Senior Construction Inspector (Public Works)

The Senior Construction Inspector is an advanced journey-level position responsible for coordinating and overseeing technical field and office engineering activities associated with the inspection of public works construction projects. This position organizes, assigns, and reviews the work of assigned staff; performs complex and specialized construction inspection duties; and provides technical support to assigned supervisor or manager.

This is an opportunity to take a leadership role in delivering high-quality public infrastructure while applying advanced construction inspection expertise. The Senior Construction Inspector plays an important role in ensuring that public works projects meet established standards, contract requirements, and the needs of the communities they serve.

 An ideal candidate for Senior Construction Inspector possesses the following:

• Extensive knowledge of construction inspection principles, practices, methods, materials, and terminology.

• Strong ability to interpret construction plans, specifications, contracts, and technical documents.

• Sound judgment and problem-solving skills when addressing complex field conditions.

• Ability to organize and prioritize multiple projects and assignments.

• Ability to provide clear technical direction and effectively coordinate the work of others.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Professionalism and diplomacy when working with contractors, consultants, staff, and the public.

• Attention to detail and a commitment to accurate documentation and quality construction.

• Ability to work independently while keeping supervisors informed of significant project issues.

The Engineering Division ensures City owned facilities such as streets, storm drain systems, water distribution networks, sewer collection facilities and improvements are constructed where needed and improvements meet the appropriate standards. Staff assures CIP and development projects meet all City requirements, manage traffic related projects such as signal modifications, striping and sign improvements, process and issue encroachment permits for encroachments within the public property, site grading, parking permits, wide loads permits and maintains all necessary records.

About Pittsburg
The City of Pittsburg is a culturally rich and diverse community of over 76,000 residents and expected to grow to 90,000 in the next 20 years.  Pittsburg is located in the Bay Area Region of Northern California and is perfectly situated for easy access to San Francisco, Napa Valley, Sacramento, the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and Lake Tahoe.  Pittsburg City Hall is also conveniently located a short walk from the Pittsburg Center Station of the Bay Area Rapid Transit System (BART), making a commute from cities throughout the Bay Area very easy.  Pittsburg has waterfront homes, a performing arts theater, a variety of seasonal events, an extensive park system, a large public-school system, and a variety of shopping centers.   The recently renovated Marina is also an ideal place to visit and is located within steps of the Old Town shopping district and downtown living, with nearly 600 boat slips, a free public boat launch, fuel dock, café, bait shop, and the Pittsburg Yacht Club. Pittsburg has featured such events as the Seafood and Music Festival, car shows, movies in the park, kayaking, and fishing derbies.  With its commitment to a quality community environment, Pittsburg is an ideal city in which to live, work and recreate.

The City of Pittsburg is a full-service city following the council-manager form of government. The City has approximately 300 full time employees and at times, up to 350 employees total (depending on the season).  Pittsburg is currently organized into the following departments: City Management, Community and Economic Development (Building, Economic Development, Code Enforcement, and Planning), Community Services (Housing Authority, Pittsburg Power Company, and the Successor Agency to the former Redevelopment Agency, CDBG/Housing Rehabilitation, Environmental Services, Waterfront Administration, and Property Management), Recreation, Human Resources, Finance, Police, and Public Works (Engineering, Operations/Maintenance, Utilities, Facilities, Parks, and Water Treatment). Fire Protection services are provided by the Contra Costa County Consolidated Fire Department. 



EXAMPLES OF DUTIES:
Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Leads, plans, trains, and reviews the work of staff responsible for performing a variety of technical field and office engineering work involved in inspecting construction activities on assigned public works projects; participates in performing the most complex work of the unit.
• Trains assigned employees in their areas of work including construction inspection methods, procedures, and techniques; identifies training opportunities and needs; makes recommendations to management staff as necessary.
• Verifies the work of assigned employees for accuracy, proper work methods, techniques, and compliance with applicable standards and specifications; ensures adherence to safe work practices and procedures.
• Oversees and participates in inspecting the construction, repair, and/or alteration work on assigned public works projects including streets, parks, gutters, curbs, sidewalks, parking lots, water and sewer systems, storm drains, underground improvements, street lighting systems, landscaping, landscaping irrigation systems, facilities, and other City capital projects; inspects materials, methods, and procedures for conformance with plans and specifications; enforces and observes testing of materials; reviews test reports; performs final inspection upon completion of project.
• Oversees and conducts field sampling and testing of construction materials; directs contract lab testing operations; analyzes and interprets lab test results and writes test reports; approves materials for use on construction projects; makes field determinations of scope and method of work to be performed; authorize field changes to plans as necessary.
• Meets and confers with representatives of utility companies, contractors, engineers and other public agencies regarding construction plans and specifications; investigates and attempts to resolve citizen complaints.
• Answers questions, provides information to, and confers with property owners regarding project schedule, hazards, and inconvenience; schedules service interruptions with the least interference and least inconvenience to property owners; coordinates work with other City departments and utilities to resolve interferences and conflicts.
• Oversees and prepares technical reports, letters, and contract change orders; maintains written records of work performed; performs construction surveys; checks contractors progress on jobs; accounts for all contract bid items in preparation of payment to contractors.
• Reviews and evaluates requests for information, change orders, and payment applications for accuracy.
• Oversees and participates in reviewing plans, specifications, contract documents, and other technical data to ensure conformance with City standard; recommends and/or makes changes as necessary.
• Enforces and documents adherence to various environmental requirements.
• Attends and participates in seminars, training sessions, and other meetings; maintains awareness of new trends and developments in construction methods and materials; incorporates new developments as appropriate.
• Responds to public inquiries in a courteous manner; provides information within the area of assignment including explaining construction inspection procedures; resolves complaints in an efficient and timely manner.
• Estimates time, materials, and equipment required for jobs assigned; requisitions materials as required.
• Represent the City with dignity, integrity, and the spirit of cooperation in all relations with staff and the public. 
• Foster an environment that embraces integrity, service, inclusion, and collaboration.
• Be an integral team player, which involves flexibility, cooperation, and communication.
• Build and maintain positive working relationships with co-workers, other City employees and the public using principles of good customer service.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

