Investigator 3 - Charitable Activities Section

State of Oregon•Portland, OR

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Oregon Department of Justice’s Civil Enforcement Division is seeking an Investigator 3 for its Charitable Activities Section. The Section administers the Attorney General’s oversight of charitable organizations and their assets, protects the public interest in the proper operation of nonprofits, investigates potential misuse of charitable assets and other violations, takes legal action when appropriate, educates the sector about legal responsibilities, and provides information to the public about charities. The investigator will work with a team of seven investigators to investigate potential violations involving charitable organizations and solicitations, identify appropriate resolutions, and support investigators and attorneys in investigations and enforcement actions. The position primarily investigates compliance with state laws related to registration, financial reporting, charitable solicitations, charity governance or management, and embezzlement. It may involve on-site visits to charities, businesses, and other locations where charitable activities or solicitations take place, as well as serving subpoenas or other legal process. Responsibilities include conducting investigations, reviewing complaints and records, interviewing witnesses, analyzing financial information, preparing investigative reports, supporting legal proceedings, and communicating with the public and nonprofit organizations. This is a permanent, full-time position in Portland, Oregon.

Requirements

Four years of recent (within the last ten years) full-time investigative experience that includes fact finding; collecting and preserving evidence according to the rules of evidence; examining records; locating and interviewing witnesses to verify or disprove suspected law violations; and writing investigation reports sufficient for administrative hearings or court.
Qualifying investigative experience may include law enforcement investigation, insurance investigation, investigative trial support, or financial fraud investigation.
College-level courses in Law Enforcement, Criminal Justice, Law, Accounting, or Auditing may substitute year-for-year for up to one year of the required experience.
Have and maintain an Oregon State driver license throughout employment.
Be willing and able to travel as needed for investigations, court dates, meetings, trainings, and other work.
Have basic computing skills and familiarity with Excel.

Nice To Haves

Experience reviewing and analyzing financial information or conducting financial investigations.
Certification as a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Certified Public Accountant (CPA), or similar.
Ability to manage high levels of ambiguity and create clarity.
Experience managing multiple tasks and deadlines and independently prioritizing and managing workload.
Excellent analytical, communication, and organizational skills.
Ability to work collaboratively as part of a cross-functional team.
Experience interviewing witnesses, including occasionally uncooperative or hostile witnesses.
Experience writing interviews and investigative reports.
Experience evaluating complaints and identifying when a referral is appropriate.

Responsibilities

Conduct independent investigations of charitable organizations to evaluate compliance with applicable legal requirements.
Contact charities delinquent in filing financial reports to determine the cause, explain corrective action, investigate further when warranted, and recommend resolutions if corrective action is not taken.
Review public complaints and other concerns about charitable organizations, evaluate the issues, and determine whether further investigation is appropriate.
Compile and analyze information from public and investigative resources, including databases, to identify potential violations and relevant facts.
Identify relevant issues, develop investigative plans, and consult with the Chief Investigator and attorneys about investigative scope and direction.
Draft subpoenas and other requests for relevant documents and information.
Collect and analyze financial and corporate records; summarize financial information in spreadsheets and reports, and prepare timelines and other factual summaries.
Conduct and record interviews and develop interview questions.
Organize and preserve documents and other physical evidence for potential use in legal proceedings.
Write investigative reports for legal review, evaluation of potential resolutions, and possible use in legal proceedings.
Present findings to attorneys and other staff and recommend case direction.
Coordinate information sharing and potential actions or investigations with other law enforcement and regulatory agencies.
Assist attorneys and other staff with maintaining case files, preparing legal filings and witnesses, and preparing for hearings.
Testify in legal proceedings.
Handle telephone inquiries from the public and nonprofit organizations.
Facilitate training and other public presentations.
Make on-site visits and occasionally serve subpoenas or other legal process.
Perform other duties as assigned.