Building Official (Engineer IV) - King County, WA

Washington Association of Building Officials; Seattle, Northern (WA, KY); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

King County Department of Local Services, Permitting Division, is seeking a Building Official (Engineer IV) to supervise specialized plan examination and conduct field inspections to ensure compliance with building codes and regulations. This role requires strong leadership, technical expertise, and customer-focused problem solving.

The ideal candidate will bring broad permitting knowledge, collaboration across teams, and a commitment to delivering safe, efficient solutions in complex real-world

Qualifications

• Education or experience in building construction, architecture, engineering, construction management, or related field.
• Ability to supervise and coach field staff while providing technical leadership.
• Extensive experience interpreting and applying building codes in real-world situations.
• Broad knowledge of permitting processes including plan review and inspections.
• Experience evaluating construction methods and site conditions for compliance.
• Ability to collaborate across engineering, fire, planning, and customer service.
• Strong communication skills to explain technical concepts to diverse audiences.
• Ability to prioritize workflow and handle multiple deadlines.
• Experience working with customers to resolve permitting challenges.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and electronic plan review systems.

Responsibilities

• Supervise and support building inspection staff with day-to-day guidance.
• Provide technical leadership to plan review staff.
• Interpret and apply building codes in complex scenarios.
• Resolve permitting and construction challenges with safe, compliant solutions.
• Respond to customer inquiries about code interpretation and permitting.
• Conduct site visits and field determinations on complex projects.
• Collaborate across teams to streamline processes.
• Develop and maintain policies and training materials.
• Represent King County in interagency and regional forums.
• Support emergency and disaster response activities.
• Deliver exceptional customer service in permitting processes.
• Champion process improvements to increase consistency.

Skills

Supervision

Technical leadership

Communication

Collaborative work

Problem solving

Education

Building construction background (education or experience)

Job description

NOTE: The application period has now closed. Only Priority Placement Program participant applications will be added to the candidate pool.

The Department of Local Services, Permitting Division is 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.

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)

• A ccountable
• C ollaborative
• T imely
• I mpactful
• V alue Employees
• A ccessible
• T rusted
• E quitable

• 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 working relationships.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to explain technical concepts clearly to customers, colleagues, and stakeholders with varying levels of expertise.
• Demonstrated experience working directly with customers to solve complex permitting challenges while maintaining compliance and life-safety standards.
• Ability to prioritize a high volume of work, manage competing deadlines, and remain steady and solutions-oriented under pressure.
• Experience presenting technical information to diverse audiences in multiple formats and settings.
• Proficiency with standard business applications such as the Microsoft Office Suite and familiarity with electronic plan review and permitting systems.

Desired Qualifications:

• International Code Council (ICC) Certified Building Official (CBO) credential.
• Additional ICC certifications such as Building Inspector, Plans Examiner, or related specialties.
• Experience as a jurisdiction building inspector and/or plans examiner.
• Experience with electronic plan review systems, digital permitting systems, and technology-supported inspection workflows.
• Demonstrated success in leading teams through complex or ambiguous situations, including resolving multi-discipline issues or coordinating across divisions.
• Experience building strong customer relationships, especially in roles requiring collaborative problem-solving with builders, designers, engineers, and property owners.

INTERVIEW SCHEDULE:

The first review of applicants will be on the week of August 10, 2026, and applicants who pass the initial screening will be invited to interview the week of August 17, 2026.

WHO MAY APPLY:

This position is open to all qualified applicants. First consideration will be given to current PROTEC17 members in the same classification that are eligible for lateral transfer.

WORK SCHEDULE:

The work week is normally Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., but may at times require work outside of normal business hours, and/or on weekends. This position is non-exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standard Act and is eligible for overtime pay, with prior supervisor approval.

EMERGENCY DESIGNATION STATUS:

This position has been designated as:

Mission Critical - Employees who staff county functions or services that may be delayed, suspended, or diverted in an emergency while essential functions are prioritized Mission Critical.

Unless otherwise directed by the County Executive, department director or agency head, all employees, regardless of designation, are expected to report to work or request leave during an emergency or inclement weather.

UNION MEMBERSHIP:

PROTEC17

TELEWORKING REQUIREMENTS:

This is a hybrid position. We will work in the office at least three days a week to foster connection and responsiveness, arrive prepared and on time, and structure meetings with clear goals and next steps.

Employees must reside in WashingtonStateand within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.

Employees will be provided with a County issued laptop and must maintain a workspace with an internet connection where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours.

King County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely. The individual selected for this opportunity will be joining an innovative and progressive team that is redefining how we work in a hybrid environment.

For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact:

Sonali Naidu, [e-mail]/206-684-2454

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King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer

No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.