Special Activity Permit Inspector

City-of-Oakland,-Ca; Oakland (CA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

15 paid holidays

Vacation: 2 weeks per year minimum

CalPERS retirement benefits

Health, dental, vision coverage

Job summary

The City of Oakland is seeking a focused public‑facing professional to support code enforcement and regulatory compliance within the Economic & Workforce Development Department. You will work in the Special Activity Permits Division, conducting inspections, preparing case histories, and coordinating with partner agencies to address violations.

The role emphasizes strong organizational skills, effective communication, and integrity.

Qualifications

• Two (2) years of full‑time work experience involving public contact or code enforcement‑related work.
• Experience with municipal ordinances and codes involving complaint investigations, inspections or code enforcement is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Maintaining extensive knowledge of the Oakland Municipal Code (OMC), Accela navigation, Inspector SOPs, and administrative responsibilities.
• Providing information and generating reports, summaries, case histories, and data related to enforcement and compliance.
• Participating in joint inspections and enforcement operations with multiple agencies.
• Collaborating with the Office of the City Attorney to provide information and documentation in support of appeal requests.
• Attending regular staff meetings and contributing to departmental communication and operational planning.
• Participating in inspections, appeal hearings, and case reviews to support code enforcement and regulatory compliance.
• Educating the public on the OMC and applicable local and state laws.
• Adhering to Administrative Instructions, departmental policies, and best practices.

Skills

Adaptability

Attention to Detail

Decision Making

Teamwork

Communication

Safety Focus

Legal Navigation

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Job description

The City of Oakland is an equal opportunity employer that values workforce diversity, inclusion, and equity. Oakland has a long history of activism around issues of justice and equity. Both oppression and this resistance to oppression have shaped the city’s historical roots and the lives of its residents to this day. As public servants in one of the most diverse cities in the nation, we strive to develop employees who understand the harm and impacts of systemic inequity to create lasting, meaningful outcomes for everyone. Oakland strives to establish an environment that embraces the richness of culture, community, and individualism of employees.

Why join the City of Oakland's Economic & Workforce Development Department?

In the Economic & Workforce Development (EWD) Department, you will join the Special Activity Permits Division, a team performing inspections, investigations, and providing enforcement and education of regulations pertaining to special activity permits and operations of businesses, including but not limited to special events like cabarets, massage establishments, mobile food vending, and/or cannabis businesses. In response to public and elected officials' complaints, the team will raise awareness and address violations of the Oakland Municipal Code by providing pathways to compliance. A team of administrative staff and a supervisor supports the inspectors.

We are looking for someone who is:

• Well-organized. You can manage a variety of tasks in a timely and efficient manner.
• A Self-Starter.You can manage your own time and maintain a heavy schedule.
• Agile. You can adapt quickly when unexpected circumstances arise.
• A Team Player. You can work cohesively with a team to meet division goals.
• An Effective Communicator. You use transparent communication and alignment with goals.
• Detail-oriented. You pay attention to the specificity of municipal code and enforcement protocol.
• Integrity-driven. You are honest, responsible, and dependable.

What you will typically be responsible for:

• Maintaining extensive knowledge of the Oakland Municipal Code (OMC), Accela navigation, Inspector Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), strategic plan protocols, and administrative responsibilities.
• Providing information and generating reports, summaries, case histories, and data related to enforcement and compliance.
• Participating in joint inspections and enforcement operations with the Oakland Police Department (OPD), Alameda County Health, Oakland Fire Department (OFD), and Planning & Building Department (PBD).
• Collaborating with the Office of the City Attorney (OCA) to provide information and documentation in support of appeal requests.
• Attending regular staff meetings and contributing to departmental communication and operational planning.
• Participating in inspections, appeal hearings, and case reviews to support code enforcement and regulatory compliance.
• Educating the public on the Oakland Municipal Code (OMC) and all applicable local and state laws.
• Adhering to City of Oakland Administrative Instructions (AIs), departmental policies, and established best practices in all assigned duties.

A few reasons you might love this job:

• You will join a team of hardworking and focused individuals.
• You will primarily work in the field, which allows for flexibility in your daily schedule.
• You will interface with multiple enforcement agencies in the field and cross-departmentally, which provides networking and unique learning opportunities.

A few challenges you might face in this job:

• You will interact with businesses that are out of compliance and will need to have challenging conversations.
• You will experience high demand for enforcement throughout the City.
• You will need to adapt to last‑minute schedule changes and work shifts that include evening hours and may require overtime.

Competencies Required:

• Adaptability Responding positively to change and modifying behavior as the situation requires
• Attention to Detail Focusing on the details of work content, work steps, and final work products
• Decision Making Choosing optimal courses of action in a timely manner
• Fact Finding Obtaining facts and data pertaining to an issue or question
• Handling & Resolving Conflict Managing interpersonally strained situations
• Handling Stress Maintaining emotional stability and self-control under pressure, challenge, or adversity
• Learning Agility Seeking learning opportunities and applying the lessons to one’s work
• Legal & Regulatory Navigation Understanding, interpreting, and ensuring compliance with laws and regulations
• Professional Integrity & Ethics Displaying honesty, adherence to principles, and personal accountability
• Professional & Technical Expertise Applying technical subject matter expertise to the job
• Safety Focus Showing vigilance and care in identifying and addressing health risks and safety hazards
• Teamwork Collaborating with others to achieve shared goals
• Writing Communicating effectively in writing

This recruitment will produce two eligible lists. The restricted list will be for full-time, permanent part‑time, or part‑time City and Port of Oakland employees who maintain employment for the duration of the recruitment and pass all stages of the recruitment process. The open list will be for all other applicants who pass all stages of the recruitment process.

