Permit Technician (Project Delivery & Operations/Customer Service)

Permit Technician (Project Delivery & Operations/Customer Service)

Salary

$21.98 - $22.66 Hourly

Location

1002 Washington Ave., Houston, TX 77002

Job Type

Full Time

Job Number

39044

Department

Houston Public Works

Opening Date

06/11/2026

Closing Date

6/17/2026 11:59 PM Central

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

POSITION OVERVIEW

Accepting Applications from: ALL PERSONS INTERESTED

Service Line/Section: HPC/Project Delivery & Operations/Customer Service

Reporting Location: 1002 Washington Avenue

Workdays & Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm*

• Subject to change*

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES/ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Do you like solving problems and helping others?

The Houston Permitting Center (HPC) is looking for a tech savvy, friendly, and well-organized Permit Technician to join our Information Desk team supporting our online and in-person customers. This individual is an important member of the team that guides customers through the permitting center process.

A day in the life of a Permit Technician is a fast-paced and highly variable based on customer volume and needs. Daily responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

• Triaging customers issues and queuing customers to the correct service.
• Answering phones calls, live chats, email, or service tickets.
• Distributing forms, applications, and other documents to customers to complete the permitting process.
• Researching and solving common customer problems and inquiries, including basic technical support for iPermits and ProjectDox.
• Assist with training Permit Tech Aides as needed.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Your effectiveness in this position will depend on your ability to:

• Work as a team.
• Communicate clearly and effectively, be confident in giving customers directions (verbally and written), ask clarifying questions to ensure you understand the customers' problem.
• Stay calm under pressure.
• Be proactive and solutions-focused, think ahead for potential obstacles as you guide a customer to a resolution.
• Be well organized and capable of handling multiple tasks and deadlines.
• Build strong professional relationships at all levels of the organization.

We're committed to supporting your success, and we expect our team members to share that commitment. We're seeking someone who embraces challenges, takes initiative, and is eager to grow alongside our team.

Who are we? When you join the Houston Permitting Center, you'll be part of a dedicated team that provides service for safe community development through the permitting, plan-review, and inspection of public and private construction. Our team members issue over 400,000 permits, review 77,000 projects and conduct 8000,000 inspections every year.

WORKING CONDITIONS

The position is physically comfortable; the individual has discretion about walking, standing, etc. There are no major sources of discomfort, i.e. essentially normal office environment with acceptable lighting, temperature and air conditioning. Requires the ability to make coordinated gross motor movements in response to changing external stimuli within moderately demanding tolerance; or the ability to make coordinated eye/hand movements on a patterned response space within low tolerance demands with no real speed requirements.

This is a Houston Public Works Emergency Management position at the Tier III Level.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Requires a high school diploma or a GED.

EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

Two years of experience as a Permit Technician Aide or in customer service are required.

An Associate degree may be substituted for the experience requirement.

LICENSE REQUIREMENTS

None

PREFERENCES

The ideal candidate should have some of the following skills and experience:

• Strong communication skills, including written and verbal skills
• Proficient in using technology
• Experience using live chat software, such as Oracle Service Cloud or Microsoft Dynamics
• Experience using ILMS/iPermits, ProjectDox, Infor, or similar electronic permitting and plan review system
• Experience using call/contact center software, such as Cisco Finesse.

You don't need to meet every preferred qualification to be a great fit. If you're passionate about helping people and solving problems, we'll invest in your development and support your growth along the way. If you think you've got what it takes, we encourage you to apply

• Preference shall be given to eligible veteran applicants provided such persons possess the qualifications

necessary for competent discharge of the duties involved in the position applied for, such persons are among the

most qualified candidates for the position, and all other factors in accordance with Executive Order 1-6.

GENERAL INFORMATION

SELECTION/SKILLS TESTS REQUIRED: None

However, the department may administer a skills assessment evaluation.

SAFETY IMPACT POSITION: No

If yes, this position is subject to random drug testing and if a promotional position, candidate must pass an assignment

drug test.

SALARY INFORMATION

Factors used in determining the salary offered include the candidates qualifications as well as the pay rates of other

employees in this classification.

Pay Grade 15

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

Only online applications will be accepted for this City of Houston job and must be received by the Human Resources

Department during active posting period. Applications must be submitted online at: www.houstontx.gov.

