Chief Building Official

About the role

This position performs professional duties for the Building Services Division within the City of Panama City. The Chief Building Official oversees and participates in the plan review and inspection of all commercial, industrial, and residential properties subject to the Florida Building Code.

Responsibilities

• Oversee and work closely with building inspectors, code compliance and the administrative team in managing building permit activity.
• Recruits, acquires and retains division team members.
• Mentors and evaluates the performance of the department team.
• Serves as an in-house subject matter expert on the technical and administrative aspects of the Florida Building Code.
• Enforces City-related ordinances to ensure compliance with all relevant codes, ordinances and accessibility laws.
• Reviews applications for building permits to ensure compliance with the Florida Building Code provisions.
• Reviews plans to determine conformance with codes prior to issuance of building permits; coordinates with City planners and Utilities Division to help ensure the compliance of development proposals with zoning and land use requirements, available and required City utilities; and works with local Fire Marshal agents for compliance with fire safety codes.
• Serves as a technical resource to provide professional advice to the City Manager, City Commission and the Planning & Zoning Board.
• Ensures data-driven decision making.
• Recommends changes to codes, rules and regulations based on common problem areas and special land-use City development issues.
• Attends public input meetings at varying times during the day and evening as needed, including but not limited to City Commission meetings.
• Ensures assigned areas of responsibility are performed within budget; performs cost control activities, monitors revenues and expenditures in assigned areas to assure sound fiscal stewardship; prepares annual budget request; assures effective and efficient use of budgeted funds, resources, materials, facilities and time.
• Determines work procedures, prepares work schedules and manages workflow; studies and standardizes procedures to improve efficiency and effectiveness of operations.
• Prepares and presents reports as needed for varying-sized groups of stakeholders.
• Collaborates with internal and external customers' issues relating to the Building Services Division.
• Communicates in an efficient, professional, prompt and courteous manner with all internal and external customers, including regulatory bodies and public entities.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree with a major in engineering, architecture, business administration or public administration preferred.
• Seven (7) years or more of increasingly responsible experience performing construction inspections of public, commercial, industrial, and/or residential buildings may be considered in lieu of the educational requirement.
• Certified Building Official (CBO) certification by the International Code Council (ICC) or Licensure as a Registered Design Professional (RDP), Architect, or Professional Engineer preferred.
• Prior experience in supervision of a team with a strong budget/finance background preferred.
• Bilingual (Spanish) is desirable.
• Valid driver’s license.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of principles and practices of the City’s construction codes, pertinent State regulations and other applicable city codes and ordinances.
• Strong knowledge relating to the principles of structural design, engineering mathematics and building plan review.
• Ability to apply principles and practices of organization, administration and management of a team.
• Ability to establish and maintain professional, effective, cooperative and team-focused working relationships with team members, leaders, consultants, other departments, external business partners and the general public.
• Comfortable with group presentations and able to present findings to the team and stakeholders.
• Strong problem-solving skills, including multi-tasking abilities.
• Skills to compose, create and edit correspondence, documentation and reports.
• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions.
• Ability to exercise independent and team cohesive decisions in accordance with policies.

Skills

• Ability to read, understand and interpret technical design documents, including design calculations, technical specifications/project manuals and construction drawings.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong skills in Microsoft Office products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook).
• Ability to learn and utilize third-party software in an independent and efficient manner.
• Knowledge of principles and practices of land use regulation.
• Strong knowledge relating to the principles of structural design, engineering mathematics and building plan review.
• Application of principles and practices of organization, administration and management of a team.
• Ability to establish and maintain professional, effective, cooperative and team-focused working relationships.
• Comfortable with group presentations and able to present findings to the team and stakeholders.
• Strong problem-solving skills, including multi-tasking abilities.
• Skills to compose, create and edit correspondence, documentation and reports.
• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions.
• Ability to exercise independent and team cohesive decisions in accordance with policies.

Benefits

• 12 Days of Paid Time Off
• 12 Days of Paid Sick leave– 6 may be used for family
• 12 Days of Paid Holidays
• Bereavement Leave
• Military Leave
• Employee Assistance Program
• Medical Benefits-Team Member (ZERO cost option available)
• Family Member Benefits available (City supplemented premium)
• Dental Benefits (Premium paid in FULL for Team Members)
• Orthodontic coverage for children (under 19)
• Vision Benefits
• Blood Drives (ADDITIONAL Paid Time Off for participation)
• Wellness Incentive Program
• Health Savings Account/ Medical FSA
• General Employee Retirement Pension Fund (10% of annual compensation)
• Access to Professional Financial Advisory Services
• City Paid Life Insurance and AD&D ($50,000)
• Additional Life and AD&D coverage available for employees, spouse, and Children
• Short-term Disability (Paid in FULL by City)
• Long-term Disability (Paid in FULL by City)
• Accidental Insurance
• Critical Illness Insurance
• Education Assistance Program/ Tuition Reimbursement
• Job Stability & Security