Building Director

City-of-Miami-Beach; Miami (FL); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Miami Beach seeks a highly capable Building Department Director to lead complex administrative and technical operations. You will supervise professional and clerical staff, oversee inspections, permits issuance, and enforcement of building codes, and manage budgets and strategic planning.

You will liaise with builders, engineers, and public officials, draft ordinances, resolve complaints, and ensure compliance with municipal, state, and federal regulations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in building construction management or related field.
• 7 years of senior management experience in building design, codes and regulations.
• Experience with permitting, inspections, records management and customer service.

Responsibilities

• Directs activities of Building Department staff, including inspections, permits, and enforcement of codes.
• Reviews and approves large-scale building and development plans.
• Meets with builders, engineers, architects, developers, attorneys, real estate agents, and the public to resolve code concerns.

Skills

Public administration

Budgeting

Staff supervision

Regulatory compliance

Code enforcement

Facilities management

Communication with stakeholders

Blueprint interpretation

Project coordination

Policy development

Education

Bachelor’s degree in building construction management or technology, architecture, structural engineering, or a related field

Experience can substitute for education on a year-for-year basis

7 years of progressively more complex senior management experience in building design and maintenance

Tools

MS Office suite

Records management systems

Electronic permitting platforms

Job description

This is highly responsible management and complex professional administrative work planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling the activities of the City's Building Department. The emphasis of the work is on directing technical, administrative, and clerical staff in the conduct of building inspections, the issuing of building permits, and the enforcement of building codes.

• Reviews and approves large-scale building and development plans in the preliminary and final stages of review
• Meets with builders, engineers, architects, developers, attorneys, real estate agents, and the general public to hear code concerns to resolve complaints
• Assigns and reviews all non-routine items to subordinates, including budget preparation and monitoring, personnel actions, staff interviews, training, hardware and software needs, and office space planning
• Reviews and approves all purchase orders, requests for time off, vacation, sick leave, and other administrative activities
• Reviews and approves all memos written by assistants to other City departments
• Assigns chief inspectors to various special projects as needed
• Speaks at civic meetings on subjects such as clean streets, minimum housing, maintenance standards, noise abatement, and abandoned buildings
• Draft ordinances, resolutions, and memos related to building and zoning codes for the City Commission
• Performs related work as required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Extensive knowledge of national, state, and local laws, codes, ordinances, and regulations regarding construction, alteration, and repair of buildings and other structures
• Extensive knowledge of general building design and construction
• Extensive knowledge of good construction practices
• Considerable knowledge of effective practices concerning air conditioning, electrical, plumbing, and other phases of building construction
• Extensive knowledge of the principles and practices of public and business administration and management by objectives
• Extensive knowledge of the policies and procedures of departmental budget preparation, justification, monitoring, analysis, and reporting
• Extensive knowledge of supervisory principles and practices
• Ability to balance demand with limited resources in providing effective, efficient, and economical services to City residents
• Ability to read and interpret blueprints, plans, drawings, specifications, and diagrams and to determine conformance with established standards
• Ability to supervise, plan, direct, and coordinate the work of professional, technical, and clerical employees in the implementation of internal controls and operational policies and procedures
• Ability to identify problem areas, analyze and recommend solutions regarding the efficiency and effectiveness of departmental operations
• Ability to disseminate effective advice regarding the identification of potential problem areas and the formulation, implementation, and attainment of organizational and departmental goals and objectives in a manner that maximizes efficiency and effective utilization of resources
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with City officials, other employees, professional groups, vendors, and the general public
• Ability to communicate effectively with residents, property owners, contractors, design professionals, developers, governmental agencies, elected officials, departmental leadership, and other stakeholders regarding complex permitting and regulatory matters.
• Ability to plan, organize, and supervise, through various levels of subordinates, the work of all departmental employees in a manner conducive to full performance and high morale
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with elected officials, coworkers, the press the general public and members of diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds regardless of race, religion, age, sex, disability, political affiliation, gender identity or sexual orientation.
• Ability to serve the public and fellow employees with honesty and integrity in full accord with the letter and spirit of all City ethics and conflicts of interest policies. Strong understanding of ethical behavior is required.
• Ability to report to work as directed during an emergency as an essential employee of the City of Miami Beach
• Ability to maintain current all required safety and other mandatory training.
• Extensive knowledge of municipal Building Department operations, including permitting, inspections, records management, code compliance, customer service, and administrative functions.
• Experience managing and overseeing administrative divisions, including Building Records, customer service/call center operations, code and permit violation processes, and milestone inspection/certification programs.
• Extensive knowledge of records management practices, document retention requirements, public records procedures, electronic document management systems, and processes associated with maintaining official Building Department records.
• Extensive knowledge and experience administering milestone inspection and certification programs, including document intake, tracking, compliance monitoring, recordkeeping, customer notification, and coordination with property owners, design professionals, private providers and regulatory agencies.
• Experience developing, documenting, evaluating, and improving permitting workflows and business processes, including application intake, departmental routing, plan review, permit issuance, inspections, revisions, corrections, closeout, and records retention.
• Experience establishing and configuring workflow requirements for electronic permitting and land management software, including business rules, routing logic, user roles, task assignments, status controls, notifications and document requirements.
• Experience coordinating with information technology personnel, software vendors, consultants, departmental stakeholders, and end users during the development and implementation of permitting and records management technology.
• Extensive knowledge of floodplain management principles and regulations, including flood hazard areas, flood zones, Base Flood Elevations, substantial improvement and substantial damage requirements, elevation requirements, flood‑resistant construction, and applicable federal, state, and local regulations.
• Experience conducting legislative and regulatory reviews of Florida Statutes and amendments to identify changes affecting Building Department operations and determine necessary modifications to departmental policies, procedures, workflows, forms, and permitting systems.
• Ability to collaborate with legal counsel, finance, information technology, administration, and other governmental stakeholders in evaluating statutory changes and implementing compliant Building Department policies, procedures, fee structures, and technology solutions.
• Experience coordinating Building Department activities with internal departments and divisions, including Planning and Zoning, Public Works, Environmental/Sustainability, Urban Forestry, Fire Prevention, Code Compliance, Finance, and other applicable municipal functions.
• Knowledge of establishing quality control, validation, and human review procedures for Artificial Intelligence assisted processes to promote accuracy, transparency, consistency and compliance with applicable laws.

