Job Description

Under general supervision the Permit Technician II performs a wide variety of paraprofessional, technical, administrative and specialized work involved in receiving, reviewing, processing and issuing building, electrical, plumbing and related permits and applications; determining required inspections; creating inspection records and appointments; maintaining field inspection lists; creating and issuing records requests; and providing permit-related information concerning permit requirements, codes, ordinances, and inspection procedures.

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: This is the journey-level class in the Permit Technician series. This class is distinguished from the Permit Technician III in that the latter has full supervisory responsibility and performs the more complex and technical work of the unit. This class is distinguished from the Permit Technician I in that the latter works under direct supervision performing the more routine and less complex functions.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED: May lead a group of clerical and technical support staff.

The essential functions of this job include, but are not limited to:

• Receives, reviews and evaluates permit applications, construction plans and supporting documentation for completeness, accuracy and conformance with local, state and federal building codes and other applicable established criteria. Determines need for pre-permit inspections and needed level of review of plans prior to permit issuance.
• Processes and issues various building, electrical and plumbing permits. Determines required inspections, creates inspection records and appointments, and maintains field inspection lists from permit records.
• Uses fee schedules and designated calculation methodologies to determine value and calculate and access preliminary and final fees; calculates size-based fees; collects, records and balances permit related monetary transactions. Processes applicable charges through the Department’s cashiering system; handles cash, checks and other forms of payment; performs initial reconciliation of receipts and reconciles entries with the City’s Permit Tracking System.
• Performs extensive and complex entries into the City’s computerized Permit Tracking System and other computer based systems, ensuring accuracy in all data including street names, names of owner(s) project sponsor(s) and design professionals, project characteristics, fees and payments, and permit contractor’s information.
• Records, logs, compiles and maintains various permit related files, data, documents, plans and reports.
• Interacts directly with project sponsors, permit expediters, contractors, the general public and other department representatives relative to plan review, permit routing, construction inspection, notice of violation, records requests, inspection scheduling, special inspections, complaints and code violations. Researches public records with regard to construction drawings, permits, calculations, soil reports and legal descriptions. Disseminates, explains, and interprets information, regulations, and policies and procedures of the department.
• Resolves a variety of complex and difficult problems and complaints encountered by staff and department representatives regarding permit and plan submittals and processing, illegal construction, code violations and inspections.
• Supports Director’s Hearings preparing notices, conducting property research, mailings, Orders of Abatement and Revocations.
• Processes complex records requests associate with building permits, research permit and plans information to respond to records requests, assist customers with plans; process requests from other City Agencies; works with the vendor that scans plans and performs scanning in-house.
• May collect data and prepare statistical reports regarding permit intake, issuance, inspections and complaints, may lead and/or participate in preparing and processing administrative documents requiring extensive knowledge of department operations, policies, procedures, codes, regulations and ordinances.
• May lead the work of others performing building electrical, plumbing and related permit and plan processing work; may plan organize, prioritize and distribute work assignments; may train or provide input into performance evaluations of subordinate staff; may maintain work unit production statistics and prepare related reports; assists in the review and implementation of new unit/office procedures.
• Develop and maintain procedure manuals.

IMPORTANT AND ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Knowledge of: Construction drawing conventions and general information presented on construction plans; legal authority of the department with regards to public disclosure, right of entry, denial of services, permits, enforcement actions administrate regulations and appeals processes; cash handling principles and basic arithmetic; technical terminology.
• Skill to: Utilize complex specialized computer software including the City’s Permit Tracking System; operating Window Based Personal Computers, point of sale machines, copiers, fax machines and scanners.
• Ability to: Read and review building plans and specifications for completeness; read land use maps, assessor’s maps, plot maps, specifications, civil, mechanical, electrical, plumbing drawings, energy calculations, and other related documents; use architectural and engineering scales to calculate dimensions and features; calculate and assess fees, apply cash handling principles; independently respond to and resolve day-to-day problems and/or complaints encounter by staff, the public and other in the course of handling office operations and procedures; explain, interpret and apply routine and specialized information, polices, and governmental guidelines and regulations to departments, staff, the public and/or others; research complex data, compile statistical information, and prepare reports for management; learn, understand and apply various state and local laws, codes, ordinances and regulations; communicate clearly and concisely orally and in writing; work with various cultural and ethnic groups in a tactful and effective manner; work independently within established policies and procedures.

Qualifications

How to qualify

Experience : Two (2) years of administrative and technical building, electrical, plumbing and related permit and plan processing experience equivalent to the level of class 6321 Permit Technician I with the City and County of San Francisco which includes reviewing applications for accuracy and completeness, receiving and logging records requests, maintaining inspection records and providing routine permit related information concerning permit requirements, codes, ordinances and procedures.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS : The stated desirable qualifications may be considered at the end of the selection process when candidates are referred for hiring.

• Experience with Excel, Outlook, and other computer programs.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills.
• Positions located in the Central Permit Bureau (CPB) and Records Management Division (RMD) may perform tasks such as lifting and/or handling materials weighing up to 30 pounds with the assistance of a hand truck or dolly wheeled platform, if needed.

Every application is reviewed to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications as listed in the job ad. Please review our articles on Employment Application and Minimum Qualifications __ and Verification of Experience and/or Education __ for considerations taken when reviewing applications.

