Housing Inspector at City of Cleveland Heights, OH

About the Department

The City of Cleveland Heights is an inner-ring suburb of Cleveland, Ohio with a population of just under 45,000 people and a combined 2022 budget of over $129M. Much of the City’s budget has been allocated towards improving the City’s services related to housing. The City is currently seeking a Housing Inspector to join its growing housing & inspectional services team.

SUMMARY: The Housing Inspector position is the first level of inspections work. Incumbents perform property maintenance and code enforcement inspections to ensure compliance with the codes and ordinances adopted by the City of Cleveland Heights. Assignments involve inspections and follow-up inspections of existing residential and commercial structures for purposes of rental occupancy permits, certificate of inspection for point of sale, complaints, systematic exterior inspections, vacant property registrations, nuisance abatement actions, and court complaints.  Incumbents work independently in the field and are responsible for making decisions requiring technical discretion, sound judgment, and familiarity with the City's adopted housing, building, and zoning codes. Incumbents issue notices of code violation and Certificates of Inspection, Summons and Complaints, stop work orders, approvals as appropriate and compile reports, maintain logs, records, perform related activities, and provide direction to contractors, property owners and tenants.

Position Duties

• ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
  The list of duties and responsibilities is illustrative only, and is not a comprehensive listing of all the duties and responsibilities performed.
  
  • Perform routine interior and exterior property maintenance inspections and re-inspections of all existing residential and commercial properties to enforce City’s adopted housing, building, and zoning codes
  • Perform other inspections related to property maintenance, Point of Sale, complaints, nuisance abatement, vacant properties, building permits, and zoning code violations
  • Make independent decisions regarding issuance of violation notices and compliance with the City's adopted housing and building codes
  • Issue warnings and citations and appear in court as necessary to testify regarding violations while maintaining records of inspections
  • Respond to resident inquiries and complaints
  • Confer with homeowners, contractors, builders and the public to explain and interpret City code requirements, restrictions, and acceptable construction methods
  • Prepare reports and maintains records of inspections
  • Uphold the City’s mission to be diverse, equitable, and inclusive as part of all housing preservation activities
  • Maintain regular attendance and punctuality
  • Perform other duties of a similar nature or level

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITES:

• None

Minimum Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS:
Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of property maintenance and/or building codes and enforcement.
• Methods, materials and techniques involved in general building construction to recognize possible defects.
• Construction terminology.
• Techniques used to inspect residential and commercial construction to ensure compliance with adopted codes and ordinances

Skill in:

• Use of computers and related software applications for the creation and maintenance of records and reports.
• Use of tablets, smartphones and other mobile devices.

Ability to:

• Interpret codes and ordinances and apply and administer the codes and regulations tactfully and impartially.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with property owners, tenants, contractors, City staff, and the public.
• Organize, prioritize and schedule time to achieve Department goals.
• Express ideas clearly and concisely, both orally and in written form.
• Provide superior customer service to both internal and external customers

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE:
High School Diploma or G.E.D., and additional technical training in construction and methods and standards, plus two (2) years of experience in construction; or, an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job such as those listed above.

CERTIFICATION/LICENSURE:
Must have at the time of hire and be able to maintain a valid Ohio driver's license.

Other Qualifications

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The work environment and physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.   

HOURS OF WORK

The normal work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM (40 hours per week). The position requires reporting to City Hall most of the time, with frequent time spent in the field. 

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

 Light Work: Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. May require climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, standing, walking, pushing, pulling, lifting, grasping, feeling, talking, hearing, seeing, and repetitive motions. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Incumbents may be exposed to hazardous conditions, open trenches and heights while performing inspections. Exposure to risks can be substantially controlled by safety precautions. Incumbents may be subjected to moving mechanical parts, electrical currents, fumes, odors, dusts, poor ventilation, extreme temperatures, electricity, chemicals, varying weather conditions, and intense noises.   

The City of Cleveland Heights is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, or any other protected status.