Work Permit Jobs in Seattle, WA (NOW HIRING)

Salary range is $95k to $191k with a midpoint of $143k. New hires typically receive between minimum and midpoint, however, we may go slightly higher based on experience, internal equity and market.

Sound Transit also offers a competitive benefits package with a wide range of offerings, including:

• Health Benefits: We offer two choices of medical plans, a dental plan, and a vision plan all at no cost for employee coverage; comprehensive benefits for employees and eligible dependents, including a spouse or domestic partner.
• Long-Term Disability and Life Insurance.
• Employee Assistance Program.
• Retirement Plans: 401a – 10% of employee contribution with a 12% match by Sound Transit; 457b – up to IRS maximum (employee only contribution).
• Paid Time Off: Employees accrue 25 days of paid time off annually with increases at four, eight and twelve years of service. Employees at the director level and up accrue additional days. We also observe 12 paid holidays and provide up to 2 paid floating holidays and up to 2 paid volunteer days per year.
• Parental Leave: 12 weeks of parental leave for new parents.
• Pet Insurance discount.
• ORCA Card: All full-time employees will receive an ORCA card at no cost.
• Tuition Reimbursement: Sound Transit will pay up to $5,000 annually for approved tuition expenses.
• Inclusive Reproductive Health Support Services.
• Compensation Practices: We offer competitive salaries based on market rates and internal equity. In addition to compensation and benefits, you’ll find that we provide work-life balance, opportunities for professional development and recognition from your colleagues.

GENERAL PURPOSE: 

Under limited direction, manages and executes the agency’s regulatory code compliance framework and permitting strategy for Sound Transit’s capital program, facilities, and service modes across a geographically assigned corridor. This position is an experienced people leader capable of mentoring, coaching, empowering, and managing the activities of assigned project managers and manages or oversees an ongoing agency regulatory code compliance framework across a diverse, multi-jurisdictional regulatory environment, ensuring Sound Transit capital projects, small works projects, and existing capital facilities meet local, state, and federal regulatory code compliance. Responsibilities performed by this position have significant impact on project design, scope, schedule, budget, and operations. 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

The following duties are a representative summary of the primary duties and responsibilities. Incumbent(s) may not be required to perform all duties listed and may be required to perform additional, position-specific duties.

• Provides leadership, direction, and day-to-day management of the assigned corridor permitting project management team while working closely with other agency departments, consultants, and contractors; coaches, trains, motivates, and mentors staff; coordinates and/or provides staff training; assigns work activities and coordinates schedules, projects, and programs; provides constructive feedback; reviews and evaluates work and makes effective suggestions and recommendations; creates developmental work plans for staff; manages employee relations; implements or recommends corrective action as necessary.
• Manages strategic implementation and oversight of the agency’s comprehensive regulatory code compliance framework and permitting strategies affecting the agency’s capital program, transit modes or functional areas of significant depth and complexity; leads or manages essential functions across all aspects of the regulatory code environment ensuring local, state, and federal code compliance is met including all applicable permits, processes, approvals, and/or essential agreements with authorities-having jurisdiction.
• Leads, manages, and resolves complex permitting and regulatory issues for capital projects throughout all phases of the project's life cycle (planning, construction, operation) within an assigned geographic corridor, including management of staff, consultants, and programs.
• In coordination with Project teams performs advanced planning, model codes applicability, and regulatory analysis related to environmentally critical areas, building and technical codes, street use/right of way, planning, land use, trades, construction, and high-capacity transit issues; researches the viability of existing codes and regulations (e.g., building, land use), performs risk assessments; evaluates emerging trends and policy impacts, identifies the need for new code development, code revisions or policy changes, and recommends courses of action.
• Makes strategic permitting and associated regulatory policy recommendations to division Director, Deputy Director, and/or senior Sound Transit management; leverages and mainstreams policy recommendations to achieve long-range results for the agency’s capital program, operations and resource utilization; strongly influences policies impacting all phases of project development.
• Establishes and maintains collaborative, effective, and durable working relationships with local, state, and federal partners with diplomacy and composure. Engages diverse audiences, listens to different perspectives, builds rapport, and defuses high-tension situations.
• In coordination with Project teams, develops, recommends, and negotiates regulatory strategies with third-party partner agencies where existing regulations do not adequately contemplate the construction of Sound Transit or essential public facilities; collaborates with ST-Legal in managing legal interpretation, challenges or opportunities in the local regulatory environment; negotiates and streamlines permitting processes with local authorities-having jurisdiction to facilitate ST’s agency-wide goal of reducing capital project delivery timelines and more effective maintenance and operation of existing transit service; leverages relationships with senior staff from authorities having jurisdiction and third-party partners to ensure project regulatory code compliance throughout project and operational lifecycle.
• Manages and oversees permit technical code conditions, land use conditions, and related environmental commitments as appropriate with Project construction management teams, Environmental and Current Planning staff during construction, project closeout, and certificate of occupancy; manages, triages or troubleshoots surviving technical, land use and/or environmental conditions related to operations, maintenance, modifications, and future improvements of existing facilities or infrastructure with Operations staff.
• Manages the resources, workflow, and prioritization of supervised consultant staff; establishes, manages, and tracks permitting consultant budgets, hours, and procurement; manages, negotiates, and oversees the scope of work and deliverable for multiple interdisciplinary teams and consultant contracts for complex technical permit packages; ensures permit compliance across assigned ST project work packages while maintaining project schedule, budget, and scope.
• Communicates to internal and external audiences on a variety of issues related to Sound Transit’s capital programs, for the purpose of garnering strategic support, shaping opinions, advocating controversial positions, and achieving important agency objectives.
• Provides support to ST departments on matters concerning regulatory policy or permitting; serves on a variety of committees, prepares and presents staff reports and other correspondence as needed; attends and participates in professional group meetings; ensures regulatory processes, policies, and practices are interpreted and applied consistently and effectively; ensures accountability and compliance with all current and applicable local, state, and federal laws, ST policies and procedures, and rules and regulations.
• Champions and models Sound Transit's core values and demonstrates values-based behaviors in everyday interactions across the agency.
• Contributes to a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion in alignment with Sound Transit’s Equity & Inclusion Policy.
• It is the responsibility of all employees to follow the Agency safety rules, regulations, and procedures pertaining to their assigned duties and responsibilities, which could include systems, operations, and/or other employees.
• It is the responsibility of all employees to integrate sustainability into everyday business practices.
• Other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Education and Experience: Bachelor’s Degree in Project Management, Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Urban Planning, Environmental Science, Public Policy, or closely related field. Five years of progressive experience providing increasingly advanced technical support, management, oversight, and execution of complex regulatory processes in construction, land use, public works, and environmental regulation compliance; OR an equivalent combination of education and experience. Three years of leadership, budgetary, planning and workforce management experience.

