Hybrid Principal Director – Building Code

at Archistar

• Job title: Principal Director – Building Code
• Job type: Full Time
• Experience level: Lead
• Salary: Not specified
• Degree requirement: No Education Requirement
• Location requirements: Hybrid, Los Angeles, United States

About the role

• Principal Director at Archistar overseeing U.S. building code interpretation and compliance. Leading national efforts for modernizing building regulations through technology and governance.

Responsibilities

• **Your Day-to-Day****
• Serve as Archistar’s principal technical and regulatory authority on U.S. building codes, including structural, life safety, accessibility, energy, and fire-related provisions
• Set and govern the national framework for building code interpretation, assurance, and regulatory defensibility within digital plan review systems
• Own the principles, standards, and guardrails that govern how building codes are translated into structured, rules-based environments
• Act as the final authority and escalation point for complex, ambiguous, or high-risk code compliance matters
• Review and assure interpretations involving alternative methods, equivalencies, performance pathways, and discretionary determinations
• Ensure that life safety intent, professional judgment, and real-world enforcement practice are preserved within automated and assisted review workflows
• Provide senior technical leadership and assurance for complex or high-risk municipal and state implementations
• Guide jurisdiction-specific approaches to state adoptions, local amendments, and administrative discretion, ensuring differences are accurately and defensibly represented
• Establish scalable approaches for managing code variation across jurisdictions while balancing consistency with local autonomy
• Partner closely with product, engineering, and data teams to review, validate, and sign off on digital building code logic
• Participate in statutory assurance processes, audits, and go-live readiness decisions
• Represent Archistar in senior government, regulatory, and enterprise engagements, including RFPs, pilots, and statutory reliance discussions
• Engage directly with building officials, plans examiners, fire marshals, regulators, and executive public-sector stakeholders
• Develop internal building code standards, assurance frameworks, playbooks, and technical guidance
• Mentor senior technical staff and strengthen building code capability across the organization

Requirements

• **What We're Looking For****
• 10+ years’ experience in building code enforcement, plan review, inspections, or regulatory compliance
• Deep, practical expertise in U.S. building codes (e.g. IBC, IRC, IECC, IFC, ADA) and permitting workflows
• Strong professional credibility with Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs) at local or state level
• Demonstrated sound judgment in interpreting complex, discretionary, or performance-based provisions
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including executive-level and public-sector engagement
• Experience providing governance or assurance over digital plan review, permitting, or code compliance systems
• Strong understanding of how building code requirements are represented in structured or digital rule environments
• Deep understanding of how U.S. building codes vary by state adoption cycle, local amendment, and enforcement practice
• Experience contributing to, assuring, or overseeing automated or digitally assisted compliance workflows
• Involvement in major code adoption cycles, permitting modernization, or digital transformation initiatives
• **Nice to Have****
• Exposure to rules engines, machine-readable code implementations, or automated plan review systems
• Experience partnering with technical teams building or maintaining compliance platforms

Benefits

• **Why You'll Love Working With Us****
• Apply your building code expertise at a national, cross-jurisdictional scale
• Work with governments that value legal defensibility, due process, and professional judgment
• Be part of an award-winning planning technology company partnering with leading municipalities and agencies
• Competitive executive-level salary package, including equity participation
• Remote-first flexibility across North America, with purposeful travel
• A collaborative executive team that values rigor, autonomy, and public-sector credibility
• Mission-driven work supporting housing delivery, permitting modernization, and better planning outcomes