Combination Inspector

Description

The Department:
The Community Development Department strives to enhance the community’s safety, welfare, quality of life, and economic opportunities by providing advanced planning, development review, permitting and inspection services, as well as administration of programs related to affordable housing. To learn more about the City of Santa Clara's Department of Community Development/Housing click here.

The Position:
The Combination Inspector is responsible for performing the building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical inspections. Each Inspector may be assigned to one or more of the following Programs or specialties: Code Enforcement, Building, Electrical, Permit Center, and Plumbing & Mechanical.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this, or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment.

Additional Information:
Applications must be filled out completely (e.g. do not write “see resume, NA, or personnel file.”). To receive consideration for the screening process, candidates must submit a 1) Cover Letter and, 2) Resume. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Application packets may be submitted online through the “Apply Now” feature on the job announcement at This position is continuous: First review of applications will be on November 7, 2025. After the initial review, applications will be reviewed on a bi-weekly basis for consideration to the position. If you are interested in applying you are encouraged to apply as soon as possible, before the position is closed.

THIS RECRUITMENT MAY BE USED TO FILL MULTIPLE POSITIONS IN THIS, OR OTHER DIVISIONS OR DEPARTMENTS BESIDES THE POSITIONS LISTED BELOW. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN EMPLOYMENT IN THIS CLASSIFICATION, YOU SHOULD APPLY TO ENSURE YOU ARE CONSIDERED FOR ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT MAY UTILIZE THE APPLICANTS FROM THIS RECRUITMENT.
MEETING THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS DOES NOT GUARANTEE ADMITTANCE INTO THE EXAMINATION PROCESS. ONLY THE MOST QUALIFIED CANDIDATES WHO DEMONSTRATE THE BEST COMBINATION OF QUALIFICATIONS IN RELATION TO THE REQUIREMENTS AND DUTIES OF THE POSITION WILL BE INVITED TO TEST OR INTERVIEW.

The annual salary range for this position is $125,115.24 - $159,613.32 annually. This position may be filled at or near the minimum of the salary range.

*Please note: Tentative testing date will be the week of November 17 – 21, 2025.*

Minimum Qualifications

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
Minimum Education Requirements:
Graduation from high school or possession of a G.E.D.

Minimum Experience Requirements:
Five (5) years of experience as a journey person in the building construction or related trades

OR

Three (3) years of experience as a Combination Inspector in a city or county inspection jurisdiction

OR

Possession of a State of California license as a general (B-l) or electrical (C-10) or plumbing (C-36) or heating, ventilating, air conditioning (C-20) contractor for a minimum of two (2) years

Acceptable Substitution:
None

License/Certifications:
Possession of a valid California Class C driver's license is required.

Certification by the International Code Council or other recognized agency, as a Building, Electrical, Plumbing, or Mechanical Inspector is required within one (1) year of appointment and for continued employment in this class

Desirable Qualifications:
Certified Access Specialist (CASp) certification is desirable

Other Requirements:
  • Must be able to perform the essential functions of the job assignment

CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Incumbents in this position are required to file a Conflict of Interest statement upon assuming office, annually and upon leaving office, in accordance with City Manager Directive 100.

Follow this
link to view the entire Class Specification, which includes more information on Typical Duties and Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.

Candidates must attain a passing score on
each phase of the examination process to qualify for the Eligible List. A department interview may be required prior to appointment.

Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in this country. Please be informed that the City of Santa Clara will not sponsor, represent, or sign documents related to visa applications/transfers for H1B or any other type of visa which requires an employer application.

PERMANENT CITY EMPLOYEES PREFERENCE POINTS:
Current permanent employee candidates who receive a passing score on the examination will have an additional five (5) points added to their final score.


The City of Santa Clara is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants for all job openings will be considered without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status or any other consideration made unlawful under any federal, state or local laws. The City of Santa Clara is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to job applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at (408) 615-2080 or HumanResources@santaclaraca.gov.

Back to blog

Common Interview Questions And Answers

1. HOW DO YOU PLAN YOUR DAY?

This is what this question poses: When do you focus and start working seriously? What are the hours you work optimally? Are you a night owl? A morning bird? Remote teams can be made up of people working on different shifts and around the world, so you won't necessarily be stuck in the 9-5 schedule if it's not for you...

2. HOW DO YOU USE THE DIFFERENT COMMUNICATION TOOLS IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS?

When you're working on a remote team, there's no way to chat in the hallway between meetings or catch up on the latest project during an office carpool. Therefore, virtual communication will be absolutely essential to get your work done...

3. WHAT IS "WORKING REMOTE" REALLY FOR YOU?

Many people want to work remotely because of the flexibility it allows. You can work anywhere and at any time of the day...

4. WHAT DO YOU NEED IN YOUR PHYSICAL WORKSPACE TO SUCCEED IN YOUR WORK?

With this question, companies are looking to see what equipment they may need to provide you with and to verify how aware you are of what remote working could mean for you physically and logistically...

5. HOW DO YOU PROCESS INFORMATION?

Several years ago, I was working in a team to plan a big event. My supervisor made us all work as a team before the big day. One of our activities has been to find out how each of us processes information...

6. HOW DO YOU MANAGE THE CALENDAR AND THE PROGRAM? WHICH APPLICATIONS / SYSTEM DO YOU USE?

Or you may receive even more specific questions, such as: What's on your calendar? Do you plan blocks of time to do certain types of work? Do you have an open calendar that everyone can see?...

7. HOW DO YOU ORGANIZE FILES, LINKS, AND TABS ON YOUR COMPUTER?

Just like your schedule, how you track files and other information is very important. After all, everything is digital!...

8. HOW TO PRIORITIZE WORK?

The day I watched Marie Forleo's film separating the important from the urgent, my life changed. Not all remote jobs start fast, but most of them are...

9. HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR A MEETING AND PREPARE A MEETING? WHAT DO YOU SEE HAPPENING DURING THE MEETING?

Just as communication is essential when working remotely, so is organization. Because you won't have those opportunities in the elevator or a casual conversation in the lunchroom, you should take advantage of the little time you have in a video or phone conference...

10. HOW DO YOU USE TECHNOLOGY ON A DAILY BASIS, IN YOUR WORK AND FOR YOUR PLEASURE?

This is a great question because it shows your comfort level with technology, which is very important for a remote worker because you will be working with technology over time...