SENIOR/PRINCIPAL PLANNER (DOQ) in San Marcos, California at City of San Marcos
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Job Description
Salary: $103,826.25 - $172,268.03 Annually
Job Type: Full Time
Department: Development Services
Opening Date: 08/24/2026
Closing Date: 09/24/26
Location: San Marcos, CA
Job Number: 2026 - 56
FLSA: Exempt
Description: SUMMARY DESCRIPTION
The City of San Marcos is currently recruiting for a Senior or Principal Planner to join the Planning Division of the Development Services Department. Historically one of the fastest growing cities in San Diego County, this is an exciting time to be a part of the City of San Marcos. San Marcos is purposefully shaping its emerging community and you will have an opportunity to help guide that legacy.
Summary Description
This recruitment may be filled at either the Senior Planner or Principal Planner level, depending on the selected candidate’s qualifications and experience.
Both levels perform complex professional planning and project management work involving current and long-range planning, development review, environmental analysis, and coordination with City departments, outside agencies and the community. The Senior Planner is the advanced journey-level classification and may provide technical and functional supervision to planning staff. The Principal Planner works at a higher level of responsibility, managing the most complex and sensitive projects and providing direct supervision and leadership to professional planning staff.
Public Service
Serving the public is paramount to all that we do at City of San Marcos. We are driven to serve the more than 95,000 residents who count on us every day. The successful candidate must be responsive, tactful, collaborative, and accountable to our community and customers. This includes working with our residents and other stakeholder groups to deliver projects that make a positive impact.
The Right Perks
- Earn a competitive salary.
- Our 9/80 work week means you'll have every other Friday off. Flexible work arrangement may be accommodated once you've had an opportunity to fully jump into the roles and responsibilities of the position and are working effectively with your team.
- Generous health benefits for you and your family (all medical premiums employer paid at 90%, including family plans). Benefits effective the first of the month after hire date.
- Ample time off: 14 paid holidays, 96 hours of sick leave and beginning at 80 hours of vacation leave annually.
- Family focused benefits - 4 weeks of city paid maternity / paternity leave for new parents welcoming a new family member and 1 week of city paid grandparent leave for employees expanding their extended family.
- Participate in the CalPERS retirement system (Classic members 2% @ 55, New members 2% @ 62), and Social Security.
- Enhance your career by taking advantage of our Tuition Reimbursement Program - up to $1,500 per fiscal year which can also be used towards student loan repayment.
Recruitment Timeline
Second Interview: TBD
Please click the links below to review the full job description for each classification. Candidates will be considered for the level that best matches their qualifications and experience:
Senior Planner - $103,826.25 - $143,676.39 annually
Class Specifications | SENIOR PLANNER | Class Spec Details
Principal Planner - $124,487.70 - $172,268.03 annually
Class Specifications | PRINCIPAL PLANNER | Class Spec Details
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCEEducation/Training
Senior Planner: A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in urban planning, community development, geography, public administration, or a related field is preferred. A master’s degree is highly desirable. However, equivalent experience, certification, licensure and/or education from an accredited college or university will be considered in lieu of a degree.
Principal Planner: A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in urban planning, regional planning, environmental studies, architecture, or a related field. A master’s degree is desirable.
Experience
Senior Planner: Four years of increasingly responsible professional land development or planning experience at a level comparable to an Associate Planner within a local government including project management experience.
Principal Planner: Six years of increasingly responsible, professional urban planning experience in local government, including project management, administrative, and/or supervisory responsibility.
License or Certificate
Professional certification, or membership in the American Planning Association (APA) and American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), although not a requirement, will receive favorable consideration.
Benefits:
Vacation Leave – A new employee will accrue eighty (80) hours of vacation per calendar year for the first two years of service, one hundred, twenty (120) hours for years three through five, one hundred, sixty (160) hours for years six through ten and two hundred (200) hours after eleven years. Vacation accrual begins immediately; however, a new employee is not eligible to take vacation leave until the completion of six (6) months of service with the City.
Sick Leave – A new employee will earn ninety-six (96) hours of sick leave each year.
Bereavement Leave - Employees are eligible to use up to 40 hours of bereavement leave per fiscal year.
Executive Leave - As a "Mid Management Exempt" At Will employee, you will receive sixty (60) hours of Executive Leave per fiscal year. This leave cannot roll over, has no cash value, and any leave not used by June 30th of each year will be lost.
Group Health Insurance Program – A new employee will become a member of one of the City's group health plans (Aetna HMO, Aetna AWH HMO, Aetna PPO, or Kaiser HMO) effective the first day of the month following their date of hire. The City will pay 90% of the health care premium and employees will pick up 10% of the premiums of the plan they select.
Voluntary Dental/Vision Insurance Programs – The City offers two voluntary dental insurance programs, an HMO program and a PPO Program, as well as a voluntary vision insurance program.
Section 125 Flexible Spending Account – All employees are eligible to participate in the City's Section 125 Flexible Spending Account plan administered by Benefit Coordinators Corporation (BCC). This is an IRS-approved plan which enables you to have withheld from your paycheck an amount to cover eligible dependent care, and certain eligible medical expenses without being subject to federal income or social security tax on the income used to pay for these benefits.
Retiree Health Savings (RHS) – All employees participate in a Retiree Health Savings plan through the ICMA/MissionSquare Retirement Corporation.
Deferred Compensation Employer Match Program - The City offers a Deferred Compensation Employer Match Program, matching employee contributions up to 2%
Additional Benefits – The City offers additional benefits such as short and long-term disability, group life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, employee benefit allocation program and workers' compensation insurance.
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