Senior Building Plans Examiner (Senior Building Inspector)

The Position

The City of Santa Rosa is seeking highly-qualified candidates to join the Planning and Economic Development Department as a Senior Building Plans Examiner. This is a working title for the currently available position within the job classification of Senior Building Inspector.

Come make a difference in your community!

Recruitment is open until sufficient applications are received, and can close at any time. Apply today!

The City of Santa Rosa is committed to building a workforce reflective of our community and establishing a lasting culture of equity and belonging within our organization. Our collective talents and expertise contribute to high-quality public services that support a vibrant, resilient, inclusive City for our community and visitors. We celebrate a diverse workforce and welcome all qualified candidates to apply. 
The Benefits of City Employment In addition to a challenging, rewarding work environment and excellent salary, the City offers:

• a competitive total compensation package
• a competitive leave accrual package
• 11 paid holidays annually, plus 2 to 3 "floating" holidays per year depending on years of service
• a generous suite of benefits, including retirement through CalPERS, your choice of two health plans, a flexible spending program, and top of the line employer paid vision and dental coverage
• $500 annually for wellness

More information regarding benefits associated with this position can be found on our Miscellaneous Employee Benefits Page.  

The Position

The Senior Building Plans Examiner is assigned primarily to the permit intake counter to provide application information and over the counter plan review for minor and moderate level applications. The position will also provide plan review of residential and light commercial projects requiring a more involved analysis for code compliance. The position will also serve as possible back up for the field inspection staff. The Senior Building Plans Examiner is also responsible for attempting to resolve difficult inspection and plan review issues before they reach the management level; and for developing and maintaining an effective, customer service oriented team.  

The Planning & Economic Development Department provides a wide range of development services to this dynamic and growing community, developing long-range plans for the growth of Santa Rosa and reviewing development proposals for consistency with those plans. In this position, you will support plan checking of new building and tenant improvement plans by providing expertise and consistency through the building permit process. 

The Ideal Candidate
 
In addition to possession of a current ICC Building Inspector Certificate and experience requirements listed below, the ideal candidate will have at least 4 years of experience providing inspection and plan review services of residential and light frame commercial for a building department, excellent customer service skills to work with architects, engineers, contractors, builders, City staff and the general public, be proficient in Microsoft Word and Microsoft Outlook. Possession of a current ICC Combination Inspector certificate and/or a current California Access Specialist (CASp) is highly desirable. A current certificate as an ICC Certified Plans Examiner or a professional license as an architect or engineer is also highly desirable. Experience with Accela Automation is desirable.

The Selection Process
The selection process will include a minimum qualifications assessment, and may also include an application and supplemental questionnaire review, followed by department selection interviews. 

Please Complete a Thoughtful, Thorough Supplemental Questionnaire Submission 
As part of the selection process, your responses to these questions will be scored using criteria specific to this position. Incomplete responses, or responses such as "See Resume", may not be considered.  

This recruitment is being conducted to fill one vacancy in the Planning and Economic Development Department and the resulting eligible candidate list may be used for future vacancies.  

Examples of Duties and Responsibilities

Essential Duties

The following duties are considered essential for this job classification.•   Supervise, train and evaluate assigned staff;
•    assign and distribute workload;
•    coordinate, assign, and perform inspection and plan review of residential, commercial and industrial construction to ensure compliance with all pertinent codes, ordinances, rules and regulations;
•    provide technical information regarding codes and compliance methods and review and resolve difficult and complex inspection and plan review issues and conflicts independently and with other City staff, contractors, developers, architects, engineers, and the public;
•    perform field inspections on special and complex code enforcement assignments;
•    investigate and respond to a variety of inquiries, complaints and requests for service;
•    evaluate processes and procedures and recommend and implement related service improvements;
•    review completed building permits and plans to ensure that proper procedures have been carried out and ensure permit issuance and inspections are completed in a timely and professional manner;
•    supervise maintenance of permit issued files and processing of expired permits.
 
Additional Duties:In addition to the duties listed in the Essential Duties section, the employee in this classification may perform the following duties. An incumbent in this position may not be assigned all duties listed below, nor do the examples cover all duties which may be assigned.

