NJ Civil Service Navigator

CHIEF INVESTIGATOR COUNTY WELFARE AGENCY

Code: 01145 Local Competitive

Career Family: CHIEF

Chief Investigator County Welfare Agency sits in the competitive class of New Jersey's local-government civil service, so reaching it runs through testing and an eligible list instead of a straight hire.

The requirements come down to a bachelor's degree, 5 years of relevant experience, and a professional license.

How to get hired

  1. Watch for an open-competitive announcement for Chief Investigator County Welfare Agency on the NJ Civil Service Commission jobs portal. Announcements run for a fixed filing window.
  2. Apply during that window and sit the examination. Depending on the title, that can be a written test, a rating of your training and experience, or a mix of the two.
  3. Passing scores go onto a ranked eligible list. Veterans get preference points added on top of their score.
  4. When an agency has a vacancy it must appoint from the top of that list under the "Rule of Three." Many competitive jobs are first filled provisionally while the list is being built.

Read the official specification at NJ Civil Service Commission.

Official job specification

The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator.

Definition

Under direction, without the assumption of legal authority, directs and supervises the investigative staff and programs of a County Welfare Agency; does other related work.

Examples of work

  • Supervises the investigative work programs and staff concerned with alleged or suspected violations of federal, state, or local assistance rules, regulations, and laws.
  • Provides assignments and instructions to personnel consistent with class titles and individual abilities as well as changes in assignments in accordance with the varying workload of the office.
  • Directs the operation of prescribed programs and devises plans and methods for resolving unusual situations.
  • Conducts and supervises on-the-job or other training programs for personnel.
  • Establishes and maintains relationships with other governmental agencies.
  • Prepares correspondence.
  • Supervises the establishment and maintenance of records and files.
  • May be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.

Experience

Five (5) years of experience in conducting investigations in any of the following areas: criminal maters; compliance with violations of statutory regulations; securing and verifying information for eligibility or qualifications for loans, insurance, credit, employment, entitlement to cash awards or financial benefits; adjustment and settlement of insurance claims; or other related types of investigations involving the collection of information, examining records, interviewing individuals and preparing reports of findings, three (3) years of which shall have been in a supervisory capacity.

License

Appointees must possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

  • Knowledge of the laws relating to the protection of the civil and property rights of individuals under investigation for alleged offenses against federal, state, or local public assistance rules, regulations or laws.
  • Ability to organize, develop, coordinate and administer the activities of the unit.
  • Ability to give assignments and instructions to staff and to direct and supervise their work.
  • Ability to establish and maintain helpful and cooperative relations with concerned agencies and persons.
  • Ability to prepare reports.
  • Ability to direct the establishment and maintenance of records and files.
  • Ability to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
  • Ability to read, write, speak, understand, or communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
  • Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform the essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodation is made to their known limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.

Note

The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed.

Possession of a bachelor's degree in police science or law enforcement or criminal justice from an accredited college or university may be substituted for one (1) year of the work experience.

The responsibility for ensuring that employees possess the required motor vehicle license, commensurate with the class and type of vehicles they operate, rests with the Appointing Authority.