Record Specialist

Position summary

This posting includes two Record Specialist opportunities within Harris County Sheriff’s Office: one in the Criminal Warrants Section and one in the Central Records Division.

The Criminal Warrants Section role is a contract assignment with no benefits, and it may lead to a full-time opening. The Central Records Division role is a regular full-time position with benefits.

Both assignments require round-the-clock coverage, seven days a week, with shift-based scheduling. Work may fall on 6:00 am–2:00 pm, 2:00 pm–10:00 pm, or 10:00 pm–6:00 am shifts, and assignments are determined by seniority and departmental need.

Criminal Warrants Section location and scope

This contract role is based at 9418 Jensen Dr., Houston, TX 77093. It focuses on administrative support tied to the handling of law enforcement documentation and warrant processing.

Criminal Warrants Section duties

• Handle inquiries from the Joint Processing Center, Central Records, courts, and other law enforcement agencies regarding criminal warrants.
• Process warrant actions such as bond forfeitures, bond surrenders, bond revocations, and probation violation matters.
• Run criminal history checks and prepare warrants for upload into TCIC/NCIC databases.
• Verify warrants and acknowledge newly issued warrants.
• Assemble warrant jackets for classification categories such as sex offenders, aggravated charges, probation violations, bond forfeitures, and indictments.
• Manage warrant switch-outs when a bond is surrendered and an indictment arrives, and return surrendered bonds to the Clerk’s Office.
• Prepare C-87 reports when warrants are no longer valid, including cases involving bond reinstatement, dismissals, or bond transfers.
• Respond to teletypes through Open Fox for warrant confirmations, hit confirmations, attempts to locate, and runaway reports.
• Print and attach criminal histories to warrants and recheck TCIC/NCIC records for accuracy.
• Run reports to identify additional warrants for people in custody or to cancel warrants that qualify for removal.
• Work with immigration to place holds when appropriate and arrange transport of inmates in ICE custody to HCSO.
• Process warrants for presumed deceased individuals and obtain death certificate documentation when needed so the case can be dismissed.
• Handle missing person entries and removals in TCIC/NCIC.
• Complete other related tasks as assigned.

Central Records Division location and scope

This full-time position with benefits is located at 700 N. Jacinto, 1st Floor, Central Records. It involves broad administrative responsibility in the handling of legal and law-enforcement records, with frequent access to confidential information and limited direct supervision.

Central Records Division duties

• Review and process documents related to court release, pretrial bonds, early release pretrial bonds, reintegration court bonds, dismissals, and no probable cause findings.
• Receive, sort, interpret, and verify court directives, warrants, capias profine, alias capias, pretrial bonds, judgments, sentences, and teletypes.
• Research release-related information and coordinate schedules for defendants being collected by agencies, programs, or parole officers.
• Ensure release compliance for eligible arrestees with misdemeanor charges under pretrial release rules.
• Process court-ordered surrenders, off-work-hours programs, Sheriff’s Weekender Work Programs, and early release programs.
• Process Board of Pardons and Parole bookings, releases, court-date details, hearing dates, and blue and white warrant entries.
• Provide information to the public, bonding companies, and other law enforcement agencies.
• Book additional or new charges against defendants.
• Prepare TDCS penitentiary packets containing criminal history, indictment, judgment and sentencing documents, offense reports, and conduct reports.
• Coordinate inmate transfers to and from the Harris County Jail system.
• Prepare out-of-county paperwork for people who must appear before a magistrate, be booked, or have a case processed, and notify the outside agency.
• Calculate inmate time to serve using the Bill of Cost and apply good time credit in line with state law.
• Process detainers, bench warrants, surety bonds, cash bonds, non-arrest bonds, expunction orders, and letters of incarceration for defendants, bonding companies, and other agencies as requested.
• Process cost bills tied to judgments, sentences, fines, or surrenders.
• Prepare deposit paperwork and accounting items in partnership with the Business Office.
• Verify and process county bonds, handle refund requests, and complete IRS forms.
• Use the OMNIXX system to coordinate with law enforcement agencies across the U.S. so holds can be placed on wanted individuals and inmate pickup/drop-off times can be scheduled.
• Provide bondsmen and their staff with the forms needed for licensing.
• Create, update, and maintain filing systems for memoranda, letters, and other records.
• Check documents for completeness and accuracy before processing.
• Answer phones, take messages, provide information, and route inquiries to the right office.
• Help compile data, type and distribute reports and correspondence, and enter information into computer systems.
• Coordinate work across department units, other Harris County departments, government agencies, and criminal justice organizations inside and outside Texas.
• Follow civil service, department, bureau, division, and standard operating procedures.
• May help train others on matters specific to the assigned section.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Minimum qualifications

Applicants must pass the pre-employment HCSO Records Specialist test with a score of at least 75%.

The role requires a high school diploma or GED and at least two years of paid office-based clerical experience.

TCIC/NCIC certification must be obtained within six months of hire.

Knowledge, skills, and abilities

Candidates should be familiar with county procedures, the Sheriff’s Office structure and policies, rules governing release of law-enforcement information, and basic records management principles.

Strong computer use, office software proficiency, document review, customer service, communication, and relationship-building skills are important. The job also calls for sound arithmetic ability, the capacity to handle routine inquiries, teamwork in diverse settings, and the ability to perform effectively in high-stress situations.

The position may also involve spotting counterfeit currency and reporting it to the Secret Service.

Hours and working conditions

The schedule is 40 hours per week and may include weekends, holidays, overtime, and changing duty hours. Shift work is required.

Benefits and general information

Regular full-time employees may receive a competitive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, wellness, life insurance, long-term disability, employee assistance, vacation accrual, county holidays, a floating holiday, paid parental leave, professional development, dependent care reimbursement, a healthcare reimbursement account, and a 457 deferred compensation plan.

Other benefits that may be available to regular full-time employees and sometimes to part-time employees include TCDRS retirement pension, flexible schedules depending on department, and transportation assistance through the Metro Ride Sponsor Program.

Benefits may be changed or ended at any time under county personnel regulations.

Background and application requirements

Because employees handle confidential and law-enforcement-sensitive information, a detailed background investigation is required. Applicants must provide truthful information throughout the process; failure to do so ends consideration.

Documents needed for background review include proof of citizenship or legal authorization to work and live in the U.S., a state-issued driver’s license or ID card, Social Security card, proof of education such as a diploma, GED, or transcripts, and a military DD-214 if applicable.

Equal opportunity

Harris County is an equal opportunity employer and considers all applicants without regard to protected characteristics under applicable law.