Job Description
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 HERE .
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 an $24+ million budget and 100+ full-time employees.
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 California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) . 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.
There are four sub-disciplines within which a Planner I/ II may work:
Current and Advanced Land Use Planning; Conservation Planning; Groundwater and Water Resources Planning, and Sustainability Planning.
The current vacancy is in the Current and Advance Planning sub-discipline. Planners II and III perform a variety of responsible professional planning duties in the field of current and advance planning; prepares, processes and presents environmental analysis reports, reviews technical reports, conducts zoning research, and prepares findings and planning agenda items; disseminates zoning/regulatory and permitting process information to the public and provides assistance to the public and developers on complex planning matters; and, as assigned, performs business process analysis and oversees interdepartmental permitting coordination and ensures the efficiency of the Department's permit tracking systems.
Scheduled salary increases and Winter Time Off (WTO):
• 3.5% COLA increase effective 7/01/25
• 3.5% COLA increase effective 7/01/26
• 32.0 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 II ( $48.25 - $57.74 hourly)
Experience: Two (2) years of professional experience in the planning, natural resources, water resources, or sustainability/energy field.
Education: A Bachelor’s degreefrom an accredited college or university with a major in city, regional, land use or environmental planning, environmental policy, environmental science, hydrogeology, or related field is required.
License or Certificate*: Possession of a valid California Driver's License.
Planner III ( $55.10 - $66.06 hourly)
Experience: Three years of responsible professional experience in the planning field or related field. (A Master's degree in planning or related field may be substituted for one year of the required experience.)
Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree in urban, regional, land use or environmental planning or related field. (Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for two years of the required college education on a year-for-year basis.)
License or Certificate*: Possession of a valid California Driver's License.
Active membership in the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) is preferred.
*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 II or III level, depending on the qualifications of the candidate pool.
THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS
Application Deadline 5:00pm PDT JANUARY 17, 2025 Application Screening The week of January 20, 2025. Supplemental Question Scoring By January 24, 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 The week January 27, 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 description including the example of duties for Planner II and Planner III .
Benefits
Click here to learn more about the benefits package for this position.
ADA Accommodation
Applicants 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 forPublic ServicesEmployees:
https://www.countyofnapa.org/DocumentCenter/View/25886/Benefits-Summary---Public-Service-Employee-PSE
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.
Closing Date/Time: 1/17/2025 5:00 PM Pacific