Manager - Planning

Job Description

Job Description

Close Date extended thru : Monday February 16th ,2026, at 9 : 00 PM (PST)

Position : Manager – Planning

Department : Administrative Services-Finance

Annual Salary Range : $127,563.54 - $162,806.80

FLSA : Exempt

EEO Category : 1.2 First / Mid-Level Officials and Manager s

Job Summary : The Planning Manager supervises and participates in advanced, highly-complex professional planning activities under the supervision of the Assistant Director of Planning and Permitting. The position provides highly responsible management support in the planning, analysis, coordination, and operation of programs and activities; and supervises assigned staff.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to :

• Assists in the development and implementation of goals, objectives, policies, and priorities of the Community Development department of the City to ensure maximum effectiveness and efficiency.
• Performs and manages complex and sensitive professional planning projects, research and analysis Monitors and ensures compliance with local, state and federal laws including the Subdivision Act and the California Environmental Quality Act.
• Oversees specialized planning functions such as large-scale new development proposals and environmental studies Provides overall management of division-related planning issues.
• Plans, organizes, directs, and evaluates the performance of staff; establishes performance requirements and personal development targets; regularly monitors performance and provides. coaching for performance improvement and development; makes decisions to recognize performance; takes disciplinary action, up to and including termination, to address performance deficiencies, in accordance with the City’s personnel rules and policies.
• Recommend staffing levels, select, train supervise, and establish performance requirements for permanent and part-time staff.
• Provides day-to-day leadership and works with staff to ensure a high-performance, customer service-oriented work environment that supports achieving City and departmental mission, objectives, and service standards.
• Serves as liaison and performs all necessary functions in support of the City’s Planning Commission
• Applies best practices and quality assurance processes to assigned areas of responsibility.
• Enforces the maintenance of safe working conditions and ensures safe work practices are followed by staff.
• Provides leadership to ensure a fair and open work environment in accordance with the City's commitment to equal employment opportunity.

The duties listed above are not intended to be all-inclusive. An employee may also perform other related duties as assigned by their immediate supervisor. This position is considered exempt

Typical Knowledge :

The Planning Manager will be a seasoned professional with an expansive background and knowledge of the following :

Minimum Qualifications :

Core Competencies :

Guiding Principles

Essential Physical Requirements :

Environmental Factors :

Essential Cognitive Functions :

Disaster Service Worker :

Pursuant to California Government Code Section 3100-3109, all public employees are declared disaster service workers subject to disaster service activities as may be assigned to them in the event of fire, flood, earthquake, or other natural or man-made disaster.

Reasonable accommodations will be made, when possible, to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

The City of Lancaster will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act. You do not need to disclose your criminal history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to you. After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if the City of Lancaster is concerned about convictions that are directly related to the job, you will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report. Find out more about the Fair Chance Act by visiting www.dfeh.ca.gov / fair -chance-act / .