 • Prepare and submit a variety of reports, memos and correspondence on code compliance, permit issuance, permit expiration, and inspection-related matters;
• compile and maintain statistics on inspection and permit status;
• develop systems, procedures, handouts, and other aids necessary to maintain and improve customer service;
• represent the Division and Department at various boards, commissions and professional groups;
• perform related duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

Knowledge of: California Code of Regulations, Title 24, and other related codes, ordinances and regulations; building and site construction and materials and accepted safety standards; principles and techniques of plan review and inspections for structural, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, energy and site requirements; principles of effective supervision, training and performance evaluation.
 

Ability to: Supervise, train and evaluate staff; respond to and work effectively with City staff, builders, engineers, architects and the public; communicate effectively orally and in writing; coordinate, observe and review the work of others; assist subordinates with complex tasks or difficult situations; analyze problems and recommend effective solutions; analyze, interpret and accurately check building and site plans and specifications; produce written documents using proper grammar; tactfully and effectively resolve conflicts and difficult situations while providing quality customer service; function effectively as a team leader.
Experience and Education: Any combination equivalent to experience and education that could likely provide the required knowledge and abilities would be qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be: Experience - Sufficient years of increasingly responsible experience in inspection and plan review, permit issuance or code enforcement of residential, commercial and industrial construction, with experience in coordinating and assigning work, to demonstrate possession of the knowledge and abilities listed above; Education - Equivalent to completion of the twelfth grade, supplemented by specialized training in building inspection, supervision and public relations.
License and/or Certificate:

Possession of a certificate as a Building Inspector issued by the International Conference of Building Officials is required. Possession of a certificate as a Combination is required at time of hire or within one year of employment.  Possession of a certificate as a Plans Examiner issued by the International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO) is desirable.  Possession of a certificate as a Certified Access Specialist (CASp) issued by the Division of the State Architect is desirable.

This classification requires the use of a personal or City vehicle while performing City business. In order to drive, individuals must be physically capable of operating a vehicle safely and must possess an appropriate valid California motor vehicle operator's license. 

Additional requirements, such as successful completion of a physical exam, drug screen, etc., may apply, depending on the duties and responsibilities of the position. If you receive a conditional job offer for the position, the requirements upon which the offer is contingent will be outlined in the conditional job letter.

Additional Information

Working Conditions
Employees in this classification communicate orally, face-to-face and by telephone, with inspectors, employees in all departments, and the public; and use a keyboard to enter and/or retrieve data from a computer. While working to ensure compliance with applicable codes, incumbents read and interpret graphic instructions, blueprints and plans, as well as comprehend and make inferences from written material. While performing inspections, incumbents often walk on uneven or rocky surfaces, climb ladders or steps, work in a variety of weather conditions with exposure and hear alarms and other auditory warning devices. Senior Building Inspectors measure distances or slopes using a tape, smart level, level, or architects and engineers scales while reviewing plans or performing inspections. When making field checks for code compliance, incumbents often work in small, cramped areas or at heights greater than ten feet; and coordinate movement of more than one limb simultaneously.
The City of Santa Rosa - A Wonderful Place to Call Home
A charter city incorporated in 1868, Santa Rosa is the county seat of Sonoma County, one of California's premier wine growing regions, and is the gateway to tourist destinations in the redwoods and on the coast. Santa Rosa is the 26th largest City in the state. It occupies 41 square miles and serves a population of 170,000. The City has a historic preservation program and has environmental diversity.
 
The City of Santa Rosa provides a full range of services including police and fire protection; construction and maintenance of streets and other infrastructure; water, storm water, and wastewater utilities; housing services through its Housing Authority; economic development; transit; parking; and recreation, parks, and cultural services, including a municipal golf course. The City of Santa Rosa's residents work in a well-balanced mix of management, professional, manufacturing, sales, tourism, transportation, construction, and service jobs. The City also plays an important role in supporting the agriculture and tourism industries of California's north coast. 

The City of Santa Rosa is Proud to be an Equal Opportunity Workplace

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