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Performs the most highly skilled professional planning and development work in such areas as long range land use planning, zoning, water quality and various other specialty areas such as transportation modeling, watershed planning, and wildlife habitat planning. Planner III’s are assigned to the most challenging projects and assignments, measured by a combination of the project’s complexity, scope, impact on the community or other relevant considerations. Examples would include major project, controversial developments, those with the highest and most complex environmental implications or those representing the greatest cost to the developer or revenue source to the county. Employees in this classification act in a lead capacity within area(s) of expertise and may direct the work of others within the Department that assist with assigned project(s). Being a highly competent journey level planner with emphasis in a specific area is not sufficient alone to warrant classification at this level.

This is a Local 307 union position.

The City of Puyallup is hiring a Senior Planner to join our Planning team.  This is a full-time, temporary position, anticipated to be a 9-month assignment.  Interested applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible to receive priority consideration.  

It is impactful to join Team Puyallup and provide meaningful work in support of public service and the wellbeing of our community. We value our culture of demonstrating excellence in our work, being service focused, supporting collaboration, and having integrity in all that we do. We encourage those that share these values to apply to our open positions and/or forward to colleagues who may be ready for their next career advancement opportunity.

The successful candidate will primarily be focusing on comprehensive (long-range) planning, including annexations, legislation, and urban growth area issues, and may also involve some current planning work. The position requires a broad range of knowledge and experience in the planning field. Work is performed with considerable independence under the supervision of the Planning Manager. Work may require occasional contact with the Hearing Examiner, Planning Commission, City Council, representatives of other City departments and divisions, other governmental agencies, land developers and their agents, and the general public to provide information and advice on sensitive community issues. Work is performed in an office setting, but does require occasional field investigations. Work may require attendance at meetings which frequently occur outside normal work hours.

The City of Puyallup is a community of 43,000 and is situated at the foot of scenic Mount Rainier. The city is known as a regional commercial center, and serves its residents and neighbors with a strong, diversified economy. Our employees live in and support a community that has excellent schools, amazing parks and recreational activities, and a vibrant downtown with a variety of restaurants and retail establishments.

We are seeking an energetic planning professional to provide private and municipal planning and permitting expertise as we develop and execute a wide variety of projects out of our Spokane office. The ideal candidate will demonstrate initiative and be able to work with our diverse clientele as a quick learner, working on a variety of planning-related tasks and responsibilities, and integrating with our company-wide planning team on projects across the Pacific Northwest and beyond. They will be partnered with SCJ planners, senior planners, and project managers to strengthen professional relationships with clients.

Who we are

Our mission is to serve our clients, communities, and each other with creativity, knowledge, insight, and perspective. As a 100% employee-owned company, at SCJ we value trust, compassion, freedom, stewardship, and integrity. We routinely and easily cross job description lines in order to be part of getting something done. Our fast-paced, fun, and flexible atmosphere offers the opportunity for meaningful work that challenges you, makes a difference, and improves communities. We specialize in civil engineering, transportation planning & design, environmental & urban planning, landscape architecture & design, and public outreach. With great projects and a fun-loving team, our firm has been named as both one of the nation’s fastest-growing and best places to work multiple times.

What our planning projects may include

• Current planning support for small-town clients
• Town center planning and redevelopment
• Comprehensive Plan updates
• Housing Action Plans
• Land use planning and permitting
• Parks and Trails planning

What you’ll be doing

• Interesting and challenging work that builds communities.
• Valuing relationships both within and outside of SCJ with strong communication. You will communicate with and build professional relationships with clients, agencies, colleagues, and the public. 
• Working with municipal clients. You will be part of a team providing on-call support for municipal clients.
• Consulting and prioritizing. We’re looking for someone who can consult with clients, planners, and architects on specifications and project needs, assist with current and long-range planning projects, and be able to prioritize multiple projects and deadlines.
• Coordinating. You’ll be coordinating the planning and permitting for work projects as well as working with planners to ensure work tasks are organized and progressing. 
• Working on a variety of project tasks. You’ll perform an assortment of land use, permitting, environmental, and transportation planning projects and tasks.
• Site visits and observations. We want you to get out of the office on occasion to visit the communities and clients you’re working for.
• Public engagement. Many of our planning projects have a degree of public engagement. This role will be integral in engagement efforts for a variety of projects.
• Supporting project managers, senior planners, and principals. You’ll be assisting with presentations to elected officials, hearings examiners, and various other public forums.
• Ensuring project documents are complete, current, and stored appropriately.

