service experience. Include customer service experience related to planning (or another closely related field) either as an employee of a public agency or for a company in private industry.
07

If selected for this position, a medical screening may be required as part of the pre-employment process.I have read and understand this requirement. Yes No
Required Question