Salary: $141,399.00 - $206,732.00 Annually
Location : CITY OF LOS ANGELES, CA
Job Type: FULL-TIME
Job Number: 7947 OP 2026/07/10 R
Department: City Planning
Opening Date: 07/10/2026
Closing Date: 7/23/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

DUTIES
ANNUAL SALARY
$141,399 to $206,732
NOTE:
Annual salary is at the start of the pay range. The current salary range is subject to change. Please confirm the starting salary with the hiring department before accepting a job offer.
A Senior City Planner assigns, reviews and evaluates the work of a specialized unit or planning office engaged in professional City planning activities, applies sound supervisory standards and techniques in building and maintaining an effective work group and fulfills equal employment opportunity responsibilities. Additionally, the Senior City Planner functions as a senior-level supervisor and accordingly develops Departmental work programs inclusive of project timetables and budgets, and occasionally may be called upon to develop long-range strategic plans for sections of the Department.
REQUIREMENT(S)/MINIMUM QUALIFICATION(S)

1. Two years of full-time paid experience as a City Planner with the City of Los Angeles; or
2. Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a major in urban planning, urban studies, urban design, architecture, landscape architecture, geography or a closely-related field and six years of full-time paid professional experience in long-range or current urban planning, with two of the six years supervising a professional planning unit.

PROCESS NOTES

1. Applicants who lack six months or less of the required experience at the time of filing may file for this examination. However, they cannot be appointed until the full experience requirement is met.
2. Applicants qualifying under Requirement #2 must list their school name and location, type of degree earned and major in the Education section of the on-line City application. Applicants who fail to provide this information on their application will not be considered further in this examination and their applications will not be processed.
3. As a condition of employment, a valid Class C driver's license issued by the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is required at the time of appointment. Applicants will be disqualified or deemed ineligible for hire if their DMV record reflects three or more moving violations and/or at-fault accidents, or a conviction of a major moving violation within the last 36 months in any state or jurisdiction. The City of Los Angeles reserves the right to issue a notice of disqualification or ineligibility at any time before a final job offer is extended.
4. For qualifying work experience in Requirement #2, the term "professional experience" applies to positions that require possession of a degree from an accredited four-year college or university in order to obtain that position. Therefore, to be considered "professional," qualifying experience must be gained in positions requiring a four-year degree.
5. Please note that qualifying education must be from a college or university accredited by a City of Los Angeles recognized agency. A list of approved accrediting agencies can be found at
6. A master's degree in urban planning is desired but not required.
7. Membership in the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) is desired but not required.
8. Candidates completing the examination process and qualifying under Requirement #2 will be contacted by the Personnel Department to provide required proof of qualifying degree and/or coursework. Applicants who wish to expedite this process may attach a copy of their qualifying degree and transcripts to their on-line application at the time of filing in the Attachments section.

WHERE TO APPLY & APPLICATION DEADLINE
Applications will only be accepted on-line. When you are viewing the on-line job bulletin of your choice, simply scroll to the top of the page and select the "Apply" icon. On-line job bulletins are also available at
NOTE:
Applicants are urged to apply early to ensure you have time to resolve any technical issues you may encounter.
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Applications must be received by THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2026.
In accordance with Civil Service Rule 4.2, all applicants who apply may not be tested in this examination. To meet anticipated hiring needs, only a limited number of qualified applicants will be invited to participate in the selection process in the following order: 1) Los Angeles City promotional applicants who meet the minimum requirements. You must have received a regular appointment to a City position or be on a reserve list to apply for this examination as a promotional candidate; 2) Applicants currently employed by the City of Los Angeles on a part-time or exempt basis who meet the minimum requirements; 3) Remaining applicants who meet the minimum requirements in sufficient numbers to meet hiring needs based on a random sampling of those qualified candidates. Applications submitted during the filing period may be kept on file in the event that additional applicants need to be tested to meet hiring needs.

SELECTION PROCESS
Examination Weight:
Interview - 100%
The examination will consist entirely of an evaluation of professional and personal qualifications by interview. In the interview, the following competencies may be evaluated: Judgment and Decision Making; Initiative; Results Orientation; Emotional Maturity; Supervision; Oral Communication; Interpersonal Skills; Job Knowledge, including knowledge of: the environmental review process under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA); planning theories regarding urban form, land use, mobility, infrastructure, housing, urban design, and historic preservation; urban planning challenges such as air quality, reduced mobility, shortage of housing, decaying infrastructure, and open space; federal and state laws, legislative issues, and court cases affecting local planning and zoning; zoning principles and implementation tools; procedures and processes involved in the review, adoption, approval, or disapproval of proposed general plan elements, community plans, code amendments, zone changes, environmental documents, conditional uses, subdivisions, and zone variances; established planning policies and methods; State General Plan laws; and other necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Additional job analysis information can be obtained by going to and clicking on Competencies under Senior City Planner.
Candidates will be notified later by e-mail of the date, time, and location of the interview, which may be held in Los Angeles or on-line. It is anticipated that interviews will begin during the period of MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2026 to FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2026.
NOTES:

1. This examination is based on a validation study.
2. Applications are accepted subject to review to ensure that minimum qualifications are met. Candidates may be disqualified at any time if it is determined that they do not possess the minimum qualifications stated on this bulletin.
3. In conjunction with Civil Service Rules, applicants who have received a regular appointment to a City position or are on a reserve list will be considered Promotional candidates while all other applicants will be considered Open candidates.
4. The promotional list will ordinarily be used ahead of the open competitive list. However, if open competitive candidates receive a higher score, without military credits, than the highest available promotional candidate, after adding seniority credit at the rate of 0.25 of a point for each year of continuous classified City service, the Civil Service Commission, upon request of the appointing authority, may approve certification of such open competitive candidates ahead of the promotional candidates.
5. A final average score of 70% or higher is required to be placed on the eligible list.
6. In accordance with Civil Service Rule, Sec. 4.24, review periods may be combined. Candidates in the examination process may file protests as provided in Sec. 4.20, 4.22, and 4.23 as applicable and within the required time frame; however, the Personnel Department may respond to and resolve protests prior to the establishment of the eligible list.

Notice:
If you receive and accept an offer of employment to a regular position with the City of Los Angeles, your employee benefit coverage (including health and dental coverage as well as life insurance) will commence approximately six weeks after your original regular appointment. Not all positions in the City receive benefit coverage; you should inquire regarding the availability of employee benefits prior to accepting a position. All City employees are required to be Disaster Service Workers.
THIS EXAMINATION IS TO BE GIVEN BOTH ON AN
INTERDEPARTMENTAL PROMOTIONAL AND OPEN COMPETITIVE BASIS

For additional information and FAQs regarding the City's hiring process, please go to:
There are many things to consider in a new employer. Visit the following webpage to view benefits the City of Los Angeles offers its employees:
01

To be PROPERLY AND PROMPTLY notified of the status of my application, I UNDERSTAND that I MUST provide on my City application, the following information:

-Working E-mail address
-Telephone Number
-Official social security number

I UNDERSTAND that I MUST provide a working email address on my application where I will receive notifications regarding the status of my application and the selection process.

I UNDERSTAND that important information regarding the status of my application and the selection process will only be sent via E-MAIL to the email address I provided.

I UNDERSTAND that it is MY RESPONSIBILITY to ensure that the email address I provided is a working email and that I will check my email regularly to ensure I receive any communication as it relates to the examination promptly.

I UNDERSTAND that the City of Los Angeles Personnel Department is NOT RESPONSIBLE for any lost or redirected emails and that it is MY RESPONSIBILITY to add [email protected] to my email contact list to avoid email notifications related to this examination from being classified as "spam" or "junk" mail.

• I have read these statements to their fullest and will provide a working e-mail address on my application in order to receive status of my application regarding this examination.

02

I UNDERSTAND that I am required to describe, IN DETAIL, my appropriate qualifying experience in the Work Experience Section of my application.

I UNDERSTAND that, if qualifying with my City experience, that I MUST indicate my appropriate job classification in my work history and NOT ANY WORKING TITLE that I believe is designated to me.

I UNDERSTAND that if I attach a resume and/or cover letter IN LIEU of completing the Work Experience Section, my application is INCOMPLETE and WILL NOT be considered for this examination, and my application WILL NOT be further processed.

In addition to including my qualifying experience, I UNDERSTAND that I should list ALL jobs, regardless of duration, including part-time jobs, military service and any periods of unemployment during my entire work history.

• I have read these statements to their entirety and understand them completely and to their fullest.

03

I am currently:

• A City of Los Angeles employee having received a regular appointment.
• An exempt City of Los Angeles employee, but have civil service status.
• An exempt City of Los Angeles employee, without receiving civil service status.
• A City of Los Angeles employee in a temporary training position.
• A City of Los Angeles employee on a part-time basis.
• On a regular reserve list for the City of Los Angeles.
• Not employed with the City of Los Angeles.

04

IMPORTANT EXPERIENCE NOTE:Please read the note thoroughly and carefully before submitting your response.Bulletin Process Note #4: I understand that the term ''professional experience" applies to positions that require possession of a degree from an accredited four-year college or university in order to obtain that position. Therefore, to be considered "professional,'' qualifying experience must be gained in positions requiring a four-year degree.

• Yes, I have read and understand this statement.

05

IMPORTANT EDUCATION NOTES:Please read each bulletin note thoroughly and carefully before submitting your response.Bulletin Process Note #2: I understand that I MUST list my school name and location, type of degree earned and major in the Education Section of the on-line application. I understand that failure to provide this information will result in my application not being considered further in this examination.Bulletin Process Note #5: I understand that qualifying education MUST be from a college or university accredited by a City of Los Angeles recognized agency. A list of approved accrediting agencies can be found at https://personnel.lacity.gov/Accredited%20Institutions%2008-21-08.pdf.Bulletin Process Note #8: I understand that in order to expedite the process of providing proof of education to the Personnel Department, I am encouraged to attach a copy of my qualifying degree or transcript