City Planner

The Position

The City Planner, under general direction of the City Manager, manages operations of the Planning & Building Departments.

The City is seeking the most qualified and best “fit” applicant. The City is open to hiring an early- or mid-career candidate. Depending on qualifications and experience, a candidate may be offered a Planner 2 or Community Development Director position (in all cases, the candidate will serve as the City Planner). The City Manager has a background in Community Development, and the City has several contract resources to supplement the skills and ability of the right candidate. 

Typical Duties

1. Lead all development review functions for the City, including both building and planning applications. (The City has contracted services for building code plan review and inspection but accepts and manages building permits.)
2. Process Type III and Type IV applications, preparing staff reports and findings.
3. Supervise, and at times participate in, processing of Type I and Type II applications.
4. Lead staffer supporting Planning Commission.
5. Supervise Code Compliance Officer.
6. Participate in City leadership team, providing input on capital improvement planning, economic development, utility master plans, and priority city projects. 
7. Guide the activities of department personnel, conduct evaluations, handle other supervisory duties, and effectively recommend hiring, disciplinary, and termination actions to the City Manager.
8. Plan, develop, and manage department budgets and monitor expenditures.
9. Coordinate City services and information related to proposed subdivisions and/or developments; annexation processes; right-of-way vacation; and other land use actions.
10. Lead the Comprehensive Plan and other long-range land use plan amendments, typically with consultant support for any major projects.
11. Responsible for managing the City’s land use development ordinances (Title 17 and Title 18 of Talent Municipal Code) and leading code amendment and update processes.
12. Interpret the City and department codes and regulations, plans, and policies for elected officials, staff, and the public.
13. If qualified, serve as the City’s Floodplain Manager to ensure that the City adopts and enforces floodplain management measures that meet minimum FEMA standards in order to ensure participation in NFIP. 
14. Evaluate, develop, and implement programs, policies and procedures with the approval of the City Manager, to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of delivered services.
15. Evaluate, develop, assist, and implement programs and procedures that maximize coordination and quality of results for all aspects of City projects.
16. Attend and report at City Council meetings as necessary. Prepare reports, recommend resolutions, and ordinances for Planning Commission review and Council action.
17. Maintain professional knowledge of current developments within the field by attending conferences, reviewing technical reports and journals, and meeting with other professionals.

Minimum Qualifications

• Four (4) year college degree in planning or related field.
• Three (3) years of increasingly responsible planning experience, preferably in a municipal setting.
• OR- Any satisfactory equivalent combination of education and experience which demonstrates the knowledge, skills and ability to perform the above-described duties will be considered.

Preferred Qualifications

• Graduate degree in urban/regional planning or closely related field
• Experience with Oregon land use planning framework, Statewide Planning Goals, DLCD regulations and requirements, etc.
• Proficiency with Geographic Information Systems (city uses ArcGIS)
• AICP
• Certified Flood Plain Manager
• Supervisory experience in a public setting
• Familiarity with Public Works operations and capital improvement planning
• Spanish-speaking

Special Requirements

• Must have a current Oregon Driver’s License or the ability to obtain one within six months.
• Pass Criminal History Background Check.

Salary

The successful candidate will be placed in the salary range based on experience and qualifications.

Starting Salary: DOQ (starting salary likely $75-95K) 

Terms: Full-time – 40 hours per week, Monday through Friday / Exempt with benefits

Benefits of Employment

• Excellent Medical/Vision/Dental- City pays 95% of premium, employee pays 5% regardless of family size. Medical/vision active after 1 month, Dental 3 month waiting period.
• HRA VEBA City contribution of $100/month
• 11 paid holidays; 3 floating holidays
• Paid Vacation (0-24 months=80 hours of paid vacation annually; 25-60 months=96 hours; 61-120 months=120 hours; etc.)
• 8 hours of sick leave per month
• 8 hours of administrative leave per month (maximum accrual: 24 hours)

Application Process

To apply, please prepare a cover letter describing how your experience prepares you to succeed in this role and a current resume. Complete the online application (to the right of this job posting under "Tools") where there will be a place to upload your cover letter and resume.

This position will remain open until filled. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible as the position will be filled when a suitable candidate is identified, and applications will be considered as they are submitted, with initial review taking place on November 3, 2026.

About the Community

City of Talent is a small city (latest population estimate 6,700), located between Ashland and Phoenix in south/central Jackson County on Interstate 5. 

The community is known for being welcoming and inclusive. The primary economic development focuses on arts-led development and visitation. The City continues to recover from the devastating Almeda Fire of 2020—the community has recovered its pre-fire population, but several commercial properties are yet to be rebuilt.

The City has a historic downtown (with an architectural review overlay); low, medium, and high-density zoned neighborhoods; two highway-oriented commercial areas (an I-5 interchange and South Pacific Highway); a well-developed park system; and modest light industrial development. Bear Creek Greenway runs through town, and the community is relatively well-served by transit, lying on the most frequent transit service line between Ashland and Medford.

Fire protection in the City is provided by Jackson County Fire District 5. Sanitary sewer collection is operated by Rogue Valley Sewer Services. The City has a water distribution utility, with the bulk of water purchased from Medford water. K-12 education is provided by Phoenix-Talent Schools (Talent elementary and Phoenix-Talent middle school are in town; the high school is in the adjacent community of Phoenix). Jackson County has a Metropolitan Planning Organization.

The climate in Jackson County is seasonal with warm, dry summers and moderate winters (snow on the valley floor is unusual). Access to outdoor recreation is excellent. Hiking and mountain biking trails abound locally and regionally. Jackson County is home to the world-famous Rogue River, a rafting and fly-fishing destination. Talent itself hosts several music venues, and the region is well-known for the Ashland Shakespeare Festival (ASF). ASF’s set production and costume storage facility is in Talent. Talent MakerCity is a regional hub for makers and craft education and is in downtown Talent.

WORKPLACE ACCOMMODATIONS NOTICE

The City of Talent is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, gender, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender expression, or any other classification protected by law.