Permit Technician

County of Napa; Napa (CA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vacation accrual up to 104 hours/year

Paid holidays - 15 days/year

Personal leave - 4 hours/year

Sick leave - 96 hours/year

Health/dental insurance plans

Job summary

The City of Napa seeks a proactive Permit Technician in the Building Division. You will guide contractors and the public through permit processes, advise on regulations, and support plan checks, issuance, and information sharing.

You will collaborate with inspectors, plans examiners and other departments to ensure compliance and efficient service. Strong customer service, communication skills, and attention to detail are essential.

Qualifications

• Possession of an ICC Permit Technician certification within one year of appointment.
• Experience interpreting building/zoning regulations and advising contractors, developers, engineers, architects and the public.
• Experience processing permits and plan checks in a Building Department or local government setting is encouraged.
• Familiarity with EnerGov permitting software is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Provide responsive customer service and educate the public on permit process requirements.
• Advise contractors and professionals on permit requirements and processing steps.
• Support plan checking, permit issuance, information sharing, reporting, and referrals.
• Answer phones, perform data entry, recordkeeping and file management as needed.

Skills

Customer service

Regulation interpretation

Collaboration

Communication

Problem solving

Adaptability

Emotional intelligence

Attention to detail

Teamwork

Tools

EnerGov

Job description

Upcoming Salary Increases:

• 2.5% Salary Increase effective January 2027
• 3.5% Salary Increase effective July 2027
• 3.25% Salary Increase effective July 2028
• 2.85% Salary Increase effective July 2029

Prior Years Of Public Service Vacation Accrual Credit

Full-time service in a City, County, State, Federal Agency, or Special District may be counted towards vacation accrual tiers at the City of Napa.

The Community Resources and Development Department is seeking applicants for one (1) Permit Technician opening in our Building Division. Our Building Division continuously provides professional recommendations to our community on construction plans for compliance with the latest California Building Code, city ordinances, and state and federal laws. As a Permit Technician, you will work in collaboration with multiple team members in the Building Division including a fellow Permit Technician, Senior Permit Technician, Building Inspectors, Plans Examiner, and Chief Building Official, as well as other City departments and divisions across the organization.

As a Permit Technician, you will excel at providing responsive and efficient customer service while educating the general public and construction professionals about new building regulations and methods. Our Permit Technicians are responsible for advising contractors, developers, engineers, architects and the public on permit process requirements. As a Permit Technician, you will provide administrative and technical support to the Building Division including but not limited to application routing, plan checking, permit issuance, information sharing with contractors, developers, engineers, architects and/or the public, reporting, and application referrals. You will also be the first resource for community members and contractors coming in to seek expert guidance on regulations and ask questions regarding the permitting process. Additional duties may include administrative tasks such as answering phones, data entry, typing, recordkeeping, and filing.

We are looking for a team player with strong communication and collaboration skills who excels at interpreting building/zoning regulations and working with a wide variety of customers. Experience working with EnerGov permitting software is highly desirable. Applicants who have experience processing permits and plan checking for a Building Department, or in a similar setting for a local government agency are encouraged to apply!

• Special Requirements***: Possession of an International Code Council (ICC) Permit Technician is required within one year of appointment (date of hire).

• Building Technical Knowledge & Skill – Having achieved a satisfactory level of technical, functional, and/or professional skill or knowledge in position-related areas such as building permits and zoning codes; keeping up with current developments and trends in areas of expertise; using experienced knowledge to accomplish results.
• Planning and Organizing – Establishing an action plan to complete work efficiently and on time by setting priorities, establishing timelines, and using resources.
• Customer Focus – Provides excellent service to ensure a positive experience for both internal and external customers.
• Work Standards – Setting high standards of performance for self and others; assuming responsibility and accountability for completing assignments or tasks; self-imposing standards of excellence rather than having standards imposed.
• Quality Orientation – Accomplishing tasks by considering all areas involved, no matter how detailed; showing concern for all aspects of the job; accurately checking processes and tasks; being watchful over a period of time.
• Collaborating – Working in coordination to help a team or work group achieve its goals.
• Applied Learning – Assimilating and applying new job-related information in a timely manner.
• Emotional Intelligence – Establishing and sustaining relationships by accurately perceiving and interpreting own and others' emotions and behavior; using insights to optimally handle own responses so that one's behavior matches one's values and delivers intended results.

