Position Summary
Our client is hiring a Permitting and Planning Construction Coordinator to move our home sites from drawing to permit to groundbreaking without delay. This is a hands-on coordination role: you keep site plans, surveys, plats, and permit applications moving through the City of Durham, Durham County, and state agencies so construction crews can build and families can close on time.
This is a 6-month contract position with the possibility of extension to 12 months. Strong performance and continued organizational need may lead to a full-time permanent position. Conversion is not guaranteed.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Site plans and design coordination
- Work with the New Construction Manager and construction staff to get site plans designed, reviewed, and finalized for each lot and subdivision. Coordinate civil engineers, architects, designers, and surveyors: scope the work, route comments, track revisions, and keep drawing sets current.
- Order and track boundary surveys, topographic surveys, as-builts, and final plats; shepherd plats through recordation.
Permitting
- Prepare and submit permit applications to Durham City-County Planning, Development Services, and Inspections, including zoning, site plan, building, demolition, grading, and right-of-way permits.
- Track every application from intake through approval: monitor review cycles, respond to comment letters, resubmit corrected packages, and escalate stalled reviews.
- Maintain a single permit tracker showing status, reviewer, next action, and expected approval date for every active lot.
Erosion control, stormwater, and environmental review
- Coordinate erosion and sedimentation control plans and permits, stormwater review, and any floodplain, stream buffer, or tree protection requirements.
- Work with Durham County Soil and Water, NCDEQ, Army Corps, and other agencies as individual sites require.
- Schedule and attend required inspections; correct deficiencies and keep sites in compliance.
Utilities, fees, and interdepartmental coordination
- Coordinate water, sewer, electric, and gas connections with Durham Water Management and utility providers.
- Calculate and process impact fees, permit fees, and fee-in-lieu payments; route them for payment and keep receipts filed.
- Serve as the organization's day-to-day point of contact with planning, inspections, and public works staff.
Documentation and reporting
- Keep organized digital files of plans, permits, approvals, surveys, inspection reports, and correspondence by address.
- Report permit status and schedule risk to construction leadership on a regular cadence, flagging delays early enough to act on them.
Warranty support
As capacity allows, this position supports the organization's warranty function for homes already delivered to homeowners:
- Log warranty requests from homeowners and route them to the responsible staff member or subcontractor.
- Track open warranty items to closure and confirm the homeowner is satisfied with the resolution.
- Pull permits and coordinate inspections for warranty work when a repair requires them.
- Maintain warranty documentation, including manufacturer warranties and closeout packages, by address.
Qualifications
Required
- 3+ years of experience in permitting, land development, construction administration, planning, or a closely related field.
- Direct experience preparing and submitting permit applications to a municipal or county permitting office.
- Working knowledge of site plans, surveys, plats, and construction drawings, and the ability to read and mark them up.
- Familiarity with erosion and sedimentation control and stormwater permitting requirements in North Carolina.
- Proven ability to track many parallel deadlines and keep records that someone else can pick up.
- Comfort with spreadsheets, shared drives, project tracking tools, and online permitting portals.
- Valid driver's license and reliable transportation for site visits and agency offices.
- Able to work on-site at the Durham office at least four days per week, with one remote workday.
Preferred
- Experience with the Durham City-County permitting process and its review staff.
- Experience with residential or affordable housing development.
- Associate's or bachelor's degree in construction management, planning, civil engineering, urban studies, or a related field; equivalent work experience is accepted in place of a degree.
- Exposure to warranty administration or homeowner service.
Competencies and work environment
- Organized, persistent, and able to build positive working relationships with agency staff. Follows up consistently, communicates clearly, and ensures permit application packages are complete and submitted properly.
- Takes ownership of a list of tasks and follows through with initiative.
- Clear verbal and written communication with reviewers, consultants, and internal staff.
- Knows when to work through a problem independently and when to ask for guidance or escalate it.
- Represents the organization professionally and confidently at the permit counter and on site.
- Primarily office-based with regular visits to active construction sites and government offices. Site visits involve walking on uneven ground and working outdoors in all seasons. Occasional evening or early-morning work may be needed to accommodate inspection schedules.
Physical Requirements and Working Condition
- Ability to sit or stand for extended periods and regularly use a computer and phone.
- Ability to lift up to 25 pounds, including office supplies and event materials.
- Occasional local travel and evening or weekend event support may be required