What you bring

• A passion for serving others, communication, creativity, and a commitment to high-quality work.
• A Bachelor’s degree in planning or related field or equivalent.
• Proficient in technical writing of plans and reports. A writing sample will be requested upon selection for interview.
• Knowledge of expectations and requirements in planning and permitting work for private &/or public clients.
• 2-4 years of planning experience. 

What we bring 

• An unbeatable culture: An autonomous and collaborative work environment, exceptional operational support, creative and supportive co-workers, and a compassionate leadership team. Plus other fun stuff including firmwide parties, mugshots, gold-medal virtual baking classes, fitness challenges, fantasy football league, trivia nights…and a variety of other creative ways we have found to come together and hang out. 
• Quality projects: We pursue work that improves communities, challenges us, and makes a difference.
• Community involvement opportunities and a charitable matching program. 
• Paid time off: vacation/sick time, holidays, personal floating holiday 
• Retirement benefits: 401(k) plan & employee stock ownership plan (ESOP).
• Health, disability, and other insurance plan options to fit your needs. Including HSA & FSA. Contribution to medical/dental costs as follows: $665/mo. for employee-only coverage; $1,060/mo. for employee + child/ren coverage; $1,150/mo. for employee + spouse/domestic partner coverage; $1,545/mo. for employee + family coverage; any costs for health insurance premiums beyond the SCJ allowance will be your responsibility.

This is not a remote position. Though there is some flexibility, in-person office time will be necessary.

This is the first position in the building inspector series. The Building Inspector performs building inspections and plan review, organizes, and coordinates the activities of the building inspection program, secures compliance with municipal ordinances and regulations governing building construction, alteration, repair, demolition, grading, zoning and code e Administers and enforces the provisions of municipal codes and regulations pertaining to building and construction, grading, mechanical, plumbing and sign ordinances.

Position responsibilities include:

• Administers and enforces the provisions of municipal codes and regulations pertaining to building and construction, grading, mechanical, plumbing and sign ordinances.
• Performs plan check and reviews plan specifications and structures for compliance with City, State, and Federal codes and regulations.
• Determines appropriate fees based on City ordinance and issues construction permits.
• Recommends the initiation of abatement and condemnation proceedings.
• Maintains the building division filing systemand records archiving in accordance with the State of Washington Records Management procedures.
• Assists the public in obtaining information relative to codes and building issues.  Confers and corresponds with private and public external agencies and organizations. 
• As assigned, discuss, and explain various code regulations with the Planning Commission, Building Board of Appeals, and City Council on behalf of the Building Division.
•  Organizes and maintains records related to construction activity with the City.
• As applicable, prepare letters and notices requiring compliance with codes and ordinances. and prepares and presents staff reports and recommendations on building issues.

How to Apply:

Please complete and submit the online application, along with a letter of interest and resume. Evaluation of all candidates will be based on desirable qualifications. Only those selected to receive an interview will be contacted.

• To view the job flyer, CLICK HERE.
• To complete the online employment application, CLICK HERE

Tumwater is a vibrant community, rich in history, community, and opportunity.

Nestled into the base of Puget Sound, Tumwater is the southern gateway to the Seattle/Tacoma metropolitan area. It’s just a little over an hour from the Pacific Ocean beaches, the Olympic Peninsula, and Mount Rainier with beautiful landscapes of prairie, river, estuary, and lush green trees. With its central location, Tumwater is a picturesque Northwest community with convenient access to arts, cultural and outdoor recreation.

Our vision is to create a future that is highly livable with diverse and engaged residents, a strong economy, and a healthy natural environment. Safe neighborhoods, quality schools, and a sense of community pride make Tumwater a great place to live, work, and play.

The City of Tumwater is seeking a dynamic Senior Planner to perform complex land use planning and zoning work as part of an interdisciplinary team.  The position may be assigned duties in the Planning Division and/or Permit Division.