To view your detailed application status, please log-in to your online profile by visiting:

http://agency.governmentjobs.com/houston/default.cfm or call 832-393-6120.

If you need special services or accommodations, call 832-393-6120. (TTY 7-1-1)

If you need login assistance or technical support call 855-524-5627.

Due to the high volume of applications received, the Hiring Department will contact you directly, should you be selected to

advance in our recruitment process.

All new and rehires must pass a pre-employment drug test and are subject to a physical examination and verification of

information provided.

Must be able to pass a criminal background check, obtain and maintain federally mandated security clearances were

required.

EOE Equal Opportunity Employer

The City of Houston is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is

free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but

not limited to an individuals sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, genetic

information, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.

The city offers a competitive benefits program, including competitively priced health coverage and a defined contribution pension plan. Benefits include:

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Wellness
• Supplemental Insurance
• Life insurance
• Long-term disability
• Retirement pension
• 457 deferred compensation plan
• Employee Assistance Program
• 10 days of vacation each year
• 13 city holidays, plus one floating holiday
• Compensable Sick Leave
• Personal Leave
• Flexible schedules
• Hybrid-Telework for eligible positions
• Professional development opportunities
• Transportation/parking plan
• Section 125 pretax deductions
• Dependent Care Reimbursement Plan
• Paid Prenatal, Parental and Infant Wellness Leaves
• Healthcare Flexible Spending Account

For plan details, visit http://www.houstontx.gov/hr/benefits.html

01

Please select your highest level of education.

• Less than a High School diploma
• High School diploma/GED
• Associate degree
• Bachelors degree or higher

02

Which describes your VERIFIABLE administrative or customer service related experience?

• No Experience
• Less than 6 months
• 6 months but less than 1 year
• 1 year or more

03

How many years of experience do you have working in a contact center, call center, or similar environment?

• No Experience
• Less than 1 year
• 1 year, but less than 2 years
• 2 years, but less than 3 years
• 3 years or more

04

Please rate your experience using Microsoft Word & Excel.

• None
• Basic Microsoft Excel: Open files and use page setup, enter, correct, and save data, use the menu commands, format cells, rows, and columns, understand navigation and movement techniques, use simple arithmetic functions in the formulas, access help, modify a database and insert data from another application, print worksheets and workbooks. Microsoft Word: open, create, save and modify documents, format the documents for printing, use the printer menu to preview documents before they are printed and print the pages, change the font, the margins, insert or delete pages and use the built-in spellchecker and grammar check.
• Intermediate Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word: Create, modify, and format charts, use graphic objects to enhance worksheets and charts, filter data and manage a filtered list, perform multiple-level sorting, use sorting options, and design considerations, use mathematical. Microsoft Word: using Mail Merge in Word to personalize business letters for an entire mailing list or creating posters and other graphics-heavy documents in Publisher, create mailing labels, insert footnote and end note, create bookmark, insert a cross reference to a bookmark, insert a link into a document, design and create a simple form, save form as template, enable revision tracking in a document, accept or reject revision, protect a revision from modification by others, compare two documents side by side, combine two documents into one, insert and delete a comment into a document.
• Advance Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word: Customize the work area, use advanced functions (Names, VLOOKUP, IF, IS), work with Pivot Tables, use spreadsheet Web components, manage Macro commands: concepts, planning, operations, execution, modification, interruption, use personalized toolbars, perform some programming in VBA. Microsoft Word: use mail merge to create documents, recipient lists, insert fields, prepare and existing list for use in mail merge, delete items that you have performed (copy chart and title and paste), replace check box with symbol, print out checklist and check the appropriate boxes, import subdocument, split document into two documents, create a table.

05

Which languages do you speak, read and/or write fluently? (Check all that apply)

• Spanish
• Vietnamese
• Arabic
• Mandarin
• Another language not listed
• I do not speak another language

06

How many years of experience do you have using a live chat system?

• No Experience
• Less than 1 year
• 1 year, but less than 2 years
• 2 years, but less than 3 years
• 3 years or more

07

Describe in detail what three things make a great customer service experience?

08

Are you a veteran who served on active duty in the Armed Forces (United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard) for more than 90 consecutive days and received either an honorable discharge or a general discharge under honorable conditions?

• Yes
• No

Required Question

Employer City of Houston

Address 901 Bagby St

Houston, Texas, 77002

Website https://www.houstontx.gov/