Senior Building Permit Technician

At the County of Marin, our employees overwhelmingly report feeling their work is meaningful, they like the work they do, and they are proud to tell people “I work for the County of Marin.” Discover more about us, our values and our organizational culture on the Department of Human Resources website. Read on to find out more about this opportunity.

Marin County Community Development Agency: The Community Development Agency (CDA) has a long history of innovation and leadership. CDA is a multifunctional agency shaping many aspects of environment and communities, organized into five mission-oriented divisions:
Planning, Building and Safety, Environmental Health Services, Housing and Federal Grants, and Sustainability. CDA’s mission is to promote, protect, and advance healthy, safe, and equitable communities.

Working under the general supervision of the Community Development Agency Permit Services Supervisor for Building and Safety, the Senior Building Permit Technician plays a key role in ensuring a smooth and efficient permit process. This position provides leadership and guidance to staff at the Building & Safety permit counter, supports the tracking and coordination of building permit applications, and works closely with other divisions, departments, and agencies to maintain timely responses to submissions.

Beyond technical expertise, the Senior Building Permit Technician serves as a vital point of contact for the public, delivering clear information, problem-solving support, and exceptional customer service to residents, contractors, and design professionals. By combining strong technical knowledge with a customer-focused approach, this role helps foster positive community interactions and upholds the County’s commitment to responsive, high-quality service.

CDA has embraced a hybrid work schedule that considers that some duties of this position may be performed remotely. However, the successful candidate must be able to report to County facilities for meetings, work assignments, and/or disaster service work upon short notice, as needed and deemed appropriate. During the initial probationary period, the successful candidate may be required to work primarily onsite before establishing a hybrid work schedule.

Our highly qualified candidate has:

Knowledge of: industry wide building permit processing requirements, including the needs of local government, as well as the needs and expectations of permit customers.

Skill in: Communicating clearly with staff, customers, and the public by providing straightforward information and guidance to help make the permitting process easier and more successful.

Ability to: interface effectively and harmoniously with subordinates, staff, internal and external customers, and the general public; creatively solve permitting problems to speed permit throughout and improve customer satisfaction with their permitting experience.

Knowledge of:

• Applicable policies, procedures, rules, regulations, laws, codes and ordinances.
• Basic building plans and construction practices and materials.
• Basic building inspection procedures and requirements.
• Office practices and procedures, including filing and the operation of standard office equipment.

Ability to:

• Provide lead direction to others.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external staff and customers.
• Communicate effectively with the public and other staff.
• Read and interpret building plans, related construction documents and various maps, aerial photos, drawings, reports and applications.
• Calculate square footage, fees and penalties.
• Interpret, explain and apply policies, procedures, codes, ordinances, laws and procedures related to the work.
• Use computer applications related to the work.
• Organize and prioritize work and follow up assignments.
• Organize and maintain accurate files and records.

Any combination of education, training and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities. A typical way to qualify is:

Two years of experience reviewing building plans and processing building permits and inspection reports.

Coursework…