Civil Investigator I/II

Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General•Harrisburg, PA

13d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Vape Enforcement Unit is a new unit that has been created within The Tobacco Enforcement Section (TES) that is tasked with implementing Act 57 of 2025 which was signed into law on December 22, 2025. The act establishes a directory of electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) products that may be sold in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Vape Enforcement Unit’s primary mission is to administer and enforce the provisions of the act. The ultimate purpose of the unit is to ensure that only products that have been approved by the Office of Attorney General, and are on the directory, are being sold in the Commonwealth.

Requirements

A Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university OR Graduation from high school with four years of responsible investigative, accounting, or paralegal experience OR A combination of education, experience, and training that would afford the applicant the knowledge to perform the required duties (for Civil Investigator I)
A Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university and one year of investigative, accounting, or paralegal experience OR Graduation from high school with five years of responsible investigative, accounting, or paralegal experience (for Civil Investigator II)

Responsibilities

Reviews ENDS manufacturer certifications for adherence to legal standards for inclusion or exclusion from the ENDS directory
Updates ENDS brand families in the directory to ensure only legal ENDS products are posted
Conducts field inspections of warehouses and retail venues to enforce the law, search for and seize contraband ENDS products, conduct interviews, and educate citizens
Creates and maintains Excel spreadsheets for analysis and for investigations
Reviews PA Department of Revenue reports and databases to identify potential illegal transactions, identify patterns of illegal conduct, and detect misreporting and legal violations
Reviews federal Prevent All (Electronic) Cigarette Trafficking (E-PACT) reports to identify potential illegal shipments of ENDS products into Pennsylvania
Analyzes and organizes data, including large sets of data, to assess patterns indicative of trafficking of illegal ENDS products
Draws sound conclusions based upon facts and makes appropriate recommendations to the supervisor and assigned attorneys
Creates investigative plans and prioritizes multiple work assignments under deadlines
Participates in multi-state conference calls to monitor ENDS information bearing on sales of ENDS products in Pennsylvania
Liaises with the PA Department of Revenue’s Bureau of Enforcement and Taxpayer Assistance, Division of Criminal Tax Investigations, and Bureau of Audits; the Tobacco Tax Fraud Unit and other sections within the Office of Attorney General; other state agencies; and federal agencies to obtain, share, and evaluate information pertaining to the legality of ENDS product sales and provide assistance when appropriate
Conducts phone interviews to obtain information, further investigations, and evaluate information provided in certifications
Handles citizen calls and emails to resolve questions and complaints, and when appropriate refers matters to relevant agencies
Conducts undercover ENDS purchases over the internet to ensure compliance
Assists in litigation activities, including the production and receipt of potentially voluminous discovery documents, by indexing, redacting, scanning, and coding documents in case management systems
Attends meetings, trainings, and conferences, and may present at conferences
Travels across Pennsylvania and other states requiring overnight travel and occasional overtime during evening hours
Requires the seizing of contraband product, and the loading and transporting of contraband to secure storage locations
Assists with other work within the Tobacco Enforcement Section when needed
Prepares notes, memos, and letters and maintains files
Performs related work as required