Permit Technician - 3 positions (1 Career Service, 2 TLT/SDA)

Full Job Description

Join our team! The Environmental Health Services Division of Seattle & King County Public Health is seeking to fill three (3) Permit Technician positions:

• Permit Technician - (1) Career Service

• Permit Technician - (2) Term-limited Temporary (TLT) or Special Duty (SD)

Our team is seeking to select qualified candidates with excellent customer service and technical skills to support and perform a variety of duties focused on serving the public to help us meet our mission.

The Permit Technician works as part of a team to collect and process permits, conduct in-take for plan review, letters, and site applications, and perform customer service-related duties.

The Environmental Health Division processes over 13,000 permits for food establishments, pools/spas, meat cutters, solid waste services, pet business, and plumbing and gas piping services (read more about the division below).

The successful candidates in this position will be extremely motivated to provide excellent customer service in a fast-paced environment and independently prioritize a high volume of work while working as a member of a team.

These positions will report to the Program Supervisor for our Permit Technician team within the Environmental Health operations section at the Chinook/downtown offices.

The Program is committed to the principles of racial equity and social justice and values diverse perspectives and life experiences in its workforce. People of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Background

About the Environmental Health Services (EHS) Division

Through the work of over 190 dedicated employees, the Environmental Health Services Division (EHS) promotes healthy and equitable environmental conditions and prevents disease through sanitation, safe food, air, and water (drinking, surface, and recreational), and reduction of exposure to hazardous materials.

In addition to permitting and inspecting public pools, spas, pet businesses, plumbing installations, on-site septic systems, and solid waste facilities, the Division also works in partnership with community to address unhealthy environmental conditions and leads the department’s climate change efforts.

Our vision is healthy, safe, and vibrant communities that are free of health disparities based on race, gender or economic status.

The Division’s core values include equity and social justice, integrity, community service, collaboration, a supportive work culture, and learning from each other and the communities we serve.

To learn more about EHS, please visit https://www.kingcounty.gov/ehs

We may hire up to two (2) Permit Technicians TLT/SDA positions from this posting.

Temporary opportunity. Term-Limited Temporary (TLT) positions are "at-will" positions but are eligible for benefits. This TLT is currently anticipated to last two (2) years.

However, funding sources for this work remain uncertain and dependent upon decisions actively being made at both the federal and local levels.

As a result, the end date of this position may be adjusted based on those decisions. The County and the Department continue to work to secure long term funding sources.

This vacancy can also be filled as a Special Duty opportunity.

For Special Duty Assignment interest, you must be a Career Service, Career Service Exempt or other regular (non-temporary) employee in King County who has completed their initial County probation.

You must have supervisor approval prior to taking a Special Duty Assignment.

Note: This posting will create a list of qualified candidates that may be considered for selection of additional vacancies of the same position type over the next 6 months.

Commitment To Equity and Social Justice

Named after Dr.

Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the most influential civil rights leaders in our nation's history, King County is a vibrant international community with residents that represent countries from around the world.

It is a region with increasing diversity that cherishes the traditions of many cultures.

The county government has a deep commitment to equity and social justice and advancing practices, strategies, and policies that promote fairness, justice, and opportunity for all – in our workplaces and our communities.

With this commitment, King County has adopted a pro-equity agenda to advance regional change and ensure that residents from all communities are incorporated into our emergency planning and public outreach efforts.

We recognize that structural racism consists of principles and practices that cause and justify an inequitable distribution of rights, opportunities, and experiences across racial groups.

Since declaring Racism is a Public Health Crisis in June 2020, King County and Public Health committed to being intentionally anti-racist and accountable to Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities.

To learn more, please visit http://www.kingcounty.gov/elected/executive/equity-social-justice.aspx

Work Schedule

Typical work schedule is Monday through Friday, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. These are non-exempt positions and are subject to the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and is overtime eligible.

Remote and Onsite Work

The Permit Technician team works in a hybrid model, with 4 days in the office and 1 day telecommuting. The ratio of remote to onsite work will be dependent on business needs and is subject to change.

