Building Official, Engineer IV: Code & Permitting Lead

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 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