Permitting Systems Business Analyst

The City of Puyallup is seeking a detail-oriented and collaborative professional for the position of Permitting Systems Business Analyst in the Development and Permitting Services Department (DPS). This is an open, continuous job posting with a priority application date of October 24th. It is impactful to join Team Puyallup and provide meaningful work in support of public service and the well-being of our community. We value our culture of demonstrating excellence in our work, being service-focused, supporting collaboration, and having integrity in all that we do. We encourage those that share these values to apply to our open positions and/or forward to colleagues who may be ready for their next career advancement opportunity. Reporting to the Development and Permitting Services Director, this position will serve as the primary administrator of the City’s enterprise permitting software (currently, CityView, a Harris Computer System solution). The successful candidate will be responsible for day-to-day management of the permitting system, training users, identifying workflow gaps, implementing changes, and providing user support. The role will also support department leadership with business process analysis, process improvements, key performance indicators, customer service data, and public-facing datasets, such as dashboards, informational graphics, and annual reports. The City of Puyallup is a community of 43,000 and is situated at the foot of scenic Mount Rainier. The city is known as a regional commercial center and serves its residents and neighbors with a strong, diversified economy. Our employees live in and support a community that has excellent schools, amazing parks and recreational activities, and a vibrant downtown with a variety of restaurants and retail establishments.

Essential Functions

• Serves as the system administrator for the enterprise permitting software, oversight of system performance, process improvements, troubleshooting, and system updates. Responsible for integration with other digital systems and applications such as Esri ArcGIS, Revu Bluebeam, the City website, and plan check software.
• Leads change management and process improvement initiatives within the permitting system. Tasks include developing new or revised permit system workflows, procedures, and creating action plans. Trains staff on regular user experience, testing, and implementing configuration improvements to ensure a smooth adoption of updates and new features. Responds to municipal code and fee schedule changes.
• Coordinates with the permit software vendors, project stakeholders, and City Information Technology staff to provide ongoing technical support to permit system end users, report and resolve system bugs, and verify and schedule and system updates. Assures the updates are successfully tested before implementation to the live production environment.
• Develops and delivers training for staff, creates user manuals and documentation, and serves as the primary contact for internal system support.
• Generates and analyzes periodic reports, dashboards, and permit-related performance metrics. Coordinates with department leadership to set permit performance targets and monitor ongoing conformance with established targets. Serves as the reporting liaison between the DPS department and the City’s IT Database Administrator.
• Collects and analyses customer experience data and survey results. Recommends process/customer service improvements, innovative solutions, policy changes and major variations from established policy or practices to meet department goals.
• Uses project management skills in managing permitting initiatives and projects. Assists in identifying and defining process alternatives capable of meeting business needs. Monitors project budget, assuring expenditures are within approved budget.
• Stays informed on permitting technology trends and provides recommendations to leadership on relevant innovations.
• Manages and participates in various special projects and studies.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Knowledge of:

·        Construction and development processes including entitlement and permitting.

·        Broad understanding of the permitting operations of municipal government.

·        Thorough knowledge of municipal permitting and related software systems.

·        City, County, state and federal laws and regulations relevant to land use.

·        Process improvement principles and practices, such as task automation, continuous improvement (i.e. Lean), and six sigma methodologies

·        Research methods, data collection and sampling techniques, and statistical analysis.

·        Complex systems project management including planning, scheduling, monitoring and problem solving.

·        Reporting tools such as Power BI to analyze and visualize data in support of policy or operational decisions.

Ability to:

·        Analyze, configure, test, and support permitting systems to meet the operational needs of the City.

·        Lead cross-functional system implementations, upgrades, or major process changes.

·        Manage complex projects within the constraints of time, budget, and municipal procurement policies.

·        Write clear, concise documentation, including training manuals, process maps, and project plans.

·        Communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders and gather user requirements effectively.

·        Demonstrate excellent oral and written communications skills.

·        Establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with those contacted in the performance of work; and

·        Maintain regular, reliable and punctual attendance.

Education and Experience: Bachelor’s degree in planning, computer science, management information systems, public or business administration or related field; and three years of experience supporting a permitting system including implementation, configuration and user support, within a municipal planning and community development department. Or, a combination of education, experience, and training that indicates the ability to successfully perform the essential functions of the position listed above.

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience with CityView or other enterprise permitting solution.

Lean/Six Sigma certification(s).

To review the full job description, please go to our website page.