Senior Fire Plans Examiner

at  California State University

Job no: 545507
Work type: Management (MPP)
Location: Chancellor’s Office
Categories: MPP, Administrative, At-Will, Full Time

CHANCELLOR’S OFFICE STATEMENT

Join our team at the California State University, Office of the Chancellor, and make a difference in providing access to higher education. We are currently seeking experienced candidates for the position of Senior Fire Plans Examiner. The CSU Chancellor’s Office, located on the waterfront adjacent to the Aquarium of the Pacific in downtown Long Beach, is the headquarters for the nation’s largest and most diverse system of higher education. The CSU Chancellor’s Office offers a premium benefit package that includes outstanding vacation, health, and dental plans; a fee waiver education program; membership in the California Public Employees Retirement System (PERS); and 15 paid holidays a year.

POSITION INFORMATION

The California State University, Office of the Chancellor, is seeking a Senior Fire Plans Examiner to primarily conduct plan review to ensure compliance with fire and life safety regulations and standards, as adopted by the Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM). This position will ensure compliance with CSU internal policies relating to fire and panic safety construction and may represent the campus in interacting with municipal fire departments. As a Senior Plans Examiner this position will assist the Deputy Director with plan intake, assign and review plan review work of lower-level examiners, and campus communications. The Senior Plans Examiner will also serve as a technical resource to the other Plans Examiners.

QUALIFICATIONS

This position requires:

• Educational background: California Licensed Architect, or Fire Protection Engineer, or related bachelor’s degree or other relevant comparable experience in design/compliance/construction field. Relevant comparable training examples: Certification as an ICC Fire Plans Examiner, Building Plans Examiner, Fire Inspector, California State Fire Marshal or other local public agency fire authority plans examiner.
• Industry experience: 3+ years of architectural, engineering, construction industry experience on a broad variety of projects.
• Specific field experience: 3+ years of field and plan review experience in performing plan review, technical inspection, and/or supervision of general construction projects including fire, life, and panic safety code compliance. This may be concurrent with the industry experience in #2, above.
• Excellent general knowledge of fire protection planning and management, building design incorporation of fire, life, and panic safety systems, fire alarm and detection systems, their installation, inspection, and testing.
• Must have excellent working knowledge of California Building Code, California Fire Code, and code reference standards including a reference familiarity with NFPA requirement. Required: Skill to effectively communicate with diverse constituencies and senior campus management. Proven and solid communication skills including verbal and written communications, active listening, critical thinking, persuasiveness, advising and counseling skills.
• Skill to effectively communicate with diverse constituencies and senior campus management. Proven and solid communication skills including verbal and written communications, active listening, critical thinking, persuasiveness, advising and counseling skills.
• Ability and willingness to travel independently to effectively carry out the responsibilities of the position. Frequent local regional ground travel, statewide single day air/ground travel, and periodic overnight travel is a requirement and expectation of the position. Examples: Campus travel, day trips to OSFM offices.
• Must have ability to apply sound professional judgment, initiative and problem-solving skill to analyze complex code compliance issues and be able to facilitate a timely and responsive code complaint outcome.
• Must have strong verbal and written language skills. Must be able to effectively communicate technical policy and procedures in understandable verbal, written and visual presentation formats.
• Must be able to develop and maintain internal and external professional relationships and interact effectively at a professional level. Must be responsive to client and professional concerns and feedback.
• Must be able to effectively use: Word, Excel, Outlook, Bluebeam and their equivalents.
• Must have good organizational and time management skills with the ability to set own priorities to coordinate assignments with fluctuating and time-sensitive deadlines; proven ability to manage multiple projects concurrently.
• Ability to quickly gain working familiarity with CSU’s architectural engineering and construction management policy and procedures, CSU’s public works contract law, rules, and regulations.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Two years experience as a Fire Plans Examiner within the CSU Office of Fire Safety.
• Certification as a Fire Prevention Officer III or Fire Marshal or equivalent.
• Certification as an International Fire Code Inspector or equivalent.
• Completion of SFM training: Fire Inspector 1A-1D.
• Completion of SFM training: Plans Examiner 1A-1C, and Statutes and Regulations.

Under the general direction of the Deputy Director of Fire Safety, the Senior Fire Plans Examiner will:

• In coordination with the Deputy Director, assist and coordinate plan intake assignment per examiner within the unit. Facilitate, coordinate, review work product of examiners and track individual plan review/approvals to a timely and code complaint conclusion. Serve as a CSU Chancellor’s Office representative to collaboratively resolve issues relative to fire and panic safety code and regulations. Tracking will include use of OSFM and CPDC’s project database software.
• Engage all stakeholders. Coordinate CSU OFS/OSFM fire safety reviews and approvals, whether directly agency to agency, indirectly as may be authorized by CSU OFS/OSFM MOU or as may be needed.
• Work with the CSU Fire Safety Board (FSB) of outside expert counsel on fire safety and code compliance. The FSB will also provide external peer review assessments of CSU major capital projects.
• Ensure code effective design development and advocate good code compliance practices to individual campus project design teams and external plan review consultants.
• Participate in effective code compliance design reviews. Implement the fire safety plan review process at campus and/or CSU/OSFM locations as needed to realize effective and timely project approvals.
• Demonstrate, promote, and recognize campus, and departmental high standards for excellent client service, effective use of resources, workplace safety, professional development, personal accountability, and continuous improvement. Communicate and promote model campus practices systemwide. Serve as a senior technical resource for all plans examiners in the unit.
• Propose new or recommend changes to existing fire and life safety policies affecting the CSU and the campuses to assure compliance. Continuously evaluates, recommends, and implements procedures that assure awareness of fire, life & panic safety requirements.
• Participate in the preparation and delivery of CSU fire safety code compliance training.
• Pursue personal continuing education training to build/maintain professional certifications and stay current with changes to fire and building codes and related standards (e.g., NFPA, ICC, etc.).