Chief Building Official

The Opportunity Ideally located in one of California’s leading wine countries and minutes from the Central Coast, Paso Robles is an outstanding location to advance your career.
The City’s next Chief Building Official will have the opportunity to lead a growing team as Paso Robles enters a period of unprecedented growth.
About Paso Robles El Paso de Robles, or “The Pass of the Oaks,” is located halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, in San Luis Obispo County.
Paso Robles, surrounded by scenic rolling oak woodlands, is one of California’s premier wine regions, and is only 27 miles from the beautiful beaches of the Central Coast.
This thriving community of over 30,000 actively engaged residents possesses the benefits of a suburban-rural community while retaining a small-town feel.
With over 200 wineries nearby and a bustling downtown with a variety of excellent restaurants and specialty retail, Paso Robles is fast becoming one of the most desirable places to live, work, and play.
Paso Robles has a long history of agriculture and hospitality resulting in a strong work ethic and an enjoyable quality of life.
Once hailed as the “Almond Capital of the World”, Paso Robles is now known for top quality food, wine, beer, distilled spirits, and an annual calendar filled with events that celebrate everything from wine to pioneers to classic cars.
Paso Robles has been honored by the national media, including Country Living’s “10 Best Small Towns in America”; Travel and Leisure Magazine’s “Best Small Towns to Retire to in America”; the Today Show’s “Top Summer Destination for 2021”; a New York Times “Must Visit Region”; Sunset Magazine’s “Best Travel Spots for 2021”; and Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s “Wine Region of the Year”.
The City understands the importance of business development and works hard to attract commerce in a diverse array of industries.
The economic outlook for Paso Robles continues to be strong.
The housing market is robust and offers a variety of housing choices including new neighborhoods, houses with acreage, infill, and charming Victorian homes, with a median home price of about $634,500.
Paso Robles also has excellent schools, both public and private.
Approximately half an hour away is the nationally ranked Cal Poly State University in San Luis Obispo, and within the City of Paso Robles is Cuesta College, North County Campus.
City Government The City was incorporated in 1889 as a general law City that operates under the Council-Manager form of government with a general population of 31,176 as of January 1, 2022.
The governing body consists of a five-member City Council, with four members elected by district and the Mayor elected at-large.
The voters also elect the City Treasurer at-large.
The City Manager, appointed by the City Council, is the Chief Executive Officer, and is empowered to appoint all non-elected employees, except for the City Attorney.
The City has a total annual budget of $173 million for fiscal year 2023/2024, and a total of 295.
44 FTEs across the departments of: Administrative Services, City Manager’s Office, Community Development, Community Services, Fire and Emergency Services, Police, Public Works, and Utilities.
The Community Development Department, including the City Engineering, Planning, and Building Divisions, has 22.
86 budgeted FTEs, of which 8 report to the Chief Building Official.
Typical Duties Reporting to the Community Development Director, the Chief Building Official is a key member of the City’s staff and is responsible for the overall leadership and performance of the Building Division.
The Building Division has eight employees reporting to the Chief Building Official including a Development Services Manager, two Deputy Building Officials, an Administrative Assistant, a Development Services Technician and three building inspectors.
The Chief Building Official also oversees multiple external contractors providing both plan check and inspection services for the City.
The Chief Building Official for Paso Robles: Ensures the City’s Building Division achieves and maintains compliance with established laws, codes, ordinances, regulations, policies, and procedures adopted by the City or mandated by other government agencies Conducts and oversees residential and commercial plan check and inspections Organizes, directs, and participates in operations and activities related to permit processing, plan review, issuing building permits, and inspecting and evaluating City construction plans and sites Works closely with the Planning Division, Engineering Division, and Fire Department to ensure a coordinated and efficient process from planning entitlement to building final Confers with and provides information and assistance to architects, contractors, builders and the general public, both in the field and office Collaborates with the Building Division leadership team, inspection personnel, and outside agencies in the development and implementation of permit, plan review, and site inspection programs, systems, procedures, goals, and objectives Responds to difficult and sensitive public inquiries and complaints and assists with resolutions and alternative recommendations including building safety and code enforcement issues Supervises, mentors, trains, and evaluates assigned staff in work procedures.
Provides policy guidance and interpretation Promotes the City’s Economic Development Strategy by facilitating public and private involvement in the planning, review, and inspection processes; may serve on teams and/ or committees associated with project development Confers with and represents the department and the City in meetings with members of the City Council, members of boards and commissions, various governmental agencies, developers, contractors, business and industrial groups, and the public Works toward continuous improvement of the plan review and inspection process to provide consistency with the codes adopted by the City; monitors and assesses Building Division operations activities for effectiveness and operational efficiency Coordinates the processing of existing permits in response to expiration dates and compliance progress Oversees the operation and maintenance of the Accela Permit Management System for the City’s paperless permit tracking, plan check, permit issuance and inspection processes Challenges & Opportunities The next Chief Building Official for Paso Robles will have the opportunity to lead the delivery of plan review and building inspection services for the City during a period of transformational growth.
Some noteworthy challenges/opportunities for the next Chief Building Official include: With over 5,000 homes and significant retail, hotel and industrial projects in the development pipeline, Paso Robles is planning for significant growth in the next 10 years.
With the current and upcoming growth in Paso Robles, there are opportunities to build an effective team and a winning culture to further employee retention and development.
With its heavy reliance on staff augmentation, the Building Official must diligently ensure the quality and quantity of the services provided by contractors meets the City’s expectations.
Paso Robles is a business-friendly community where everyone works to find ways to solve problems and provide excellent customer service.
The Chief Building Official will be instrumental in setting the service standards for the division.
The City is leveraging its underutilized municipal airport to create an FAA licensed spaceport, one of only 14 in the nation and only the second in California.
While this is a notable development, the venture is anticipated to launch a tech and aerospace industry in the vicinity.
Employment Standards & Special Requirements Ideal Candidate The most successful candidates for the Chief Building Official position will have the following attributes: In addition to technical competency, the City seeks an effective leader and relationship builder.
Strong interpersonal skills are critical for success in this role.
An unflappable demeanor, able to remain calm and assured during periods of stress.
A level of familiarity with technology will be important, as the department has successfully transitioned to digital systems.
An orientation toward problem solving and helping others to accomplish their goals.
Flexibility, adaptability and an enthusiasm to implement new ideas – even at a calculated risk.
Experience working in a rapidly growing community will provide valuable experience.
An appreciation for and acceptance of continually improving operations through developing people, improving processes, and investing in technology.
Qualifications Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities is qualifying.
A typical way to obtain the required education and experience is: Education: Graduation from a four-year college or university with major course work in a related field is desired, but not required.
Experience: Seven years of increasingly responsible experience in a related field, including a minimum of three years in a managerial role.
Certifications: Possession of current certification as a Building Official by the International Code Council (ICC) within 12-months of employment.
Selection Procedure & Application Process For first consideration, interested candidates are encouraged to submit a cover letter and résumé as this recruitment will close once a sufficiently strong candidate pool has been established.
Apply immediately at: www.
mosaicpublic.
com/careers.
CONFIDENTIAL INQUIRIES ARE WELCOMED TO: Greg Nelson | greg@mosaicpublic.
com | (916) 550-4100 Bryan Noblett | bryan@mosaicpublic.
com | (916) 550-4100 The City of Paso Robles is an Equal Opportunity Employer.