Intake and Referral Response Analyst (Investigator V)

Agency Information

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) oversees primary and secondary public education in Texas and is committed to improving outcomes for all public school students by providing leadership, guidance, and support to school systems across the state.

Core Values

• We are Determined: We are committed and intentional in pursuing our primary purpose of improving outcomes for students.
• We are People-Centered: We strive to attract, develop, and retain committed talent that reflects the diversity of Texas, with each individual contributing to our shared vision for students.
• We are Learners: We seek evidence, reflect on outcomes, and continuously improve in pursuit of excellence for students.
• We are Servant Leaders: We are public servants committed to improving opportunities for students and supporting those who serve them.

Job Description

Position Overview

This is a term position funded through August 30, 2027. Continuation of the position beyond that date is contingent on available funding.

The Texas Education Agency's Office of Governance (OG) is driven by a powerful mission: to proactively support school systems, keep students safe, and uphold Texas education law with integrity, objectivity, and excellence. Our core workstreams, Field Support and Compliance & Investigations, focus on strengthening governance, fostering a culture of accountability, and promoting continuous improvement across Texas schools. By working closely with school systems and agency teams, we help ensure every Texas public school student has access to a safe, high-quality education.

The Division of Compliance and Inquiries plays a vital role in supporting accountability and integrity across Texas schools. This team manages and responds to written complaints from a wide range of stakeholders, including parents, educators, students, vendors, and public officials, ensuring concerns are addressed thoroughly and with care.

The Intake and Referral Response Team serves as the agency¿s centralized intake function and critical entry point for the general education complaint review process. The team ensures that complaints, inquiries, referrals, and correspondence are reviewed, assessed, routed, and assigned accurately and efficiently, enabling timely resolution and informed decision-making across the agency. Working in close partnership with internal referral units and Office of Governance leadership, the team facilitates effective case triage, promotes consistency in jurisdictional review practices, and ensures matters are dedicated to the appropriate subject matter experts for further review.

Reporting to the Program Supervisor of Intake and Referral Response, the Intake and Referral Response Analyst serves as the front-end case owner for complaints and inquiries received by the division. The analyst reviews submissions for completeness, identifies the nature and urgency of the concern, records and verifies case information, communicates with complainants when additional information is needed, and routes or refers matters to the appropriate TEA team, local process, or external entity. The role requires advanced analytical judgment, careful documentation, timely customer service, and consistent application of established intake and referral procedures.

Flexible work location in Texas may be considered for qualified candidates.

Please note that a resume and short answers 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. Intake Review and Case Creation: reviews incoming complaints and inquiries to identify relevant allegations, stakeholders, requested outcomes, supporting documentation, and other key case information. Ensures submissions are complete, creates and maintains accurate case records, and processes duplicate, related, misdirected, or previously addressed complaints in accordance with established procedures

2. Initial Screening, Triage, and Risk Identification: conducts an initial review of complaint allegations to determine TEA authority under state and federal law, including but not limited to the Texas Education Code and Texas Administrative Code, and applies established laws, policies, procedures, and intake criteria to determine the appropriate course of action. Identifies urgent, sensitive, or high-risk matters requiring escalation, determines the appropriate resolution pathway, and documents intake decisions and routing recommendations clearly and consistently

3. Referral, Routing, and Assignment: coordinates the referral, routing, and assignment of complaints to the appropriate internal units, external entities, or resolution pathways while preparing supporting documentation and correspondence. Monitors pending referrals and assignments, follows up on outstanding actions, and helps ensure cases progress efficiently toward resolution

4. Customer Service and Stakeholder Communication: provides professional, timely, and accurate communication to complainants, school personnel, legislative offices, agency staff, and other stakeholders regarding complaint processes, status updates, and next steps. Maintains a customer-focused approach by delivering clear information, safeguarding confidential data, and effectively managing challenging interactions

5. Quality Assurance and Continuous Improvement: supports the consistent application of intake standards, procedures, and quality controls using established tools, templates, and best practices. Participates in training, calibration, and process improvement activities while identifying opportunities to enhance efficiency, reduce rework, strengthen workflows, and improve overall service delivery

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university

Experience: At least four (4) years of experience in complaints processing, conducting investigations, facilitating dispute resolution, performing compliance monitoring or working in a Texas public school setting as an administrator or classroom educator, and/or in Education Service Center (ESC) administration

Substitutions: An advanced degree may substitute for two years of required experience

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
• Working knowledge of complaint intake, case triage, referral, records review, administrative review, or regulatory compliance practices
• Working knowledge of state and federal laws and regulations pertaining to misconduct, criminal and administrative investigations, and confidentiality, including the Texas Penal Code, Texas Education Code, Texas Family Code, Texas Administrative Code, and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
• Working knowledge of statutes, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures concerning special education
• Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills, including fact gathering, issue identification, risk recognition, evaluation of alternatives, and sound decision-making
• Experience with complaint resolution policies, conflict and dispute resolution procedures, compliance monitoring, and/or report writing is preferred
• Experience with risk mitigation is preferred
• Superior verbal and written communication skills with the ability to effectively engage with diverse individuals and stakeholders and contribute to a collaborative, results-oriented team environment
• Extensive problem-solving skills that result in identifying challenges, gathering and analyzing facts, evaluating alternatives, and implementing best-fit solutions
• Excellent organization and time-management skills, with the ability to manage a high-volume workflow and competing priorities while maintaining accuracy
• Ability to exercise discretion, maintain confidentiality, receive and apply feedback, and continuously improve work practices
• Willingness to work as a contributing member of a team and foster positive and effective working relationships with a variety of individuals (including executive leadership) and groups, internal and external to TEA
• Bilingual proficiency in Spanish preferred

New hires, rehires, and internal hires will typically receive a starting salary between the posted minimum and the average pay of employees within the same classification. Offers are based on the candidate's experience and qualifications and consider internal pay equity across employees performing similar work.

The top half of the posted salary range is generally reserved for candidates whose qualifications exceed the role's requirements. The maximum of the range is typically reserved for candidates who significantly exceed the required and preferred qualifications.

Benefits

TEA employees receive a comprehensive benefits package through the State of Texas and the Employee Retirement System of Texas (ERS), supporting health, financial security, and work-life balance.

Benefits include:

• Retirement through ERS and employer-paid health insurance for eligible employees
• Optional dental, vision, and dependent coverage
• Paid state holidays, vacation leave, sick leave, and longevity pay
• Wellness programs, employee assistance programs, and professional development opportunities
• Eligibility for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program

To learn more about benefits available to State of Texas employees, please review the State of Texas Employee Benefits brochure and visit the TEA Compensation and Benefits page .

Military/Veteran Information

Applicants eligible for Military Employment Preference will be considered in accordance with applicable state and federal laws and regulations.

To explore how military experience may align with this role, applicants may review Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) codes within the State's Position Classification Plan. Please refer to the Military Crosswalk and select the occupational category that most closely corresponds with the classification listed in this job posting.

Additional Information

TEA is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal and state nondiscrimination laws. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or veteran status.

TEA does not sponsor or assume sponsorship of employment visas.

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.

To learn more about working at TEA, including hiring timelines, process details, and candidate resources, please visit the Careers at TEA page .

Due to the high volume of applications, we are unable to accept phone calls or respond to all email inquiries. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

To help ensure you receive updates regarding your application, please add [email protected] and @tea.texas.gov to your safe sender's list.

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