Technical Policy Writer

Harris County Sheriff's Office • Houston, TX

3d • Onsite

About The Position

Under the general supervision of the Policy Manager, the Technical Policy Writer performs advanced professional-level policy research, analysis, development, and technical writing for the Harris County Sheriff's Office. The position develops, reviews, revises, and maintains agency policies, procedures, and related directives so that they are legally sound, operationally workable, internally consistent, clearly written, and aligned with applicable federal, state, and local law, regulatory and accreditation requirements, Harris County requirements, and Sheriff's Office directives. The Technical Policy Writer works with Executive Command, Legal Counsel, bureau and division leadership, subject-matter experts, and operational personnel to translate legal, regulatory, and operational requirements into clear, actionable policy. The position independently researches assigned policy topics, identifies gaps or conflicts, evaluates operational impact, and recommends appropriate revisions; it does not supervise staff.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Public Policy, Public Administration, Government, Political Science, English, Technical Communication, Journalism, Legal Studies, Criminal Justice, Business Administration, or a closely related field
• Three (3) years of progressively responsible professional experience in policy research, policy analysis, regulatory analysis, technical writing, legal/regulatory writing, procedure development, compliance documentation, or comparable professional work
• At least one (1) year of direct responsibility for drafting, substantively revising, or analyzing formal organizational policies, procedures, regulations, or comparable governance documents.
• Valid Driver's License (Texas upon hire).
• Knowledge of principles and practices of professional policy analysis, policy development, technical writing, editing, and document management.
• Knowledge of research methods used to evaluate laws, regulations, governmental requirements, professional standards, and operational practices.
• Knowledge of plain-language principles and methods for communicating complex information clearly.
• Knowledge of document organization, version control, and records-management principles.
• Knowledge of public-safety or law-enforcement operations sufficient to understand the operational impact of agency policy, or the ability to rapidly develop such knowledge.
• Skilled in advanced professional and technical writing, editing, and substantive revision of complex documents.
• Skilled in legal, regulatory, policy, and operational research.
• Skilled in analyzing complex or conflicting information and identifying material issues.
• Skilled in conducting interviews and facilitating discussion with subject-matter experts.
• Skilled in preparing briefings, recommendations, and analytical documents for leadership review.
• Skilled in managing multiple assignments and competing deadlines.
• Skilled in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, and other document-development and collaboration applications such as Visio and Adobe Acrobat Pro.
• Ability to write complex policy requirements with precision, clarity, and consistency.
• Ability to independently analyze unfamiliar and technically complex subject matter.
• Ability to identify inconsistencies, omissions, ambiguities, and implementation problems in proposed policy.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment in determining when additional research, stakeholder consultation, or legal review is necessary.
• Ability to communicate effectively with personnel ranging from front-line employees and subject-matter experts to Legal Counsel, bureau/division leadership, and Executive Command.
• Ability to work independently with limited supervision on sensitive or high-impact assignments.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise discretion.
• Candidates selected for interview must submit a professional writing sample.

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree in Public Policy, Public Administration, Government, Criminal Justice, Technical Communication, or a related discipline; or Juris Doctor degree.
• Professional experience developing or substantially revising policy, procedures, general orders, or regulatory documentation within a law-enforcement, corrections, criminal-justice, governmental, military, healthcare, or similarly regulated organization.
• Demonstrated experience researching and interpreting statutes, regulations, administrative rules, case law, or accreditation standards (e.g., TCOLE, TCJS, PREA, CALEA).
• Experience working collaboratively with attorneys, executive leadership, and operational subject-matter experts.

Responsibilities

• Researches, drafts, reviews, and revises Sheriff's Office policies, procedures, general orders, and related administrative directives.
• Conducts research into applicable federal and Texas law, Harris County requirements, HCSO Civil Service Rules, regulatory standards, accreditation standards (e.g., TCOLE, TCJS, PREA, CALEA), and recognized public-safety practices relevant to the subject matter.
• Interviews and consults with subject-matter experts, supervisors, bureau/division leadership, and employees to gather and validate the information needed to develop or revise policy.
• Evaluates existing policies for accuracy, clarity, consistency, redundancy, conflicting requirements, outdated provisions, and operational feasibility.
• Translates complex legal, regulatory, and operational information into clear, concise, and actionable policy language appropriate for employees at all levels.
• Distinguishes policy requirements from procedures, guidelines, and training materials, and recommends the appropriate document type.
• Performs policy impact analyses to identify likely effects on operations, staffing, training, technology, forms, records, and other affected functions.
• Reviews related policies when making revisions to keep terminology, authority, and responsibilities consistent across the Sheriff's Office policy system.
• Coordinates policy review with Legal Counsel and other stakeholders when proposed or revised policy involves statutory, regulatory, civil-service, employment, or other legal considerations.
• Facilitates stakeholder review of draft policy, evaluates comments and competing input, and prepares revised language or options for management consideration.
• Prepares change summaries, briefing documents, and other materials needed to communicate new or revised policy to Executive Command and affected personnel.
• Maintains documentation of policy research, source authorities, stakeholder input, revisions, and approvals.
• Supports systematic review cycles and identifies HCSO policies requiring revision due to changes in law, regulation, or operations.
• Coordinates with affected divisions on implementation of approved policy, including related training, forms, or procedural changes.
• Assists in maintaining standardized policy-writing conventions, formatting, terminology, and templates.
• Conducts benchmarking research into policies and practices of other governmental or public-safety agencies, as appropriate.
• Handles sensitive and confidential information with discretion.
• Performs other duties within the scope and responsibility of the position as assigned.

Benefits

• Equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, genetic information, or any other protected class in accordance with applicable federal and state laws.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level