Building Official

Knowledge of Job: Has considerable knowledge of the extensive inspection practices and procedures of the department.  Has extensive knowledge of federal, state and local laws, regulations and codes governing building safety and public safety. Has extensive knowledge of the departmental procedures used to perform building inspections. Has considerable knowledge of the principles of supervision, organization and administration. Has general knowledge of the principles, methods, and techniques of public administration.  Is able to plan, direct and coordinate the work of subordinate employees. Is able to use common office machines. Is able to compile technical information from a variety of sources and prepare clear and concise reports. Is able to exercise considerable initiative and independent judgment in analyzing and applying standards to a variety of situations. Is able to establish and maintain effective working relationships as necessitated by work assignments.

Quality of Work: Maintains high standards of accuracy in exercising duties and responsibilities. Exer­cises immediate remedial action to correct any quality deficiencies that occur in areas of responsibility. Maintains high quality communication and interacts within department and division, and with co- workers and the general public.

Quantity of Work: Maintains effective and efficient output of all duties and responsibilities as described under “Essential Job Functions.”

Dependability: Assumes responsibility for doing assigned work and meeting deadlines. Completes assigned work on or before deadlines in accordance with directives, city policy, standards and prescribed procedures. Accepts accountability for meeting assigned responsibilities in the technical, human and conceptual areas.

Attendance: Attends work regularly and adheres to city policies and procedures regarding absences and tardiness. Provides adequate notice to higher management with respect to vacation time and time- off requests.

Initiative and Enthusiasm: Maintains an enthusiastic, self-reliant and self-starting approach to meet job responsibilities and accountabilities. Strives to anticipate work to be done and initiates proper and acceptable direction for completion of work with a minimum of supervision and instruction.

Judgment: Exercises analytical judgment in areas of responsibility. Identifies problems or situations as they occur and specifies decision objectives. Identifies or assists in identifying alternative solutions to problems or situations. Implements decisions in accordance with prescribed and effective policies and procedures and with a minimum of errors. Seeks expert or experienced advice and researches problems, situations and alternatives before exercising judgment.

Cooperation: Accepts supervisory instruction and direction and strives to meet the goals and objectives of same. Questions such instruction and direction when clarification of results or consequences are justified, i.e., poor communications, variance with city policy or procedures, etc. Offers suggestions and recommendations to encourage and improve cooperation between all staff persons within the department.

Relationships with Others: Shares knowledge with supervisors and staff for mutual and departmental benefit. Contributes to maintaining high morale among all department employees. Develops and maintains cooperative and courteous relationships with department employees, staffers and managers in other departments, representatives from organizations, and the general public so as to maintain good will toward the department and project a good departmental image. Tactfully and effectively handles requests, suggestions and complaints from other departments and persons in order to maintain good will within the city. Interacts effectively with fellow employees, Directors of other departments, professionals and the general public.

Coordination of Work: Plans and organizes daily work routine. Establishes priorities for the completion of work in accordance with sound time-management methodology. Avoids duplication of effort. Estimates expected time of completion of elements of work and establish a personal schedule accordingly. Attends meetings, planning sessions and discussions on time. Implements work activity in accordance with priorities and estimated schedules. Maintains a calendar for meetings, deadlines and events.

Safety and Housekeeping: Adheres to all safety and housekeeping standards established by the city and various regulatory agencies. Sees that the standards are not violated. Maintains a clean and orderly workplace.

Education, Experience & Special Requirements:

Requires a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture, Engineering, or a related field and at least 5 years of progressively responsible supervisory experience in codes management; or a related field or an equivalent combination of education and experience. A Master Trades License in Mechanical, Electrical or Plumbing/Gas Fitting or NICET III certification in fire protection preferred

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Must obtain a certification as a Building Official, Building Maintenance Official and Non-structural Plans Examiner by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development within one (1) year of appointment.

Certification in Federal Emergency Management Agency Independent Study (FEMA IS) 100, 200, 700, 800 is required within one (1) year of hire.

This position is considered “essential personnel” and requires attendance and work during and following natural disasters and emergency situations.

Residency within the City of Portsmouth is preferred.  Applicants who live within a twenty (20) mile radius of the City of Portsmouth corporate limits will be considered.

Physical Requirements: Must be physically able to operate a variety of automated office machines which include computer, adding machine, calculators, copiers, facsimile machines, telephones, etc. Must be able to exert up to 20 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. Sedentary Work involves sitting most of the time, but may involve walking or standing for periods of time.

Data Conception: Requires the ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable, functional, structural, or compositional characteristics (whether similar to or divergent from obvious standards) of data, people or things.

Interpersonal Communications: Requires the ability of speaking and/or signaling people to convey or exchange information. Includes giving instructions, assignments and/or directions to subordinates and providing information to the public on departmental policies and regulations.

Language Ability: Requires the ability to read a variety of correspondence, reports, records, forms, statistical summaries, policy manuals, etc. Requires the ability to prepare reports, correspondence, records, forms, etc., using prescribed formats and conforming to all rules of punctuation, grammar, diction, and style. Requires the ability to speak before groups of people with poise, voice control and confidence.

Intelligence: Requires the ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions; to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagrammatical form; deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to record and deliver information, to explain procedures, to follow oral and written instructions. Must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently using Standard English.

Numerical Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize mathematical formulas, to add and subtract, multiply and divide. Must be able to utilize decimals and percentages; interpret graphs.

Form/Spatial Aptitude: Requires the ability to inspect items for proper length, width and shape.

Motor Coordination: Requires the ability to coordinate hands and eyes rapidly and accurately in using automated office equipment.

Manual Dexterity: Requires the ability to handle a variety of items, office equipment and inspection tools. Must have minimal levels of eye/hand/foot coordination.

Color Discrimination: Does not require the ability to differentiate between colors and shades of color.

Interpersonal Temperament: Requires the ability to perform a variety of duties, often changing from one task to another of a different nature without loss of efficiency or composure. Must be adaptable to performing under minimal levels of stress when confronted with persons acting under stress.

Physical Communication: Requires the ability to talk and/or hear: (talking – expressing or exchanging ideas by means of spoken words; hearing – perceiving nature of sounds by ear).  Must be able to communicate via telephone or computer.