Flatiron School launched our Houston campus because we believe in the vibrant tech community currently in the city. However, we also heard a lot of talk about “oil and gas.” While that’s certainly true, it’s definitely selling the city and its tech opportunities short.
In fact, every company needs tech talent. Because, in 2018…
All companies are tech companies.
Think of all the ways you use technology. You use it to communicate, to store important information, to do work, to track your health, to pay bills, and so much more. Companies are using tech in the same way on a much larger scale. So, an oil company may be primarily focused on petrochemicals and rigs, but it definitely has an IT department and software engineers. We see this trend across all industries. Companies need tech talent for today’s needs and for the needs of tomorrow — here are the largest tech employers in the Houston area.
Oil and gas and tech
You certainly won’t mistake Shell, Chevron, and National Oilwell Varco for tech companies, but they are actively hiring tech talent. In fact, each of these companies have openings for software engineers and developers.
Chevron has open positions for a software engineer and a senior software engineer.
As a software engineer at Chevron, you’ll be working as a member of an embedded Agile team. Chevron is looking for an articulate and thoughtful software engineer that can work across multiple teams, communicate programming decisions, and identify needs based on discussions with project managers. Based on the responsibilities and requirements, you’ll be in charge of finding solutions that improve efficiency, streamline business processes, and help increase business value.
The senior software engineer at Chevron has some of the same responsibilities, such as designing and executing solutions to improve efficiency and increase business value, with an added emphasis on leadership skills. A senior software engineer is leading a team and presenting “big picture ideas” that can guide the development of APIs and the approach of the team. You’ll act as a liaison with other software engineering and technical teams. Additionally, the senior software engineer acts as a mentor to their team.
While you may not have that experience after completing a coding bootcamp, other oil and gas companies are also searching for tech talent. For example, National Oilwell Varco, one of Houston’s largest employers, is looking to fill several tech positions.
National Oilwell Varco is looking for a software engineer with three years of experience. The candidate needs to have experience with Java and Python. You’ll work in the larger Rig Technology Engineering Group to develop software for their Drilling Equipment systems. As a software engineer, you’ll own the entire lifecycle of the software from design to testing to deployment to maintenance.
An application developer at National Oilwell Varco needs at least four years of experience. Experience with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and the Microsoft.net framework is required. You’ll work to design and deploy web applications for NOV’s internal business clients. Additionally, the application developer will help create a new framework to improve efficiency.
Shell has a position for a data modeller and has previously hired software engineers. Even if you don’t have the necessary experience, you can see what companies are looking for in these job openings and start filling in the skills gap.
Of course, you might not want a tech job at an oil and gas company. Luckily, there are plenty of options elsewhere.
Beyond oil and gas
As we saw with oil and gas companies, every major finance company in Houston is hiring tech talent. JPMorgan Chase, AIG, and Bank of America are all hiring software engineers or developers. Even better, financial institutions are seeking entry-level developers and engineers. If you’re looking to start your career in code, these companies may be a good place to gain experience.
JPMorgan Chase is seeking a web developer with 2+ years of experience for its open position where you’ll develop internet apps for enterprise B2B clients.
AIG is seeking a software developer with 1-3 years of experience. It’s a full-stack position and day-to-day responsibilities include front-end web development and back-end API development.
Bank of America was recently looking for a Python developer. All of these jobs are readily available and a great way to start your career with code.
But, maybe working in an oil company or a financial institution is not what you’re after. And, that’s fine! Houston’s best medical institutions are also seeking tech talent.
Texas Children’s Hospital is hiring a senior developer/analyst to be an operational lead of an incredibly busy support team. You’ll also need extensive knowledge of C#, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and SQL.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is hiring a Systems Analyst with at least two years of experience in programming, project management, design, or analysis. The systems analyst will use the Microsoft .NET framework and REDCap software to develop, deploy, test, and manage databases.
That’s just the very tip of the tech iceberg in Houston. We wanted to highlight the job opportunities at some of Houston’s largest employers. Tech jobs don’t end there and a general search reveals plenty of opportunities.
Yet, we recommend taking a step back. Identify your career goals before searching for a “software engineer” or “developer” role because they’re not all created equal. Each company has different needs and responsibilities. Once you identify the languages that interest you the most and what you want to do in tech, feel confident there’s a whole world of opportunity out there in Houston.
