Deputy Building Official

Provides responsible professional and supervisory work in the enforcement of building and related codes as required by law and accepted engineering practices. 

• Coordinates final inspection of private and public building construction within the City. Issues Certificates of Occupancy as required by local and state law.
• Reviews construction plans for compliance with codes and laws. Explains and interprets building codes and resolves technical questions for inspectors, building contractors, architects, City employees, and private citizens. Responsible for evaluating and approving variances to building codes.
• Communicates with the City fire official to determine applicability and interpretations of codes, and to coordinate inspection and approval work. Jointly responsible with the Fire Chief or designated fire official to enforce regulations related to building construction, architecture, engineering, health, and safety.
• Coordinates and evaluates the work of plans examiners and inspectors. Resolves internal and external disputes, and renders complex technical decisions. Issues building permits through appropriate staff. Trains employees in inspection methods, policies, or codes.
• Conducts hearings to determine the disposition of boarded-up, substandard, or unfit buildings. Acts as hearing officer on appeals of decisions made by the Spokane County Building Official. Develops and revises policies and processes for issuance of building-related permits, interprets internal policies for subordinate staff, and ensures policies are followed consistently. Writes, prepares, and recommends revisions to codes, ordinances, or policies.
• Issues temporary certificates of occupancy, stop work orders, and condemnation orders.
• Discusses ongoing work projects at public or media events. Researches problems and complaints regarding commercial and residential buildings, building construction, and code compliance.
• Prepares and presents information to elected or appointed officials. Attends or leads meetings with tradespersons, professionals, and industry groups.
• Detects existing or potential hazards and violations of code through on-site inspection and office review of plans, blueprints, specifications, and other documents. Travels regularly to City and county locations, and rarely to more distant locations.
• Maintains detailed records of projects and actions taken.
• Performs related work as required.

Combinations of education and experience that are equivalent to the following minimum qualifications are acceptable.
Open-Entry Requirements:

• Education: A bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university in architecture, engineering, or building technology; or possession of a Certified Building Official (CBO) certification.
• Experience: Five years of building or fire code experience as an inspector, plan or permit reviewer, architect, engineer, building contractor, or construction superintendent. At least two of those years must be in a supervisory capacity.
• Substitutions: A master’s degree in a related field or a Master Code Professional (MCP) certification will substitute for three years of the non-supervisory experience

Licenses and Certifications
Employees must possess Certified Building Official certification through the International Code Council within six months of appointment.

Procedural Note: Selection of a Senior Administrative Assistant, Rule V, Section 8, Rules of the Civil Service Commission, applies.

For information on what to expect with the hiring process, a test information guide, and frequently asked questions, please visit our website.

Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications and pass the examination for this position to be eligible for hire.

Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply immediately. All applicants must complete and submit a City of Spokane employment application online by 4:00 p.m. on the filing cut-off date.

Upon request, at time of application, the City will provide alternative accessible tests to individuals with disabilities that impair manual, sensory, or speaking skills needed to take the test, unless the test is intended to measure those skills.

The examination will consist of a Training and Experience Evaluation (T&E), with scoring weight assigned as follows:

• T&E 100%

TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE EVALUATION DETAILS:

• Copies of your college or university transcripts (unofficial transcripts are accepted) may be a required part of this application and will be used to verify that you meet the minimum qualifications, as posted on the job announcement.
• Responses to your T&E questions should be consistent with the information given in your application details. Answers are subject to verification.
• Failure to complete all the questions or incomplete responses will result in a lower score; therefore, it is advantageous for you to provide a full and complete response to each supplemental question.
• Resumes or questionnaires uploaded as attachments will not be accepted in lieu of completing each question online.
• "See Resume" or "See above," etc., and copy/paste from a previous answer are not qualifying responses and will not be considered.

EXAMINATION DETAILS:
This is an online examination and will require a computer. If you do not have access to a computer, please notify Civil Service so that one may be provided. Reservations can also be made through your local, public library.

Training and Experience examination links with instructions will be emailed prior to 12:00 a.m. Pacific Time on the start date and will expire at 11:59 p.m. on the due date as listed below.  Keep in mind that the test link will be emailed from City of Spokane (info@governmentjobs.com).

• Applicants who apply and meet the minimum qualifications between Monday, April 7, 2025, and Monday, April 14, 2025, will test Thursday, April 17, 2025, through Monday, April 21, 2025.  

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity within our organization. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, familial status, genetic information, veteran/military status or disability status. As a Fair Chance employer, City of Spokane does not conduct initial background screening for non-public safety positions. 

Salary : $100,642 - $143,446