Entry Level Disaster Risk Management Jobs in Houston, TX

Salary: Depends on Qualifications
Location : Houston, TX
Job Type: Regular Full-time
Job Number: 16765
Department: Flood Control District
Opening Date: 07/31/2026
Closing Date: 9/1/2026 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.
What you will do at Harris County Flood Control District:
Harris County Flood Control District (District) is seeking qualified candidates for the role of Flood Resilience Planner, who will work closely with various departments within the District, departments, partners and stakeholders throughout Harris County, and consultants to ensure planning, project management, alignment, and progress towards the development and implementation of Harris County's Flood Resilience Plan, internal resilience strategies, programs and initiatives at the District and at the County.
Essential Functions and Duties:
Stakeholder Coordination & Collaboration

• Work closely with a variety of stakeholders involved in Harris County's flood resilience efforts, including the Harris County Infrastructure Resilience Team (IRT), the Community Flood Resilience Task Force (CFRTF), and flood resilience experts and consultants involved in developing the Harris County Flood Resilience Plan.
• Support the Chief Resilience Officer and the Resilience team in advancing the District's Flood Resilience Plan by working with internal and external departments, the IRT, the CFRTF, and District stakeholders.
• Communicate and collaborate closely with the team and other internal stakeholders.
• Support the District's collaboration with the IRT by reviewing work products and ensuring the team meets deliverables and milestones.

Internal Resilience Program Development

• Supports the Resilience team in establishing the District's internal resilience program by coordinating with other District teams and consultants to understand and review current and proposed programs, policies, and projects.
• Supports the Resilience team to integrate recommendations from the CFRTF into the Resilience Division's work and help meet CFRTF's priorities.

Program / Project Management & Oversight

• Supports the Resilience team in managing scope, schedule, budget, and budget planning by reviewing key deliverables, invoices, and providing strategic and timely direction for the CFRTF facilitator.
• Develop program/ project documents such as schedules, agendas, meeting materials, presentation materials, action trackers, summary reports, updates, and other project coordination tools.

Document Review & Preparation

• Review, prepare, and evaluate documents such as plans, guidelines, policy reports, informational briefs, policy briefs, conceptual visualizations, and/or educational materials.

Additional Responsibilities and Duties

• Assist with disaster recovery efforts, as directed, when the County is impacted by a significant shock or stress.
• Be prepared to attend occasional evening and weekend hours as may be required for meetings and events.
• Attend re-certification or other training programs.
• Assume additional responsibilities as required, adapting to the evolving demands, responsibilities, needs, and objectives of the District.

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 & Experience:

• Mastor's degree from an accredited college or university in Engineering, Planning, Public Administration, Public Policy, or a related field.
• One (1) year of relevant professional experience in infrastructure planning, floodplain management, urban planning, environmental planning, and/or urban design with a focus on water resources, flood control and drainage, land use, or other closely related systems. Areas of specialization could include, but are not limited to, flood risk management, sustainable water/resource management, system performance and quality control, and multifunctional infrastructure systems.

OR:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Engineering, Planning, Public Administration, Public Policy, or a related field.
• Three (3) years of relevant professional experience in infrastructure planning, floodplain management, urban planning, environmental planning, and/or urban design with a focus on water resources, flood control and drainage, land use, or other closely related systems. Areas of specialization could include, but are not limited to, flood risk management, sustainable water/resource management, system performance and quality control, and multifunctional infrastructure systems.

Licensure:

• Valid Class "C" Texas Driver's License

Knowledge Skills, and Abilities:

• Excellent oral and written communication skills, able to communicate and collaborate internally.
• Strong organizational skills with demonstrated ability in organizing work products, teams, and delivery schedules.
• Strong technical/analytical skills, and ability to synthesize and present complex information for a non-technical audience consumption.
• Strong team player, with the ability to productively contribute to internal and external teams.
• Ability to effectively work independently, self-prioritize tasks and deliverables, and assume ownership in completing assigned tasks.
• Can work well under pressure, adhering to tight deadlines and accuracy/quality standards.