This is a public contact position. The City highly encourages all bilingual candidates to apply! Some positions may require bilingual skills in Spanish, Cantonese, or Mandarin. Under the authority of Civil Service Rules Section 5.03, if a position requires bilingual language skills, only those candidates who have indicated they are bilingual in the required language(s) will be referred. Bilingual candidates will be required to successfully pass a language proficiency test if selected for hire.

Any combination of education and experience that is equivalent to the following minimum qualifications may be acceptable.

Education:

High school diploma or equivalent. Related college coursework in code enforcement, criminal justice or public administration is highly desirable.

Experience:

Two (2) years of full‑time work experience involving public contact or code enforcement‑related work, performing record keeping, report writing, database management and other administrative tasks. Experience with municipal ordinances and codes involving complaint investigations, inspections or code enforcement is desirable.

Desirable Qualifications:

• Bilingual - Spanish or Chinese
• Knowledge of Accela navigation
• Familiarity with the City of Oakland's man‑made topography

Incumbents in this position are expected to operate automotive vehicles in the performance of assigned duties. Due to assignments and hours worked, public transportation will not be an efficient method for traveling to required locations. Individuals appointed will be required to maintain a valid California Driver's License while employed.

Must successfully complete a training course in Oakland Municipal Code, state regulations, citation issuance, code enforcement, and report writing during the probationary period.

Must be able to work weekend and evening shifts.

Proficiency in a foreign language (e.g. Spanish) is preferred and may be required.

The Recruitment Process:

The City of Oakland works with a Civil Service system. Applicants apply online, and HR staff reviews their experience, education, and training listed on the application against the “minimum qualifications” listed for each position. Candidates who demonstrate that they meet the minimum qualification requirements are then invited to participate in an assessment process (or testing) to measure their knowledge, skills, and abilities in job‑related areas.

Candidates who do not demonstrate that they meet the minimum qualification requirements will have an opportunity to request a final review. Candidates must request a final review within 5 business days of being notified that they did not meet the minimum qualifications.

In the final review, candidates may clarify information already provided on their application. No additional work history, education, or certifications will be accepted. Any decisions made during this review process will be final. For this recruitment, all qualified applicants will be invited to the structured interview (sometimes referred to as an Oral Exam) (weighted 100%), which will be evaluated and rated by subject matter experts. The structured interview will be conducted as a one‑way video interview, where you will record your responses to a set of questions. You will have 7 days from the time you receive the interview link to complete and submit your video responses. The tentative date of the structured interview is the week of August 24th.

Candidates requesting reasonable accommodations for the examination process must request accommodations no later than one week before they are scheduled to take the exam; otherwise, it may not be possible to arrange accommodations for the selection process. Please complete the Request for Reasonable Accommodation in Testing form by clicking on the link: https://cao-94612.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/Request-for-Reasonable-Accommodation-in-Testing-2.9.22-Fillable.pdf. Send the completed form and any supporting documentation to the exam analyst: Will Sun at [e-mail].

Candidates who pass each stage in the process will be placed on an eligible list. Some candidates may receive extra points, for example, if you are a Veteran with an honorable discharge, or if you are a current City of Oakland resident. If you’re applying to a “restricted” posting and you are eligible as a current City employee, you may also receive additional points for your City service. Extra points are only applied to passing scores, so if you do not pass every element of the testing process, you cannot use extra points to pass.

The City of Oakland reserves the right to modify the selection process and date of examination as necessary to conform to administrative or business necessity. The information contained in this announcement is subject to change and does not constitute either an expressed or implied contract.

What's in it for you:

• 15 paid holidays
• Vacation: 2 weeks per year minimum with the ability to accrue more depending on public sector years of service
• Retirement: CalPERS (California Public Employees’ Retirement System) with a pension formula of 2.5% @ 55 (for Classic CalPERS members) and 2% @ 62 for new CalPERS members. Classic Employees contribute 8% of pre‑tax wages. The City of Oakland does not participate in Social Security
• Health: The City of Oakland pays the full cost of employee and eligible dependent coverage at the Kaiser rate. Other plans include Anthem, Blue Shield, United Health Care, and other HMO and PPO plans
• Dental: Delta Dental full premium for employees and eligible dependents
• Vision: VSP full premium for employees and eligible dependents
• Sick leave: Employees accrue12 days per year
• Deferred Compensation: 457(b) pre‑tax plan and an after‑tax ROTH 401(k)plan
• Other benefits include a Flexible Spending Account, Wellness Program, Employee Assistance Program, Tuition Reimbursement, Life Insurance up to $200k & Employee Training.

*Benefits described here do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice. Additional information can be found here: Working for Oakland | City of Oakland, CA

Applicants are required to submit criminal history information upon request after receiving a conditional offer of employment. If the requested information is not furnished in a timely manner, applicants will not qualify for further consideration and will be removed from the eligible list.

Disaster Service Workers

All employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law. Employees are required to complete all Disaster Service Worker‑related training as assigned and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.