Permit Technician II - Front Counter

Are you looking to apply your advanced skills in customer service, attention to detail, and organization in a collaborative, team-focused setting? Consider growing your career at Tacoma‑Pierce County Health Department. Our Environmental Health Division is recruiting for a Regular, Full‑time (1.0 FTE), Permit Technician II – Front Counter representative. This position will be responsible for providing information and permit requirements, intaking and receiving a wide variety of applications, payments and maintaining related records in a fast‑paced and diverse front‑counter environment.

The successful candidate will have a strong commitment to in‑person customer service and proficient cashiering skills. The work is performed according to established Department policies and procedures, and the employee is expected to work independently with minimal supervision under a supervisor or program manager. This position has intermediate technical expertise in permitting, codes, and regulations, with subject matter expertise in at least one area.

The Permit Technician II provides training and mentoring to Permit Technician I’s. The expected starting salary range for this position is between $29.23 – $31.30 hourly.

• Permit Technician I
• Permit Technician II
• Environmental Health Specialist I/II
• Environmental Health Specialist III
• EHS Supervisor

Options to continue your career at the Health Department depend on your interest, education, and training. Possibilities beyond the position series include:

• Office Administrator
• Environmental Health Supervisor

• Provide customer service and education to the public and industry professionals on moderately complex environmental health applications, permits, applicable fees, and related codes in person, over the phone, and through written communication.
• Receive, review, and process applications for completeness, accuracy, and necessary documentation (e.g., plans, blueprints) before routing them for detailed plan review by reviewers or field staff. Research information related to a variety of permits and application types.
• Accurately input application information and documentation into database systems and maintain detailed records.
• Calculate and collect associated permit and applications fees and handle daily cash/payment balancing and deposits.
• Coordinate complex applications and serve as subject matter expert on complex application processes. Create, review, update, and maintain complex customer applications, permits, and accounts.
• Train Permit Technician Is and IIs on relevant environmental health codes, ordinances, regulations, processes, and procedures.

The items in this section are the key duties and responsibilities for this job and do not represent an exhaustive list. Our organization is dynamic, and duties may change based on business needs. Any new duties will remain within the scope of the job.

• Provides information to the public at the front counter, on the telephone, and via e‑mail related to food and environmental regulations, application requirements, and permitting processes.
• Provides information regarding permitting requirements, performs status checks on various permit types, and informs customers of status and next steps in the permitting process.
• Assists customers in understanding technical worksheets and completion of application forms and documents so they can complete an application for a permit.
• Intakes applications and reviews application packages for accuracy and completeness.
• Reads and interprets maps, plans, and legal descriptions for compliance with ordinances and regulations.
• Performs research regarding permit applications to ensure compliance with applicable codes and regulations, active code compliance violations, and other permits related to the project.
• Performs research related to lot boundaries, zoning designations, location details, code compliance violations, and related permits.
• Prepares permits for further review or issuance.
• Reviews, approves, and issues permits not needing review and enters inspection requests.
• Data entry and validation of permit data entered into a computerized…