Job Details

At the City of Santa Barbara, the best part of our organization is our people. As a City of Santa Barbara employee, you will work in a collaborative environment with other motivated individuals who are passionate about their work. We strive to provide employees with the support they need to thrive and grow while fulfilling our Mission.

The Mission of the Public Works Department is to provide the community with the sustainable foundation to thrive by delivering quality services and public infrastructure through efficient and fiscally responsible practices. Read more about the Public Works Department here:

PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT
At the City of Santa Barbara, the best part of our organization is our people. As a City of Santa Barbara employee, you will work in a collaborative environment with other motivated individuals who are passionate about their work. We strive to provide employees with the support they need to thrive and grow while fulfilling our Mission. The Mission of the Public Works Department is to provide the community with the sustainable foundation to thrive by delivering quality services and public infrastructure through efficient and fiscally responsible practices. Read more about the Public Works Department here:
MAKE A DIFFERENCE As a City of Santa Barbara employee, the work that you do has a tangible impact on our community. We are about more than the bottom line; our work ensures the health and safety of residents and visitors, protects and preserves our architectural heritage and the natural environment, and enriches lives. As City employees, we are the stewards of this beautiful place. Our job is to help the elected officials serve everyone in our community and ensure Santa Barbara continues to be a special place for future generations. This is an exciting, and sometimes demanding, responsibility. It is important work that you can be proud to perform.
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS & PAY Earn an attractive compensation package including competitive pay, comprehensive health and welfare benefits, retirement, paid time off, flexible work policies, commuter support, training and educational reimbursement.

THE POSITION The City of Santa Barbara's Public Works Department is searching for a Principal Architect to deliver public capital infrastructure projects. Be part of a high performing team that works collaboratively on a variety capital projects that benefit our community. This position will be the City's technical expert in the field of architecture, supporting capital programs and policies throughout all City Departments including, but not limited to, Airport, Library, Parks and Recreation, Public Safety, and Waterfront. Through leading and mentoring a team of architects and engineers, the position oversees delivery of public projects from conception through construction. Working collaboratively and independently in a dynamic environment, the Principal Architect will serve a vital role in bringing projects to completion. The Principal Architect will manage all aspects of the work of staff, consultants, and contractors responsible for providing design and construction services for capital projects. The position will oversee and participate in the technical aspects of capital projects including the preparation of plans, specifications, cost and quantity estimates, and bid documents for capital construction projects including providing quality assurance/quality control review and constructability/value engineering review of construction documents. The Principal Architect will negotiate terms and fees for consultant contracts and be responsible for approval of contractor and consultant pay requests. The position requires strong project and program management skills including establishing schedules and methods for providing assigned services, the identification of resource needs, and the effective allocation of resources accordingly. The Principal Architect works collaboratively with facilities, business, and capital program managers across all City departments to identify, prioritize, and budget for capital project needs. The position recommends and assists in the implementation of capital program goals and objectives. The position will frequently prepare and present items to Council, Boards and Commissions, private and public organizations, outside agencies, and City management staff. The Principal Architect is expected to provide exemplary customer service to all individuals by demonstrating a willingness to be attentive, understanding, responsive, fair, courteous, respectful, and to actively participate in maintaining a positive customer service environment.
The ideal candidate:

• Has strong technical and interpersonal skills and experience necessary to manage and deliver capital programs within a collaborative team environment.
• Has a proven track record of project management and contract administration experience that demonstrates the ability to successfully deliver projects.
• Understands the techniques of managing, scheduling, and monitoring multiple projects simultaneously to ensure timely completion within budget.
• Can participate in, and manage, in-house design of small to medium, multi-discipline, capital projects.
• Solves and communicates controversial and complex technical problems to a wide variety of stakeholders.
• Has extensive construction experience and can monitor progress and ensure conformance to plans, specifications, and construction and safety standards and/or provide direction to staff regarding construction contract administration.
• Is thoroughly knowledgeable of the California Building Code Standards including areas related to requirements for new and remodel building projects.

Distinguishing Characteristics The Principal Architect is a division management level classification, having broad responsibility for a diverse range of professional and technical project design and construction management operations. The position reports to the City Engineer in Public Works and provides leadership to project level staff supporting capital programs citywide. This position requires a thorough knowledge of architecture including technical design, construction, and logistical issues involving architecture, engineering, inspection staff, developers, builders and the general public. This Principal Architect class is distinguished from the Supervising and Engineering classifications by its broader project management responsibilities, scope of supervision, and more specialized knowledge of architectural design practices.

Knowledge of

• Principles of management, supervision, training, and performance evaluation.
• Principles and practices of architectural design and administration.
• Principles and practices of project and construction management.
• Terminology, methods, practices, and techniques used in technical report preparation.
• Principles of public administration and management.
• Principles and practices of budget preparation and control.
• Principles of mathematics as applied to design work.
• Recent developments, current literature, and sources of information regarding architectural design and construction management.
• Modern office procedures, methods and computer equipment and software applications.
• Pertinent Federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations including California Building Code, architectural design, civil engineering, and structural engineering.

Ability to

• Plan, organize and supervise the work of professional and technical staff.
• Train and evaluate staff.
• Write concise and clear reports.
• Manage large and complex capital improvement projects.
• Ensure project compliance with appropriate Federal, state and local rules, laws and regulations.
• Review construction for compliance with applicable state and federal construction-related standards, including accessibility.
• Coordinate phases of construction projects and prepare progress reports.
• Analyze problems, identify alternative solutions, project consequences of proposed actions, and implement recommendations in support of goals.
• Conduct comprehensive technical studies and develop appropriate recommendations.
• Perform technical research and solve difficult technical problems.
• Select, train, supervise, coordinate and evaluate staff.
• Prepare and maintain technical records and prepare comprehensive reports.
• Exercise professional judgment to achieve results consistent with objectives.
• Compile rough technical data and prepare statistical and narrative reports from field studies.
• Develop, review and modify design plans and specifications.
• Work cooperatively with staff, management, vendors, contractors, and others encountered in the course of work.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Make public presentations.
• Work independently.

EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING GUIDELINES

Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Experience:

At least six (6) years of increasingly responsible experience in architecture.

Education and/or Training:

Equivalent to a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university with major course work in in Architecture, Engineering, or a closely related field.

License, Certificate and/or Other Requirements:

Possession of a valid driver's license.

Possession of an appropriate, valid Architect License issued by the California Architects Board.

Possession of, or ability to obtain within eighteen (18) months, a valid Certified Access Specialist (CASp) certificate issued by the California Division of State Architect.

It is important that your application and supplemental questionnaire show all the relevant education, training, and experience you possess which qualifies you for this position. All applications and supplemental questionnaires will be reviewed and the most qualified candidates will be invited to continue in the selection process. Be sure to be thorough in your responses. Statements such as "See application", "Extensive Experience", or "See Resume" are not an acceptable substitute for a completed application and supplemental questionnaire.

The selection process may consist of an application screening, written exam, computer skills exam and/or an oral interview. The successful candidate's employment history will be thoroughly evaluated prior to appointment.

Communication regarding your application and/or status will be sent to the email address listed on your application. Please check your email and spam regularly throughout the recruitment process. You may also log into your governmentjobs.com account to view these emails.

OPEN & CONTINUOUS RECRUITMENT: Because this recruitment is open and continuous, applicants are encouraged to submit completed applications as soon as possible. The filing period for an open and continuous recruitment may be closed at any time.

FOR PRIORITY CONSIDERATION CITY APPLICATION AND RESPONSES TO THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE MUST BE RECEIVED BY 5:30 PM ON MONDAY, JULY 10, 2023

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