The NYC Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) protects and enhances the daily economic lives of New Yorkers to create thriving communities. DCA licenses more than 81,000 businesses in more than 50 industries and enforces key consumer protection, licensing, and workplace laws that apply to countless more. By supporting businesses through equitable enforcement and access to resources and, by helping to resolve complaints, DCA protects the marketplace from predatory practices and strives to create a culture of compliance. Through its community outreach and the work of its offices of Financial Empowerment and Labor Policy & Standards, DCA empowers consumers and working families by providing the tools and resources they need to be educated consumers and to achieve financial health and work-life balance. DCA also conducts research and advocates for public policy that furthers its work to support New York City’s communities. For more information about DCA and its work, call 311 or visit DCA at nyc.gov/dca or on its social media sites, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

The Office of Labor Policy and Standards (“the Office,” “OLPS”), which provides workers in New York City a voice in City government, is responsible for enforcing the city’s municipal labor laws such as the Earned Safe and Sick Time Act, the Fair Workweek Laws, and the Commuter Benefits Law, implementing the Freelance Isn’t Free Act, expanding outreach and public education efforts to vulnerable workers, and conducting research and data analysis to recommend efforts to achieve workplace equity for women, communities of color, immigrants, refugees, and other vulnerable workers. The Office’s Division of Paid Care also assists workers submit complaints regarding federal, state, and local labor and employment law violations and helps the Office coordinate with other government agencies, worker advocacy groups, as well as community, labor, and employment organizations.

This position is necessary to implement the agency’s critical initiative of establishing a central resource for workers, providing a dedicated voice in City government for New York City workers, and protecting and promoting labor standards and policies that create fair workplaces to ensure all workers can realize their rights, regardless of immigration status. This position will also fulfill DCA’s legal mandate to investigate violations of the Earned Safe and Sick Time Act, the Fair Workweek Laws, the Commuter Benefits Law, the Grocery Worker Retention Act, and the City’s Living and Prevailing Wage Laws.

The ideal candidate for the Investigator has significant experience conducting investigations of potential labor or employment law violations; involving locating, retrieving, and analyzing evidence or information to assist the Office’s legal staff build a case or uncover activities of an unlawful nature.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Planning and conducting complex regulatory investigations to ensure compliance with municipal labor laws and identifying violations of federal, state, and local labor and employment laws;

• Managing multiple on-going cases and investigative projects at the same time;

• Obtaining, analyzing, and preserving evidence, including employer leave policies, tax filings, payroll records, and other financial documents;

• Performing research using public sources, law enforcement databases, and other investigative tools;

• Interviewing complainants, employers, and witnesses by telephone and in-person;

• Engaging directly with businesses and attorneys to obtain potential evidence and negotiate a resolution of the investigation;

• Operating a motor vehicle and performing on-site investigations;

• Preparing reports identifying violations uncovered during an investigation and containing recommendations for enforcement action;

• Drafting official document demands and settlement agreements that are enforced at the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings’ Trial Division; and

• Providing testimony at administrative hearings and in court proceedings.

Minimum Qual Requirements
1. A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent and two years of full-time, satisfactory experience conducting investigations or inspections for a commercial, industrial, governmental or law enforcement employer; or
2. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college; or
3. A satisfactory combination of education and/or experience which is equivalent to “1” above. College education may be substituted for the required experience on the basis of 60 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. This license must be maintained for the duration of employment.
Preferred Skills
• 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;

• Experience working with legal and investigative staff in a government agency;

• Ability to understand various laws, rules, and regulations sufficiently to analyze issues and present findings and recommendations;

• Experience in handling multiple assignments with competing deadlines with a high degree of detail and accuracy;

• Strong verbal and written communication skills;

• Ability to work flexible hours, including nights and weekends;

• Multilingual a plus.
To Apply
For Non-City/External Candidates: Visit the External Applicant NYC Careers site and search by Job ID number.

For Current City Employees: Visit Employee Self Service (ESS) to view and click on Recruiting Activities, Careers, and search by Job ID number.

A RESUME AND COVER LETTER ARE REQUIRED.
PLEASE INDICATE IN YOUR COVER LETTER HOW YOU HEARD ABOUT THIS POSITION.
INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
NO PHONE CALLS, FAXES, E-MAILS OR PERSONAL INQUIRIES PERMITTED.
NOTE: ONLY THOSE CANDIDATES UNDER CONSIDERATION WILL BE CONTACTED.

*Appointments are subject to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval
Hours/Shift
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Work Location
42 Broadway, New York, N.Y.
Residency Requirement
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.

APPLY HERE