Permit Technician I or II

City of Alexandria; Alexandria (VA); On-site; USD 44,000 - 86,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Alexandria's Department of Code Administration seeks a Permit Technician I or II to review and issue permits, verify licenses, and guide applicants through Virginia building codes. You will read plats and plans, perform basic calculations, and use office software while helping the public with permits and procedures.

Applicants should have a high school diploma or GED, completion of the DHCD Core Academy and Permit Technician courses, and must obtain ICS-100/ICS-700 within 12 months.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED and experience in paraprofessional engineering, drafting, or architectural work.
• Completion of Virginia DHCD Core Academy and Permit Technician Course modules.
• Pre-employment background checks including driving record, education, and criminal history.

Responsibilities

• Review, process and issue electronic construction permits and related documents.
• Verify contractor and business licensing; ensure plans are complete with required information.
• Respond to inquiries by phone, in person, or email; provide permitting guidance.
• Calculate permit fees based on the established fee schedule; determine reviewing departments.

Skills

Customer service

Reading plans

Engineering calculations

Office software

Communication with public

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Core Academy & Permit Technician Course modules

Tools

Drafting software

Job description

Permit Technician (I or II)

An Overview

The Permit Technician Iand II are part ofa career ladder with increasingresponsibilities.As aPermit TechnicianI orII, you will reviewand process applicationsfor permits, issue permits,collect data,and respondto inquiries concerning the Virginiabuildingandconstruction codes.Incumbentsin thisclassmust beableto readandunderstandplats,construction plans,performbasic engineering calculations,and operate related professional office software. The incumbentperforms related work asrequired.

The Opportunity

• Demonstrates knowledgeand practiceof outstanding customer service skills;
• Assist customersin reviewing necessary documents forapprovals provided by other Citydepartmentspriorto issuing permits from the Department of Code Administration;
• Provides information tothe public regarding various Virginiabuildingcode regulations, Cityof Alexandria codes andthe department’s permitting policies,proceduresand licensingrequirements; responds to telephone inquiries regarding permits, process,procedures andhandles complaints;
• Review, process and issue electronic construction related permits;
• Verify contractorand business licensing by the Commonwealth of Virginia and the City ofAlexandria; Verify that plans are completeand all required information has been submitted;
• Interacts with outsidearchitectural/ engineering and design firms, contractors andhomeownersvia in-person, telephoneand e-mail; Refers callers to appropriate Cityagenciesto handlerequest and/or complaints;
• Calculates permit fees based on establishedfee schedule;
• Determinesthe appropriate departments for review;
• Performs related work asrequired.

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate should be able to acquire and apply knowledge of the City of Alexandria permit process and requirements to obtain construction related permits. Demonstrate completion of both the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development Core Academy and Permit Technician Course modules and be able to understand and apply the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Codes. The candidate should be able to achieve and foster partnerships with all customers, both internal and external, to provide a safe and healthy built environment.

About the Department

The City of Alexandria's DepartmentofCodeAdministration's focus is to assist customers to achieve compliance with the Virginia's Uniform Statewide Building and Maintenance Codes (USBC), and the City Code nuisance and development provisions. The department contains five divisions: The Permit Center, Property Maintenance Inspections, New Construction Inspections, Plan Review Services, and Administrative Services. If you are curious for a broader view of our City government clickhere, or for a broader view of the City of Alexandriaclickhere.

Permit Technician I

To qualify for the Permit Technician I position, all candidates must possess A High School Diploma or GED; experience in paraprofessional engineering, drafting, or architectural work; customer service or construction or code related fields; or any equivalent combination of education, training and experience.

Completion of the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development Core Academy and Permit Technician Course modules.

Successful completion of the following within the employee’s probationary period of twelve (12) months after their original appointment:

• Permit Technician I certifications and requirements as prescribed in the current Permit Technician Career Ladder Matrix and as may be required from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development
• National Incident Management Systems (NIMS)ICS-700 certifications

Permit Technician II

A High School diploma or GED; two years of experience in paraprofessional engineering, drafting, or architectural work; customer service; or experience in the construction or code related fields; demonstrates knowledge regarding residential plan review requirements; or at least one year of satisfactory performance if currently employed as a Permit Technician I level with the City of Alexandria; or any equivalent combination of education, training and experience.

Successful completion of the following within the employee’s probationary period of twelve (12) months after their original appointment:

• Completion of the Virginia Building Code Academy Residential Plan Review module;
• Permit Technician II certification and requirements as prescribed in the current Permit Technician Career Ladder Matrix and as may be required by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development.

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIREMENTS:

• Completion of the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development Core Academy and Permit Technician Course modules
• Successful completion of the following within the employee’s probationary period of twelve (12) months after their original appointment:
• Permit Technician I certifications and requirements as prescribed in the current Permit Technician Career Ladder Matrix and as may be required from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development
• National Incident Management Systems (NIMS)ICS-100 & 700 certifications
• This position requires the successful completion of pre-employment background checks including but not limited to driving record check, previous education and employment verification, and criminal background check.

Permit Technician positions may be filled at level I or II based on candidate’s experience and qualifications.

Salary Level I - $44,381.74 - $78,104.52 Annually GS/11

Salary Level II - $48,672.52 - $85,651.54 Annually GS/13