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.
Preferences
Preferred Experience:

• Prefer municipal planning and/or local government experience.
• Prefer experience creating comprehensive or strategic plans, including but not limited to resilience plans, community development plans, and community outreach plans.
• Prefer experience with advanced features of ArcGIS Desktop, ESRI GIS software, and/or Adobe Suite.
• Prefer experience developing standards and/or performance metrics for plans, projects, and programs.

General Information
Position Type, Salary:

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

Location:

• Flood Resilience - 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:

• Occasional standing and walking; prolonged sitting.
• Occasional ascending/descending stairs, stooping, bending, reaching, lifting, and carrying items up to 10 pounds.
• Occasional sorting, filing, shelving, and handling of documents, books, files, file drawers, and related materials and equipment required for clerical operations.
• Work is performed indoors in a normal office environment with acceptable lighting, temperature, air conditioning, and noise levels.

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.
HARRIS COUNTY EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
Harris County offers a highly competitive benefits program, featuring a comprehensive group health plan and defined benefit retirement plan.
The following benefits are offered only to Harris County employees in regular (full-time) positions:
Health & Wellness Benefits

• Medical Coverage
• Dental Coverage
• Vision Coverage
• Wellness Plan
• Life Insurance
• Long-Term Disability (LTD) Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Healthcare Flexible Spending Account
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account

Paid Time Off (PTO)

• Ten (10) days of vacation leave per year (accrual rate increases after 5 years of service)
• Eleven (11) County-observed holidays
• One (1) floating holiday per year
• Paid Parental Leave*
• Sick Leave

Retirement Savings Benefit

• 457 Deferred Compensation Plan

The following benefits are available to Harris County employees in full-time and select part-time positions:

• Professional learning & development opportunities
• Retirement pension (TCDRS defined benefit plan)
• Flexible work schedule*
• METRO RideSponsor Program*

* Participation may vary by County department. The employee benefits plans of Harris County are extended to all eligible participants across various departments with the exception of the Harris County Community Supervision and Corrections Department, for which the cited Health & Wellness Benefits are administered through the State of Texas.
In accordance with the Harris County Personnel Regulations, group health and related benefits are subject to amendment or discontinuance at any time. Harris County Commissioners Court reserves the right to make benefit modifications on the County's behalf as needed.
For plan details, visit the Harris County Benefits & Wellness 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?

• Engineering
• Planning
• Public Administration
• Public Policy
• Other Related Field
• Unrelated Field
• N/A; No Degree

03
Which of the following best describes your verifiable relevant professional experience in infrastructure planning, floodplain management, urban planning, environmental planning, and/or urban design with a focus on water resources, flood control and drainage, land use, or other closely related systems. Areas of specialization could include, but are not limited to, flood risk management, sustainable water/resource management, system performance and quality control, and multifunctional infrastructure systems?(To be considered, qualifying experience must be documented in your application's employment history)

• Less than one (1) year
• One (1) year or more but less than two (2) years
• Two (2) years or more but less than three (3) years
• Three (3) years or more but less than four (4) years
• Four (4) or more years
• I do not have this experience

04
Please provide details about your verifiable relevant professional experience in infrastructure planning, floodplain management, urban planning, environmental planning, and/or urban design with a focus on water resources, flood control and drainage, land use, or other closely related systems. Areas of specialization could include, but are not limited to, flood risk management, sustainable water/resource management, system performance and quality control, and multifunctional infrastructure systems.*** 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)If you do not have this experience, please type "None" in the space provided.
05
In which of the following concepts do you have strong knowledge and/or professional experience?(Select all that apply)

• Municipal planning and/or local government experience.
• Experience creating comprehensive or strategic plans, including but not limited to resilience plans, community development plans, and community outreach plans.
• Experience with advanced features of ArcGIS Desktop, ESRI GIS software, and/or Adobe Suite.
• Experience developing standards and/or performance metrics for plans, projects, and programs.
• None of the above.

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 conten