Permitting Specialist

GENERAL STATEMENT OF JOB

The purpose of the class is to perform routine clerical and administrative work in building permitting operations. Responsible for issuing permits, scheduling inspections, making daily deposits, and issuing building permits on a daily basis. Has daily contact with the public and responds to requests or inquiries regarding building permits. This class performs routine clerical duties such as typing reports, drafting letters, creating and laminating postings, processing mail, and other duties assigned by supervisor or division manager when needed.

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Essential Functions:

• Assists customers with applying for and obtaining building permits, explains permitting procedures, and provides guidance throughout the permitting process. Performs related duties including reviewing applications for accuracy, maintaining records and standards, processing online inspection requests, and interacting with customers, staff, and other stakeholders as needed.
• Maintains accountability for petty cash and making daily deposits.
• Schedules building inspections and other requests.
• Issues and files completed permits.
• Reviews records for completeness and accuracy; maintains current and archived records and files in accordance with record retention policies; retrieves files and/or information from files upon request.
• Processes inspection requests and payment.
• Calculates and collects fees, receipts, and records fees for permits and development applications, calculates double fees, re-inspections and plan review fees for commercial and residential construction; balances daily receipts and prepares daily deposits in the absence of the supervisor.
• Answers the telephone; provides accurate information to callers and/or forwards calls to appropriate personnel; takes messages as needed; greets and assists office visitors.
• Performs other clerical work, including but not limited to correspondence, copying and filing documents, sending and receiving faxes, entering and retrieving computer data, processing daily mail, ordering office supplies, etc.
• Receives and responds to public/customer inquiries, requests for assistance, and complaints.
• Attends training, meetings, seminars, and/or workshops to enhance job knowledge and skills as directed.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM EDUCATION AND TRAINING

• High School Diploma.
• 1 year of customer service experience required.

-or-

• Any combination of education and experience that meets the requirements for performing the essential functions of this job.

Licenses/Certifications/Other:

• Must meet special certifications requirement for Permit Technician Certification by ICC (International Code Council) within twelve (12) months of hire.
• International Code Council (ICC) Permitting Specialist Certification and Notary Public Certification preferred.
• Requires a valid state driver’s license.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND STANDARDS REQUIRED

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Data Involvement: Requires gathering, organizing, analyzing, examining or evaluating data or information and may prescribe action based on such data or information.
• People Involvement: Requires giving information, guidance or assistance to people to directly facilitate task accomplishment; may give direction or assignments to helpers or assistants.
• Involvement with Things: Requires handling or using machines, tools or equipment requiring brief instruction or experience, such as computers for data entry, fax machines, copiers, scanners, telephones or similar equipment; may service office machines, including adding paper and changing toner.
• Reasoning Requirements: Requires performing skilled work involving set procedures and rules but with frequent problems. Requires the skill set to learn, navigate, and provide input on permitting software. 
• Mathematical Requirements: Requires using basic algebra involving variables and formulas and/or basic geometry involving plane and solid figures, circumferences, areas and volumes, and/or computing discounts and interest rates. Requires the ability to count money, make change, and perform petty cash draw audits. 
• Language Requirements: Requires reading technical instructions, procedures manuals, and charts to solve practical problems such as routine office equipment operating instructions; composing routine and specialized reports, forms, and business letters, with proper format; speaking compound sentences using normal grammar and word form.
• Mental Requirements: Requires doing clerical, manual or technical tasks requiring a wide range of procedures and requiring intensive understanding of a restricted field or complete familiarity with the functions of a unit or small division of an operating agency; requires normal attention with short periods of concentration for accurate results or occasional exposure to unusual pressure.
• Computer Requirements: Must be proficient in use of Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook.
• Judgments and Decisions: Responsible for guiding others, requiring a few decisions affecting a few co-workers; works in a stable environment with clear and uncomplicated written/oral instructions but with some variations from the routine.   

Physical Requirements:

The work is sedentary work which requires the person in this position to occasionally exert up to 10 pounds of force to grasp, lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Additionally, the following physical abilities are required:

• Feeling: Perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips.
• Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
• Handling: Picking, holding, or otherwise working, primarily with the whole hand.
• Hearing: Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discrimination in sound.
• Manual Dexterity: Picking, pinching, typing, or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling.
• Mental Acuity: Ability to make rational decisions through sound logic and deductive processes.
• Repetitive Motion:  Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers.
• Speaking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including the ability to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately and concisely.
• Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Visual Acuity: Have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; and/or extensive reading. Including color, depth perception, and field vision.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

May be required to work hours other than the regular schedule including nights, weekends, and holidays. This position requires regular and reliable attendance and the employee’s physical presence at the workplace. The job risks exposure to no known environmental hazards. Work is performed in a relatively safe, secure, and stable work environment.

EEO AND ADA MESSAGE

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily.  Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions described herein.  Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were written out in this job description.

Richland County is an Equal Opportunity Employer. ADA requires the County to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Prospective and current employees are invited to discuss accommodations.

Richland County has the right to revise this job description at any time. This description does not represent in any way a contract of employment.