License and Permit Specialist IV

Location & Posting Details

Location: Austin, TX (1100 W 49th St, RDM). Posting Number: 21365. Closing Date: 09/29/2026. Open to internal and external candidates. Full‑time, non‑exempt position in the Food & Drug Department of the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Brief Job Description

Under the direction of the Foods Licensing Branch Manager, the License & Permit Specialist IV performs advanced senior‑level functions related to processing applications and issuing licenses, permits, certificates, and registrations. The role involves training staff, maintaining training records and SOPs, providing quality assurance, supervising new staff, and serving as a primary contact for interpreting and explaining laws, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures to applicants, industry, the public, other DSHS sections, and governmental agencies.

Essential Job Functions

• EJF 1 – Training & Supervision (40%): Train new employees, develop and update training materials and protocols, maintain training records, suggest enrichment opportunities, coordinate team‑building activities, assist in policy development, write and maintain SOPs, assign and evaluate work of new staff, lead the branch in work assignments, perform quality assurance and control on printed licenses and data entry, collect data and generate reports, identify error trends, and assist the unit manager in hiring.
• EJF 2 – Application Processing (35%): Receive, review, and process all application types for Foods Licensing programs, determine jurisdiction and eligibility, approve/reject/deny applications, refer out‑of‑jurisdiction cases, interpret statutes and inspection results, assess criminal record reports for eligibility, ensure payment processing, maintain the Regulatory Automation System database, notify non‑compliant establishments, research taxpayer information, prepare correspondence for insufficient funds, maintain files per DSHS retention schedules.
• EJF 3 – Stakeholder Communication (10%): Serve as the primary contact for the Foods Licensing Branch, consult with IT on database issues, coordinate with Inspections, Operations, and Compliance personnel, interpret and explain regulations to various audiences, testify in court, and prepare and send license information packages via email, fax, or mail.
• EJF 4 – Policy Updates (5%): Confer with the Branch Manager on new or amended laws, rules, and policies; update training materials, unit policies, procedures, and SOPs accordingly.
• EJF 5 – Backup & Continuity (5%): Provide backup to the Branch Manager and staff, prepare enforcement cases, monitor leave coverage, perform quality assurance on scanned documents, prepare deficiency letters, process certificates and insufficient‑check issues, handle open records requests, and act as unit receptionist.
• EJF 6 – Additional Duties (5%): Participate in disaster response, recovery, or Continuity of Operations (COOP) activation, which may require alternate shift patterns or locations.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge: Foods licensing programs (including salvage, certificate of freesale, sanitation, milk & dairy, consumable hemp products); Texas Health and Safety Code Chapters 431, 432, 435, 440, 443; Title 25 of the Texas Administrative Code Chapters 217, 229, 300; Regulatory Automation System; application and inspection processes.
• Skills: Proficient with Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Adobe, CAPPS, VR, VO, and the RAS Portal; use of multiline/soft phones, scanners, Xerox copiers, and general computer operations.
• Abilities: Train others; plan, organize, and oversee multiple activities; supervise and monitor new staff; develop procedures to monitor progress; interact effectively with government agencies, industry, staff, and the public; interpret and apply relevant statutes and regulations; handle multiple assignments; analyze problems, identify solutions, and select appropriate actions; read and interpret crime‑record reports.

Pay

Salary Range: $4,263.16 – $6,779.25 per month (Pay Frequency: Monthly). Salary Group: TEXAS‑B‑20.

Schedule

Shift: Day (First shift). Additional Shift: Days (First). Telework: Eligible for telework. Travel: Up to 5%.

Benefits

DSHS offers insurance coverage and other benefits through the State of Texas Group Benefits Plan administered by the Employee Retirement System of Texas (ERS). Additional information on benefits and early‑career pathways is available on the DSHS Careers Page.