BUILDING PERMIT SPECIALIST

Planning and Development Services

Recruitment #2211-2580-001

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Introduction

The City of Tucson Planning and Development Services Department (PDSD) seeks multiple Building Permit Specialists to join our customer-centric culture providing strategic, timely, quality planning and development services to an engaged public.

Promoting safety, economic vitality and adaptability to a growing community is what drives our department. We are seeking motivated and creative professionals whose strong interpersonal skills and ability to work with the public will support the community’s goals.

There are immediate openings in the Current Planning Division and the Building Safety Division. Current Planning staff process, review, and inspect site development proposals, sign permits, and special zoning applications. Building Safety staff process, review, and inspect building permits and plans.

The successful candidates are expected to work the majority of the time in the office but may be eligible for alternative work schedules and remote or hybrid work depending on Department needs and supervisor approval.

About Tucson

Tucson has a rich cultural heritage and is known for its lively arts scene, unsurpassed natural beauty, and outdoor lifestyle. Tucson's culture centers around a unique blend of Native American, Spanish, Mexican and Anglo-American influences. The city is situated in the Sonoran Desert and is surrounded by five mountain ranges. Blessed with the desert natural beauty and an unsurpassed climate of 360 sunny days a year, Tucsonans embrace a rare lifestyle and are committed to preserving that quality of life.

The city is home to the University of Arizona and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. Tucson is the seat of Pima County and has a Council-Manager form of government. The Tucson metropolitan area supports almost a million residents. As metropolitan Tucson continues to grow, the challenge of meeting resident expectations also increases.

The City of Tucson is committed to providing quality municipal services which promote a healthy community, offer opportunities for participation and leisure, and enable citizens to prosper at work and at home.

City-Wide Benefits

The City of Tucson offers a wide range of generous benefits for eligible employees. Some of those benefits include:

• Choice of medical, dental and vision insurance plans

• Life insurance and long-term disability options

• Employee assistance program to enhance your wellbeing

• Flexible spending plan for health and dependent care expenses

• Generous pension plans that help employees retire more comfortably

• Optional deferred compensation plans to save towards retirement

• Training, professional development, and tuition assistance programs

• Back-up care options for loved ones

• Six weeks paid parental leave when you welcome a child and other generous leave policies

• New hires enjoy 37 days of paid time off in the first year, with time increasing steadily thereafter

• Generous employee discounts available

• Connections with the community through paid volunteerism and payroll-deducted charitable giving

For a full description of benefits offered to eligible employees, or to inquire further about the City of Tucson's benefits options, please visit: https://www.tucsonaz.gov/hr/employee-benefit-snapshot.

General Description

Under general supervision, the Building Permit Specialist performs clerical and technical duties which support the assigned work group. The Permit Specialist operates as liaison to the public serving at the front counter, over the telephone, and through electronic communication. They routinely answer inquiries, initialize permit activities, calculate fees, review construction documents, issue permits, and maintain records in various department software. The Specialists are ultimately responsible for successful and expedient completion of the permit process.

Staff at this level are expected to serve as a resource for departmental matters to contractors, architects, and the public. They should have experience with general office practices and procedures, business English, word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications, permitting processes and terminology, etc. Additionally, knowledge is required of applicable Federal, State, and local laws, codes, regulations, ordinances, policies, technical processes, procedures, and requirements. The Building Permit Specialist will review plan sets for new buildings and structures, alterations, additions, and repairs. Complex technical inquiries and review duties will be routed by the Specialist to the appropriate staff.

 

Some of the primary duties for this position are described below although they are not inclusive of all duties which the employee may be expected to perform:

1) Provides excellent customer service by answering questions, consulting with internal and external parties, resolving problems, and advising the public on procedures and processes with integrity and commitment to innovation.

2) Responds to general inquiries related to planning and permitting by determining specific needs and arranging for appropriate staff member(s) to assist when necessary.

