License and Permit Specialist III

MISSION: The Texas Education Agency (TEA) will improve outcomes for all public-school students in the state by providing leadership, guidance, and support to school systems.

• Core Values:  
• • We are Determined: We are committed and intentional in the pursuit of our main purpose, to improve outcomes for students.  
• • We are People-Centered: We strive to attract, develop, and retain the most committed talent, representing the diversity of Texas, each contributing to our common vision for students. 
• • We are Learners: We seek evidence, reflect on success and failure, and try new approaches in the pursuit of excellence for our students. 
• • We are Servant Leaders: Above all else, we are public servants working to improve opportunities for students and provide support to those who serve them.

New hires, re-hires, and internal hires will typically receive a starting salary between the posted minimum and the average pay of employees in their same classification. Offers will be commensurate with the candidate’s experience and qualifications and will thoughtfully consider internal pay equity for agency staff who perform similar duties and have similar qualifications. The top half of the posted salary range is generally reserved for candidates who exceed the requirements and qualifications for the role. The maximum salary range is reserved for candidates that far exceed the required and preferred qualifications for the role.

Position Overview: The License and Permit Specialist III (LPS III) in the Division of Educator Certification performs key functions directly related to TEA’s Strategic Priority 1: “Recruit, support and retain teachers and principals.” The LPS III will complete a high volume of requests for out-of-state and out-of-country credential reviews, including test exemption requests to determine compliance with Texas licensing rules. The LPS III will process standard and one-year certificate applications. The LPS III will review military documents to determine fee exemption and certificate eligibility. The LPS III will provide excellent service to internal and external customers, including but not limited to educators, candidates for certification, school district administrators, educator preparation programs (EPPs), and educator service centers (ESCs) regarding state certification and licensure issues. The LPS III will respond to telephone calls, emails, and certification-related help desk tickets. The LPS III may provide training to school districts, EPPs, and ESCs and must be knowledgeable of rules established by the legislature, State Board for Educator Certification, and State Board of Education. The LPS III will work under limited supervision, with considerable latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment.

Flexible work location within the state of Texas may be considered for qualified candidates.  

Please note that a resume, tailored cover letter, and short answer responses are required attachments for applying to this position. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Applicants who are strongly being considered for employment must submit to a national criminal history background check.  

• Essential Functions
• Job duties are not limited to the essential functions mentioned below. You may perform other functions as assigned.

1. Credential and Test Exemption Reviews: Review credentials from educators certified outside the state of Texas, and process applications for issuance of certifications.
2. Military Documents: Determine fee exemption and certificate eligibility. Use government website data bases to research and confirm individual military status for educators.
3. Certificate Authorizations: Authorize one-year and standard certificates for issuance.
4. Help Desk Tickets and Phone Calls: Respond to a high volume of certification-related help desk tickets through the agency’s ticketing system and handle a substantial number of incoming phone calls to support educators and district staff.
5. Ad Hoc Assignments: Complete projects and tasks as assigned by division leadership.

• Minimum Qualifications
• • Education: Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university.
• • Experience: At least three (3) years of professional experience in school systems, customer service, clerical work, and administrative support. 
• • Substitutions: Each additional year of related experience above the required minimum may substitute for education on a year-for-year basis.

Other Qualifications
• Share the belief that all Texas students can achieve at high levels and are able to succeed in college, career, or the military 
• Knowledge of the educator certification process and an understanding of related functions and challenges at school districts, charter schools, education service centers, and educator preparation programs.
• Familiarity with and understanding of the Texas Education Code (TEC) and Texas Administrative Code (TAC) provisions related to educator preparation, certification, and testing, as well as relevant rulemaking processes.
• Professional written and communication skills; ability to review and edit written communication to adhere to accepted styles and guidelines.
• Skilled in the use of standard applications such as Microsoft office suite, Teams, Smartsheet’s, or other virtual meeting applications.
• Experience creating, updating, and maintaining; Word, Excel, and PDF documents.
• Ability to prioritize tasks and successfully execute to completion.
• Ability to analyze and solve work-related problems and to self-reflect, apply feedback, and continuously improve.
• A positive attitude and professional demeanor to foster effective working relationships with both internal and external to TEA.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively, in a team environment, to achieve division and agency goals.

As an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, disability, age or veteran status, unless an applicant is entitled to the military employment preference.

To review the Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) codes from each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces to each job classification series in the State’s Position Classification Plan (provided by the State Auditor's Office), please access the Military Crosswalk (occupational specialty code) Guide and click on the military “occupational category” that corresponds with the state classification in this job posting title.

This position requires the applicant to meet Agency standards and criteria which may include passing a pre-employment criminal background check, prior to being offered employment by the Agency.  

No phone calls or emails, please. Due to the high volume of applications, we do not accept telephone calls and cannot reply to all email inquiries. Only candidates selected for interview will be contacted. Please add "capps.recruiting@cpa.texas.gov" and "@tea.texas.gov" to your safe senders list to ensure you receive email notifications from our talent acquisition team and/or hiring division regarding your candidacy.