Watershed Coordinator

Harris County; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Harris County Flood Control District in Houston is hiring a senior plan review engineer to oversee regulatory compliance for development plans and plats within Watershed Management. You will ensure plans meet criteria, review variances, and coordinate with other departments while conducting field visits.

The role requires a Civil Engineering degree, 5+ years of experience in drainage design and FEMA floodplain knowledge, plus TX PE. Strong communication and leadership are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering or an equivalent accredited program.
• Minimum five years of progressively responsible engineering experience in drainage design and public works.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license in Texas (required or stated) is expected for qualified candidates.

Responsibilities

• Oversee review of government capital improvement plans and private sector development plans to confirm compliance with criteria and policies.
• Oversee the review of variance requests and obtain variance approvals if necessary.
• Review and comment on development reports, plans, designs, and technical submittals; perform field visits as needed.
• Coordinate with other District and County departments, including Harris County Permits Office, in support of regulations and permitting activity.
• Advise management on problems and prepare recommendations for solutions using best practices.

Skills

Diagnostic & troubleshooting

Analytical ability

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Leadership

Public interaction

Bilingual English/Spanish a plus

Education

Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering

Similar degree may be considered based on relevant career experience

Tools

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Digital review software

Project management tools

Job description

About Harris County Flood Control District:

The Harris County Flood Control District’s (District’s) core mission is to mitigate the risk of flooding in Harris County, which has a population of over 5 million and includes the City of Houston, the fourth-largest city in the United States. The District’s responsibilities extend to approximately 1,500 channels spanning nearly 2,500 miles, over 60 regional stormwater detention basins covering more than 10,000 acres, and several wetlands mitigation banks.

What you will do at Harris County Flood Control District:

Responsible for overseeing the review and approval process of government and private sector development plans and plats for the Watershed Management Department to ensure compliance with the District’s design criteria, policies, future drainage improvement projects, and watershed management plans in accordance with the District’s mission to maintain the Infrastructure.

Essential Functions and Duties

Plan Review & Regulatory Compliance

• Oversee the review of government capital improvement plans and private sector development plans (including subdivision, site, detention, channel, bridge, other drainage-related plans, and plats) to confirm compliance with the District’s criteria and policies.
• Oversee the review of variance requests against the criteria and obtain variance approvals if necessary.
• Review and comment on development reports, plans, designs, and technical submittals such as geotechnical reports and drainage analyses.
• Perform field visits as necessary to confirm compliance with District design criteria and standards.

Technical Research & Documentation

• Oversee the research of letter files, design reports, aerial photos, record drawings, and other resources to support plan review efforts.
• Ensure data entry of data documenting plan review efforts.
• Prepare correspondence, complete forms, and maintain records and files related to work activities.

Communication & Coordination

• Facilitate communications with design engineers and the public by telephone, letter, plan mark‑ups, and in person to explain plan review efforts and objectives.
• Oversee the coordination with other District and County departments, including Harris County Permits Office, in support of regulations and permitting activity for government and private sector construction development plans.

Advisory & Problem Resolution

• Advise management of problems and prepare recommendations for solutions using best practices.

Leadership & Personnel Management

• Ensure personnel compliance with District policies and procedures concerning execution of duties and job performance.
• Assist in performing periodic personnel reviews and recommend adjustments.

Additional Responsibilities and Duties

• Attend department staff meetings and meetings with coordinating departments, vendors, and agencies, and assist with department projects, as needed.
• Attend seminars, conference workshops, re‑certification, or other training programs.
• May be required to assume responsibility for the department in the absence of the department manager and/or other duties as assigned by management.
• Assume additional responsibilities as required, adapting to the District's evolving demands, responsibilities, needs, and objectives.

Harris County is an Equal Opportunity Employer

https://hrrm.harriscountytx.gov/Pages/EqualEmploymentOpportunityPlan.aspx

If you need special services or accommodations, please call [phone] or email [e-mail].

This position is subject to a criminal history check. Only relevant convictions will be considered and, even when considered, may not automatically disqualify the candidate.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four‑year college or university in Civil Engineering or a similar curriculum.
  • A similar degree may be considered based on relevant career experience.

Experience

• Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible, verifiable experience in engineering design and maintenance construction projects and/or field operations related to drainage design, knowledge of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) floodplain management, public works, hydrology, flood control, and/or urban development.
• Experience working with government agencies and their governing bodies.
• Supervisory experience in a project management environment.

Required Licenses

• Valid Class "C" Texas Driver’s License.
• Professional Engineer (PE) in the state of Texas.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Requires excellent diagnostic and troubleshooting skills to solve unusual work problems and advise on complex technical questions/difficult work solutions.
• Requires excellent analytical skills in applying guidelines, policies, and precedents and in adapting standard methods to fit facts and conditions.
• Requires excellent communication skills, including presentation, grammar, and writing skills.
• Requires excellent organizational and managerial skills to effectively prioritize and manage multiple tasks/initiatives.
• Requires strong skills using geographic information systems, digital review software, and project management tools and systems.
• Requires solid knowledge/understanding of construction standards, practices, and techniques.
• Requires a basic understanding of FEMA floodplain regulations, including Conditional Letter of Map Revision (CLOMR) and Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) processes.
• Ability to work well under pressure and public scrutiny, independently with limited supervision, relative autonomy, and general review.
• Ability to work well with the public, interest groups, government agency personnel, and external organizations.
• Ability to build and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with others.
• Effectively prioritize, identify, and solve problems, being successful in a time- and deadline-driven environment.
• Direct, manage, and lead a team of professional and technical personnel.
• Read and comprehend written materials such as policies, procedures, operating instructions, and safety notices; write and record legible notes of activity, accurately complete required forms, and solve mathematical problems encountered in normal work situations.

NOTE: Qualifying education, experience, knowledge, and skills must be documented on your job application. You may attach a resume to the application as supporting documentation butONLY information stated on the application will be used for consideration. "See Resume" will not be accepted for qualifications.

Language

• Bilingual skills in English/Spanish are a plus.

Certification

• FEMA floodplain manager certification.

Position Type

• Regular Full-Time

Hours

• 40 hours per week

Location

• Watershed Management | 9900 Northwest Freeway Houston, TX 77092

Salary

• To be discussed at the interview

Physical Demands and Environmental Exposure

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions:

• Frequent stooping, bending, reaching, lifting, and carrying of items up to 11 pounds and occasional lifting of up to 20 pounds.
• Frequent sorting, filing, shelving, and handling of documents, books, files, file drawers, and related materials and equipment required for clerical operations.
• Frequent driving of a vehicle with automatic controls.
• Occasional ascending/descending stairs; prolonged sitting for extended periods of time.
• Occasional walking up and down steep slopes of ditches or on rough and uneven surfaces or ground, such as sloping terrain, plowed or furrowed areas, or construction sites.
• Work is generally performed indoors in a normal office environment with acceptable lighting, temperature, air conditioning, and noise levels.
• When at field locations, may be exposed to significant levels of heat, cold, moisture, air pollution, wind and dust, wildlife, flying/walking insects, vibration and/or noise in excess of 85 decibels.

Employment may be contingent on passing a drug screen and meeting other standards.

Due to a high volume of applications positions may close prior to the advertised closing date or at the discretion of the Hiring Department.