INVESTIGATOR TRAINEE
DEFINITION: Under the close supervision of a Supervisor of Investigations, or other supervisory official in a State department, institution or agency, as a trainee and productive worker, learns to perform routine office and/or field duties to investigate alleged non-compliance with State statutes and regulatory requirements; does other related duties as required.
NOTE: The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed.
EXAMPLES OF WORK:
Under close supervision, as a trainee and productive worker:
Learns to perform office and field duties of a routine nature involving the investigation of alleged fraud, negligence, misrepresentation, misconduct, or abuse/neglect by public employees, industry representatives, licensed/certified professionals, authorized vendors, out-of-home caretakers or wage replacement benefit programs.
Learns to review criminal history record information from verifiable sources and performs follow-up investigations to determine the employment eligibility of applicants and existing employees.
Learns to properly notify employers and applicable licensing agencies when crimes or offenses documented in criminal history records render applicants or employees ineligible for employment.
Participates in and observes the detecting, reporting, and follow-up of alleged illegal operations.
Learns to check reports and other documents relevant to investigation or enforcement of federal, State, and local regulations.
Learns to participate in joint investigations and/or surveillance with other agencies to gain knowledge of illegal activities to develop a case for enforcement action.
Learns to assist in the preparation, issuance, and execution of legal documents such as notices of prosecution, affidavits, subpoenas, and warrants.
Learns to prepare answers to complaints and inquiries by correspondence, telephone, or in person.
As instructed, maintains record of indictments, convictions, violations, and documents relevant to investigatory matters.
Learns to conduct customer rate surveys, municipal surveys, landfill investigations, and/or customer complaint investigations as required.
Learns to prepare clear, technically sound, accurate, and informative reports of investigational activities containing facts, findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
Learn processes regarding bankruptcy, including processing and challenging bankruptcies, establishing Certificates of Debt, providing settlements for debt pay-offs and Warrants of Satisfaction and processing monetary issues involving collection and reimbursement of monies, proper posting of monies received and investigation of monetary disputes, and competency in correspondence of claimants' complaints, develop verbal communication skills regarding overpayments, establishing payment plans and claimants concerns about debts.
In the Department of Banking and Insurance, learns to perform office or field investigations regarding the conduct of licensed/unlicensed persons, firms, and developers with respect to alleged violations of the New Jersey Real Estate Licensing law.
In the Department of Labor, learns to investigate wage-benefit conflicts and all processes of said conflicts, including verbal and written correspondence to obtain wage records, data entry, fact-finding requests, rendering fraud and non-fraud determinations, investigate allegations of unemployment fraud, participate in appeal hearings and process backpays.
Acts as a witness and testifies for the State before grand juries, courts of law, administrative hearings, or other judicial bodies as required.
Maintains the confidentiality of investigations.
Learns to research files and gather data to secure, preserve, and record evidence which may include the use of cameras, radios, and other investigative equipment.
Learns to assist in investigating complaints pertaining to the administration or enforcement activities of State licensing boards, agencies, commissions, and/or consumer protection advocacy entities.
Learns to participate in the execution or serving of legal documents such as administrative warrants, subpoenas, orders, and notices.
Learns to prepare and/or assist in the preparation of legal documents for review and further processing.
Prepares detailed correspondence.
Maintains essential records, reports, and files relevant to investigatory matters.
Will be required to learn how to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
REQUIREMENTS:
NOTE: Applicants must meet one of the following or a combination of both experience and education. Thirty (30) semester hour credits are equal to one (1) year of relevant experience.
Four (4) years of professional experience relevant to the position.
NOTE: Please refer to the Advancement section located at the bottom of this title specification for a comprehensive list of approved journeyman titles connected to this trainee title. Experience must be related to the journeyman title associated with the position.
OR
Possession of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
NOTE: For positions located in the New Jersey Real Estate Commission, Department of Banking and Insurance, appointees will be required to successfully complete an New Jersey State approved Real Estate Salesperson pre-licensure course prior to advancement to the journeyman level. Failure to do so may result in separation from employment.
NOTE: "Professional experience" refers to work that is analytical, evaluative, and interpretive; requires a range of basic knowledge of the profession's concepts and practices; and is performed with the authority to act and make accurate and informed decisions.
LICENSE:
Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essential duties of the position.
KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES:
Knowledge of the procedures and techniques used to conduct investigations and interviews.
Knowledge of the methods used to research and obtain background data.
Ability to learn the types of conduct that would legally constitute negligence, abuse/neglect, or willful misconduct under the regulatory enforcement of the assigned department.
Ability to learn the legal terminology used in investigative work.
Ability to understand and apply the procedures for requesting, obtaining, and executing subpoenas, affidavits, and search warrants.
Ability to learn the types of information needed to prepare cases for hearing or trial.
Ability to learn the techniques used to review contracts, deeds, sales agreements, guarantees, warranties, and advertising material to determine rights of complainants and seek evidence of misrepresentation.
Ability to understand and apply relevant statutes and legal standards to determine what constitutes bribery.
Ability to confer with and interact with the general public and representatives of other governmental agencies.
Ability to learn to interview witnesses and take proper statements from them to introduce into evidence.
Ability to learn to gather and preserve evidence to introduce in court proceedings.
Ability to obtain and review reports of police and other law enforcement agencies.
Ability to learn to operate equipment such as radios and cameras.
Ability to learn to determine and evaluate situations which require photographs and/or radios.
Ability to review and evaluate complaints.
Ability to provide testimony under oath in administrative hearings, State and federal courts, or other judicial bodies.
Ability to learn to testify to the accuracy, time, place, and direction of photographs to lay a foundation for their introduction as evidence.
Ability to learn to conduct and/or participate in a team in assigned office and/or field investigative duties.
Ability to understand and apply the New Jersey statutes, laws, regulations, standards, and policies governing the procedures for regulatory control and compliance with civil, administrative, criminal, and institutional abuse/neglect.
Ability to organize technical investigative work and develop effective work methods.
Ability to learn to gather and analyze information from investigations.
Ability to learn to prepare clear, technically sound, accurate, and informative reports of investigational activities containing facts, findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
Ability to prepare detailed correspondence.
Ability to maintain essential records, reports, and files.
Ability to learn how to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
Ability to read, write, speak, understand, and communicate in English sufficiently to perform duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible if they can perform essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.
ADVANCEMENT:
Appointees who successfully complete the twelve (12) month training period will be eligible for advancement to the title of Investigator 1, Investigator 1 Unemployment Insurance/Disability Insurance, Investigator 3, Real Estate Commission, and other similar titles designated appropriate by the Civil Service Commission in accordance with the New Jersey Civil Service Commission procedures.
The inability of an employee in this trainee title to attain a level of performance warranting advancement to the titles listed above shall be considered as cause for separation.
This job specification is applicable to the following title code:
