Program assistant Jobs in Houston, TX

Program Specialist

Location: Houston, TX
Work Arrangement: Hybrid
Employment Type: 6 to 12-Month Contract
Experience Level: Junior / Early Career

Build Your Career in Enterprise Architecture

Are you an early-career technology professional looking for an opportunity to break into Enterprise Architecture?

We are seeking a Program Specialist, Enterprise Architecture Intake & Operations to support the day-to-day operations of a large enterprise technology organization.

This is a unique opportunity for someone early in their career to work directly alongside experienced technology and architecture professionals while gaining exposure to Enterprise Architecture, technology governance, applications, infrastructure, cloud, cybersecurity, data, AI, and emerging technologies.

You do not need to be an Enterprise Architect. In fact, this role is designed for someone who wants to learn the EA world from the inside and build their career from there.

What we do need is someone who is organized, proactive, confident, and not afraid to speak up.

If you see something sitting in a queue, we want you to be the person asking:

“What are we waiting on, who owns the next step, and what do we need to do to get this moving?”

What You'll Be Doing

You will help manage the operational engine behind the Enterprise Architecture function, ensuring technology requests are properly received, routed, tracked, reviewed, documented, and moved through the appropriate governance process.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Managing Enterprise Architecture intake through ServiceNow, including requests, approvals, incidents, and other items requiring architecture review.
• Reviewing incoming requests to ensure they contain the appropriate information before entering the EA review process.
• Routing requests to the appropriate architects based on domain, priority, workload, and business need.
• Maintaining visibility into the EA backlog and active work.
• Following up with architects, technical teams, and business stakeholders on outstanding actions.
• Professionally pushing back when requests are incomplete or not ready for review.
• Supporting and eventually helping facilitate weekly EA work reviews.
• Tracking decisions, action items, owners, due dates, risks, and outstanding requests.
• Identifying bottlenecks and escalating issues when necessary.
• Maintaining architecture information and artifacts within LeanIX.
• Maintaining process documentation, templates, and governance materials within SharePoint.
• Providing stakeholders with clear updates regarding the status of their architecture reviews.
• Supporting reporting and metrics around EA intake, workload, turnaround times, and outstanding requests.
• Helping continuously improve EA intake, governance, documentation, and operational processes.

What We're Looking For

This is a junior-level opportunity, but we're looking for someone who brings maturity, confidence, and initiative.

The ideal candidate will have:

• Approximately 1 to 3 years of professional experience in IT, project/program coordination, PMO, technology operations, business analysis, IT governance, or a related environment.
• Strong organizational and follow-up skills.
• The ability to manage multiple requests, deadlines, priorities, and stakeholders simultaneously.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• A confident and outspoken personality with the ability to respectfully challenge incomplete information and hold people accountable.
• A proactive mindset and willingness to take ownership without waiting for constant direction.
• Comfort interacting with technical professionals, business stakeholders, and senior leaders.
• Experience using workflow, ticketing, project management, or collaboration platforms.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Genuine interest in developing a career within Enterprise Architecture, technology strategy, IT governance, or enterprise technology.
• Ability to work in a hybrid environment in Houston, TX.

Nice to Have

Experience with any of the following is a plus, but not required:

• ServiceNow
• LeanIX or another Enterprise Architecture repository
• SharePoint
• IT governance or PMO environments
• Architecture review processes
• Security and risk processes
• GRC platforms such as Archer
• AI governance or emerging technology review processes
• Applications, infrastructure, cloud, cybersecurity, or data environments
• Executive reporting, dashboards, meeting facilitation, or action-item tracking

What Success Looks Like

During your first few months, you'll learn the Enterprise Architecture organization, its processes, tools, stakeholders, and technology environment.

As you become established, you'll take greater ownership of the EA intake process, including routing requests, managing the backlog, coordinating reviews, following up with stakeholders, maintaining documentation, and identifying requests that are stalled or require escalation.

Ultimately, you'll become a trusted operational partner to the Enterprise Architecture team who can independently keep work moving and reduce the administrative burden on architects so they can focus on architecture and technology strategy.

Why This Opportunity?

This isn't a traditional administrative or ticket-processing position.

You'll have the opportunity to:

• Get your foot in the door of Enterprise Architecture.
• Work directly with experienced architects and technology leaders.
• Gain exposure to multiple areas of enterprise technology.
• Learn tools such as ServiceNow and LeanIX.
• Participate in technology governance and architecture review processes.
• Gain exposure to AI and emerging technology initiatives.
• Build relationships across a large enterprise technology organization.
• Develop skills that can lead to future opportunities in Enterprise Architecture, IT governance, technology strategy, business analysis, program management, and other enterprise technology disciplines.

If you're early in your technology career, naturally curious, highly organized, comfortable speaking up, and looking for an opportunity where you can learn, contribute, and grow, we'd love to hear from you.