IT Applications Administrator Lead

Salary: Depends on Qualifications
Location : Houston, TX
Job Type: Regular Full-time
Job Number: 15204
Department: Institute of Forensic Sciences
Division: Systems Support Services
Opening Date: 07/01/2025
Closing Date: 9/29/2025 11:59 PM Central
Max Number of Applicants: 100

Position Description
Mission

The Mission of the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences is to provide medical examiner and crime laboratory services of the highest quality in an unbiased manner with uncompromised integrity.
Vision

• To provide consistent, quality death investigation and laboratory analysis for the benefit of the entire community.
• To create a technological strongpoint for legal agencies to facilitate justice in criminal and civil proceedings.
• To establish an academic environment for training in the field of Forensic Science.

Brief IT Applications Administrator Lead Overview:

The IT Applications Administrator Lead oversees the planning, design, development, and implementation of software solutions and business in the county's Medical Examiner's Office and Crime Laboratory. This position provides technical leadership, collaborates with stakeholders to align solutions with business needs, and ensures high-quality, scalable, and secure application delivery.
Duties & Responsibilities:

• Designs, codes, tests, deploys, and supports end-to-end software development lifecycle.
• Ensures application performance, scalability, and security best practices.
• Oversees maintenance, upgrades, and documentation of existing applications.
• Evaluates and implements new software, tools, platforms, and technologies.
• Coordinates with business unit end users to gather need requirements and define technical solutions.
• Resolves software, database, and application problems as needed.
• Responsible for analyzing and troubleshooting application / software problems and providing solutions.
• Provides additional hardware and software implementation and troubleshooting as necessary.

Harris County is an Equal Opportunity Employer
;br> If you need special services or accommodations, please call 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 in Computer Programming, Computer Science, or closely related field

Experience:

• Four years' experience in application development, maintenance, and support

Licensure:

• Maintain a valid Texas Driver's License and ability to safely operate a motor vehicle

Additional Requirements:

• Must pass criminal background check and drug / alcohol screening (prior to and randomly after employment)

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Experience in full-stack development and modern software architectures.
• Proficiency in programming languages including Java, .NET, Python, and JavaScript.
• Ability to learn new languages and technologies
• Experience with Agile/Scrum, DevOps, CI/CD, and cloud platforms.
• Experience with MS SQL databases and reporting tools.
• Experience with low-code / no-code platforms, such as QuickBase
• Strong written and oral communication and project management skills with effective organization and time management skills
• Makes customer service a priority
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision, prioritizing and handling multiple tasks simultaneously

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
Experience:

• Previous experience working in government office environment

General Information
Position Type, and Typical Hours of Work:

• Full Time | 40 hours per week, in office
• Monday - Friday
• Weekends and evening shifts may be necessary

Work Environment:

• This role is based in Harris County, Texas.
• Candidates must be local or willing to relocate at their own expense.

Potential Exposures:

• The Institute of Forensic Sciences provides medical examiner and crime lab services for Harris County.
• The work performed is sensitive and serious and routinely deals with criminal evidence and deaths of adults and children that resulted from violence, natural disease, or other causes.
• While this position won't have any direct contact with evidence or decedents, there will be exposure which may be emotionally taxing

Location:

• Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences - 1861 Old Spanish Trail Houston, TX 77054

Physical Demands:

• Requires physical strength to lift and handle items weighing up to forty (40) pounds occasionally in the performance of duties
• Must be physically able to sit or stand for extended periods of time

Reporting Relationships:

• Reports to: Director, Technology

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 department.
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?Qualifying information must be documented in the Education section of your application.

• 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?

• Computer Programming
• Computer Science
• 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 application development, maintenance, and support? (To be considered, qualifying experience must be documented in your application's employment history)

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

05

Please provide details about your verifiable experience in application development, maintenance, and support.Do not use "Please see Resume" or "See Resume"(To be considered, qualifying experience must be documented in your application's employment history)Please include your (a) role(s), (b) types of organizations, (c) scope of duties and responsibilitiesIf you do not have this experience, please type "None" in the space provided.
06

Do you have previous experience working in government office environment?

• Yes
• No

07

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

08

This role requires a Valid Driver's License (Texas upon hire)Do you have a Valid Driver's License?

• Yes, I have a Valid Texas Driver's License
• Yes, I have a Valid Driver's License but understand I must obtain a Valid Texas Driver's License prior to start date
• No, I'm not interested

Required Question