Assistant Building Official

Job Summary:
The position of Assistant Building Official performs progressively responsible plan reviews and technical work involving the inspection of residential and commercial building construction, alterations, repairs, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical systems to ensure compliance with the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code and the County Code. The Assistant Building Official demonstrates leadership, applies experience and professional judgement daily. This position combines field and office activities with typically more than 50% of the job performed in the field.

Key Responsibilities/Essential Functions:
• Do the right thing
• Promote the vision, mission, and values of the County
• Participates in the development and implementation of department and division goals, objectives, policies, and priorities; recommends resulting policies and procedures
• Continually assess the effectiveness of policies, procedures, practices, and communications to ensure customer understanding of regulations, processes, fees, and optional/alternative designs, to remove barriers to customer access to information, and to improve the overall customer experience
• Maintains knowledge and awareness of changes and trends in applicable building codes
• Ensure the protection of life and safety in buildings in the County within legal authority
• Actively and creatively seek ways and means within regulatory requirements and intent to assist customers in achieving their goals
• Promote, facilitate, and lead, as necessary, meetings and conferences with stakeholders to promote understanding of and compliance with standards
• Assist the Building Official with planning and accommodating the smooth and timely permitting of work, and to resolve issues and conflicts.
• Answer inquiries and handle complaints from the public and property owners
• Document and maintain detailed records and reports of inspections
• Ensure continued appropriate personal professional development to achieve and maintain excellent performance in the conduct of job duties and general compliance with workplace rules and regulations
• Manage time and work individually and in teams to meet or exceed performance standards
• Assist co-workers and other County employees to achieve work tasks, goals, and standards
• Exercise advanced technical judgment in enforcing applicable codes and regulations
• Review plans to ascertain conformity to building code and zoning ordinance
• Respond to inquiries from the public and provide information on construction requirements and when applicable, advise what and when corrective action is required
• Inspect building construction, mechanical, electrical, plumbing and gas installations for compliance with codes pertaining to residential construction
• Assists in issuance of correction notices and stop work orders, if necessary, when violations exist
• Serves as the acting Building Official in the absence of the Building Official
• Strictly observes all applicable safety rules and regulations, including the wearing of protective apparel
• Performs other related duties as assigned

Job Requirements:
• High School Diploma or GED equivalent required
• Seven years of experience in general building construction, materials, practices, and methods of design required
• Any combination of education and experience that may confer equivalent knowledge, may be considered
• Must possess all four (4) Residential inspection certifications and the Residential Building Plans Examiner Certification
• Must possess two of four Commercial Building Inspection Certifications, and obtain all 4 Commercial Building Inspector Certifications and Commercial Building Plans Examiner within 12 months of start date; or
• Pass one Certified Building Official exam within 6 months of start date and pass all three exams within 18 months of start date.
• Ability to perform Residential and Commercial Plan Reviews and prepare correction lists for the applicant.
• Advanced knowledge of County and related codes and ordinances pertaining to building construction, alternation, and repair
• Ability to detect structural and other faults and to recommend their correction
• Ability to document and maintain detailed and accurate records and prepare reports
• Ability to read and interpret plans, specifications, and blueprints accurately and to compare them with construction in progress
• Ability to evaluate the County Code and recommend potential amendments to the Building Official
• Must possess excellent communication skills, maintain effective and courteous relationships, and can work well with other employees, building owners, contractors, and the public
• Must possess an advanced knowledge of mechanical, plumbing, gas, or electrical systems
• Must possess a valid VA driver’s license and maintain a good driving record
• Perform other duties as assigned

Physical Demands/Special Work Environment:
• Constantly operates a computer, other office equipment. These tasks involve movement such as picking, pinching, typing or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling
• Substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers
• Exerting up to twenty (20) pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body across all types of terrain and obstacles
• Required to have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading
• Worker must be able to remain at workstation in a stationary position for up to 50% of the time
• The person in this position needs to occasionally move about inside the office to attend meetings; access files, office machines; to interact with County employees
• The person in this position frequently communicates and exchanges information with design professionals, owners, developers, consultants, co-workers, officials, and members of the general public to support, promote, and achieve County goals and objectives
• Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations
• The person in this position constantly moves or traverses uneven terrain, common to construction sites to complete inspections as required by the Building Codes
• Constantly operates vehicles, uses tools or inspection related equipment, to access locations or equipment requiring inspection
• Constantly ascends/descends, works atop and traverses across ladders, scaffolds, and other construction apparatus
• Constantly positions themselves at, below, or above ground level to access locations requiring inspections
• Ability to perform building inspections by walking occasional long distances where uneven terrain is present. Employee may need to ascend ladders, scaffolds or other construction related apparati to arrive at locations requiring inspection
• Must be able to visually observe, detect and/or identify hazards, then adapt accordingly to the environment to fulfill job duties
• Constantly works in outside environmental conditions, extreme cold, extreme heat, hazards, and atmospheric conditions
• Frequently exposure to industry hazards including but not limited to dust, falls and other construction environment related hazards

Reports to: Development Projects and Services Manager

Supervisory Responsibility: None

Botetourt County provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

Disclaimer: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. All personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed.