Geotechnical Technician

Salary: Depends on Qualifications
Location : Houston, TX
Job Type: Regular Full-time
Job Number: 12085
Department: Flood Control District
Opening Date: 01/25/2024
Closing Date: 4/30/2024 11:59 PM Central
Max Number of Applicants: 150
Position Description
About Harris County Flood Control District:
The Flood Control District has the mission to reduce the risk of flooding in Harris County, the third most populated county in the United States, with a population in excess of 4.7 million, including the City of Houston, the nation's fourth largest city. The Flood Control District has jurisdiction over the primary stormwater facilities in the county, which consist of approximately 1,500 channels totaling nearly 2,500 miles in length, as well as more than 60 regional stormwater detention basins, totaling more than 10,000 acres and several wetlands mitigation banks including Greens bayou.
Geotechnical Technician Job Summary:
Harris County Flood Control District (District) is seeking a qualified candidate for the role of Geotechnical Technician.
Reporting to the Geotechnical Program Manager, the Geotechnical Technician will assist and support the Geotechnical Program Manager in all aspects of geotechnical tasks including the organizing and export of geotechnical reports and data.
Essential Functions and Duties:

• Coordinate with the Geographical Information Systems (GIS) department in uploading shape files in the geocortex system for geotechnical layer and also generate shape files for the gINT log files while ensuring accuracy.
• Assist with contract administrative tasks such as preparing requisitions, letters of authorization, purchase order requests, mod forms needed for Commissioner's Court agreements, processing invoices and tracking budget for various on-call contracts.
• Request digital copies of reports from consultants including boring logs and gINT files. Organize and verify gINT file data for consistency and accuracy.
• Review accuracy of gINT log files with the District's standard templates and ensure corrections are made when needed.
• Prepare correspondence, complete forms and maintain records and files related to work activities.
• Perform site visits to help site reconnaissance and verify proper implementation of geotechnical field exploration for the District's projects.
• Update the geotechnical database to share the District's extensive knowledge of soils in the Harris County area and export the gINT data files into MS Access database as needed for individual projects.
• Organize geotechnical reports and archive digital copies in the District's document management system.
• Perform other duties that may be added or changed as the course and scope of the job directs.

Harris County is an Equal Opportunity Employer
https://hrrm.harriscountytx.gov/Pages/EqualEmploymentOpportunityPlan.aspx
If you need special services or accommodations, please call (713) 274-5445 or email
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
Requirements
Education:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year college or university in civil engineering, geological or geotechnical engineering or a similar field.

Experience:

• Three (3) years experience in the geotechnical aspects of engineering design, construction, field operations related to public works, hydrology, flood control and/or urban development.

Licensure:

• Valid Class "C" Texas Driver's License

Knowledge Skills, and Abilities:

• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Knowledge of geotechnical construction practices and laboratory techniques related to the District's projects.
• Excellent knowledge of gINT Professional Plus and ability to quickly learn other related software as needed.
• Can work independently with limited supervision.
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects and/or assignments.
• Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Office applications.
• Good diagnostic and analytical skills.

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 but ONLY information stated on the application will be used for consideration. "See Resume" will not be accepted for qualifications.
General Information
Position Type, Salary:

• Regular | Full-Time
  
• Salary: To be discussed at interview

Division/Location:

• Engineering: 9900 Northwest Freeway Houston, TX 77092

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.
• 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.
• Occasional ascending/descending stairs; prolonged sitting for extended periods.
• Work is generally performed indoors in a normal office environment with acceptable lighting, temperature, air conditions and noise levels.
• When at field locations, may be exposed to significant levels of heat, cold, moisture, air pollution, wind and dust, wildlife and flying/walking insects, vibration and/or noise over 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.
BENEFITS
Harris County offers a competitive benefits program, including comprehensive group health and related benefits plan as well as defined benefit retirement plan.
The following list of benefits is offered only to employees in regular (full-time) positions:

