Job Description
Strathcona County is seeking a skilled Building Safety Codes Officer (SCO) to manage building and HVAC permits and inspections in accordance with the Safety Codes Act and our Quality Management Plan. As the authority on the National Building Code (Alberta Edition) and National Energy Code of Canada, you will focus on residential buildings, including garages and accessory structures, and small buildings covered under Part 9 of the Building Code.
In this role, you’ll provide technical advice, conduct site inspections, review plans, issue permits, and enforce safety codes for a range of properties and building components. A solid grasp of building codes and HVAC systems is essential for ensuring compliance and maintaining high safety standards.
Responsibilities:
- Provide administrative and technical services for code compliance monitoring of all buildings and structures.
- Consult with architects, engineers, contractors, and permit applicants to ensure designs meet applicable codes and standards.
- Offer technical advice and direction to help applicants find acceptable solutions for design compliance.
- Review permit application information to ensure compliance with relevant codes.
- Verify compliance with spatial separation, fire safety, and high intensity residential fire requirements, as well as alternative standards and County policies.
- Examine engineered site drawings for site-specific issues and ensure structural sufficiency.
- Issue building permits with applicable conditions and inspection stages.
- Evaluate and make decisions on Alternative Solution and Variance requests based on safety and code equivalence.
- Conduct site inspections at various construction stages to check for compliance and identify deficiencies.
- Follow up on identified issues through re-inspections or enforcement actions as necessary.
- Enforce standards for unsafe conditions and un-permitted work
Qualifications and Skills:
- Safety Codes Officer Certification, including Building Residential, Building Part 9, Building HVAC Residential, and Building HVAC
- All relevant Provincial Trades Certification or Red Seal (interprovincial) Certification; or certification as a Certified Engineering Technologist (CET), Professional Engineer, or Architect.
- Minimum of 5 years of on-site or field experience in building and HVAC disciplines.
- Comprehensive knowledge of building codes, the National Energy Code, standard and specialized construction methods, and materials.
- Ability to evaluate design compliance with codes and standards and understanding of code intent and acceptable solutions.
- In-depth knowledge of the County’s Safety Codes Act, development, and engineering requirements.
- Proven ability to stay current with evolving codes and construction methods through ongoing training.
- Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and ability to research, analyze, and rationalize construction solutions.
- Excellent communication skills for interacting with a range of internal and external customers and providing technical advice with tact and diplomacy.
- Experience in investigating and resolving complaints and issues, making critical decisions impacting safety, property, and legal liability.
- Ability to effectively handle high-volume periods and perform inspections on potentially hazardous construction sites.
Conditions of Employment:
- Submission of a Satisfactory Criminal Record Check
- Valid Alberta Class 5 Driver’s licence and submission of a 5-year Driver’s Abstract with less than 7 demerits
- Ability to perform inspections on variable sites in all types of weather conditions
Who We Are:
Strathcona County is a specialized municipality located in the heart of Alberta. Our vision is to become Canada’s most livable community, where our workplace culture and identity are supported by our people plan and values of integrity, respect, safety, fairness, and cooperation.
Why Join Strathcona County: (depending on position)
- Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package, which includes:
- Extended health and dental coverage
- Health and wellness spending account
- Life and disability insurance and critical illness programs
- Retirement and pension programs
- Paid and unpaid leave programs
- Earned day off program
- Employee and family assistance program
- Commitment to employee development, through internal and external training and development opportunities
- Well-being programs and a safety culture focused on physical and psychological health in the workplace
Equivalencies of education and experience may be considered.
This competition may be used to fill future vacancies for similar positions within the next 6 months.
Strathcona County is committed to an inclusive, respectful, and equitable workplace that represents the community we serve. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds who can contribute diverse perspectives and experiences.
We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