3) Conducts routine and complex permit processing by reviewing permit applications, plans, and supporting documents for completeness to initialize new permits, coordinate review activities, calculate applicable fees, verify accuracy, add inspections, compile final paperwork, and issue permits.

4) Review of construction plan sets and specifications for code compliance for new buildings and structures, alterations, additions, and repair, completing correction notifications, and providing information and assistance to applicants to facilitate the processing of permit applications.

5) Serves as a backup for other staff during absences and performs related duties as required.

6) Contributes and promotes a positive team atmosphere. Collaborates with others to resolve issues. Maintains cooperative and respectful working relationships with City staff, other organizations, and the public.

Essential Functions

Reviews plans for code compliance by checking building structures and systems, testing equipment, and researching and verifying compliance with standards.

Provides customer service by answering questions, consulting with internal and external parties, resolving problems, and advising the public on procedures, processes, and violations.

Enters data into the computer.

Minimum Qualifications

Minimum Education Level & Type: 6 months post High School

Minimum Experience Qualifications:  At least 2 years of construction code compliance

An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities perform the essential functions of this position may be considered.

Special Job Requirements

Most open PDSD positions will require ICC certification within six months of hire in any of the following categories: Permit Technician, Building Permit Specialist, Residential Plan Reviewer, or Residential Inspector.

A chronological resume reflecting relevant work experience and education/training as well as a cover letter is required.  Without this, your application will be considered incomplete and you will not receive further consideration

Preferred Qualifications

In addition to meeting the Minimum Qualifications stated above, the ideal applicant will also
  • have formal education ia field related to construction, development, signs, and/or zoning or city planning 
  • be bilingual in Spanish (verbal and written)

Selection Plan

Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will be evaluated on the education and work experience in their employment profile and the responses to their supplemental questions. The highest scoring applicants will then be invited to participate in virtual Oral Board Interviews.

  • Oral Board Interviews will be held the week of January 2, 2023

*It is important to note that the City of Tucson uses Microsoft Teams for its virtual interviews. Please ensure that you have access to this software application.

Upon completion of all examination processes, the highest scoring applicants will be placed on the Civil Service Employment List.  An applicant's ranking on the Civil Service list will be based on their final score which will be calculated as follows:

  • 15% of your rating for education and work experience 
  • 75% of your oral board interview 
  • 10% of your Resume and Cover Letter

This recruitment will establish a civil service list that will be utilized to fill vacancies occurring within the next 6 months.

Veterans, Native American, or Disability preference points will be added to the final score for those that are placed on the Civil Service Employment List.  If you qualify for preference points as outlined in the Employment Profile, you must email your documentation to Randall.Moehr@tucsonaz.gov The DD 214 must be a copy that indicates characterization of service.

If you are in need of Americans with Disabilities Act-related accommodation during the testing process, please email Randall.Moehr@tucsonaz.gov at least 48 hours prior to the evaluation.

Conclusion

Communication during this process will be sent via email to the email address on file, so please ensure your browser accepts emails from jobs@tucsonaz.gov and check your email account regularly; this may include your junk box/spam filter.  Failure to respond or follow instructions may result in disqualification.

Pre-employment Medical Testing Requirements

None

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To ensure accurate payroll information for tax purposes, the successful candidate will need to provide their original Social Security Card or original letter from the Social Security Administration with their social security number prior to beginning work with the City of Tucson.

The City of Tucson hires lawful workers only - US citizens or nationals and non-citizens with valid work authorization - without discrimination. Federal immigration laws require all employers to verify both the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States. In its efforts to meet the law's requirements, the City of Tucson participates in the E-Verify program established by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) to aid employers in verifying the eligibility of workers.

Retired City of Tucson employees receiving benefits from the Tucson Supplemental Retirement System who are considering reemployment with the City should be aware that pursuant to Section 22-37(g) of the Tucson City Code, retirement benefits shall be suspended during the period of reemployment with the City of Tucson unless you have been separated at least twelve consecutive months before returning to work AND you return to a non-permanent employment classification. Creditable service does not accrue during any reemployment period.