Principal Planner

Join Colusa County’s Community Development Department as a Principal Planner and take on a pivotal role in shaping the future of our community! In this exciting leadership position, you will oversee vital natural resources, planning projects, manage complex initiatives, and guide a talented team of professionals. Your work will directly impact the county’s growth as you collaborate with state, federal, and local agencies, ensuring that projects meet regulatory standards and serve the public’s best interests. You will prepare critical reports, secure grants, manage budgets, and represent the department at public meetings. You will be at the forefront of community development and in the absence of the Community Development Director, you will have the opportunity to lead and make meaningful contributions that drive Colusa County’s goals forward. This is more than a job – it’s a chance to make a lasting impact! To learn more about this position, please check out the job description pages HERE.

This recruitment will be used to fill a current vacancy and establish an eligibility list to fill other potential openings without reposting.  

What’s this Job All About?

Under the general direction of the Director of Community Development, the Principal Planner leads natural resources, advance planning, current planning, and ordinance administration. The role involves supervising and training staff, managing complex planning projects, and ensuring compliance with regulations. The Principal Planner also represents the department in public meetings and acts as Director in their absence, advancing community development goals and department operations.

Culture is at Our Core 
The Community Development Department is a collaborative, customer-service oriented office whose primary role is helping our customers realize their hopes and dreams for their property. While we are busy and work hard, we also have a lighthearted, fun approach to our workday. Our values reflect the Department’s commitment to our community to:

Deliver “WOW” Customer Service to All
Be Passionate and Determined
Build Open and Honest Relationships with Communication
Be Adventurous, Creative, & Open-Minded
Be Humble and Kind
Foster a Positive Team Spirit
Pursue Growth and Learning

The Colusa County government is a small, relaxed, close-knit organization. The leadership team values work-life balance and recognizes the hard work of all County team members. As a member of the Colusa County “family,” you are valued and appreciated. If you need time off to coach baseball, attend a ballet recital, take a pet to the vet, or engage in similar activities, you will be encouraged to do so. 

How do we make a difference?  
The Department’s team works tirelessly to ensure that the public’s perception of the Department is that of a partner in the development process and not that of the stereotypical government bureaucratic obstacle. Of course, there are times when, despite our best efforts to help a customer move forward with their project, we must nevertheless say “No”. However, what is important is that the customer knows that they were listened to, that we do care about them and their project, and that we utilized all of the Department’s considerable expertise to suggest viable options to help their project to move forward.

What are the benefits?

A beautiful, safe community in which to work and serve
A caring, empathetic, & fun work family that you will be welcomed into
A job with WORK-LIFE BALANCE
A LIFETIME PAYCHECK (3% @ 60 for Classic Members and 2% @ 62 for New Members)
Amazing health care BENEFITS at NO COST to you -Unless you choose a premium health care plan. 
Authentically kind and engaged leadership who truly enjoy developing staff
457 Deferred Compensation
Management Leave: Forty (40) hours
PAID vacation, PAID holidays (13), and PAID sick leave
Vacation Parity! – Previous service with a public agency counts towards vacation accrual at Colusa County (Includes cities, counties, districts, military and similar entities.) To learn more about vacation parity please see our benefit summary.) 
Join us and be a part of making a real difference in Colusa County, where we always prioritize the well-being of our community and team members.  

Supervision & Examples of Duties:
Receives general direction from the Director of Community Development.

May exercise direct supervision over all technical staff in the absence of the Director of Community Development.

QUALIFICATIONS: 

Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Experience:

Five (5) years of experience in public sector planning. Experience working in natural resource (such as water, forestry, and mineral resource) programs is highly desirable.

Some supervisory and management experience is preferred.

Training:

Equivalent to a Bachelor’s Degree in Geography, Regional Planning, Environmental Studies, Natural Resources, or any related field.

Supplemental Information:
The salary range above consists of 15 steps. Steps 1-6 are annual merit steps with approximately 5% difference between each step, based on successful performance. Steps 7-15 are additional merit steps, requiring 2 years of satisfactory performance at the previous step. Steps 7-14 provide 2.5% increases, while Step 15 offers a 5% increase. The final salary offered will depend on the applicant’s experience and qualifications, ranging from steps 1 to 15.