Career Opportunity

Permit Technician III (6323) - Department of Building Inspection - 162205

Recruitment: RTF0162204-01127163

Published: December 01, 2025

Apply using SmartRecruiters, the City and County of San Francisco's application portal.

About:

This is a Position-Based Test conducted in accordance with CSC Rule 111A.

Specific information regarding this recruitment process are listed below:

• Application Opening: December 1, 2025.
• Application Deadline: Applicants are encouraged to apply immediately as this recruitment may close at any time, but no earlier than December 12, 2025.
• Annual Salary for this position: $101,530 - $123,344.
• Recruitment ID: PBT-6323-162205

The Department of Building (DBI) oversees the effective, efficient, fair and safe enforcement of City building, housing, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, and disability access codes for San Francisco’s more than 200,000 buildings.

Role description

Under direction, the Permit Technician III supervises, trains, evaluates and participates in the work of staff who perform a wide variety of paraprofessional, technical, administrative and specialized work in receiving, reviewing, processing and issuing building, electrical, plumbing and related permits and applications; determining required inspections; creating inspection records and appointments; maintaining field inspection lists and processing requests for records. Responsibilities include: interpreting and overseeing the dissemination of important technical information; handling complex issues and complaints; and assisting in the development, administration, monitoring and coordination of the budget for their sections.

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: This is the supervisory-level in the Permit Technician series. This class is distinguished from the Permit Technician II in that this class full supervisory responsibility over a unit of Permit Technicians and administrative support staff. This class independently performs the most complex and technical work of the unit.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED: Supervises paraprofessional, technical and administrative support staff.

MAJOR, IMPORTANT, AND ESSENTIAL DUTIES: According to Civil Service Commission Rule 109, the duties specified below are representative of the range of duties assigned to this job code/class and are not intended to be an inclusive list.

1. Plans, organizes and supervises building permit processing activities; supervises technical, clerical and/or other administrative support staff; develops work procedures, methods and record-keeping systems based on standard office practices and/or administrative directives; performs personnel management functions with authority in selecting and/or recommending hires, completing performance evaluations, determining work assignments, and issuing and handling disciplinary issues.
2. Interacts directly with project sponsors, permit expediters, contractors, the general public and other department representatives relative to complex plan review, permit routing, construction inspection, notice of violation, records request inspection scheduling, special inspections, complaints and code violations. Researches complex public records with regard to construction drawings, permits, calculations, soil reports and legal descriptions. Disseminates, explains, and interprets information, regulations, and policies and procedures of the department.
3. Resolves a variety of complex and difficult problems and complaints encountered by staff and department representatives regarding permit and plan submittals and processing, illegal construction, code violations and inspections.
4. Receives, reviews and evaluates complex permit applications, construction plans and supporting documentation for completeness, accuracy and conformance with local, state and federal building codes and other applicable established criteria. Resolve issues related to the determination of the need for complex pre-permit inspections and needed level of review of plans prior to permit issuance.
5. Processes and issues various complex and difficult building, electrical and plumbing permits. Determines required inspections, creates inspection records and appointments, maintains field inspection lists from permit records.
6. Uses fee schedules and designated calculation methodologies to determine value and calculate and access preliminary and final fees; calculates size-based fees; collects, records and balances permit related monetary transactions. Processes applicable charges through the Department’s cashiering system, handles cash, checks and other forms of payment, performs initial reconciliation of receipts and reconciles entries with the City’s Permit Tracking System.
7. Performs extensive and complex entries into the City’s Permit Tracking System and other computer based systems, ensuring accuracy in all data including street names, names of owner(s) project sponsor(s) and design professionals, project characteristics, fees and payments, and permit contractor’s information.
8. Ensures the records and logs are compiled and maintained for various permit related files, data, documents, plans and reports.
9. Processes complex records requests associate with building permits; research permit and plans information to respond to records requests; assist customers with plans; process requests from other City Agencies; works with the vendor that scans plans; and performs scanning in-house.
10. Collects data and prepare statistical reports regarding permit intake, issuance and inspections; and supervises and/or prepares and processes administrative documents requiring extensive knowledge of department operations, policies, procedures, codes, regulations and ordinances.
11. Provides information used to develop the budget and monitors expenditures.
12. Develops and maintains procedure manuals.

IMPORTANT AND ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Knowledge of: Extensive knowledge of construction drawing conventions and general information presented on construction plans; extensive knowledge of legal authority of department with regards to public disclosure, right of entry, denial of services, permits, enforcement actions administrate regulations and appeals processes; cash handling principles and basic arithmetic; technical terminology; supervisory principles, practices and techniques.
• Skill to: Utilize complex specialized computer software including permit systems; operating Window Based Personal Computers, point of sale machines, copiers, fax machines and scanners.
• Ability to: Read and review building plans and specifications for completeness; read land use maps, assessor’s maps, plot maps, specifications, civil, mechanical, electrical, plumbing drawings, energy calculations, and other related documents; use architectural and engineering scales to calculate dimensions and features; calculate and assess fees, apply cash handling principles; independently respond to and resolve complex and difficult day-to-day problems and/or complaints encounter by staff, the public and other in the course of handling office operations and procedures; explain, interpret and apply complicated and specialized information, polices, and governmental guidelines and regulations to departments, staff, the public and/or others; research complex data, compile statistical information, and prepare reports for management; learn, understand and apply various state and local laws, codes, ordinances and regulations; communicate clearly and concisely orally and in writing; work with various cultural and ethnic groups in a tactful and effective manner; work independently within established policies and procedures; coordinate, train and supervise staff.

How to qualify

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: These minimum qualifications establish the education, training, experience, special skills and/or license(s) which are required for employment in the classification.

