Program Manager - Permitting

About the role

The Program Manager - Permitting serves as a customer-focused advisor, facilitator, and technical program manager responsible for guiding major and complex construction projects through the full building permit lifecycle from early conceptual review through certificate of occupancy. Acting as a single, consistent point of contact for Major Buildings Design and Construction, Campus Design & Construction (CD&C), and Health Design & Construction (HD&C) Project Managers, this role ensures a coordinated, transparent, and timely permitting process.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary point of contact for CD&C and HD&C Project Managers throughout the permitting and inspection process.
• Meet with project applicants early to define scope, outline permitting requirements, and provide a clear, transparent roadmap of required reviews, inspections, and approvals.
• Guide and advocate for project teams by explaining permitting requirements, review steps, timelines, and expectations in clear, accessible terms.
• Support preparation of complete, well-coordinated permit submittals to promote efficient plan reviews.
• Proactively communicate permit status, risks, next steps, and potential impacts to schedules or occupancy.
• Ensure customer questions and concerns are addressed promptly, professionally, and accurately.
• Cook up with construction teams, IORs, SIORs, consultants, and campus stakeholders to align inspection schedules, construction milestones, and occupancy planning.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary plan reviews and inspections to keep projects moving forward and identify barriers early.
• Facilitate phased occupancy and temporary certificates of occupancy, ensuring compliance with building and safety codes.
• Manage all phases of the building permit process, including conceptual review, 100% CD submittal, permit issuance, construction, inspections, and certificate of occupancy.
• Determine required review and inspection disciplines and develop execution plans for each project.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary plan reviews and inspections to keep projects moving forward and identify barriers early.
• Support smooth transitions between intake, plan review, revisions, approvals, construction, inspections, and closeout.
• Assist with troubleshooting and problem-solving during construction, inspections, and final closeout.
• Ensure completion of punch lists, final inspections, and turnover of operations and maintenance manuals and record drawings prior to certificate of occupancy.
• Act as a liaison between Building Permit Services staff, consultants, inspectors, project teams, campus partners, and regulatory authorities.
• Facilitate collaborative discussions to resolve review comments, code questions, inspection conflicts, and disputed issues.
• De-escalate conflicts and guide discussions toward mutually acceptable, code-compliant solutions.
• Build and maintain respectful, productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Prepare and review cost estimates, schedules, and inspection budgets; establish milestones and monitor adherence to approved plans.
• Participate in procurement, selection, contracting, and fee assessment for IORs and third-party consultants in accordance with UCSF procedures.
• Manage consultant and inspection invoices and maintain controls for inspection budgets and schedules.
• Develop and maintain project management processes, controls, and documentation.
• Create and manage permitting projects in project management and automated permitting systems, including regular status updates and reporting.
• Generate monthly project status reports, including workload distribution for IORs and plan reviewers.
• Support implementation, optimization, and ongoing use of the automated permitting and electronic plan review systems.
• Serve as a system resource for customers and staff, including navigation, troubleshooting, and enhancements.
• Identify opportunities to improve clarity, efficiency, consistency, and customer experience across permitting workflows.
• Aid in the development of customer-facing guidance, tools, training materials, and internal procedures.
• Assist with development of policies, procedures, checklists, and office-hour programs.
• Establish and support plan review and inspection standards and workflows.
• Partner with Business Intelligence, IT, and external vendors to translate business requirements into system workflows and validate data.
• Support data validation, reporting, imports/exports, and end-user training.
• Perform departmental administrative activities as needed.
• Provide direction and leadership to the permitting staff, IOR, consultant reviewer(s), and project managers and analysts, for all projects through the permit, plan review and inspection process.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture, Engineering, Planning or in a related field, with 8-10 years of experience in managing all phases of capital projects; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Three (3) years in specialized training such as mechanical, electrical and/or construction management.
• Experience supporting major capital or institutional projects within public agencies or complex, multi-stakeholder environments.
• Experience with leading customer experience improvements and/or system implementation initiatives, with familiarity in building codes and plan review processes.
• Advanced knowledge of building and construction, design, construction contract administration and California Building Codes, including advanced understanding of industry practices, or deep expertise in a highly specialized and critical discipline.
• Advanced project management skills to effectively manage highly complex projects, or highly specialized and critical project component.
• Advanced analytical, organizational and problem recognition / avoidance / resolution skills.
• Excellent customer service skills grounded in public service values, including transparency, accountability, equity, and responsiveness.
• Advanced written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex regulatory and technical information clearly and effectively to diverse audiences, negotiate solutions among competing stakeholders, and apply sound political acumen in complex organizational environments.
• Advanced ability to manage contractors and maintain compliance to the agreed-upon scope of work and budget.
• Advanced ability to build trust, credibility, and productive working relationships with internal teams, regulators, consultants, and external partners.
• Demonstrated ability to identify customer needs, anticipating challenges, and providing timely guidance to reduce uncertainty and delays.