Community Development Department

Position: Senior Planner

Salary Range: $6,248.67 to $9,184.93 monthly; Starting Salary DOQ, DOE

Location Community Development Department

Employment Type: Full-time (40 hours/week); FSLA nonexempt Courthouse Union, Benefits Apply

Open Until Filled

The City of Chelan is looking for an energetic and talented individual for its next Community Development Director. Located three hours east of Seattle, Chelan is a resort community of 4,470 situated at the southern end of 50-mile-long Lake Chelan—arguably the most popular freshwater lake in Washington. Chelan is known for its small-town charm, tight-knit community, stunning lakeside setting, thriving wine industry, and for four-season outdoor recreation amid the natural beauty of Chelan County.

THE CITY OF CHELAN

The City of Chelan operates under the Mayor-Council form of government, serving a population of 4,470 across 7 square miles with a 2024 budget of $25.1 million and a team of 67 FTEs. The City is in excellent financial position based on a strong and growing economy stimulated by tourism, agriculture, development and very positive retail/commercial activity.

THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

Reporting to the City Administrator, the Community Development Director is fully responsible for leading and managing the Planning and Building Department. This includes overseeing a range of services and activities such as short-term and long-term planning, building inspections, adherence to codes, examining plans, processing permits, and engaging with the community. The Department operates with a 2024 budget of $1.2 million and a team of 8 FTEs including the Director, Building Official, Assistant / Associate Planner, Community Development Officer, Building Inspector/Plan Reviewer, Permit Coordinator, and Permit Technician.

WHY APPLY

The Director serves as a key member of the City’s senior leadership team and advisor to the Mayor and City Administrator on all matters related to short and long-range planning, development, and code compliance. This is a phenomenal career opportunity for an individual ready to serve in this key leadership role.

For more information, please view the full position profile.

Directly reporting to the City Manager and performing an integral role on the Senior Management Team, the Director of Community & Economic Development manages, directs, and supervises the activities of assigned departments and divisions in the City of Sequim. Areas of responsibility include growth planning, development services, housing solutions, building services, and code compliance. This position serves as technical adviser to the City Council and Planning Commission, performs policy-level and technical services, and facilitates public involvement in a broad range of community development activities.

This is a highly responsible position involving the administration of all long-range and current planning activities for the City. The Director is responsible for managing the DCD/ED culture and building career paths for the DCD/ED Team members. Additionally, responsibilities include interacting with developers and contractors while ensuring the City’s compliance with all pertinent federal and state legislation including the State Growth Management Act and State Environmental Policy Act and for updating and implementing plans and land use regulations as necessary. The individual serving in this position must have a clear understanding of the Comprehensive Plan, Sequim Municipal Code, Shoreline Master Program, and the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). The individual in this position is also expected to have collaborative, problem-solving and process improvement skills and a working knowledge of relevant laws, plans, policies, and processes and to provide clear direction to staff, City Council and Planning Commission, the development community, and the general public.

Do you have SEPA (State Environmental Policy Act) experience and are an energetic and skilled Environmental Planner? If so, you could be exactly who we’re looking for to join our growing team. With offices in Lacey, Seattle, Gig Harbor, Wenatchee, and Spokane, our planning work is varied, and we embrace projects that bring new opportunities and challenges. Most of our work is tailored to the individual needs of our clients and their communities; it often entails inquiry and exploration to identify optimal strategies, recommendations, and outcomes.

Who we are

Our mission is to serve our clients, communities, and each other with creativity, knowledge, insight, and perspective. As a 100% employee-owned company, at SCJ, we value trust, compassion, freedom, stewardship, and integrity. We routinely and easily cross job description lines in order to be part of getting something done. Our fast-paced, fun, and flexible atmosphere offers the opportunity for meaningful work that challenges you, makes a difference, and improves communities. We specialize in transportation planning & design, environmental & urban planning, civil engineering, landscape architecture & design, and public outreach. With great projects and a fun-loving team, our firm has been named as both one of the nation’s fastest-growing and best places to work multiple times.

The ideal candidate will have experience preparing and managing SEPA documentation for a range of projects. They will have experience coordinating with state agencies, including WA Departments of Transportation, Ecology, Fish and Wildlife, as well as Federal agencies such as the Bureau of Indian Affairs, US Forest Service, US Department of Agriculture, and Federal Housing Administration (Housing and Urban Development). Experience preparing NEPA documentation would be a plus. The position will be based in one of our Western Washington offices.

