Job Description

Supervising Investigator

The NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) protects and enhances the daily economic lives of New Yorkers to create thriving communities. DCWP licenses nearly 45,000 businesses in more than 40 industries and enforces key consumer protection and workplace laws that apply to countless more. By supporting businesses through equitable enforcement and access to resources, DCWP protects the marketplace from predatory practices and strives to create a culture of compliance. DCWP empowers consumers and working families by providing the tools and resources they need to achieve financial health and work-life balance. DCWP also conducts research and advocates for public policy that furthers its work to support New York City's communities.

The Office of Labor Policy & Standards ("OLPS") enforces the City's worker protection laws, including the Protected Time Off Law, Fair Workweek scheduling laws that protect fast food and retail workers, and Delivery Worker Laws that protect delivery workers classified as independent contractors. We also administer the Freelance Isn't Free Act (FIFA) program, which assists freelance workers who have experienced wage theft and other violations. We obtain monetary compensation for workers for violations and bring companies into compliance. More information about our office is available at nyc.gov/workers.

OLPS is seeking a Supervising Investigator to supervise 4-5 staff members who investigate potential violations of NYC worker protection laws. Key responsibilities include:

• Maintaining a strong understanding of the laws OLPS enforces;
• Training and supervising OLPS investigators in handling high volume investigative caseloads, including assigning cases to investigators, interviewing complainants and witnesses, obtaining and analyzing records from employers, actively monitoring and ensuring investigations progress from week to week, reviewing, editing, and approving written materials, assisting with case strategy and charging decisions, ensuring accurate calculation of amounts owed in employee relief and civil penalties, and engagement with businesses and attorneys to negotiate resolution of charges;
• Supervising investigators in cases that are complex and/or broad in scope, in collaboration with OLPS data scientists and attorneys;
• Reviewing written investigation reports to ensure all charges are supported by sufficient evidence and adequately documented, working with investigators to edit reports as necessary, and approving final reports;
• Monitoring investigator case progress using database reports and assisting with office database management;
• Managing assignments and workflow of complaints to investigators;
• Providing input and recommendations to supervisors concerning OLPS standard investigative processes and enforcement policy and communicating changes to OLPS investigators;
• Contributing to development of procedures and materials to implement new legislation;
• Staying up-to-date with various federal, state, and city laws and regulations;
• Testifying at the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings' Trial Division about investigation findings and process;
• Complying with office policies and procedures, including entering accurate information into and uploading documents into OLPS case management databases and ensuring supervisees do the same;
• Interviewing applicants for investigator positions with OLPS and giving input on hiring decisions; and
• Writing annual evaluations, giving regular feedback to investigators, supporting investigators' professional development, and enforcing DCWP policies, including the DCWP code of conduct and the time and leave manual.

Minimum Qualifications:

1. A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent and five years of full-time satisfactory experience in a consumer or worker protection agency conducting inspections or investigations, at least one year of which must have been in a supervisory or administrative capacity or as an Inspector Assignment Level II; or 2. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and one year of full-time satisfactory experience in a consumer or worker protection agency conducting inspections or investigations in a supervisory or administrative capacity or as an Inspector Assignment Level II; or 3. Education and/or experience equivalent to "1" or "2" above. College education may be substituted for the required experience on the basis of 30 semester credits for each year of required experience. However, all candidates must have a four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent. License Requirement: Possession of a Motor Vehicle Driver License valid in the State of New York at the time of appointment. The license must be maintained for the duration of employment.

Preferred Skills:

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to respond quickly to colleagues
• Experience in a management or supervisory role
• The ability to confidently make decisions combined with good judgment about when to elevate issues to a supervisor
• Strong critical thinking, analytic, research, and writing skills
• Knowledge and experience in labor standards investigations or low-wage worker issues
• Experience in handling multiple assignments with competing deadlines with a high degree of detail and accuracy
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including the ability to create and manipulate Excel documents using custom field formulas
• Experience using industry-recognized public and private investigative search engines and databases (e.g., LexisNexis or CLEAR)
• Ability and aptitude to quickly learn new computer programs and technology
• A strong understanding of Microsoft Excel, and the ability to effectively work with database reports
• Experience working with legal and investigative staff in a government agency
• Ability to understand various laws, rules, and regulations sufficiently to analyze issues and persuasively present findings and recommendations
• Ability to occasionally work flexible hours, including nights and weekends
• Ability to be flexible in response to changes in office priorities
• Fluency in a language other than English, especially Spanish, French, Bengali, or Mandarin Chinese.

This position is also open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a Program. Please indicate at the top of your resume and cover letter that you would like to be considered for the position through the 55-a Program.

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education's website at studentaid.gov/pslf.

New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.

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