Permit and Design Manager

Job Type Full-time Description LIFE AT PACIFIC LIFESTYLE HOMES Experience the difference of being part of the Pacific Lifestyle Homes family. As a two-time recipient of the prestigious Building Industry Association "Builder of the Year" award and the esteemed National Housing Quality Gold Award, we are more than just a homebuilder – we are dedicated to BUILDING BETTER LIVES . From our humble beginnings in 1996, we have grown to construct over 6,500 homes and 130 communities across SW Washington, the Portland Metro area, greater Puget Sound area, and the Boise Metro landscape. Join us and build your career with a company committed to excellence and community impact. JOB MISSION Pacific Lifestyle Homes is seeking an experienced Permit and Design Manager to lead our design and permitting operations, ensuring timely, accurate, and compliant plan submittals that support our homebuilding goals. This full-time role offers an opportunity to make a significant impact by elevating project quality, workflow efficiency, and regulatory success. Reporting to the Purchasing Director, the Permit and Design Manager will oversee the production drafting team, coordinate all permit submittals, and maintain strict adherence to jurisdictional requirements and company standards. This position is essential to driving operational excellence, enabling smooth project execution, and supporting the continued growth of Pacific Lifestyle Homes . Job Responsibilities Leadership: Lead, coach, and develop the Permit, Design, and Drafting team providing mentorship, performance leadership, and professional development. Align cross-departmental efforts to support divisional goals, organizational priorities, and operational excellence. Drafting Oversight: Oversee all production drafting for all Divisions, ensuring accurate, compliant, and permit-ready plan sets while maintaining and refining drafting standards, templates, block libraries, workflows, and documentation to support consistency and efficiency. Lead QA/QC processes to ensure accuracy, code alignment, and constructability while driving continuous improvement of drafting workflows and production timelines. Design & Architectural Development: Oversee the full design function across all Divisions, including new plan development, plan refresh initiatives, and design improvements. Ensure all design work aligns with brand standards, customer expectations, and organizational strategy. Collaborate with leadership to identify and advance long-term design opportunities. Permitting & Regulatory Compliance: Lead the permitting function ensuring timely and accurate submissions. Establish strong relationships with city and county jurisdictions to support compliance and permit flow. Ensure all drafting and design deliverables meet multi-state regulatory requirements (WA, OR, ID). Drive code compliance across all plans and divisions, updating standards as regulations evolve. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with construction, land, engineering, purchasing, and sales to ensure alignment between drafting, permitting, and field operations. Provide guidance and problem-solving during plan development, options integration, value engineering, and site-specific requirements. Support field teams through site visits to address design and permit-related challenges. Strategic Priorities & Continuous Improvement: Lead long-range planning for drafting, permitting, and design operations. Identify opportunities for operational improvement, technology adoption, or process optimization. Establish departmental KPIs, evaluate performance trends, and implement corrective strategies. Standardize plan documentation and design resources for consistent use across all Divisions. Job Requirements 2+ years of experience in permit processing, design management, or related roles within the residential construction industry Knowledge of building codes, zoning regulations, and permit requirements in WA, OR, and/or ID Proven experience in managing design processes, including collaborating with architects, engineers, and contractors Strong multitasking, organizational, and time management skills to handle multiple permit and design projects simultaneously Exceptional communication skills for effectively working with city officials, internal teams, and external partners Proficiency in using CRM and project management software to track project timelines and maintain records Skilled in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook) for reporting, documentation, and communication Familiarity with design software (e.g., AutoCAD or Revit) is a plus