Permit Processing Specialist

Salary : See Position Description

Location : Costa Mesa, CA

Job Type : PART-TIME

Job Number : 0028 : 11 / 25

Department : Economic and Development Services

Opening Date : 11 / 05 / 2025

Closing Date : Continuous

Description

Are you looking to be part of a dynamic and fast paced environment, tackling engaging challenges that require your expertise? The City of Costa Mesa has an exciting opportunity to join our talented Economic and Development Services Department as a Permit Processing Specialist. You'll work alongside dedicated professionals who are passionate about serving the public and making a positive impact in shaping our community's future.

WHY WORK FOR COSTA MESA :

The City of Costa Mesa, with the motto "City of the Arts", is one of California's most eclectic and vibrant cities. Located just one mile from the Pacific Ocean and in the heart of Orange County, Costa Mesa is a great place to , work and play. The City offers exceptional employee benefits, opportunities for training and development, and prides itself on its Core Values of Integrity, Sustainability, Compassion, Innovation, Inclusion and Collaboration.

SALARY :

$25.85 - $34.64 per hour

Effective January 2026 : 2% salary increase

Effective April 2026 : 2% salary increase

Note : The vacancy may be filled depending on the qualifications of the candidate. The eligibility list established from this recruitment may also be used to fill future part-time or full-time vacancies in the current assignment as well as other available assignments. Candidates are encouraged to submit applications for assignments that may not be available at this time.

There is currently one (1) part-time vacancy in the Economic and Development Services Department (Code Enforcement Division)

THE POSITION :

Under general supervision, assists the public at the service counter and processes permit applications, business licenses and animal licenses; and performs related duties as required.

The Permit Processing Specialist class is responsible for processing permits and business and animal license applications and issuing permits in accordance with established requirements.

APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCESS :

Applications must be completed and submitted online. This recruitment will remain open until filled and may close without prior notice, therefore prompt application is encouraged.

First application review date : Friday, December 5, 2025.

Candidates are requested to provide specific information regarding their education and experience as it relates to the position by completing all fields of the application. Applications may be rejected if incomplete. Additional documents will not be reviewed during the application evaluation process. If selected to proceed further in the recruitment process, an opportunity to provide work samples, letters of recommendation, etc. will be appropriate during the interview process.

Based upon the information presented on the application, a limited number of candidates who possess qualifications most pertinent to the position will be invited to participate in the selection process. The selection process may include but is not limited to the following components : application review and evaluation, written examination or exercise, physical examination, practical exercise and interview evaluation. Please notify the Human Resources Division 72 hours in advance of the test date if you have a disability which requires accommodation for the testing process. The eligibility list will be in effect for one (1) year, unless exhausted sooner. The eligibility list from this recruitment may be utilized to fill lower-level vacancies which occur during the life of the list.

It is recommended you use a personal email address on your application instead of a work email address Notifications during this recruitment will be sent by email only (regardless of the notification preference selected during the on-line application process). Notifications will be sent to the email address that is listed on your online application.

All employment offers made by the City are contingent upon establishing proof of a prospective candidate's legal authorization to work in the United States and successfully passing all components of the pre-employment process which may include, but is not limited to : comprehensive background check, criminal history check (Live Scan fingerprint check), polygraph examination, post-offer psychological evaluation and post-offer medical evaluation (may include drug screen).

Note : The provisions of this job bulletin do not constitute an expressed or implied contract. Any provisions contained within may be modified or revoked without notice.

Essential Functions

These functions may not be present in all positions in this class. When a position is to be filled, the essential functions will be noted in the announcement of position availability. Management reserves the right to add, modify, change or rescind work assignments as needed.