• Bachelor’s degree in building construction management or technology, architecture, structural engineering, or a related field
• Experience can substitute for education on a year-for-year basis
• 7 years of progressively more complex senior management experience in building design and maintenance, codes, ordinances, and regulations regarding construction, alteration, and repair of buildings and other structures, with proven leadership experience in oversight of a large department
• Extensive knowledge and experience evaluating Florida Statutes governing Building Department permitting fees and the use, calculation, collection, and administration of permit-related revenues, including statutory limitations and requirements applicable to local government building code enforcement programs.
• Experience managing and delivering high‑quality customer service across multiple communication channels, including telephone, email, in‑person interactions, web‑based services, electronic permitting platforms, and text messaging.
• Ability to foster a customer focused service culture while ensuring that information, assistance, and decisions provided to customers remain consistent with applicable codes, statutes, ordinances, policies, and established departmental procedures.
• Knowledge of general building design and good construction practices
• Working knowledge of the construction industry including effective practices concerning air conditioning, electrical, plumbing, and other phases of building construction

Preferred qualifications:

• Current certification, or the ability to obtain certification, as a Building Official as defined by the State of Florida
• Previous public sector experience as a Building and/or Code Compliance Director or Community Development/Community Services Director
• Experience in the building trades
• Working knowledge of the Florida Building Code
• Experience working in historic preservation
• Familiarity with EPA legislation

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Must have the use of sensory skills in order to effectively communicate and interact with other employees and the public through the use of the telephone and personal contact
• Physical capability to effectively use and operate various items of office related equipment, such as, but not limited to, computer, calculator, copier, and fax machine
• No significant standing, walking, moving, climbing, carrying, bending, and kneeling
• Some crawling, reaching, handling, sitting, standing, pushing, and pulling