City Planner

Exciting Career Opportunity: Join the City of White Salmon as Our City Planner!

As our City Planner, you’ll be at the heart of shaping our vibrant community of 2,500 into a place where people love to live, work, and thrive. This dynamic role offers the chance to engage in diverse responsibilities, including current and long-range planning, code enforcement, and overseeing building permit processes. Each day brings new challenges and opportunities to grow your expertise while making a lasting impact on our community’s future!

Key Responsibilities:

• Conduct professional planning work that supports the development of a complete and balanced community.
• Collaborate with land use and building applicants, problem-solving and guiding them through the planning process.
• Work both independently and within a team to manage current and long-term planning initiatives.
• Support code enforcement activities and building permit processes.
• Build relationships with property owners, developers, consultants, the Planning Commission, elected officials, and the public.

Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of city land use planning and permitting
• The Washington State Environmental Policy Act, Growth Management Act, Shoreline Management Act, and local municipal land use, zoning, annexation, and subdivision ordinances
• Methods and techniques for preparing and presenting technical reports, with a basic understanding of public information processes
• Local government code enforcement principles, practices, and methods

Ability to:

• Prepare and implement an annual work program
• Work effectively both independently and as part of a team
• Analyze, articulate, and present complex facts clearly, both in detail and concisely, in written and verbal forms
• Communicate permit procedures, codes, and technical information to the public in easy-to-understand terms
• Read and interpret city plans, permits, maps, and environmental documents
• Handle stressful situations with professionalism and resolve conflicts with difficult individuals

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Urban, Regional, or City Planning, or a related field from an accredited university or college
• At least 4 years of progressively responsible experience in local government planning (A Master’s Degree may substitute for one year of experience)

Additional Desired Qualifications: Ability to speak and understand Spanish

Compensation: This is an exempt position with an annual salary range of (2025) $78,927.48 - $91,498.56 depending on qualifications with excellent benefits.

Benefits: The City provides competitive medical, dental and vision insurance plans as well as paid sick leave and vacation to regular full-time employees. Other benefits include life flight membership, flexible spending account, life insurance, state retirement plan, employee assistance program (EAP), and infant at work.

A resume and three references can be submitted to the Mayor and City Administrator at City Hall at 100 N. Main, or PO Box 2139, White Salmon, WA 98672. 

Email: mayor@whitesalmonwa.gov and administrator@whitesalmonwa.gov

Position open until filled. The City of White Salmon is an equal opportunity employer and provider.