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Planning Director
Council District 5, City of Los Angeles / Los Angeles
Posted on: December 1, 2023
Application Deadline: Open Until Filled
Job Description
The Office of Los Angeles City Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky is seeking a dedicated, effective, and motivated candidate to serve as the Planning Director for the 5th Council District. This person should enjoy working with the community in a professional manner and have a strong desire to help others and make positive change. The 5th Council District includes the communities of Palms, West LA, Westwood, Rancho Park, Cheviot Hills, Century City, Fairfax, Bel-Air, Benedict Canyon, Beverly Grove, Beverly Park, Castle Heights, Crestview, Fairfax, Holmby Hills, La Brea, Melrose, Miracle Mile, UCLA, Mid-Wilshire, Hancock Park, and part of Koreatown.
The Planning Director’s role is to advise the Councilwoman on topics related to zoning, land use, policy, and development while promptly and effectively addressing constituents’ needs and requests. The candidate must possess an interest and understanding of urban planning, civic engagement, and managing projects that involve multiple stakeholders and departments. This position will report to the Deputy Chief of Staff, the Chief of Staff, and the Councilwoman.
DUTIES:
- Advise the Councilwoman on matters of discretionary land use decisions and policy;
- Manage current planning casework generated by constituents and private development projects, including negotiation of Development Agreements;
- Consult with relevant City Departments on case work and policy matters and represent the Councilwoman’s priorities to Departments;
- Monitor and speak at planning commissions and Council committees related to planning and advise the Councilwoman and staff on policy matters within that scope;
- Develop and maintain positive working relationships with community members and groups dealing with land use and planning;
- Work with project developers to minimize community impacts of proposed projects, negotiate development agreements and community benefits agreements;
- Manage the Planning Deputy and advise the field team on related matters.
Required Experience / Skills / Education
- At least a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in planning, public policy, or related field.
- Self-directed, ability to effectively solve problems, prioritize, and manage multiple tasks under pressure in a fast paced environment.
- Ability to analyze large volumes of information, manage and prioritize multiple tasks.
- Strong knowledge of the City’s zoning laws and administrative policies and procedures, as well as understanding of the diverse communities and neighborhoods within CD 5.
- Work non-standard hours as needed, including evenings and weekends, and staff the Councilwoman and/or perform other essential duties.
- Strong written and oral communications skills.
- Perform tasks outside of the primary work assignments as necessary
ADDITIONAL DESIRABLE EXPERIENCE:
Prior experience in an elected official’s office and/or knowledge of electoral politics is strongly encouraged. The position is full-time and exempt from civil service. The ideal candidate will possess a passion for serving the community and its residents; should have experience with public speaking; working knowledge of/or background in government and the communities of Council District 5; demonstrate an excellent ability to communicate in writing; be detailed-oriented and a self-starter; have good judgment, demonstrate an interest in environmental issues, and a strong ability to achieve established goals, as well as the ability to work as a part of a team in a fast paced environment. Additional desired skills include a deep familiarity with the Planning processes in the City of Los Angeles, excellent organizational, management skills, communication and community-relations skills; and the experience and sensitivity needed to work effectively with multiple-stakeholder groups. Moreover, the ideal candidate will have experience successfully negotiating development agreements, community benefit agreements, or other contracts between a developer and project stakeholders.
SALARY:
The anticipated annual base salary for this position is in the range of $95,000-135,000. The exact salary compensation will be based on the skills and experience of the selected candidate.
NOTES:
In accordance with Los Angeles City Ordinance 187134, candidates must meet the minimum requirement of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or receive an exemption and report their vaccination status prior to being hired by the hiring City department. The ordinance is available at: https://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2021/21-0921_ord_187134_8-24-21.prf.
This is an exempt, at-will position. The individual appointed to this position will not accrue any civil service tenure, contractual employment rights, or due process rights. The incumbent may be removed, without any finding of cause, by the hiring authority.
The City of Los Angeles is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. As a covered entity Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Los Angeles does not discriminate on the basis of disability and, upon request, will provide reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access to its programs, services and activities.
Application Instructions
Please submit a resume and cover letter to [email protected] with “Planning Director Application” in the subject line. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and we anticipate interviews will begin as early as December 7th.
