Permit Services Lead; Senior Civil Engineering Specialist

Join us in shaping Seattle’s streets!

At the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), we don’t just move people—we connect communities, build safer streets, and create a more sustainable city.

With a bold vision for the future, we’re tackling big challenges: making travel safer, cutting carbon emissions, and ensuring reliable, affordable transportation for everyone—no matter who they are or where they live.

Seattle is growing fast, and we’re growing with it. Thanks to a historic voter-approved $1.55 billion investment in transportation in 2024, we’re building sidewalks, fixing bridges, and improving transit connections to keep our city moving.

We’re a team of problem solvers, planners, engineers, communicators, and field crews—bringing purpose-driven work to life. Now, we need passionate, innovative talent like you. Let’s build a Seattle that works for everyone—together!

SDOT's Street Use division presents an opportunity as a Permit Services Lead (under the City's classification of Senior Civil Engineering Specialist) to work with a team of professionals whose mission is to deliver a safe, reliable, efficient, and socially equitable transportation system that enhances Seattle's environment and economic vitality. Street Use accomplishes these goals by managing activities and construction occurring in the right of way through issuing permits, inspection, project coordination, public outreach, and plan review.

In this role, you will lead about 6 - 12 permit staff who are responsible for technical review of various construction and utility permit applications and projects in the public right of way. This requires interacting with customers and their needs in preparing applications, understanding corrections needed and steps to move permit application to issuance. You will lead a team through reviewing and managing a high-volume queue of permit applications, and coordinating closely with different experts and stakeholders.

Your leadership will help ensure activities within, and impacts to, Seattle’s streets (and right-of-way) are permitted according to applicable regulations, prioritizing safety, mobility, asset protection and access. This position reports to the Permit Services Supervisor.

• As a working Lead, plan, organize, direct, prioritize and evaluate the work activities of Permit Services staff.
• Conduct permit review and provide customer service, online, over the phone, and in-person at the Permit Use counter.
• Provide programmatic leadership related to analysis, maintenance and review of departmental and division policies and procedures regarding permit processing, review, and compliance.
• Assist in evaluating data and reports for purpose of observing trends, development of services, staff analysis and program efficiency.
• Perform and ensure staff maintain thorough permit quality assurance and quality control measures through the permit issuing process.
• Supervise functions to coordinate pre-submittal and pre-construction conferences.
• Lead support functions related to inspection warning response.
• Supervise functions related to permit cancellation, voiding, refunds, credit memos and resolution of permit related accounting issues.
• May serve on internal and external committees to standardize and improve specifications, materials, methods, and procedures.
• Support department goals in promoting diversity and social justice.

• Requires four (4) years of Civil Engineering experience;
• An Associate Degree in Civil Engineering Technology or two (2) years of college level coursework in engineering and construction technology;

OR: A combination of education and/or training and/or experience which provides an equivalent background required to perform the work of the class).

• Current Washington State driver's license or evidence of equivalent mobility.

• Familiarity with technology including Microsoft products, email management, electronic plan review.
• Understanding of construction means and methods.
• Field experience related to utility and or construction.
• An ability to understand and interpret code and policy.
• Team based leadership…