Permitting Specialist

Job Description

The Role

We are looking for a Permitting & Entitlements Manager to own the path from design to permit issuance across about 12 active projects. You will keep every application moving and keep architects, engineers, consultants and city planners accountable. You will make sure nothing stalls in someone's inbox. You will report to our Chief Operating Officer.

We care more about how you work than about how many permits you've pulled. If you have spent your career pushing people to get things done, and you're organized and persistent enough to learn the permitting process quickly, we want to hear from you.

What You'll Do

Manage building permit and entitlement applications from pre-application through permit issuance for our projects

Lead SB 9 lot splits and related other entitlement related approvals

Work with cities in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties through online portals and occasional visits to the permit counter

Coordinate architects, structural and civil engineers, surveyors, arborists and other consultants so plan-check comments are answered completely and on time

Track every submittal, comment cycle, fee, and deadline. Follow up relentlessly with city staff and consultants until each item is resolved

Keep project status up to date in Buildertrend and give leadership clear weekly updates on where each permit stands and what is blocking it

Spot risks early, such as missing documents, conflicting requirements, or long review queues, and bring solutions, not just problems

Build and refine our internal permitting playbooks as you learn each city's requirements

What We're Looking For

Senior-level professional experience (typically 5+ years) in a role that required coordinating many parties and driving work to completion

Relevant backgrounds include:

project coordinator at an architecture firm

planning or permit technician at a city or county

title or escrow coordinator

permit expediter

project management in construction or real estate

Exceptional follow-up habits. You don't wait to be asked twice, and you don't let things fall through the cracks

Strong written communication. Your emails to planners and consultants are clear, polite, and get answered

Highly organized, and comfortable managing many deadlines at once

Able to learn quickly and pick up new regulations and processes on your own

Works on-site at our Cupertino office, with occasional travel to Peninsula cities

Nice to Have

Ability to read architectural and construction plan sets

Experience with construction management software (Buildertrend, Procore or similar)

Familiarity with Bay Area permitting, SB 9 or residential entitlements

Compensation

Base salary: $100,000 +, depending on experience

Performance bonus tied to permit timelines\nCompany Description

Sterling Homes is a fast-growing luxury residential developer based in Silicon Valley, with 20+ active projects totaling $300M+. We design and build high-end custom homes across Cupertino, Los Altos, Saratoga, Atherton, and Menlo Park. We are a small, founder-led team, and one person's follow-through can move a project's schedule by months.

Full-time