PERMIT TECHNICIAN AIDE (Project Delivery & Operations/Customer Assistance)

City of Houston; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Houston is seeking a Permit Tech Aide for the Houston Permitting Center to guide customers through the permitting process both online and in person. You will triage issues, assist with iPermits and ProjectDox, and help maintain knowledge base articles while ensuring accurate data entry and courteous service.

Workdays are Monday–Friday, 8:00 am–5:00 pm, at 1002 Washington Avenue. You will collaborate with a team focused on responsive customer support and continuous process improvement.

Qualifications

• Six months of customer service or general clerical experience required.
• High school diploma or GED required.

Responsibilities

• Triaging customer issues and queuing customers to the correct service.
• Answering phone calls, live chats, email, or service tickets.
• Distributing forms, applications, and other documents to customers to complete the permitting process.
• Researching and resolving common customer problems and inquiries, including basic technical support for iPermits and ProjectDox.
• Supporting the creation and maintenance of knowledge base articles.
• Completing data entry to maintain customer contact records.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Skills

Communication skills

Tech proficiency

Education

High school diploma or GED

Tools

ILMS/iPermits

ProjectDox

Infor

Oracle Service Cloud

Microsoft Dynamics

Cisco Finesse

Job description

Position Overview

Accepting Applications from: All Persons Interested

Service Line/Section: Houston Permitting Center / Project Delivery & Operations-Customer Assistance

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 tech savvy, friendly, and well-organized Permit Tech Aide 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 process.

A day in the life of a Permit Tech Aide is fast-paced and highly variable based on customer volume and needs.

Daily Responsibilities May Include, But Are Not Limited To

• Triaging customer issues and queuing customers to the correct service.
• Answering phone calls, live chats, email, or service tickets.
• Distributing forms, applications, and other documents to customers to complete the permitting process.
• Researching and resolving common customer problems and inquiries, including basic technical support for iPermits and ProjectDox.
• Supporting the creation and maintenance of knowledge base articles.
• Completing data entry to maintain customer contact records.
• 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 customer’s problem.
• Stay calm under pressure.
• Be well organized and capable of handling multiple tasks.
• Be proactive and solution-focused – think ahead for potential obstacles as your guide a customer to a resolution.
• Build strong professional relationships at all levels of the organization.
• Embody the department’s Five to Thrive values.

We’re committed to your success, but we expect our team members to be equally invested. We’re looking for someone who’s not afraid of a challenge and eager to grow with us.

Who are we?

When you join the Houston Permitting Center, you’ll be part of a dedicated team that provide services 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 800,000 inspections every year.

The Houston Permitting Center is committed to our department’s Five to Thrive values as principles that guide our work with customers and team members – Respect, Ownership, Communication, Integrity, and Teamwork.

We intend to "roc" it every day!

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 tolerances; 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

Six months of customer service or general clerical/administrative experience are required.

License Requirements

None

PREFERENCES

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

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

You don’t have to check every preference box to be a great candidate. So long as you bring your passion for people and problem solving, we’ll invest in you to take care of the rest. 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 candidate's qualifications as well as the pay rates of other employees in this classification.

Pay Grade 13

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 individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.