Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and our dynamic team of professionals seek a motivated Assistant Planner or Associate Planner to provide support to the Permitting and Compliance Department. This is a single-position recruitment that may be filled at either the Assistant or Associate Planner level, depending on candidate qualifications and experience. Applications due by September 7th.

Under the direction of a Senior or Principal Planner, the Planner provides comprehensive technical support to the department while delivering responsive, solution-oriented service to the public, applicants, and partner agencies via phone, email, and in-person consultation. The role works directly with applicants to ensure development proposals align with code requirements and adopted community plans, efficiently guiding projects through the environmental review and permitting processes. Additionally, the position collaborates with partner organizations—often through memoranda of understanding—to implement regional planning initiatives and environmental programs.

Assistant Planner duties include delivering responsive, solution-oriented customer service via phone and email, assisting applicants with code compliance and permitting, and guiding projects through standard environmental reviews. This position works closely with partner agencies and the public to implement adopted plans. High public contact is required.

Associate Planner functions with greater autonomy, executing higher-level responsibilities across complex regional planning, redevelopment oversight, and environmental restoration initiatives. At this level, the Planner independently identifies challenges, conducts sensitive scientific and policy analyses, coordinates inter-agency projects, and drafts advanced policy guidelines, regulatory frameworks, and legislative proposals.

Overall Responsibilities

• Review plans and ordinances for consistency with the Regional Plan and evaluate potential environmental impacts.
• Directly or through a memoranda of understanding, collaborate with partner organizations to help them implement adopted plans.
• Work with applicants to ensure their projects implement adopted plans by meeting code requirements while also helping effectively and efficiently guiding them through the environmental review and permitting processes.
• Assist customers at the public service counter, over the telephone, and through e-mail to answer questions and provide solution-oriented advice.
• Manage assigned projects, including effectively scoping, scheduling, planning, and executing.
• Act consistently with TRPA’s goals and objectives as developed by the Governing Board while providing service of the highest level to our customers- internal and external.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with local jurisdictions, environmental organizations, business interests, and other agencies.
• Use sound judgment to determine when to make independent decisions and when to seek direction from management or other staff.
• Work on special projects or perform other duties as required.          

Education and Experience

Bachelor’s degree in urban or regional planning, hydrology, geography, environmental science, natural resources management; and

• 1-4 years related work experience (Assistant Planner)
• 4+ years of related professional experience or a Master’s Degree plus 2+ years of related experience (Associate Planner)

Required Knowledge and Skills

• Ability to interact with the public in a positive, non-confrontational manner. Capacity to manage conflict to an effective and positive outcome.
• Excellent organizational and record-keeping skills. Has oversight and responsibility for project approval of multiple complex projects. Effectively interprets data dealing with complex problems and situations.
• Demonstrates critical thinking and analysis capability, synthesizes complex facts and issues in order to propose successful solutions tailored to competing interests.
• Has the organizational savvy to build allies and relationships across the Permitting & Compliance department, other TRPA departments and programs, and partner agencies.
• Uses allies to build consensus and create results, is appropriately diplomatic, understands others’ roles and perspectives, and promotes projects and ideas across the Division, Agency, and the Tahoe Basin.
• Able to influence and motivate via oral and/or written communication. Demonstrates the willingness and availability to represent the Permitting & Compliance department, and /or the Agency at public events and meetings as needed.
• Demonstrates initiative and personal motivation to be successful in the challenging and stimulating environment of the Tahoe Basin.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, Outlook and Adobe Acrobat. Working knowledge of GIS and experience with other computer database programs.

   

• COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

  The salary range for an Assistant Planner is $61,069 to $91,603. Starting pay is generally between the minimum ($61,069) and the middle ($76,336) of the range, with some flexibility, depending on experience.

  The salary range for an Associate Planner is $67,300 to $100,950. Starting pay is generally between the minimum ($67,300) and the middle ($84,125) of the range, with some flexibility, depending on experience.

  TRPA’s excellent employee benefits package includes the following:

• 27 days Paid Time Off (PTO) annually for sick and personal time away. Accruals increase with longevity.
• 13 paid holidays annually.
• Money Purchase Pension Plan – in lieu of Social Security, the Agency contributes a dollar amount equal to eight percent of your annual salary towards your retirement. This plan has immediate participation and 100% vesting.
• Supplemental Retirement Plan – the Agency contributes a dollar amount equal to seven percent of your annual salary towards your retirement. This plan has immediate participation and 100% vesting.
• Group Health Insurance: Medical, Dental, and Vision.
• A choice of four (4) medical plans, with 100% employer- paid premiums on select employee-only coverage plans and partial coverage for dependents.
  • High-Deductible Health Plan with a contribution by TRPA to the employee’s HSA account.
• Employer Paid Life Insurance and Short-Term Disability.
• Long-Term Disability (Voluntary).
• 457(b) Deferred Compensation Retirement Plan (Voluntary).
• Medical and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (Voluntary).
• Dog-friendly employer.