The primary onsite location is based at the Chinook Building, located at 401 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104.

Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.

King County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely.

The individual selected for this opportunity will join an innovative and progressive team that is redefining how we work as we transition to the department's hybrid environment.

Employees will be provided with a County-issued laptop and must maintain a home workspace with an internet connection where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours.

Requirements

• Provide internal and external customer service; may include providing specialized and/or technical information that requires moderate interpretation of established codes, policies, regulations, procedures, and guidelines by email, phone and in person.
• Process permit renewals, and provide application in-take for permits, re-inspection, plan review and other billings.
• May involve scanning a high volume of permits using a barcode scanner or manual data entry into database (currently Tyler).
• Process change of ownership applications.
• Answer a high-volume of incoming calls, that may include, intaking of complaints, permit adjustments, payment intake and triaging calls.
• Upload documents into SharePoint. Read and interpret maps and legal descriptions. Assure permits are issued to the correct parcel number and address.
• Research property information using computer and paper files.
• Accept applications and calculate correct fees for various Environmental Health applications.
• Process billings and refunds and route requests appropriately.
• Process letters and public disclosures requests.
• Set up and monitor status of applications, coordinated with program staff to avoid backlogs and ensure applications are processed and followed-up on in a timely manner.
• Monitor accounts for payment and coordinate collection process for unpaid accounts.
• Compile data that may require information searches through files, including spreadsheets and/or customized database applications including financial research questions.
• Prepare daily cash worksheet and daily reconciliations.
• Run existing ad hoc reports using permit database and Excel.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Our ideal candidate will demonstrate the following (Minimum):

• Two (2) years of customer service experience demonstrating the ability to communicate with customers using discretion, patience, etiquette, and professionalism.
• Strong communication skills both written and verbal.
• Experience with complex accounts receivables/payable functions.
• Experience in automated financial and management information systems, word processors, spreadsheets, database, and similar software applications.
• Ability to follow oral and written instructions; adjust to changes in workload demands; and research, gather and compile technical information from a variety of sources.
• Strong organization, problem solving and researching skills.
• Intermediate to advanced computer skills, including MS Office application such as Word, Excel, and Outlook.
• Skill in maintaining data accuracy and integrity.
• Strong math and analytical skills.
• Excellent time management and priority setting skills; able to handle multiple tasks with extreme accuracy.
• Skill in tracking and following through on assignments.
• Demonstrated ability to quickly learn new computer applications.
• Knowledge and experience working with people from diverse backgrounds.
• Ability to positively contribute in a team environment; actively listens to others and builds trust and confidence.
• Ability to be reliable and dependable with assignments and work schedule.
• Skill in teamwork and collaboration.

The most competitive applicants will have the following experiences and qualifications (Desired):

• Demonstrated experience providing customer service.
• Demonstrated experience with complex reconciliations.
• Bilingual skills.

Additional Information

Forbes named King County as one of Washington State's best employers.

Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play.

Guided by our "True North", we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles - we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer

No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class.

Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.

To Apply

If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully.

If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.

Who May Apply

These positions are open to both internal and external candidates.

The following items are required to be considered for this vacancy:

• NEOGOV Job Application (The responses on your job application should be thorough and complete and will be used in the screening process)
• Supplemental Questions (The responses to the supplemental questions should be thorough and complete and will be used in the screening process)
• Resume (Outlining relevant experience)

Please note: Cover letters and additional attachments will not be reviewed as part of the evaluation process if not outlined as a required application material as outlined above.

Your application may be rejected as incomplete if you do not include the relevant information in the application. Cover letters and/or resumes are not accepted in lieu of a completed application.

Applications and/or Supplemental Questionnaires that state "see my resume" or "see my personnel file" are considered incomplete and will not be accepted.

Necessary Special Requirements

Union Membership

This position is represented by the PROTEC17 labor union.

Contact

For questions about this recruitment, please contact Salyse Duckworth, HR Analyst at sduckworth@kingcounty.gov.