PERMIT SERVICES COORDINATOR

Job Description

OVERVIEW

Kitsap County is seeking a Permit Coordinator to lead a high-performing team that plays a central role in shaping our community. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced permitting professional who thrives in a fast-paced, highly collaborative environment. As the technical lead for an eight-member Permit Technician team, you will guide the core operations of the County’s Permit Center-an essential hub for builders, developers, and internal technical review staff. You will directly impact how efficiently and effectively projects move through the permitting process, ensuring safe, sustainable development that aligns with community goals and regulatory standards.

This role offers an opportunity to elevate your career through meaningful leadership, cross-departmental collaboration, and hands-on problem solving. If you are passionate about empowering teams, improving systems, and delivering exceptional public service, this role provides the perfect blend of leadership, operational responsibility, and strategic innovation. You will be contributing to a positive, service-oriented organizational culture that supports growth, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

As the Permit Coordinator, you will:

• Lead and direct the daily workflow of a eight-member Permit Technician Team, overseeing assignment of work, prioritization, technical guidance, and frontline customer support operations.
  
• Oversee and coordinate the operations of the County’s Permit Center, serving as the on-site technical expert for applicants, permit staff, planners, and plans examiners.
  
• Resolve complex service issues, ensuring timely, accurate permitting decisions that support both regulatory compliance and customer satisfaction.
  
• Coach, mentor, and train Permit Technicians, including onboarding new staff, upskilling team members, and ensuring consistent, high-quality service delivery.
  
• Lead quality assurance efforts to ensure accurate code administration, proper routing, and correct interpretation of zoning, land use, environmental, and development requirements.
  
• Drive the development, recommendation, and implementation of permitting policies, procedures, and process improvements that enhance service delivery County-wide.
  
• Facilitate and lead process improvement initiatives, including gathering and analyzing data, documenting workflows, and coordinating continuous improvement efforts within the Permit Services Team.
  
• Serve as a SMARTGov super user, supporting departmental staff with permit tracking, electronic plan review, and system navigation to ensure consistent and efficient system use.
  
• Coordinate and train staff on conducting pre-permit intake meetings, providing expert guidance to customers to ensure accurate permit type selection and process routing.
  
• Research and interpret complex permitting questions, including legacy permits, Title Eliminations, regulatory interpretations, and unique project scenarios.
  

What you bring:

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree in a closely related field from a college or university accredited by an agency recognized by the US Department of Education and 1 (one) year of progressively responsible experience related to permitting or program operations OR 5 (five) years of progressively responsible experience related to permitting or program operations.
  
• Relevant work experience demonstrating required knowledge, skills, and abilities may substitute for educational requirements. Work experience is essential and cannot be replaced by additional education.

Communication & Interpersonal Skills:

• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to explain technical information clearly and courteously.
  
• Strong customer service skills, including the ability to handle complex or challenging interactions with tact and professionalism.
  
• Demonstrated ability to build effective working relationships across departments, agencies, and with the public.
  

Additional Preferred Qualifications:

• ICC Permit Technician Certification.
  
• 1 year of experience as a lead worker or supervisor, demonstrating the ability to train, mentor, coordinate, and evaluate the work of others. Internal County employees who successfully complete both the Emerging Supervisor Course and Supervisory Essentials Course will be deemed to have met the equivalent of one (1) year of supervisory experience for entry-level supervisor position eligibility.
  
• Knowledge of Kitsap County code administration, including land use, environmental, fire, building, development engineering, and public health regulations.
  

Within one year of appointment, the candidate must obtain a certification as a Permit Technician issued by International Code Council (ICC) or other equivalent certification issued by a recognized agency.

For the complete job description: Permit Services Coordinator
For more information about Community Development, visit: Department of Community Development

OTHER POSITION RELATED INFORMATION

• Who May Apply : This position is open to the general public. Applications will be screened for qualifications and completion of all the required materials and forms. The most competitive applicants may be contacted for further steps in the selection process, which may include testing for office and computer skills.
• This position is not eligible for overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
• This position is covered under a collective bargaining agreement with AFSCME 1308 UNION and the Kitsap County Personnel Manual. Membership in the (union/guild) is optional. Internal applicants should be aware that a change in union status or bargaining unit may impact your benefits and accruals. Please contact Human Resources if you have questions. Employees joining the union will be required to pay union dues through payroll deduction.

Application Requirements
All applicants, internal and external, must submit a complete and fully detailed application. Your application must clearly demonstrate how you meet all minimum qualifications for the position by the posted closing date. The County uses the information provided in the application (not the résumé) to verify relevant work experience and to determine placement on the pay scale if you are selected for the position.

To be considered, your application must:

• Be fully completed, including all supplemental questions. Provide specific and detailed information showing that you have performed the duties and gained the experience required for the role. Include the total years of relevant experience, quantified based on full-time equivalency. Applications that are incomplete, lack sufficient detail, or do not clearly demonstrate that the applicant meets all minimum qualifications will be screened out and will not move forward in the hiring process. Meeting the minimum qualifications is required.