Any combination of education, experience, and training that would provide the best qualified candidates. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Education:  Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth grade supplemented by specialized training in public works inspection, civil engineering, or a related field.

Experience:  Four years of increasingly responsible construction inspection experience at a level comparable to a Construction Inspector II with the City of Pittsburg.

Special Requirements:  Possession at the time of hire and continued maintenance of a valid California Class C driver’s license is required. Possession of a Public Infrastructure Inspector Certification from the American Public Works Association (APWA) is required within one year of appointment.  
 
Working Conditions:  Environment: Indoor and outdoor environments; travel from site to site; some exposure to noise, dust, grease, smoke, fumes, gases, and inclement weather conditions; work around heavy construction equipment; work or inspect in confined spaces; work and/or walk on various types of surfaces including slippery, uneven surfaces and rough terrain; regular interaction with City staff, the general public and other organizations; occasionally deal with dissatisfied individuals.

Physical: Primary functions require sufficient physical ability and mobility to work in an office and field environment; to walk, stand, and sit for prolonged periods of time; to frequently stoop, bend, kneel, crouch, crawl, climb, reach, twist, grasp, and make repetitive hand movement in the performance of daily duties; to climb unusual heights on ladders; to lift, carry, push, and/or pull moderate to heavy amounts of weight; to operate assigned equipment and vehicles; and to verbally communicate to exchange information.  Vision: See in the normal visual range with or without correction.  Hearing: Hear in the normal audio range with or without correction.

Knowledge of:
Operations, services, and activities of a public works construction inspection program; principles of lead supervision and training; advanced methods and techniques used in the inspection of public works construction projects and of civil engineering as applied to the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of public works and building projects; advanced, principals, methods, materials, equipment, and safety hazards of construction; advanced methods and techniques of detecting construction defects and faults; and materials testing; applicable laws, regulations, codes, ordinances, and policies governing the construction of public works projects; advanced mathematics principles and practices; office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and supporting software applications including word processing, spread sheet and database applications; occupational hazards and standard safety precautions; advanced methods and techniques of engineering principles, construction plans, and specification review for compliance with established construction standards; methods and techniques of public relations; principles and procedures of record keeping and filing; proper English, spelling and grammar; technical report writing and preparation of correspondence; drafting and mapping; pertinent federal, state, and local codes, laws, and regulations.

Ability to:
Lead, organize, and review the work of staff; interpret, explain, and enforce department policies and procedures; perform inspections on a variety of public works projects; understand and interpret maps, engineering plans and specifications; prepare accurate engineering records; deal firmly and tactfully with contractors, engineers, and property owners; detect and locate faulty materials and workmanship and determine the stage of construction during which defects are most easily found and remedied; interpret and apply laws, regulations, codes, ordinances, and policies governing the construction of public works projects; perform various mathematical calculations; prepare and maintain records, drawings, and reports related to construction activities; safely operate a variety of tools, equipment, and assigned vehicle; understand engineering principles and apply to construction projects. Inspect and analyze construction procedures and interpret code violations; implement and maintain daily records; respond to issues and concerns from the community; operate office equipment including computers and supporting word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications; communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
 
FLSA: Non-Exempt
Applications may be submitted online at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/pittsburg. The City of Pittsburg utilizes a merit-based selection system. Such a system is competitive and based on broad outreach efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to take part in a process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position. Although, a resume and cover letter provide helpful added detail in reviewing qualifications, the job application may be rejected if the sections are considered to be incomplete. You will be notified of the next steps in the process via email! In the meantime, Let’s stay in touch through social media. Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

What Happens Next?

• We will review your application and all supplemental materials to select the best qualified applicants to continue in the process. Screening will include a review of qualifications, application appraisal rating of education, training and experience and relevance of background qualifications related to the target job as well as supplemental questions if applicable.
• Applicants selected to move forward in the process may be asked to participate in any combination of the following (at any phase of the selection process): a written examination, job related exercise, physical test or job simulation, phone interview, in-person or video interview(s), and/or web-based testing.
• All offers of employment are conditional and new hires are subject to complete a pre-employment background screening that will consist of reference checks, livescan/fingerprint check and a civil check.  Some positions require a medical examination, psychological examination, credit check, polygraph, drug testing, and full background investigation depending on the job characteristics.  All new hires are required to show that they are eligible to work in the United States.   All of these processes must be successfully completed before employment begins.
• The final phase of the selection process is the probationary period, which in most cases is twelve months.

Reasonable Accommodations:
The City of Pittsburg is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) and provides equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, ancestry, religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws in its employment actions, decisions, policies and practices.

The City of Pittsburg Human Resources Department will make reasonable efforts in the selection process to accommodate disabled applicants. Individuals with disabilities who would like to request an accommodation in the process must inform the Human Resources Department by the final filing date.