Code Enforcement Inspector Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

This recruitment is promotional only. You must presently be a full or part-time regular or probationary County of Sonoma, Community Development Commission, Sonoma County Fairgrounds, or Sonoma County Water Agency employee in order to apply for this position. Permit Sonoma has requested a department promotional certification to fill a Code Enforcement Supervisor position. Only qualified permanent and/or probationary Permit Sonoma employees on the eligible list may be eligible for referral to the department for the advertised position. This employment list may also be used to fill future full-time or part-time positions as they occur during the active status of the list.

Permit Sonoma is the County's "one-stop shop" for all land use planning and development activities. Virtually any land development or construction that takes place in the unincorporated areas of Sonoma County (outside the city limits of the nine cities) is reviewed, permitted, and inspected by Permit Sonoma. With a focus on supporting the health and safety of our community and providing excellent customer service, the Code Enforcement Supervisor works in the office and in the field to respond to citizen concerns and investigate and determine violations of County zoning and land use codes, permits, and ordinances related to building construction. Typical areas of violation concern include substandard and dangerous buildings and housing, cannabis, grading, drainage, well, and septic. Enforcement responsibilities include identifying and documenting violations, determining whether to proceed to the administrative and abatement process, and establishing and communicating permit requirements, procedures, and timelines for gaining compliance. Supervisor responsibilities also include selecting, orienting, training, and evaluating the work and performance of staff.

As the ideal candidate to supervise the work and staff of Permit Sonoma's Code Enforcement Division, you bring your patience, empathy, and:

• Ability to provide constructive feedback, guidance, and support to foster employee growth and team development
• Extensive knowledge of construction methods and techniques and building/zoning codes related to general construction, i.e., electrical, HVAC, plumbing, etc.
• Multiple years of experience conducting complex health and safety-related field investigations
• Excellent customer service skills and the ability to work tactfully and cooperatively with concerned citizens, property owners, staff, law enforcement, and other agencies
• Experience accurately creating, reviewing, and maintaining records and reports
• Penal Code (PC) 832 Arrest course certified by the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST)
• Code Enforcement Certification from an approved and accredited organization, e.g., California Association of Code Enforcement (CACEO) and/or International Code Council (ICC) certifications

Due to the nature of the work that Code Enforcement Inspectors perform, incumbents drive across the County in assigned County vehicles on dirt roads, pavements, and in various weather conditions. Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire to be completed.

A combination of work experience, training, and education that would provide an opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed herein. A typical way to qualify is: Five (5) years of journey or higher-level experience in code enforcement, building, zoning and land use, or environmental health inspection in a government agency that includes at least one (1) year as a lead worker; or four (4) years of experience performing duties involving code enforcement that includes at least one (1) year equivalent to working as a Senior Code Enforcement Inspector with the County of Sonoma. And coursework in code enforcement, zoning and land use regulations, investigative techniques and methods, construction and/or building inspection, public health, planning, environmental studies, or related courses would provide such an opportunity. Certifications: Possession of Penal Code (PC) 832 Arrest course certified by the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) is required within one (1) year of appointment. In accordance with California Health and Safety Code, Section 18949.25-18949.31, possession of a Code Enforcement Certification from an approved and accredited organization upon appointment or will obtain certification within one (1) year of appointment. License: Possession of, or the ability to obtain, a valid State of California Class C Driver License, including special endorsements, is required by date of hire and must be maintained throughout employment in this classification. The position advertised on this announcement requires possession of a valid California Driver's License.

Thorough knowledge of: procedures, methods, and techniques used in investigations and enforcement utilizing appropriate legal requirements and constraints; the County permit process; purpose, principles, and practices of code enforcement and abatement procedures specific and general provisions of the Uniform Building, Housing, Plumbing, Electrical, and Mechanical codes and related state and county codes, CEQA, zoning, subdivision, and other land use laws, state and local environmental health laws, regulations, and ordinances; business English, spelling, grammar, and report writing; interviewing principles and techniques; County government and other government agencies for coordinating cases involving multiple agencies. Working knowledge of: the principles of investigation; criminal and civil court proceedings; computers and a variety of general and specialized programs; effective supervisory practices and techniques; principles of training and supervision; effective tools to work with difficult people in conflict and conflict resolution; the use of electronic information equipment and specific systems as used within the department. Ability to: determine work priorities and effectively coordinate multiple code enforcement issues; plan, organize, supervise, train, and evaluate technical staff; speak and write clearly for the purpose of giving clear, accurate, and concise direction and information to the public, staff, and other agencies; read, learn, and interpret new and revised codes; assist in establishing and maintaining effective and professional working relationships with all levels of the department and representatives from other County and governmental agencies; speak effectively before groups and audiences; resolve conflict within established laws, regulations, and ordinances; enforce codes firmly, impartially, and with tact; understand and accept differences in human behavior; effectively interact with all populations, such as individuals from diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, educational, generational, and/or socio-economic backgrounds; obtain information through interview and observation; utilize electronic information systems and analyze and interpret such information.

• Your application information and your responses to the supplemental questions are evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the entire selection process.
• You should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application. Be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions.
• You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position for which you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, list out each position separately.
• Failure to follow these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.

Please visit Getting a Job with the County of Sonoma to review more detailed information about the hiring process, including the application process, examination steps, and department selection process.

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire to be completed. Responses to supplemental questions may be scored using position-specific criteria. Please provide specific and detailed responses of a reasonable length to allow for a thorough assessment of your qualifications. Responses that state, "See Resume" or "See Application" may be considered insufficient and therefore may not be scored.

The selection procedure will consist of the following examination: An Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination (weight 100%) will be conducted to evaluate each applicant's application and supplemental questionnaire for satisfaction of minimum qualifications (pass/not pass); and for educational coursework, training, experience, knowledge, and abilities which relate to this position. Personally identifiable information (PII) is removed from the standard application fields and applicable attachments. This PII blind screening practice redacts a candidate's personal information that could potentially influence or bias the scoring process. Personal information includes the applicant's name, former last name, address, phone number, email, driver's license number, school name, education start and end dates, age, date of birth, gender, and race. This PII blind screening practice helps contribute to a fair and equitable examination process.

Each applicant will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Relevance of work history, related experience, and achieved level of education and/or training as described in the application and responses to the supplemental questions.

Candidates demonstrating possession of the minimum qualifications will be placed on an employment list in order of most qualified to least qualified based on the achieved score received in the Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination which evaluates the education, training, experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, and other qualifications that you demonstrate in your application and/or response to the supplemental questionnaire. Please be aware that resumes and cover letters are not typically evaluated in the Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination. Scores may be adjusted based on such factors as the number of candidates, anticipated vacancies, past practice, and natural breaks in the scores achieved by this group of candidates.

Additional Information

A background investigation may be required prior to employment. Candidates referred to departments for a selection interview are typically required to sign authorization and