Chief Building Official

General Summary:

Under limited supervision, administers and enforce various City and state codes regulating the construction, use and occupancy of buildings and structures. Supervises and performs inspections of residential, commercial, industrial and other buildings during and after construction to ensure code compliance. Performs related administrative, supervisory and technical work as required. Reports to the City Administrator.

Essential Job Functions:

• Plans, directs and supervises all activities and programs of the Building and Codes Department, including plan review and building inspection, ensuring compliance with all applicable City policies and procedures, and other laws, regulations, codes and ordinances.
• Supervises department staff; supervisory duties include instructing; assigning, reviewing and planning work of others; maintaining standards; coordinating activities; allocating personnel; selecting new employees; acting on employee problems; and recommending and approving employee discipline and discharge.
• Reviews the work of subordinates for completeness and accuracy; evaluates and makes recommendations as appropriate; offers advice and assistance as needed.
• Provides adequate training and professional development of staff; ensures subordinate inspectors and plans examiners maintain required certifications.
• Interacts and communicates with the City Administrator, other City department heads and employees, subordinates, Mayor, City Council members, home / property owners, contractors, architects, engineers, developers, County personnel, various outside professionals and agencies, news media, and the general public.
• Interprets building codes and regulations.
• Responsible for approving all permits issued and for enforcing the provisions of the adopted building codes of the State and rendering interpretation of the same.
• Responsible for ensuring that all businesses operating within the city hold current business licenses and/or have paid appropriate business license fee.
• Responsible for ensuring that all citizen complaints are resolved by subsequent compliance with codes and ordinances or by court action if necessary.
• Receives and reviews construction / architectural plans, site inspection reports, correspondence, permit applications, etc. Examines architectural and engineered drawings to ensure compliance with related codes.
• Meets with contractors and design professionals to coordinate plan review, inspection and permitting activities.
• Resolves conflicts between contractors and inspection staff.
• Ensures that appropriate permits are obtained for all new construction and repair construction work done on structures in the city.
• Performs the most difficult inspections of residential, commercial and industrial buildings, and/or assists subordinates with inspections as necessary; inspects properties for substandard conditions or structural damage as necessary or as requested by Fire or Police department personnel.
• Inspects mobile home installations for code compliance.
• Prepares inspection reports; prepares and issues notices of correction and stop work orders as necessary.
• Ensures required approvals from other City departments and outside agencies have been obtained prior to permit issuance or occupancy, as applicable.
• Prepares certificates of occupancy, draft ordinances, plan review reports, inspection reports, budget documents, citations, performance appraisals, and various other records, reports, memos, correspondence, etc.
• Serves as the Flood Plain Manager for the city.
• Identifies new construction or structures being renovated that are located in flood plains; coordinates with homeowners, contractors, engineers and architects to ensure construction conforms to FEMA regulations.
• Identifies hazard mitigation projects and works with engineers, City officials and FEMA agency representatives to obtain federal funds to correct existing conditions.
• Enforces the City's Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance through inspections of job sites, proposed scope of permits, current flood zone data/maps, etc.
• Works with the Berkeley County Stormwater Department on various projects and issues within the city.
• Serves as a Code Enforcement Officer enforcing City Codes and Ordinances. Issues citations for code and ordinance violations.
• Appears in court and presents evidence.
• Coordinates with City Planner/Zoning Administrator regarding inspections of trees that are requested to be removed, and issues permit for removal if needed.
• Performs sub-standard housing inspections to determine lack of proper maintenance, housing violations, or hazardous conditions.
• Coordinates with the City Planner/Zoning Administrator to ensure proposed construction, additions, alterations, and changes of use have received all applicable zoning approvals prior to building permit issuance, as required. Refers to zoning interpretation, variance, and land-use compliance questions to the Zoning Administrator/City Planner.
• Works with the City Planner on various projects and issues within the City.
• Meets with citizens, contractors, etc. to consult with information to present to the Board of Examiners and Review. Receives request, compiles packet with all pertinent information, places public notice, schedules meetings of Board of Examiners and Review, and presents request to Board.
• Responsible for writing amendments to the Code of Ordinances as needed; presents such amendments to the City Administrator and City Council for approval. Ensures that City is kept abreast of any additions to standard codes and state laws; ensures that ordinances are adopted as needed.
• Coordinate staff training, permitting procedures, and public information when mandatory state codes change.
• Ensure any third-party services are appropriately qualified, documented, and administered.
• Work with Planning, Fire, Public Works, and external reviewing agencies without assuming their separate authority.
• Maintain reliable permit records, approved plans, inspection documentation, certificates of occupancy, and code enforcement records.
• Prepares and administers the department budget.
• Assigns street numbers to all buildings and residents within the city.
• Reports streetlight outages, drainage problems, road problems to proper agencies.
• Attends and participate in department head meetings, Council workshops and meetings, Planning Commission meetings, Board of Zoning Appeals meetings, Board of Examiners and Review meetings, Design Control Committee meetings, etc.
• Develops, implements and modifies as necessary all department policies and procedures pertaining to building inspection and plan review.
• Evaluates and makes recommendations for changes in the city's ordinances related to building inspection and permitting.
• Monitors the progress of all activities to ensure that resources are efficiently used and that projects stay on schedule.
• Maintains a variety of records and prepares required reports, correspondence, and budget for the Department.
• Responds to emergency situations involving unsafe structures, fire damage, storm damage, and other building safety hazards, including after normal working hours when required under the City's emergency response procedures. Participates in emergency management and post-disaster damage assessments as assigned.
• Receives and responds to public inquiries, concerns and complaints regarding department programs and projects; attends neighborhood / community meetings and events to respond to concerns related to department programs and services.
• Attends training, conferences, seminars, meetings, etc., to maintain awareness of current legislation, trends and technology in the building inspection and plan review field.
• Refers to policy and procedure manuals, computer manuals, codes / laws / regulations, various trade publications and reference texts, manufacturer's specifications, etc.
• Operates a vehicle and a variety of office equipment, including a computer, copier, telephones, calculator, fax machine, etc.
• Uses clerical and computer supplies, measuring and testing devices, ladders.
• Performs general administrative/office work as required, including conducting and attending meetings, preparing reports and correspondence, entering and retrieving computer data, sending and receiving faxes, copying and filing documents, etc.
• Performs related duties as required.

