Building Official (Engineer IV)

King-County,-W; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

The Department of Local Services, Permitting Division in King County seeks a Building Official (Engineer IV) to provide supervision, technical leadership, and guidance for plan review and field inspections of diverse buildings, ensuring compliance with structural, life-safety, energy, and accessibility codes.

The successful candidate will interpret codes in complex scenarios, collaborate across divisions, develop policies, and deliver exceptional customer service while advancing equitable

Qualifications

• Education or experience in building construction, architecture, engineering, construction management, or a closely related field.
• Experience supervising field-based building inspection staff while providing technical leadership to plan review staff.
• Extensive experience interpreting and applying building codes—including structural, life-safety, energy, mechanical, accessibility, and related requirements—in complex, real-world situations.
• Broad, end-to-end knowledge of permitting processes, including plan review, inspections, discretionary determinations, and regulatory coordination.
• Experience evaluating construction methods, materials, sequencing, and field conditions and determining compliance under varying or ambiguous circumstances.
• Knowledge of site development and land use regulations, including earthwork, soils, erosion control, site infrastructure, and engineering fundamentals.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across disciplines (engineering, fire, critical areas, planning, customer service, etc.) and build strong

Responsibilities

• Supervise and coach field-based building inspection staff, providing day-to-day guidance and performance oversight.
• Provide technical leadership to plan review staff, ensuring consistent interpretation and application of building codes across the division.
• Interpret and apply building codes in complex, real-world scenarios, including situations with ambiguity or incomplete information.
• Resolve complex permitting and construction challenges by applying codes thoughtfully in gray areas and identifying safe, compliant solutions.
• Respond to customer inquiries involving code interpretation and permitting requirements, with clear, empathetic guidance.
• Conduct site visits and make field determinations on complex or sensitive projects, including identifying unsafe conditions and posting properties when necessary.
• Review and decide on discretionary determinations, including permit extensions, temporary occupancy, sequential permitting, and Pre-Issuance Construction Authorizations.
• Collaborate across teams, divisions, and departments to streamline processes and resolve multi-discipline issues.
• Develop and maintain policies, SOPs, guidance documents, and training materials that support consistent implementation of building codes and workflows.
• Represent King County in interagency and regional forums, including MyBuildingPermit.com partnerships and professional groups.
• Support emergency and disaster response activities, including rapid damage assessment and interdepartmental coordination.
• Deliver and model exceptional customer service, helping customers navigate permitting processes at each step.
• Champion process improvements to reduce confusion and enhance permitting predictability for customers and staff.
• Perform other duties as necessary.

Skills

Supervision

Technical leadership

Code interpretation

Field inspections

Customer service

Cross-team collaboration

Policy development

Emergency response support

Public-facing communication

Education

Building construction, architecture, engineering, construction management, or related field

Experience supervising field-based inspection staff

Regulatory coordination knowledge

Job description

The Department of Local Services, Permitting Divisionis recruiting for a Building Official (Engineer IV).This role provides supervision, technical leadership, and operational guidance will oversee specialized plan examination of building plans and supporting documentation for structures and developments; as well as field inspections of single family, multi-family, commercial buildings, and other structures to ensure compliance with structural, life safety, energy, mechanical, accessibility, and other applicable county, state, and federal building codes and regulations. The Building Official applies codes in complex, real-world scenarios, navigates gray areas thoughtfully, and helps customers find safe, solutions-oriented outcomes. This position requires strong emotional intelligence, the ability to work with a diverse customer base, and the skill to streamline processes while fostering productive relationships across teams, divisions, and departments. The ideal candidate has broad, end-to-end knowledge of permitting and is committed to delivering exceptional customer service. This role requires someone who can solve complex problems, communicate clearly with field staff and customers, and lead with a balanced combination of technical expertise, operational judgment, and collaborative relationship-building.

About the Department of Local Services

King County is the local service provider for the roughly one quarter-million people who live in the unincorporated areas of the county; collectively, these communities would be the second largest city in the state. The Department of Local Services includes a Director's Office, and the Road Services and Permitting Divisions. Together, this department provides a single executive point of accountability for delivering local services to all unincorporated areas.

Our Commitment to Equity, Racial and Social Justice

The Department of Local Services is deeply dedicated to fostering Equity and Racial and Social Justice in every aspect of our work. Our pledge is to cultivate, embrace, and celebrate the distinct experiences, viewpoints, and perspectives of our people, partners, and the communities we serve. Through this work, we dismantle systemic barriers, address inequities, and actively confront prejudices and biases. We acknowledge this journey is ongoing, and we remain steadfast in our efforts to create a positive impact for our employees and communities alike.

To learn more about the Permitting Division please visit our website at King County Permits.

Applying equity, racial and social justice principles is a daily responsibility and a foundational expectation for all King County employees. In this role, you will:

• Supervise and support building inspection staff, providing day-to-day guidance, coaching, and performance oversight while fostering strong, collaborative field operations.
• Provide technical leadership to plan review staff, ensuring consistent interpretation and application of building codes across the division.
• Interpret and apply building codes in complex, real-world scenarios, including situations with ambiguity, competing constraints, or incomplete information.
• Resolve complex permitting and construction challenges by applying codes thoughtfully in gray areas and identifying safe, compliant solutions.
• Respond to customer inquiries involving code interpretation, construction feasibility, and permitting requirements, providing clear, accurate, and empathetic guidance.
• Conduct site visits and make field determinations on complex or sensitive projects, including identifying unsafe conditions, determining next steps, and posting properties when necessary.
• Review and decide on discretionary determinations, including permit extensions, temporary occupancy, sequential permitting, grading coordination, and Pre-Issuance Construction Authorizations.
• Collaborate across teams, divisions, and departments, strengthening relationships with engineering, fire, critical areas, planning, and customer service staff to streamline processes and resolve multi-discipline issues.
• Develop and maintain policies, SOPs, guidance documents, and training materials that support consistent implementation of building codes and permitting workflows.
• Represent King County in interagency, regional, and statewide forums, including MyBuildingPermit.com partnerships, WABO committees, and other professional groups.
• Support emergency and disaster response activities, including rapid damage assessment, field deployment, and interdepartmental coordination.
• Deliver and model exceptional customer service, helping customers navigate permitting processes and understanding expectations at each step.
• Champion process improvements, identifying opportunities to reduce confusion, increase consistency, and enhance permitting predictability for customers and staff.
• Perform other duties as necessary.

Values (ACTIVATE)

• Accountable
• Collaborative
• Timely
• Impactful
• Value Employees
• Accessible
• Trusted
• Equitable

• Education or experience in building construction, architecture, engineering, construction management, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated ability to supervise, coach, and support field-based building inspection staff while providing technical leadership to plan review staff.
• Extensive experience interpreting and applying building codes—including structural, life-safety, energy, mechanical, accessibility, and related requirements—in complex, real-world situations.
• Broad, end-to-end knowledge of permitting processes, including plan review, inspections, discretionary determinations, and regulatory coordination.
• Experience evaluating construction methods, materials, sequencing, and field conditions and determining compliance under varying or ambiguous circumstances.
• Knowledge of site development and land use regulations, including earthwork, soils, erosion control, site infrastructure, and engineering fundamentals.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across disciplines (engineering, fire, critical areas, planning, customer service, etc.) and build strong