Chief Building Inspector

Johnson County Kansas•Olathe, KS

About The Position

Johnson County Government’s Planning, Housing and Community Development Department is recruiting for a Plans Examiner/Chief Building Inspector. The position reviews building plans for projects and supervises inspections, performing duties under the direction of the Johnson County Building Official. The successful candidate is expected to be knowledgeable about plan review, inspection processes, and administration, and to be highly organized. The role reviews commercial, industrial, and residential permit documents for compliance with adopted codes; coordinates required approvals; maintains records in an electronic permit tracking system; and communicates review results and discrepancies. It also conducts construction inspections, evaluates existing buildings for life-safety and hazardous conditions, addresses fire-code compliance with relevant partners, and records and distributes inspection reports. The position meets with design professionals, contractors, and homeowners to clarify code requirements, responds to code and permit inquiries, and provides technical assistance to department staff and other departments. The position reports to the County Building Official.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, architecture, construction management, or a related field; education and experience may be substituted for one another.
Five years of experience in architecture, engineering, and/or construction management.
Five years of experience in building and fire codes.
Must possess and maintain a valid Kansas driver’s license with a driving record acceptable under Johnson County policies.
Must be able to operate a motor vehicle as required to perform the job duties.
Must be able to inspect construction-site conditions.

Nice To Haves

Five years of experience in public service.
Plan Examiner certification from ICC or legacy model codes.
Building Inspector certification from ICC or legacy model codes.

Responsibilities

Perform comprehensive reviews of commercial, industrial, and residential permit design documents for compliance with adopted structural, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, life-safety, energy, and other applicable codes.
Review plans for Fire Code and standards compliance in collaboration with the three Johnson County Fire Districts.
Coordinate plan reviews and required approvals with county, state, and federal departments.
Maintain and update plan-review records in the electronic permit tracking system.
Communicate review results and discrepancies to permit applicants and design professionals.
Collaborate with the County Building Official on code interpretation.
Attend meetings, seminars, and workshops and review technical literature to maintain knowledge of adopted International codes and standards.
Conduct field inspections of commercial, industrial, and residential construction for compliance with adopted codes, including structural, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, fuel gas, fire protection, and energy requirements.
Evaluate existing buildings for code compliance, life-safety issues, and hazardous conditions.
Initiate fire-code compliance remedies in cooperation with fire inspectors, the three Johnson County Fire Districts, and the County Building Official.
Enter inspection reports in the permit tracking system and send copies to appropriate contractors and permit applicants.
Meet with design professionals, contractors, and homeowners before and during construction to clarify adopted code requirements.
Respond to questions about adopted codes and resolve inquiries and concerns.
Serve as an on-call plan examiner, responding to daily phone calls and walk-ins about building permits and building-code questions.
Establish and maintain cooperative relationships with coworkers, contractors, design professionals, public officials, and the public.
Communicate regularly with the building official, field inspectors, fire districts, and planners about code clarification and interpretation.
Provide technical assistance to department staff and other departments on code interpretation, permitting, inspection requirements, and construction specifications.