Prior to employment, the successful candidate must:

• Submit official transcripts from an accredited college or university or business school, if education is being used to meet the minimum qualifications.
• Pass all job-related examinations/tests necessary to demonstrate required knowledge, skills and abilities, as determined by the hiring authority at time of job posting.
• Authorize and complete a criminal background check. Information received is reviewed on a case-by-case basis and will not necessarily remove a candidate from consideration. This process is conducted in compliance with the Washington Fair Chance Act (RCW 49.94). Information received is evaluated on a case-by-case basis and will not automatically disqualify a candidate from consideration. FCA-Flyer_June 2026_English_Update

• Kitsap County is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please contact our Human Resources Office.
• This recruitment is being used to fill an existing open position, and may be used to fill future openings for up to six (6) months.
• Work hours for this position are Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Flexible hours and limited remote work options are available, as approved by management. Residency Requirement: The successful candidate must reside in Washington State and perform their work within Washington State.
• Only authorized employees and hiring authorities have access to the application materials submitted. Per RCW 42.56.250, all applications for public employment, including the names of applicants, resumes, and other related materials submitted with respect to an applicant are exempt from public inspection.

At Kitsap County, we strive to take care of our team! Our employees are the greatest asset of Kitsap County, and we take pride in offering a highly competitive compensation and benefits package to all eligible employees.

County Paid Benefits Include:
Medical - Kaiser Permanente (HMO) or Aetna (PPO)
Dental - Delta Dental or Willamette
Vision - VSP
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
Life Insurance - Basic, Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D), Voluntary Term Life Insurance (VTL)
MetLife Long Term Disability
Voya Voluntary Insurance
Transportation incentives
Employee Assistance Program
Travel Assistance Program
Wellness program
Benefits become effective on the first calendar day of the month following the month in which the employee is hired except if the employee's hire date is the first calendar day of the month, benefits begin on the day of hire. More information about employee benefits is available on the county's website at: Benefits or the Kitsap County Digital Benefits Guide .

*Voluntary benefit options also available at the employee's expense

Retirement:
Employees are covered under the PERS retirement plan provided through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems and Social Security.

Deferred Compensation (IRS Plan 457b): tax-deferred savings program

Holidays
11 paid holidays and 2 additional floating holiday per year, 1 additional floating holiday after 10 years of service.

Vacation Leave
New employees are credited with 48 hours of annual leave upon hire and will be begin accruing at the rate of 8 hours per month starting on their 7th month of employment. Employees may carry over 360 hours from one calendar year to the next. Annual leave accrual will increase upon tenure, as follows:
Upon completion of 2 years: 15 days per year (10.00 hours per month)
Upon completion of 5 years: 20 days per year (13.33 hours per month)
Upon completion of 10 years: 25 days per year (16.67 hours per month)

Sick Leave
All new hires will be credited with 48 hours of sick leave upon hire and will begin accruing at the rate of 8 hours per month starting on their 7th month of employment. Employees may carry over 1200 hours from one calendar year to the next.

***Part-time employees benefit contributions and leave accruals will be prorated***

Additional compensation that you may be eligible for:
Shift differential
Overtime
Stand by pay
Call-back pay

Current County Employees
If you are transferring or promoting into this position you are responsible for reviewing these benefit changes; prior to accepting a position. In addition, it is your responsibility to notify the Auditor's Payroll Division of a change in union status.

Union Membership
This position is covered under AFSCME Local 1308 Courthouse Employees collective bargaining agreement. To view the bargaining agreement please visit our website: https://www.kitsapgov.com/hr/Pages/Collective-Bargaining-Agreements.aspx

Student Loan Forgiveness Opportunities for Kitsap County Employees

Washington State offers several programs that may help eligible employees reduce or even eliminate their student loan debt.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) - Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) | WSAC
Employees working full-time for a public employer may qualify for federal loan forgiveness after making 120 qualifying monthly payments. PSLF allows you to check your eligibility, track your progress, and apply directly through the official PSLF portal.

Washington Health Corps (WHC) - Washington Health Corps | WSAC
Licensed health professionals may be eligible for loan repayment in exchange for serving in critical-shortage areas. Programs include:
• Washington Health Corps Loan Repayment
• Nurse Educator Loan Repayment (NELR)

If you think you might qualify or want to learn more, review the program guides and application details on the websites!

NOTE: This is a general overview of the benefits offered through employment with Kitsap County, and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. If any information on this document conflicts or is incorrect with the provisions of the Personnel Manual, applicable laws, policies, rules or official plan documents they will prevail. The Personnel Manual is available at: https://www.kitsap.gov/hr/Documents/Personnel%20Manual%202026/Personnel%20Manual%20-%202026.pdf

Closing Date/Time: 10/27/2026 11:59 PM Pacific