• Assists and responds to public inquiries by phone or at the service counter;
• Processes the following : Forms, permit applications, and plans necessary for the issuance of business and animal licenses and planning and building permits;
• Reviews permit applications for compliance with applicable codes and standards;
• May issue permits for minor projects, or assists professional staff with written determinations and permit issuance;
• Calculates fees in accordance with established fee schedules;
• Prepares and organizes monthly reports of permits issued, fees collected, and types of projects for use by division management, City staff, and outside agencies;
• Prepares files, processes permits; posts notices; inputs appropriate information into computer;
• Maintains supplies including but not limited to permit applications, forms and related documents; requisitions additional supplies as required in accordance with established procedure;
• Provides back-up support for administrative support staff or other similar occupational fields;
• Maintains inventory for office supplies and ordering for staff;

Performs other related duties as assigned.

When assigned to the Economic and Development Services Department :

Coordinates the microfilming of planning and building documents, plans and blueprints.

When assigned to the Finance Department :

Acts as back up cashier, receives and reconciles money and prepares deposit.

When assigned to the Police Department Animal Services Unit :

Assist with retrieving Hotline voicemails.

Qualification Guidelines

A typical way to obtain the requisite knowledge and abilities to perform the duties and responsibilities of this classification is as follows :

EDUCATION, TRAINING AND / OR EXPERIENCE :

Graduation from high school or its equivalent.

Minimum of one year of permit issuance experience in a municipal department which required the interpretation and application of rules and regulations, or two years of increasingly responsible clerical experience requiring the application of policies and procedures.

An equivalent combination of education and relevant experience that provides the desired knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform essential functions may also be considered.

LICENSE AND / OR CERTIFICATION

Class C California Driver's License. Revocation of license during employment may result in disciplinary action or reassignment.

Requisite Knowledge and Skill Levels :

Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite.

Requisite Abilities :

Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships.

Supplemental Information

PUBLIC EMPLOYEE DISASTER SERVICE WORKER :

In accordance with Government Code Section 3100 - all City of Costa Mesa employees are required to perform assigned disaster service worker duties in the event of an emergency or disaster.

PHYSICAL TASKS AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS :

Please contact Human Resources for a summary of the essential tasks and environmental factors for this classification.

Employee accommodations for physical or mental disabilities will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER :

The City of Costa Mesa is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

To view 2025 benefit information for all groups,

To view 2026 benefit information for all groups,

New Full-Time employees contribute 9% of their salary on a pre-tax basis towards the 2%@60 or 2%@62 CalPERS retirement formula depending on eligibility.

Full-Time employees receive the following health insurance flexible benefits contribution :

New Part-Time employees are appointed by and serve at the will of the Department Director. They are reviewed for merit salary advancement on a periodic basis. Generally, part-time employees are limited to no more than 1,000 hours of work per fiscal year (July 1 - June 30). Certain part-time employees, however, are permitted to exceed this limit. Part-time employees participate in either the Public Agency Retirement System (PARS) or the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) depending on eligibility. Employees enrolled in PARS contribute 3.75% of salary with a matching City contribution. Employees enrolled in CalPERS contribute 7% - 9% of salary depending on eligibility. Part-time positions are eligible to receive general leave benefits. General leave can be used for sick, vacation, or holiday time.

The City does not participate in the Social Security system; however, federal mandate requires all new employees to contribute 1.45% of wages to Medicare. As a condition of employment, all new employees are required to enroll and participate in the direct deposit program.

01

I understand that an incomplete application may lead to disqualification from the recruitment process and I have supplied all the applicable information in my application. Examples of incomplete / inaccurate information leading to disqualification include, but are not limited to : noting incorrect department, leaving dates of employment blank, leaving reason for leaving employment blank, leaving duties blank or noting "see resume", etc.

02

The current vacancy is in the Economic and Development Services Department. With respect to the current and future vacancies which may occur throughout the life of the eligible list, please indicate the Department(s) for which you would like to be considered (check all that apply).

03

How many years of experience do you have issuing permits in a public agency?

04

How many years of clerical experience do you have that required the application of policies and procedures?

05

Please describe your experience issuing business and animal licenses, planning and building permits or other related licenses / permits. If you have no experience in this area, indicate "none".

06

I certify that all information I provided in my application is accurate to the best of my knowledge and belief and that purposely providing false information may be grounds for disqualification from the process.

Required Question