Supervisor, Building Officials

Scope and Responsibilities

Reporting to the Manager, Land & Building Services, the Supervisor, Building Officials is the top building official in and for the City and provides supervisory oversight for the effective and efficient delivery of building inspection services to and for the City.

Specific Responsibilities

This is a critical role in the City of Whitehorse’s continued success and growth.The role is accountable for the following:

• The Supervisor, Building Officials is primarily responsible for the reviewing, approving and the efficient processing of building and plumbing permit applications through ongoing monitoring and updating of internal administrative processes;
• Recruits, directs, trains, schedules, and appraises the performance of reporting staff. Is authorized to issue verbal reprimands and contributes to higher levels of discipline in accordance with the progressive discipline directive;
• Reviews building and plumbing permit applications, plans and specifications for compliance with applicable codes, bylaws, and standards; provide technical assistance and interpretation to advise applicants, contractors and professional consultants on required design changes; issue building and plumbing permits; maintain all associated files including plans and written records of inspections and violations;
• Conducts site visits and inspects buildings projects for code, bylaw and standards compliance with focus on occupant safety, specifies remedial actions, prepares detailed reports;
• Investigates and resolves complaints and infractions related to construction and issues occupancy, final approvals, Notices of Violation, Notices of Enforcement, and Stop Work orders as necessary;
• Provides professional expertise and ultimate decision-making in relation to residential and commercial construction, interprets and enforces the National Building Code, Building & Plumbing Bylaw, Zoning Bylaw, Water and Sewer Bylaw, and acts as a resource regarding various codes and standards for the public, building contractors, consultants, external agencies, and other City departments;
• Responds to customer inquiries and/or concerns, consultant, internal and external agency inquiries; coordinates internal meetings to review building inspections, provides information and direction relating to building/plumbing permit applications/submission and process;
• Leads special projects related to departmental process improvements and efficiency, permitting modernization and innovation, and Land & Building Bylaws and policy revisions;
• Maintains and compiles statistics relating to building permits and inspections, and prepares and presents reports to senior management and/or elected officials;
• Monitors the units operating and capital budgets under the direction of the Manager, Land and Building Services;
• Ensures, so far as is reasonably practicable, that reporting staff follow established safety procedures and standards;
• Other related duties as assigned;
• Act as Manager, Land & Building Services, as assigned.

Working Conditions:

• Scheduled to work 8:30 - 4:30 Monday to Friday for a 35-hour workweek.

Work in and out of doors an equal portion of the time – when conducting site visits and completing inspections, potential exposure to extreme temperatures, inclement weather, and construction hazards should be anticipated. Various inspection locations may each pose unique challenges and hazards with limited resources or site familiarity.

Desired Candidate Abilities, Background and Experience

Given the role this individual will play in City of Whitehorse’s continued growth and success, it is essential that the successful candidate possess the following education, experience, and personal characteristics:

Education

• Journeyman Certificate in Construction or plumbing;
• Building Officials Association of British Columbia (BOABC) Level 3 Certification as Building Official or Plumbing Official (or Canadian or Provincial equivalent) — or ability and requirement to enter the BOABC Building Official Level 3 certification within first 12 months of employment;
• Certification as a Registered Building Official (RBO) is preferred.

Experience

• A minimum of 10 years progressive experience as a Building Official with 2 years supervisory experience;
• 6 months on the job experience;
• Extensive knowledge of National Building Code, National Plumbing Code, National Energy Code, National Fire Code, Building and Plumbing Bylaw and Zoning Bylaw;
• Strong problem decision-making, communication and supervisory skills and ability to function effectively with minimal supervision;
• Standard First Aid/CPR required within 1 year;
• Conflict resolution training required within 1 year;
• Valid Class 5 Drivers License;
• An equivalent combination of education, training and experience may be considered.
• Examples of required equipment to operate: City vehicles, office equipment, computer programs such as GIS, MS Outlook, Word, Excel, and ERP, small tools and communications equipment.