Department: Planning and Development Services

Start Here. Grow Here. Stay Here.

The Planning and Development Services Department is excited to welcome a Front Desk Receptionist/Permit Coordinator I to our team! This role is all about connection - you’ll be the first friendly face visitors meet, helping them feel at ease while assisting with their needs. From greeting guests, answering phones, and coordinating conference room schedules to handling mail and courier deliveries, you’ll play a key part in keeping our front desk running smoothly. You’ll also get hands-on experience in permitting, including answering customer questions, entering data, uploading documents, and scheduling inspections in line with county and state guidelines.

What makes this opportunity special is the people you’ll meet and the relationships you’ll build. We value teamwork, customer service, and helping each other succeed. In return, we offer excellent benefits, room to grow, and an outstanding work-life balance. If you’re looking for a role where you can make a difference every day (while growing your career), we’d love to hear from you; apply today!

About the Position

In this role, you will be responsible for...

Reception & Customer Service:

• Provide courteous customer service: greet visitors, maintain sign-in logs, issue badges, direct visitors to conference rooms, and answer phones.
• Manage daily operations: update conference room schedules, receive courier/mail deliveries, send building-wide emails, and coordinate pool vehicle usage.
• Maintain order and communication: resolve customer inquiries, notify supervisors of issues, and support conflict resolution.
• Ensure professional standards: keep lobby appearance, maintain/update procedure manuals, and communicate with Fleet about vehicle issues.

Building/Permitting Support & Coordination:

• Explain and interpret permitting policies; assist with permitting-related emails and the customer check-in system.
• Schedule, cancel, or reschedule inspections; scan and attach documents to permits.
• Provide customer assistance and referrals to appropriate sources/departments.
• Support permit processing when rotated into the permit center (applications, payments, permit issuance, records research, refunds, and records management).

Permit Center (Rotational Responsibilities):

• Accept, process, and enter all permit applications (building, zoning, ROW, culvert, etc.) and issue permits/certificates.
• Collect and reconcile payments/fees, assess fees per ordinances, handle refunds, and complete end-of-day cash balancing.
• Conduct research using files, databases, GIS/maps, and apply knowledge of the County Address System.
• Maintain compliance with policies/regulations and attend required training (e.g., cash handling).

About the Schedule

Work Hours:

• Full-time, 40 hours per week.
• Typical Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (no weekends!)

As a reminder, all county employees are considered essential and must be prepared to protect and support the community and its citizens. Each employee, without exception, will have a duty assignment and be required to work during a disaster or declared emergency.

About You

To be considered for this role, you must have the following:

• High School Diploma or its equivalent.
• 3+ years of clerical/office or customer service experience.
• Valid Florida Driver's License within 30 days of hire.

The ideal candidate has the following knowledge, skills, and/or abilities:

Please note that these are not requirements but bonuses for your consideration.

• Experienced with building construction inspections, permitting, planning, zoning, and/or construction knowledge.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) with the ability to learn County software like LIMS (Accela).
• Strong skills in interpreting business rules, regulations, codes, policies, and building plans/blueprints.
• Excellent interpersonal and customer relations abilities; capable of good judgment, prioritization, and collaborative problem-solving.

Physical Demands: Employees in this role must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 lbs.

About Everything Else

Starting Pay: $19.09/hr

Our interview process could include phone interview(s), Microsoft Teams video interview(s), and/or in-person interview(s).

If you are selected to join our team, please click on this link to review the Required First Day Documents . You will need to present the following items on your first day:

1. I-9 Acceptable Documents to show your identity and authorization to work. Use this link to learn more and review the different document options: https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents

• If your position requires a Florida Driver’s License, this must be one of your documents. (Your Florida Driver’s License can serve as one of your documents listed in link above – List B Documents.)

2. U.S. Social Security Card (signed, physical card). This is a requirement of our Payroll Department and failure to provide this document could jeopardize timely compensation. (Your U.S. Social Security Card can serve as one of your documents listed in link above – List C Documents.)

Benefits:

• Enjoy great benefits including Health, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance, Short-Term and Long-Term Disability, Flexible Spending Accounts, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Florida Retirement System (FRS) and many, many more! Choose one of three great medical plans, including one with a $0 premium option, with completed preventative visits!
• For more information about employee benefits, please click this link or visit SCGov.net for additional information.
• Utilize our award-winning wellness program including free gyms at multiple Sarasota County Government locations.
• Enjoy 11 paid holidays, 3 personal days and 16 paid vacation days in the first year of full-time employment with increasing accrual rates with years of service. (That adds up to a possible 30 days off in your 1st year!)​​

A different blend of voices prompt better conversations, choices and results for everyone. Sarasota County – Many Voices, One Team.

We celebrate and value the experiences, backgrounds, perspectives, talents and strengths that make us different.

Our vision is to attract, develop, retain and engage a talented workforce broadly representative of the citizens and communities we serve. To further value creativity, innovation, collaboration and great customer service – internally and externally.

A job applicant with a disability who requires reasonable accommodation to participate in the application/selection process is requested to make known the need for an accommodation to Human Resources or appropriate county staff members. For assistance with the application, please call 941-861-5353.

Sarasota County prohibits discrimination in all services, programs or activities. View the complete policy at scgov.net (keywords: ADA Compliance).

Sarasota County Government is a Tobacco-Free/Drug-Free Workplace.