Karen Embry
JACOBS ENGINERING
Sunnyvale,CA
20
years of professional experience
Construction Permit Specialist managing permit applications, aerial submittals, operational reports, and escalations across active project workflows. Keeps projects moving by resolving permit issues, coordinating documentation, and supporting business project management tasks from intake through follow-up. Brings a practical approach to problem resolution and submission accuracy in field-facing permit work.
Work History
CALTRANS PERMIT SPECIALIST I
2 Years 4 Months- Prepare ~ 5 permit applications weekly by collecting project data and supporting documents.
- Assemble Caltrans permit packages by collecting data, reviewing documents, and organizing deliverables.
- Coordinate meetings and correspondence with PG&E and Caltrans to resolve permit questions promptly.
- Research jurisdictional requirements to support right of way permitting and improve document accuracy.
- Track project timelines and prioritize permit work to keep submittals moving on schedule.
- Support compliance coordination by following up on issues and maintaining clear project communication.
PERMIT SPECIALIST 3
4 Years- Cultivated city, county, and utility partnerships to reduce multiple permit procurements weekly.
- Researched jurisdiction protocols and compliance requirements to verify engineering packages aligned with federal, state, and company standards.
- Coordinated with engineering, design, and construction teams to keep permit execution on schedule.
- Resolved permitting issues with Government Affairs in troubled jurisdictions through focused cross-functional follow-up.
- Led weekly meetings with Engineering Business Partners to address permitting concerns and track progress against metrics.
- Reviewed surveys and design documents to confirm permit alignment and serve as the first point of contact for South Bay Permitting.
ESTIMATING COORDINATOR
7 Months- Completed pre-qualifications for owners and entities, verifying required information before proposal submission.
- Reviewed and assembled public works proposals, aligning supporting documents with submission requirements.
- Updated estimating software with current project information, improving record accuracy and team access.
- Prepared, printed, and organized plans, files, and documents for estimating and bid review.
- Communicated with clients and estimators to clarify bid details and keep coordination on track.
PERMIT COORDINATOR
1 Year 5 Months- Delivered permit packs to city building departments and tracked submission status through issuance.
- Processed city-required fees and maintained accurate records for permit transactions.
- Coordinated with designers on plan revisions and clarified outstanding permit issues before resubmittals.
- Maintained organized notes on project timelines, city requirements, and permit record updates.
- Built professional relationships with permit office staff to support smoother communication and follow-up.
PAYMENT ANALYST/VENDOR SUPPORT
10 Years 3 Months- Provided 100% field collection partner support to maintain responsive customer service and issue resolution.
- Completed 100% QC paperwork weekly from the field to support accurate processing and compliance.
- Reviewed and released daily payment batches to keep vendor payments moving on schedule.
- Entered and verified DCDR records to maintain accurate daily cash deposit reconciliation.
- Used EIS daily to generate and distribute CPE files to vendors.
- Approved non-pay and equipment collection invoices for payment after review.
- Updated invoice trackers for month-end preparation, accruals, forecasting, and assigned audits.
Skills
Permit application preparation
Jurisdictional research
Plan and document review
Permit record updates
Project timeline tracking
Right of way permitting
Permit issuance tracking
Plan set submittals
Public agency liaison
Utility coordination
Stakeholder communication
Compliance coordination
Meeting coordination
Issue resolution
Metric tracking
Construction document control
Cross-functional coordination
Workflow prioritization
Permit management software
Personal Information
Title: CONSTRUCTION PERMIT SPECIALIST
Timeline
CALTRANS PERMIT SPECIALIST I
JACOBS ENGINERING
07.2024 - CurrentRead More
PERMIT SPECIALIST 3
COMCAST CABLE
07.2020 - 07.2024Read More
ESTIMATING COORDINATOR
JOSEPH J. ALBANESE. INC.
08.2019 - 03.2020Read More
PERMIT COORDINATOR
SUNGRADE SOLAR
01.2018 - 06.2019Read More
PAYMENT ANALYST/VENDOR SUPPORT
COMCAST CABLE
04.2007 - 07.2017Read More