Required Licenses or Certifications:  

• Valid Washington state driver’s license. This role will require duties performed on active construction sites, stations, and facilities, including locations that are not currently served by transit. Driving will be necessary to monitor construction tasks and respond to emergent situations within assigned projects and project corridors

Preferred Licenses or Certifications:  

• International Code Council (ICC) technical certification, Washington Association of Building Officials (WABO) technical certification. International Code of Building Officials (ICBO) technical certification.
• Project Management Professional (PMP).
• American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).
• Certified Erosion, Sediment Control Lead (CESCL).

Required Knowledge and Skills:

• Extensive working knowledge and demonstrated expertise in the application of local construction codes and standards, permitting processes, land use/zoning, urban, environmental and current planning, architecture, environmental science, civil engineering, and construction management.
• Experienced leader and subject matter expert adept at leveraging strategic relationships with regulatory stakeholders, agency staff, consultants, and contractors to develop innovative or creative solutions to complex regulatory challenges.
• Principles of project management.
• Permitting program activities, services, and operations. 
• Regulatory agency permitting processes.
• Principles and procedures of record keeping.
• Customer service and public relations methods and techniques.
• Methods and techniques of research and analysis.
• Project management techniques and principles.
• Techniques to work effectively under pressure, meet deadlines, and adjust to changing priorities.
• Principles of supervision, training, and performance evaluation.
• Conceptualizing, influencing, developing, and administering goals, objectives, guidelines, policies, and procedures for the Division/Department.
• Conflict resolution.
• Critical and strategic problem solving.
• Principles of facilitating effective meetings.
• Effectively responding to inquiries, both orally and in writing.
• Developing and monitoring departmental and program/project operating budgets, costs, and schedules.
• Supervising, leading, and delegating tasks and authority.
• Modern office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and computer applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, and statistical databases. 
• Principles of business letter writing and report preparation.
• English usage, spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

Physical Demands / Work Environment:  

• Work is performed in a hybrid environment with an expectation of working in office a minimum of 3 days per week or equivalent field environment, active light rail areas, commuter rail, and bus transit facilities.

• Positions working in field may occasionally be exposed to dangerous machinery, extreme weather conditions, physical harm, hazardous chemicals, and/or extreme noise.
• Position is required to interact with job sites which will require traversing uneven surfaces during construction. May be subject to bending, climbing, crawling, eye, hand coordination, grasping, hearing, kneeling, sitting, standing, talking, seeing, walking, and carrying/lifting up to 50 pounds.
• The Agency promotes a safe and healthy work environment and provides appropriate safety and equipment training for all personnel as required. 

Sound Transit is an equal employment opportunity employer. No person is unlawfully excluded from employment action 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.