Investigator I

TX-HHSC-DSHS-DFPS • Austin, TX

2d • Remote

About The Position

The Disaster Assistance Investigator I position performs investigative work in the Other Needs Assistance ONA) provision of the Federal Assistance to Individuals and Households Program (IHP).
This position involves investigating alleged lost, forged, and stolen disaster assistance checks and allegations of fraud. This role also involves preparing restitution agreements and related documents to recover unauthorized benefits and submitting required information to appropriate agencies and private institutions to ensure the recovery and/or re-issuance of grant funds. Resolves issues to ensure clients receive funds or recovery of funds. May conduct criminal background research and investigations.
The role requires researching and analyzing information to resolve issues, problems, and complaints. The National Emergency Management Information System (NEMIS) is used to document, update, and review case records.
This Other Needs Assistance (ONA) temporary position assignment may last up to one year (potentially longer) depending on the disaster response need. It is telework-eligible after a successful 30-day probationary/training period and is eligible for full State of Texas benefits.

Requirements

• High School graduate or equivalent.
• Knowledge of: Overall program, including federal and state guidelines, regulations, programs, policies, and procedures
• Knowledge of: Federal, other state government, and private non-profit disaster recovery assistance agencies and programs
• Knowledge of: Investigative practices and techniques
• Knowledge of: Court procedures, practices and rules of evidence
• Skill in: Interviewing techniques to obtain personal information, make inquiries, and resolve conflicting statements
• Skill in: Operating computers to perform data entry and basic office software use such as Microsoft Word, Outlook and Excel.
• Skill in: Working with the public and public groups.
• Skill in: Communicating orally and in writing
• Skill in: Mathematical computations
• Ability to: Conduct interviews and gather facts
• Ability to: Evaluate findings and prepare clear and concise reports
• Ability to: Listen, elicit and evaluate information, interpret terms, and resolve conflicting statements
• Ability to: Navigate and interpret information on the Federal National Emergency Management Information System (NEMIS).
• Ability to: Establish priorities relative to importance, setting goals, managing time efficiently, and completing work within required timeframes.
• Ability to: Conduct investigations and interpret and apply laws and regulations

Nice To Haves

• Experience with windows-based software preferred.
• Experience in investigative data analysis or research report writing or previous disaster assistance experience.

Responsibilities

• Investigates and documents evidence regarding alleged theft or violation involving agency programs.
• Completes reports/forms to document findings or determinations (for example, for investigations, hearings, case actions).
• Inquires into an automated system to retrieve information.
• Communicates on an intermediate level with others (internally or externally) to provide, exchange, or verify information, answer inquiries, address issues, or resolve problems or complaints.
• Assists in gathering and analyzing information for reviews or responses.
• Prepares moderately complex ongoing or special narrative or statistical reports.
• Maintains records, files, or logs (for example, administrative, personnel, contract, correspondence, forms, documents, purchasing, case files, tracking logs, files/documents on diskette) including filing, retrieving, or purging.
• Documents case records using automated equipment to form a record for each client.
• Attends work on a regular and predictable schedule in accordance with agency leave policy and performs other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• comprehensive benefits package includes 100% paid employee health insurance for full-time eligible employees, a defined benefit pension plan, generous time off benefits, numerous opportunities for career advancement and more
• eligible for full State of Texas benefits

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED