Closing Date:

08/04/2026 8:00

AM Interview Date:

Tentatively week of August 24,2026 The Recreation and Parks Department is seeking a motivated, detail-oriented professional to serve as our next Special Districts Planning Technician. This position plays a vital role in supporting the planning, permitting, and coordination of the City's Landscape Maintenance Districts while working collaboratively with City staff, developers, contractors, and the public. If you enjoy solving problems, working with technical information, delivering exceptional customer service, and contributing to projects that enhance the beauty and functionality of our community, we encourage you to apply.

WHO WE ARE

The City of Santa Maria is a full-service City with a City Council/City Manager form of government with over 700 employees and serves approximately 108,000 constituents. The City of Santa Maria is located on the beautiful central coast of California and covers over 23 square miles. The City has a harmonious balance of maintaining coastal and agricultural lands while promoting business. Santa Maria has been recognized nationally as an All-America City by the National Civic League and offers reasonably priced housing, community festivals, quality schools, and is in close proximity to beaches, cultural arts, a local airport, wineries, and higher education institutions.

WHAT WE DO

The Department of Recreation and Parks' mission is to enrich the lives of the residents of Santa Maria through quality recreation programs and services; and to provide safe and well-maintained facilities and parks, while anticipating the changing needs of the community. The department operates 234 acres of developed parkland in 28 neighborhood and community parks, part of the 1,774-acre Los Flores Ranch Park property, the Abel Maldonado Community Youth Center, and other community centers. The department provides programs in aquatics, youth and adult sports. It also manages the City's Urban Forest Program.

IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate is a highly organized, detail-oriented professional who thrives in a technical, customer-focused environment and enjoys coordinating multiple projects simultaneously. They possess strong analytical and problem-solving skills, communicate effectively with both the public and internal stakeholders, and take pride in maintaining accurate records while delivering exceptional service.

REQUIRED SUBMITTALS

Cover Letter and Resume

DETAILED JOB DESCRIPTION

Special Districts Planning Technician These duties are a representative example; position assignments may vary depending on the business needs of the department and organization.

This position:

Issues related permits; maintains files and records; coordinates inspection requests; researches status of property and related improvements; supports various operating systems; calculates and collects permit and other fees; answers calls; refers inquiries. Facilitates the routing of plans to various City departments during review. Verifies, organizes and maintains appropriate records, maps, plans, drawings, and files, and completes appropriate archiving of hard copy and electronic City records. Types and prepares permits that are ready for issuance; Plan checks for routine maps, lot line adjustments, easements, deeds, public improvement plans, building site plans, grading plans, legal descriptions, and other technical review. Maintains various databases; prepares GIS maps, exhibits and other graphic presentations. Researches information from technical resources such as City standards, codes, ordinances, and state and federal regulations; researches status of property and improvements; collects data from various sources and prepares various reports. Tracks construction inspections. Assists inspection staff in the field or office during construction with various related technical duties. Coordinates development-related street tree bonding or surety; develops and maintains database for parks and street tree maintenance; analyzes and prepares report data; analyzes current and historical data for decision-making purposes; prepares written reports and correspondence; Scope of assigned area will depend on departmental structure and is at the discretion of the Department Director. Upholds the values of the organization and has strong customer service orientation. Performs other related projects and duties as assigned. Demonstrates regular, reliable, and punctual attendance.

Individual Contributor:

Incumbents should have a solid foundation of the following core competencies identified by the organization to be essential and listed in order of importance (click the hyper link to see the full definition Individual Contributor Competencies ): Team Player

• Effective performers are team oriented, share resources, respond to requests, and support a spirit of cooperative effort. Customer Orientation
• Effective performers are in touch with community needs and review the organization through the eyes of Santa Maria residents. They go out of their way to anticipate needs. Integrity
• Effective performers think and act ethically and honestly, take responsibility for their actions and foster a work environment where integrity is rewarded. Composure
• Effective performers maintain emotional control, even under ambiguous or stressful circumstances, and demonstrate emotions appropriate to the situation. Functional/Technical Expertise
• Effective performers are knowledgeable and skilled in a functional specialty (e.g., finance, public works, planning, information technology, human resources, etc.), and remain current in their area of expertise. Problem Solving & Decision Making
• Effective performers identify problems, solve them, act decisively, and show good judgment. Learning Agility
• Effective performers continuously seek new knowledge, are curious, learn quickly, and use new information effectively. Drive/Energy
• Effective performers have a high level of energy and are ambitious and passionate about their role.

They have stamina and endurance to maintain a fast pace. Ideally, one-year technical engineering support experience; and Graduation from high school, and/or equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job such as those listed above. OR any combination of education, training and/or work experience to demonstrate knowledge, skills, and abilities to meet the above minimum requirements. Current technical/professional knowledge of complex principles, methods, standards and techniques associated with the scope of work of a recognized profession, such as: Typing, basic construction, writing, local and state construction standards, codes and city ordinances, office operations, customer service orientation, efficiency, accuracy, etc. Effective verbal and interpersonal communication skills. Microsoft Office Suite (or equivalent). Use computer and other office equipment effectively. The completed electronic application packet will include the online application, cover letter and resume. If a cover letter, and resume are not attached, your application will be considered incomplete. Those applicants invited to interview will be notified electronically at the e-mail address provided by each candidate through the application process. Therefore, it is the applicant's responsibility to provide an accurate email address and to allow their inbox to receive emails in regard to this recruitment. A tentative interview date has been scheduled for the week of August 24, 2026. The oral board panel will recommend a limited number of candidates to the eligibility list from which the successful candidate may be selected. This recruitment may also establish an eligibility list for future Special Districts Planning Technician openings. If you are experiencing any technical (computer related) difficulties or need help with attaching documents to your application, please call the NEOGOV help line for assistance at 1-855-524-5627.