What you’ll be doing:

• SEPA compliance as you support planners and engineers on long-range and current projects, including research, impact analysis, technical writing, and public outreach.
• Project management, including strategizing and scoping, participating in conference calls/meetings, interfacing with clients, agencies, and sub-consultants, and preparing and managing project schedules and budgets.
• Technical writing to support compliance documentation and the administrative record.
• Leading or assisting in the preparation of local, state and federal permit application packages.
• Collaborating with SCJ’s planners and engineers on a wide variety of projects throughout the Western United States, including transportation, housing developments, and natural resource management for commercial, tribal, and mixed-use projects.
• Working with our Marketing team to assist with proposals and other documents.
• Being part of a team that conducts interesting and challenging work that builds communities.
• Other duties as assigned.

What you bring:

• Experience with SEPA (and ideally NEPA) compliance requirements, processes, and documentation.
• A bachelor’s degree in environmental planning or a related field is required.
• Master’s Degree is desirable.
• Minimum of five (5) years of professional experience in managing and preparing environmental documentation pursuant to SEPA and/or NEPA.
• Working knowledge of the Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, National Historic Preservation Act, and other state and federal environmental laws and regulations.
• Excellent verbal communication skills, ability to collaboratively work in a team setting, and professionally represent SCJ in client/agency interactions.
• Excellent writing skills.
• Ability to travel for business as needed, reliable transportation, and a valid driver’s license.

What we bring: 

• An unbeatable culture:  In recent employee satisfaction surveys, “the people at work” and “culture” are consistently identified as the top two things people love about working at SCJ. We are proud of our autonomous and collaborative work environment, exceptional operational support, creative and supportive co-workers, and compassionate leadership team. Plus, we do lots of other fun stuff, including mugshots, an annual gala, fitness challenges, summer campouts…and a variety of other creative ways we have found to come together and hang out.

• Collaborative energy that supports independent work in a team environment.
• Quality projects: We pursue work that improves communities, challenges us, and makes a difference.
• Community involvement opportunities and a charitable matching program.
• Paid time off: vacation/sick time, holidays, personal floating holiday.
• Retirement benefits: 401(k) plan & employee stock ownership plan (ESOP).
• Health, disability, and other insurance plan options to fit your needs, including HSA & FSA.

This position will be filled by someone who can work in one of SCJ’s physical offices. We offer flexibility, but in-person office time is required.

The City of Yakima is seeking a Director of Community and Economic Development for this vibrant city of 98,000 residents located about 150 miles east of Seattle. Yakima is known for its beautiful weather, central location, relatively low cost of living, and strong sense of community. 
 

THE CITY OF YAKIMA

Serving as the county seat of Yakima County, Yakima has been the cultural, business, educational, healthcare, and governmental focal point of the Central Washington region since it was founded more than 125 years ago. Operating under the Council-Manager form of government, Yakima is a full-service city with a 2024 General Government budget of approximately $75 million and a total budget of approximately $251 million. Full-time staffing consists of approximately 750 employees. 

THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 

Reporting to the City Manager, the Director of Community and Economic Development is responsible for the proper administration and operation of the Community & Economic Development Department. The Department operates with a 2023 budget of $3,338,091 and a team of 30 FTEs. The Department is made up of three operating divisions: Planning (Land Use and Short Range), Economic & Neighborhood Development Services, and Code Administration (Permitting, Code Compliance, and Building Inspection). 

The City of Yakima is seeking a progressive leader who is approachable, knowledgeable, and collaborative for the position of Director of Community and Economic Development. The ideal candidate will have a common sense, can-do attitude with a passion for community growth and development. 
 

WHY APPLY
This is an excellent opportunity in a professional organization with a focus on customer service. Nestled in the beautiful Yakima Valley, the City is the heart of Central Washington and the hub for culture, business, education, services, health, and government. The City has a dedicated team of department directors and employees. The next Director of Community and Economic Development will be in a leadership position to help create a new strategic direction and plan for community and economic development. 

For more information, please view the full position profile.