Assistant Planner

Berkeley California is a small city with a big reputation. At just ten square miles of land and seven square miles of water Berkeley is famous around the globe as a center for academic achievement scientific exploration free speech and the arts and home to over 50 parks a top-ranked university and the largest public marina in the San Francisco Bay.

The City of Berkeley invites you to apply for the position of Assistant Planner! In this role you will have the opportunity to assist higher-level planners in Land Use or Transportation by collecting data performing research and preparing reports.

In theLand Use Divisionof the Planning Department incumbents are responsible for: Tracking permit activity; Researching zoning history land use policies development trends and precedents; Supporting commission meetings; Preparing written reports and presenting to commissions committees community members and other boards; Assisting in preparing amendments to the General Plan Municipal Code and/or other policy and procedure documents. Applicants will be expected to use a variety of software to maintain and update electronic forms databases and records as well as creating maps and graphics in GIS and Adobe Creative Suite.

In theTransportation Division of the Public Works Department incumbents are responsible for: Assisting with research planning conceptual design and delivery of transportation and parking projects; drafting public notification materials assisting with organizing and/or attending outreach events and conducting in-person outreach; producing maps and graphics for transportation projects and parking operations; assisting with the Citys coordination and monitoring of privately-operated shared mobility programs including bicycle sharing and scooter sharing; assisting with preparation of transportation plans and policy documents including the Pedestrian Master Plan Update transportation impact analysis guidelines and Complete Streets Policy implementation guidelines; and supporting the ongoing operation of the Citys demand-based parking pricing program (goBerkeley) including conducting periodic data collection analyzing data in Excel and GIS and assisting with preparation of parking policy documents.

In the Planning Unit of the Rent Stabilization Board incumbents are responsible for supporting the administration of the Citys Empty Homes Tax (EHT) and assisting with rental-housing-related planning and policy this role you will collect and organize property and occupancy data conduct preliminary review of filings and exemption claims maintain electronic records and respond to inquiries from property owners tenants and community members. Assistant Planners also support broader Rent Board functions by researching property histories gathering information related to development activity affecting rent-controlled units preparing maps charts and other visual materials and assisting with staff reports and presentations for the Rent Board and its committees. Applicants will be expected to use a variety of software platforms to manage data update records and produce clear written and graphic materials in support of the Rent Boards mission.

See the full job description here: QUALIFICATIONS

A typical way of gaining the knowledge skills and abilities for this classification is:
Equivalent to graduation from a four-year college with major coursework in city regional or urban planning or a closely related field. Progressively responsible related experience may be substituted for the college coursework on a year-for-year basis.

A valid California drivers license is desirable. Must be able to attend evening meetings as required.

Applications must be received by 5:00 PM Pacific on June 15 2026 and must include a completed application and answers to the supplemental questions. Please note that resumes are not a substitute for a completed application.

Applications are available in alternative formats (audio-format braille large print electronic text etc.) upon request to . Please allow 10 days for production of the material in an alternative format.

The exam process will include but may not be limited to:

• Application review for minimum qualifications and required documents
• Written exercise (tentatively scheduled for the week of July 6 2026)

PRE-EMPLOYMENT PROCESS

Candidates under final consideration for employment with the City will undergo an employment background check that may include but is not limited to: confirmation of employment history educational credentials and degrees certificates registrations and licenses including drivers license; credit check; criminal history check; and Live Scan fingerprinting.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY (EEO) EMPLOYER

The City of Berkeley is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. All employment actions shall be administered regardless of race color national origin ancestry religion age physical or mental disability or medical condition sex gender gender identity gender expression sexual orientation genetic information marital status pregnancy political affiliation veterans status or any other status protected under federal state or local law.

DISASTER SERVICE WORKER

All City employees are required to provide services as Disaster Service Workers in the event of an emergency/disaster.