• Medical Coverage
• Dental Coverage
• Vision Coverage
• Wellness Plan
• Life Insurance
• Long-term disability
• Employee Assistance Program
• Ten (10) days of vacation each year for the first five (5) years of service
  • Accrual rates increase based on years of service
• Eleven (11) County-observed holidays and one (1) floating holiday
• Professional development opportunities
• Dependent Care Reimbursement Plan
• Healthcare Reimbursement Account
• 457 Deferred Compensation Plan

The following benefits are also available to regular (full-time) employment and may be available to part-time employees:

• Retirement Pension (TCDRS)
• Flexible schedule (varies by department)
• Transportation Assistance (Metro RideSponsor Program)

In accordance with the Harris County Personnel Regulations, Group Health and related benefits are subject to amendment or discontinuance at any time. Commissioners Court reserves the right to make benefit modifications on the County's behalf as needed.
For plan details, visit the Harris County benefits website:
01
Which of the following best describes your highest level of education completed as it relates to this position?

• High School or GED diploma
• Associate Degree
• Bachelor's Degree
• Master's Degree or higher
• None of the above

02
If you selected a college degree in response to the previous question, which of the following best describes your major?

• Civil Engineering
• Geological
• Geotechnical Engineering
• Other Related Field
• Unrelated Field
• N/A; No Degree

03
Please describe your educational background including level of education completed, area of study and completed major and minor programs.
04
Which of the following best describes your verifiable experience in the geotechnical aspects of engineering design, construction, field operations related to public works, hydrology, flood control and/or urban development?(To be considered, qualifying experience must be documented in your application's employment history)

• Less than three (3) years
• Three (3) years or more but less than four (4) years
• Four (4) years or more but less than five (5) years
• Five (5) years but less than six (6) years
• Six (6) years but less than seven (7) years
• Seven (7) years or more
• I do not have this experience

05
Please provide details about your verifiable experience in the geotechnical aspects of engineering design, construction, field operations related to public works, hydrology, flood control and/or urban development.*** Do not use "See Resume", as we do not use resumes to assess qualifications.***(To be considered, qualifying experience must be documented in your application's employment history)Include your (a) role(s), (b) types of organizations, (c) scope of duties and responsibilities.If you do not have this experience, please type "None" in the space provided.
06
Which of the following describes your level of proficiency using a personal computer and common office software such as MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook). Please select your level of proficiency based on the following descriptions:Advanced:A person with this level of skills is able to produce very large, complex formal documents that require a table of contents, footnotes, endnotes, bookmarks, and other special elements; a wide range of graphic effects, and use advanced techniques for analyzing and manipulating data. Has full mastery of Macro commands and skills to tie the objects together into a cohesive system by using Macros and Visual Basic for Applications code. Makes interactive presentations by using hyperlinks and action buttons.Intermediate:A person with this level of skills is able to customize toolbars, import and insert graphs, embed Excel data, and elaborate reports. Understands the concepts of databases and is able to work with charts and to use the list management capabilities of Excel. Able to use complex query techniques, create efficient forms and reports, and create Macros to automate these forms. Makes interactive presentations by using hyperlinks and action buttons.Basic:A person with this level of skills is able to use basic formatting, editing, printing functions, and understands the document page setup. Has the ability to enter and correct data, modify a workbook, format a worksheet, and use printing functions. Understands the different database concepts and structures and is familiar with data validation and is able to create a simple presentation in PowerPoint, run it, and print it.Entry Level:A person with this level of skills has the ability to open, create, save and modify documents in Word, send and receive email in Outlook and create spreadsheets in Excel. Format documents for printing, comfortable using the printer menu to preview documents. Has ability to change the font, the margins, insert or delete pages and use the built-in spellchecker and grammar check.

• Advanced
• Intermediate
• Basic
• Entry Level
• Not proficient

07
For this position, a valid Texas Driver's License is necessary. Please choose the option that best describes your situation:Do you meet the above requirement?(Please be sure to include all related details in the Certificates and Licenses section of your application.)

• Yes, I currently hold a valid Texas Driver's License.
• Yes, I possess a valid Out-of-State Driver's License, but I am aware that I must acquire a valid Texas Driver's License before the start date.
• No, I do not currently have a driver's license, but I commit to obtaining one before the start date.
• No, I do not currently have a valid driver's license.

Required Question