Verification of Education and Experience :

Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. More information can be found at: https://sfdhr.org/information-about-hiring-process#verification

Note: Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

All work experience, education, training, and other information substantiating how you meet the minimum qualifications must be included on your application by the filing deadline. Information submitted after the filing deadline will not be considered in determining whether you meet the minimum qualifications.

Applications completed improperly may be cause for ineligibility, disqualification or may lead to lower scores.

Selection Procedures

This is a Position-Based Test conducted in accordance with CSC Rule 111A.

After application submission, candidates deemed qualified must complete all subsequent steps to advance in this selection process, which includes the following:

Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire (MQSQ) (Weight: Qualifying) : Candidates will be required to complete a MQSQ as part of the employment application at a later time. This MQSQ is designed to obtain specific information regarding an applicant's experience in relation to the Minimum Qualifications (MQ) for this position. The MQSQ will be used to evaluate if the applicant possesses the required minimum qualifications.

Written Examination (Weight 100%): __ Candidates will be administered a written multiple-choice examination to determine their relative knowledge, skills and abilities in job-related areas which may include, but not limited to: Extensive knowledge of construction drawing conventions and general information presented on construction plans; extensive knowledge of legal authority of department with regards to public disclosure, right of entry, denial of services, permits, enforcement actions administrate regulations and appeals processes; cash handling principles and basic arithmetic; technical terminology; supervisory principles, practices and techniques.

A minimum score must be achieved on the Written Test to be placed on the eligible list.

This is a standardized written multiple-choice examination. In accordance with Civil Service Rule 111.11.4, inspection privileges do not apply to the questions and answers in this examination.

Exam Banked Score: The score you achieve on this examination shall be valid and "banked" for three years, starting from the date of the examination. This means that, during this three-year time period, you will not be required to take this test again should you apply and be found eligible for a future announcement for which this particular test is used. If the test for this future announcement is held within one year of the date of this examination, your score will be automatically applied to that announcement. However, after one year, you have the option to either (a) apply your banked test score to the other recruitments that you qualify for or (b) re-take the test. Re-testing is permitted no sooner than one year from the date of the examination and only in association with your eligibility for another announcement for which this test is used. Please note that, should you re-test, your re-test score would become your official score and new banked score.

Eligible List/Score Report : A confidential eligible list of applicant names that have passed the civil service examination process will be created, and used for certification purposes only. An examination score report will be established, so applicants can view the ranks, final scores and number of eligible candidates. Applicant information, including names of applicants on the eligible list, shall not be made public unless required by law. However, an eligible list shall be made available for public inspection, upon request, once the eligible list is exhausted or expired and referrals resolved. The eligible list/score report resulting from this civil service examination process is subject to change after adoption (e.g., as a result of appeals), as directed by the Human Resources Director or the Civil Service Commission. The duration of the eligible list resulting from this examination process will be twelve (12) months , and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director.

To find Departments which use this classification, please see https://sfdhr.org/sites/default/files/documents/Forms-Documents/Position-Counts-by-Job-Codes-and-Department-FY-2023-24.pdf

Certification Rule: The certification rule for the eligible list resulting from this examination will be Rule of 10. Additional selection processes may be conducted by the hiring department prior to making final hiring decisions.

Additional Information

Terms of Announcement and Appeal Rights:

Applicants must be guided solely by the provisions of this announcement, including requirements, time periods and other particulars, except when superseded by federal, state or local laws, rules or regulations. Clerical errors may be corrected by the posting the correction on the Department of Human Resources website at https://careers.sf.gov/.

The terms of this announcement may be appealed under Civil Service Rule 111A.35.1. The standard for the review of such appeals is ‘abuse of discretion’ or ‘no rational basis’ for establishing the position description, the minimum qualifications and/or the certification rule. Appeals must include a written statement of the item(s) being contested and the specific reason(s) why the cited item(s) constitute(s) abuse of discretion by the Human Resources Director. Appeals must be submitted directly to the Executive Officer of the Civil Service Commission within five business days of the announcement issuance date.

Additional Information Regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco:

• Information About the Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview
• Equal Employment Opportunity
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Veterans Preference
• Seniority Credit in Promotional Exams
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

HOW TO APPLY

All job applications for the City and County of San Francisco must be submitted through our online portal. Please visit https://careers.sf.gov/ to begin your application process. No other methods of application will be accepted.

Computers are available for the public (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday) to file online applications in the lobby of the Dept. of Human Resources at 1 South Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor and at the City Career Center at City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 110.

Ensure your application information is accurate, as changes may not be possible after submission. Your first and last name must match your legal ID for verification, and preferred names can be included in parentheses. Use your personal email address, not a shared or work email, to avoid unfixable issues.

Applicants may be contacted by email about this recruitment and, therefore, it is their responsibility to ensure that their registered email address is accurate and kept up-to-date. Also, applicants must ensure that email from CCSF is not blocked on their computer by a spam filter. To prevent blocking, applicants should set up their email to accept CCSF mail from the following addresses (@sfgov.org, @sfdpw.org, @sfport.com, @flysfo.com, @sfwater.org, @sfdph.org, @asianart.org, @sfmta.com, @sfpl.org, @dcyf.org, @first5sf.org, @famsf.org, @ccsf.edu, @smartalerts.info, and @smartrecruiters.com).

Upon successful submission, applicants will receive a confirmation email from notification@careers.sf.gov. Keep this email for your records. If you do not receive it, your application was not submitted successfully.

Recruitment Analyst Information: If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the analyst **** Jason Hammack, via email at Jason.Hammack@sfgov.org

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.