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Archistar Pty

Principal Director - Building Code (USA)

Archistar Pty, Los Angeles, California, United States, 90079

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Who We Are Archistar is redefining how cities plan, permit, and build — at a time when governments globally are under unprecedented pressure to deliver housing, infrastructure, and predictable outcomes.

As an award-winning govtech company, Archistar partners closely with municipalities, counties, states, provinces, and agencies to modernize zoning, land use, and permitting systems responsibly. Our platform translates complex planning and zoning regulations into structured, digital systems, supports automated and assisted review of building designs, and delivers deep GIS and parcel-level insights — helping planners and reviewers make faster, more consistent, and more defensible decisions.

To support this mission, Archistar is establishing a

Centre for Technical Excellence (CTE)

and is seeking a

Principal Director – Building Code (USA)

to serve as the senior, nationally recognized authority governing how U.S. building codes are interpreted, assured, and operationalized within digital plan review and e‑permitting platforms.

The Role This is a principal-level leadership role for an exceptional building code professional who operates comfortably at the intersection of regulation, public safety, and technology.

As Principal Director – Building Code (USA), you will be Archistar’s highest authority on building code interpretation and regulatory defensibility across the United States. Reporting to Executive Leadership (COO), you will set the strategic direction, governance framework, and assurance standards that underpin how building code requirements are translated into digital, rules-based environments at scale.

Rather than focusing on a single jurisdiction or code cycle, this role operates nationally — shaping how state adoptions, local amendments, administrative discretion, and enforcement practices are consistently and defensibly represented across jurisdictions. Your leadership will directly enable statutory reliance on digital plan review outcomes, de-risk government adoption, and establish trust in automated and assisted compliance workflows.

This role is suited to a senior building official, chief plans examiner, state-level code authority, or nationally respected code leader who values judgment over throughput, defensibility over speed, and influence over hierarchy — and who wants to modernize building regulation while preserving life‑safety intent, professional discretion, and due process.

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

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

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

How to Apply Send your resume and a short cover letter to Gita Coorey, VP People & Culture, at gita@archistar.ai, outlining your experience with building code interpretation, enforcement, and statutory decision-making.

Help shape how building regulation across the United States evolves — responsibly, defensibly, and at scale.

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