Position Summary: Under the supervision of the Assistant Director for Training and Education of the Office of Special Investigations (OSI), with wide latitude for independent action and decision-making, the Confidential Investigator – Special Investigations Unit Supervisor will be assigned to perform highly confidential and sensitive investigations into corruption, misconduct, and/or other illegal, unethical, or improper activity by Department of Education and vendor employees. The Unit Supervisor will be expected to: conduct victim, witness, and subject interviews; interact with union representatives; draft comprehensive reports of his/her findings; and testify, when necessary, at administrative hearings and/or trials. The Confidential Investigator – Special Investigations Unit Supervisor will oversee a small team of Confidential Investigators and assign cases to team members, monitor individual caseloads, and provide operational support to ensure efficient and timely investigations. Performs related work.
Reports to: Assistant Director for Training and Education
Direct Reports: Confidential Investigators
Responsibilities
Overall Responsibilities
- Conducts complex and sensitive investigations.
- Prepares, reviews, evaluates, and/or refers allegations of misconduct.
- Conducts interviews of all relevant parties to a complaint, including, but not limited to: the complainant/victim, witnesses, students of varying ages, parents of students, subjects of the investigation, and Department of Education and vendor employees.
- Analyzes complaints of misconduct, develops investigative plans, conducts fact-finding, reviews documentation, conducts related research, prepares relevant correspondence, and submits comprehensive confidential investigative findings for legal review and approval.
- Makes recommendations as to the appropriate action to be taken prior to and following an investigation.
- Documents investigative activities and dispositions via the office’s database in a timely and comprehensive manner.
- Testifies at hearings, trials, and court proceedings.
- Interprets and accurately applies relevant rules, regulations, codes and policies.
- Interacts and communicates with Department of Education employees and the wider community, in person and via telephone, to intake and/or refer complaints of misconduct lodged against departmental employees and vendors.
- Advises Department of Education employees, including school administrators; parents; students; and community members as to the Department’s reporting requirements, and the Office of Special Investigation’s intake and investigative policies, procedures, and protocols.
- Maintains confidentiality of investigations and of the investigative process.
- Acts as a liaison to internal and external legal and law enforcement offices seeking investigative information and/or confidential files pertaining to Department of Education employees.
- Conducts data analyses to identify trends and/or patterns of misconduct within DOE schools and/or districts.
- Participates in internal and/or external trainings on the Office of Special Investigation’s complaint intake procedures, investigative protocols, Department of Education reporting requirements, and the disciplinary process.
- Assists with the organization and archiving of investigative files.
- Performs related work.
Unit Supervisor Responsibilities
- Advises subordinates on difficult matters, and interprets rules, regulations, codes, and policy for the guidance of the investigating staff.
- Confidential Investigator will be assigned to lead a Specialty Unit with responsibility for:
- assigning investigations to the Confidential Investigators within their unit;
- arranging and organizing unit trainings;
- reviewing first drafts of all investigative memoranda to ensure that the investigations have been completed;
- coordination of regular case reviews with team members;
- overseeing and tracking investigations, e.g., answering questions, helping to strategize investigations, etc.; and
- informing the OSI Director, Deputy Director, Associate Director and Assistant Director regarding investigation assignments.
Testing/Grading/Credit Impropriety Unit
- Investigates allegations of tampering with standardized, state-issued exams (all grades), and allegations of academic policy violations, including improper credit recovery and other grade fixing schemes.
- Serves as the liaison to the Division of Performance and Accountability.
Fraud/Theft/Financial Impropriety Unit
- Investigates allegations of financial mismanagement or misappropriation.
- Serves as the liaison to the Office of the Auditor General.
- Responsible for organizing and overseeing audits.
Principal/Priority/Press Unit
- Conducts investigations of principals where allegations have been heavily reported in the press, cases that have been expedited at the request of the Chancellor or General Counsel, and cases that require expedition due to the serious nature of the allegation.
- Serves as the liaison to the General Counsel and other leadership in the Office of General Counsel, and to OSI’s Director, Deputy Director, Associate Director and Assistant Director.
- Responds to inquiries from the press office and the Chancellor as requested by OSI’s Director, Deputy Director, and Associate Director.
- Informs the General Counsel and other leadership in the Office of General Counsel to whom investigations have been assigned.
- Tracks and oversees cases and timelines.
3-K/Pre-Kindergarten Unit
- Investigates allegations of corruption, misconduct, and/or other illegal, unethical, or improper activity that affects 3-K and Pre-Kindergarten students.
- Conducts victim and witness interviews of 3-K and Pre-Kindergarten students.
- Responsible for identifying, analyzing, and proposing new investigative strategies for interviewing young witnesses.
Student Transportation Investigations Unit
- Investigates allegations of misconduct occurring on school buses, including corporal punishment, verbal abuse and failure to supervise.
- Conducts interviews with both DOE and non-DOE students and witness, and contracted vendor employees.
- Monitors Office of Pupil Transportation (OPT) computer systems for new complaints; responsible for ensuring that allegations of employee misconduct are routed appropriately.
- Serves as the liaison to the Office of Pupil Transportation senior management.
Qualification Requirements:
Minimum
- A four year high school diploma or its educational equivalent, and four years of satisfactory full time experience in an industrial or governmental agency in the field of investigation, or as law enforcement officer conducting employee misconduct investigations, administrative investigations, or conducting criminal, special victims, and/or white collar crime investigations, or
- A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college, or
- Education and/or experience equivalent to “1” or “2” above.
Plus
- Ability to complete comprehensive written reports detailing the results of each investigation.
- Ability to interview adults and students, including very young children and those with disabilities.
- Strong time management and organizational skills.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Outlook, Excel, Word, Teams and Zoom.
- Valid driver's license and willingness to travel to Department of Education facilities throughout New York City.
Preferred
- Proficiency in PowerPoint and other widely used computer programs.
- Experience in or working knowledge of the public sector and/or interest in public education.
- Strong strategic thinking, attention to detail, and ability to identify key issues.
- Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment.
- Ability to manage and track large amounts of case-related data, including digital data.
- Familiarity with evidentiary chain of custody protocols, to ensure that all evidence gathered during the course of investigations is preserved for possible criminal or administrative prosecution.
Salary: $71,500 - $78,565
(Internal candidates who are selected for this position and who currently hold comparable or less senior positions within the DOE will not earn less than their current salary.)
Please include a resume and cover letter with your application.
NOTE: The filling of all positions is subject to budget availability and/or grant funding.
* New York City Residency is NOT Required *
We encourage all applicants from the New York City tri-state area to apply.
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DOE Non- Discrimination Policy
It is the policy of the Department of Education of the City of New York to provide equal employment opportunities without regard to actual or perceived race, color, religion, creed, ethnicity, national origin, alienage, citizenship status, age, marital status, partnership status, disability, sexual orientation, gender (sex), military status, unemployment status, caregiver status, consumer credit history, prior record of arrest or conviction (except as permitted by law), predisposing genetic characteristics, or status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual offenses and stalking, and to maintain an environment free of harassment on any of the above-noted grounds, including sexual harassment or retaliation. For more information, please refer to the DOE Non-Discrimination Policy. |