Benefits

• Vacation Leave - New employees can accrue up to 104 vacation hours annually.
• Prior Years of Public Service Vacation Accrual Credit - Full-time service in a City, County, State, Federal Agency, or Special District may be counted towards vacation accrual tiers at the City of Napa.
• Paid Holidays - 15 paid holidays per year.
• Personal Leave - 4 hours per year.
• Sick Leave - Employees can accrue up to 96 hours annually.
• Dental and Medical Insurance Plans - The City provides significant contributions to dental and medical plans.
• Retirement - The City participates in the CalPERS retirement pension system.
• Deferred Compensation Program - Employees are eligible to enroll in a 457 Plan and the City contributes $83.33 per month to a 457 plan.
• Life Insurance and AD&D - $50,000 of coverage paid for by the City.
• Phone Stipend - Up to $110 per month
• Tuition Reimbursement- $2,000 per year

Flexible Work Schedule

Additionally, upon completion of the probationary period, our Community Resources and Development Department offers the flexibility of a 9/80 work schedule (every other Friday off) which allows employees to enjoy a three-day weekend every other weekend to promote work/life balance.

This recruitment and examination is being conducted to fill one (1) vacancy and may be used to fill future similar vacancies as they occur during the active status of the employment list. The active status of this employment list will be for six (6) months unless abolished sooner or extended beyond that date in accordance with the Civil Service Rules.

Supplemental Information

Mission Statement for the City of Napa

Rooted in public service, our mission is to grow a vibrant, sustainable community for all who live in, work in, and visit the City of Napa, through thoughtful leadership and dedication to excellence.

Core Values for the City of Napa

• Integrity - Consistently demonstrating the highest level of ethical conduct with accountability and pride.
• Service - Engaging in meaningful work to care for our community through resourceful dedication and humble actions.
• Inclusion - Creating a sense of ease and belonging through respect, acceptance, and mindfulness of our collective diversity.
• Collaboration - Working together with a shared purpose while respectfully considering all voices to achieve common goals, solutions, and greater outcomes.

NOTE: CITY OF NAPA EMPLOYEES SHOULD USE A PERSONAL EMAIL ADDRESS DURING THE APPLICATION PROCESS***

Selection Process

The City of Napa utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit. 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. Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position, in which case, an eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position. Other recruitments and eligible lists may be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies, or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work.

Candidates who have participated in a testing process for a recruitment are not eligible to re-take the same test within six (6) months.

What happens next?

• We will review your application and all supplemental materials to select the best qualified applicants to continue in the selection process. Application appraisal includes a review of qualifications, education, training, and experience related to the job, as well as supplemental questions if applicable.
• Applicants moving forward in the selection process may be asked to participate in any combination of the following (at any phase of the selection process): online assessment, written examination, job-related exercise, phone interview, and panel interview. These testing steps may be conducted on a pass/fail basis, and/or percentage-based scoring methodology.
• Based on the City Charter, the final phase of the selection process is the Probationary Period, which in most cases is six (6) months but may be twelve (12) months depending on the classification.
• When three or fewer candidates are available, the testing procedures outlined in the Job Announcement may be waived by the Human Resources Department.

Language Equity

• If you need assistance with the recruitment and selection process in Spanish, contact us at 707-257-9505. These request will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
• Si necesita ayuda con el proceso de reclutamiento y selección en español, contáctenos al 707-257-9505. Estas solicitudes se evaluarán caso por caso.

Reasonable Accommodations

The City of Napa Human Resources Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination process to accommodate qualified disabled applicants. Individuals with disabilities who would like to request an accommodation in the testing process must inform the HR Department in writing by the final filing date. A Reasonable Accommodation Request Form is available from HR and may be obtained by calling 707-257-9505, or dial 7-1-1 for the California Relay Service, offering free text-to-speech, speech-to-speech, and Spanish-language services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Follow this link for more detailed information.