Permitting Specialist

The Permitting Specialist I position implements the regulatory program of the District, working closely with permittees and the general public. The Permitting Specialist will provide day-to-day review and validation of permit applications, well registrations, and annual report submittals, as well as prepare and/or review monthly hearing notices, recommendations, and board book documents. Provides direct communication with permittees and well drillers to answer questions and address concerns. This position reports to the Deputy General Manager.

Position Type: Hourly (non-exempt)

Salary: The salary range for this position is $40,685 – $61,028, with an available multilingual stipend for bilingual (English/Spanish) employees.

Responsibilities

• Support and implement the District’s regulatory program through the administration of the permitting process.
• Effectively review, verify, and process submitted applications and properly archive information received and sent to the permittee in the District’s permit tracking system and repository.
• Process and enter the submitted annual report information and properly archive it.
• Effectively and professionally communicate with permittees and applicants.
• Manage returned mail.
• Duties as otherwise assigned.
  
  

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must satisfactorily perform each essential duty. The requirements listed below represent the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Education/Experience: An Associate’s degree is required; a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration is preferred; or two to four years of related experience and/or training; or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• Language Ability: Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business text, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively and professionally present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public. (Bilingual English/Spanish is preferred.)
• Math Ability: Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, and percentages.
• Reasoning Ability: Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form. Ability to identify improvements to workflow.
• Computer Skills: To perform this job successfully, an individual should have knowledge of MS Word, MS Excel, MS Explorer, and MS Access.
  
  

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

• Proficient with MS Office Professional Suite, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and Access
• Good communication skills, including a working knowledge (written and oral) of the structure and content of the English language
• Good interpersonal skills, including the ability to deal with people from a wide range of backgrounds, ages, and temperaments
• Ability to take initiative and identify potential needs
• Good organizational and time-management skills
• Ability to work calmly under pressure
• Ability to convey information effectively and calmly during tense situations
• Ability to use logic and reasoning to identify strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems
• Ability to operate office equipment, including computers, copiers, fax systems, postage machines, folding machines, etc
• Ability to lift and move objects such as paper, ink, toner, and other supplies weighing as much as 20 pounds.
  
  

Work Environment: The office is located at 1660 West Bay Area Boulevard, Friendswood, Texas, 77546. The work environment characteristics described here represent those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. The typical work environment for this position is:

• Indoors
• Office or Board Room
• Sits for moderate to long periods of time working with a computer, phone, and fax system
• Potentially hazardous conditions, including but not limited to electrical and mechanical hazards, eye and repetitive motion strain, and other common office hazards.
  
  

Work Schedule: This non-exempt position is not eligible for an alternative work schedule. Regular work schedule is Monday – Friday with a typical schedule from 8am to 5pm.

About HGSD: In the greater Houston-Galveston region, land subsidence is caused by the substantial, long-term groundwater withdrawal. When we pump large amounts of water from the aquifers beneath us, we pull water out of layers of clay, which causes the clay to compact. This compaction is seen at the surface as subsidence and has contributed to increased flooding, damage to our roads, and infrastructure issues in our area. The Harris-Galveston Subsidence District (HGSD) is a special-purpose district created by the Texas Legislature in 1975 and is authorized as a groundwater regulatory agency to cease ongoing and prevent future subsidence in Harris and Galveston counties. The District is successful in doing this through reasonable groundwater regulation, collaboration with regional water providers, local, state, and federal agencies, along with university research programs. In addition, HGSD provides water conservation, education, and outreach programs to underscore the importance of water conservation in the community and further reduce reliance on groundwater. Learn more about us at hgsubsidence.org today!