Educational and Experience Qualifications:

Requires an associate's degree in construction management, engineering technology, building inspection, architecture, or a related field, supplemented by a minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in construction, building inspection, plan review, or building code administration. An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience may be considered.

Must possess and maintain appropriate registration with the South Carolina Building Codes Council. Certification as a Building Official through the International Code Council (ICC) or another recognized code organization is required, or the applicant must qualify for provisional registration and complete all applicable certification requirements within the timeframes established by the South Carolina Building Codes Council.

If no certification is currently possessed, the employee must obtain within the first six (6) months for the first certificate, with the second certificate to be obtained within twelve (12) months of the issuance of the provisional registration, and the third to be obtained within twenty-four (24) months of the issuance of the provisional registration for Certified Building Official.

Must possess or obtain ICC Certified Building Official status within twenty (24) months of hire.

Must maintain required professional certifications, registration renewals, and continuing education. A valid driver's license is required.

Supervisory Responsibilities :

• Directly supervises one employee in the Building and Codes Department. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

Skills & Abilities:

• Time management and ability to meet deadlines.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail and ability to multitask.
• Self-initiated behavior with the ability to problem-solve and make decisions.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to function well in a high-paced and at times stressful environment.
• Extremely proficient with Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe, or similar software with the ability to learn new or updated software.
• Possess excellent interpersonal skills.
• Ability to function well and independently in a very high-paced environment.
• Present a professional appearance and demeanor with council and the public for various presentations.
• Knowledge of city government organizations and administrative processes.
• Ability to understand department rules and regulations, City of Hanahan rules and regulations and standard operating procedures and the ability to help formulate same.
• Ability to enforce codes firmly, with tact and impartiality.
• Ability to establish good working relationships with citizens, contractors, developers, other personnel, and anyone interacting with the department.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering plans, building plans, blueprints, land surveys, diagrams, maps, specifications, and contracts.
• Knowledge of Geographic Information Systems applications, the ability to use computers and various software programs, to include Word and Excel, Database, Development and Project Management programs.
• Must be able to concentrate, memorize and reason logically.
• Ability to respond to emergencies effectively, to change effectively, and to directives effectively.

Physical Requirements and Working Environment:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl and talk or hear. Tasks may require traversing uneven terrain, entering confined spaces and/or climbing ladders during field inspections. The employee is occasionally required to sit and smell. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to outside weather conditions. The employee is frequently exposed to wet and/or humid conditions; moving mechanical parts and high, precarious places.

The employee is occasionally exposed to fumes or airborne particles; extreme cold; extreme heat and risk of electrical shock.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Note: The listings of duties in this class specification are representative, not exhaustive. It is not necessarily a detailed description of all work responsibilities, and it does not give exclusive title to every function described.

This job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee and is subject to change by the employer as needs of the employer and requirements of the change.

The above information has been designed to represent the general nature and level of work performed. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive description of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of the employee assigned to this position.

This position is Grade 12. The City of Hanahan offers a competitive benefit package including health insurance and participation in the State Retirement plan (PEBA). Normal office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30am – 5:00pm. Attends regularly scheduled and any special meetings of City Council, Planning Commission, BZA, DCC, and BER outside of regular office hours and may be asked to work additional or different hours or days to meet operational needs.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $86,690.00 - $96,327.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person