1. Experience: Four (4) years of verifiable, building permit and plan processing experience, of which two (2) years of experience must have involved building permit and plan processing functions equivalent to the level of class 6322 Permit Technician II with the City and County of San Francisco.

LICENSE AND CERTIFICATION

• Possession of the Permit Technician Certification, issued by the International Code Council, or equivalent issuing agency, is required within two (2) years of appointment.

Every application is reviewed to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications as listed in the job ad. Please review our articles on Employment Application and Minimum Qualifications and Verification of Experience and/or Education for considerations taken when reviewing applications. 

Verification of Education and Experience:

Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. More information can be found at: https://sfdhr.org/information-about-hiring-process#verification

All work experience, education, training and other information substantiating how you meet the minimum qualifications must be included on your application by the filing deadline. Information submitted after the filing deadline will not be considered in determining whether you meet the minimum qualifications.

Note: Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

Applications completed improperly may be cause for ineligibility, disqualification or may lead to lower scores.

SELECTION PROCEDURES

This is a Position-Based Test conducted in accordance with CSC Rule 111A.

After application submission, candidates deemed qualified must complete all subsequent steps to advance in this selection process, which includes the following:

Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire (MQSQ) (Weight: Qualifying): Candidates will be required to complete a MQSQ as part of the employment application at a later time. This MQSQ is designed to obtain specific information regarding an applicant's experience in relation to the Minimum Qualifications (MQ) for this position. The MQSQ will be used to evaluate if the applicant possesses the required minimum qualifications.

Written Examination (Weight 100%): Candidates will be administered a written multiple-choice examination to determine their relative knowledge, skill and ability level in one or more of the following job related areas as appropriate. These areas may include, but not be limited to: Extensive knowledge of construction drawing conventions and general information presented on construction plans; extensive knowledge of legal authority of department with regards to public disclosure, right of entry, denial of services, permits, enforcement actions administrate regulations and appeals processes; cash handling principles and basic arithmetic; technical terminology; supervisory principles, practices and techniques.

A minimum score must be achieved on the Written Test to be placed on the eligible list.

This is a standardized written multiple-choice examination. In accordance with Civil Service Rule 111.11.4, inspection privileges do not apply to the questions and answers in this examination.

Eligible List: A confidential eligible list of applicant names that have passed the civil service examination process will be created, and used for certification purposes only. An examination score report will be established, so applicants can view the ranks, final scores and number of eligible candidates. Applicant information, including names of applicants on the eligible list, shall not be made public unless required by law. However, an eligible list shall be made available for public inspection, upon request, once the eligible list is exhausted or expired and referrals resolved. The eligible list/score report resulting from this civil service examination process is subject to change after adoption (e.g., as a result of appeals), as directed by the Human Resources Director or the Civil Service Commission. The duration of the eligible list resulting from this examination process will be Twelve (12) months, and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director.

To find Departments which use this classification, please see https://sfdhr.org/sites/default/files/documents/Forms-Documents/Position-Counts-by-Job-Codes-and-Department-FY-2023-24.pdf 

Certification Rule: The certification rule for the eligible list resulting from this examination will be Rule of Ten (10) Scores. Additional selection processes may be conducted by the hiring department prior to making final hiring decisions.

What else should I know?

Terms of Announcement and Appeal Rights:

Applicants must be guided solely by the provisions of this announcement, including requirements, time periods and other particulars, except when superseded by federal, state or local laws, rules or regulations. Clerical errors may be corrected by the posting the correction on the Department of Human Resources website at https://careers.sf.gov/.

The terms of this announcement may be appealed under Civil Service Rule 111A.35.1. The standard for the review of such appeals is ‘abuse of discretion’ or ‘no rational basis’ for establishing the position description, the minimum qualifications and/or the certification rule. Appeals must include a written statement of the item(s) being contested and the specific reason(s) why the cited item(s) constitute(s) abuse of discretion by the Human Resources Director. Appeals must be submitted directly to the Executive Officer of the Civil Service Commission within five business days of the announcement issuance date.

Additional Information Regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco:

• Information About the Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview  
• Equal Employment Opportunity 
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Veterans Preference
• Seniority Credit in Promotional Exams 
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

HOW TO APPLY

All job applications for the City and County of San Francisco must be submitted through our online portal. Please visit https://careers.sf.gov/  to begin your application process. No other methods of application will be accepted.

Computers are available for the public (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday) to file online applications in the lobby of the Dept. of Human Resources at 1 South Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor and at the City Career Center at City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 110.

Ensure your application information is accurate, as changes may not be possible after submission. Your first and last name must match your legal ID for verification, and preferred names can be included in parentheses. Use your personal email address, not a shared or work email, to avoid unfixable issues.

Applicants may be contacted by email about this recruitment and, therefore, it is their responsibility to ensure that their registered email address is accurate and kept up-to-date. Also, applicants must ensure that email from CCSF is not blocked on their computer by a spam filter. To prevent blocking, applicants should set up their email to accept CCSF mail from the following addresses (@sfgov.org, @sfdpw.org, @sfport.com, @flysfo.com, @sfwater.org, @sfdph.org, @asianart.org, @sfmta.com, @sfpl.org, @dcyf.org, @first5sf.org, @famsf.org, @ccsf.edu, @smartalerts.info, and @smartrecruiters.com).

Upon successful submission, applicants will receive a confirmation email from notification@careers.sf.gov. Keep this email for your records. If you do not receive it, your application was not submitted successfully.

Information about the Hiring Process: Click here

Human Resources Analyst Information: If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the exam analyst, Yvonne Lin by email at Yvonne.lin@sfgov.org. 

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.