DCWP is hiring for this position either on a provisional basis or through the 55a program. Permanent employees in the civil service title and comparable title (under 6.1.9) are also eligible to apply.
**This position may be eligible for remote work for up to 2 days per week, pursuant to the Flexible Work Pilot Program. **
The NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) is the nation’s leading municipal enforcement agency charged with delivering economic justice. DCWP leverages its authority to bring New Yorkers real economic relief and protect them from predatory, deceptive, and unfair practices that violate their rights as consumers and workers. This includes pioneering cutting-edge protections, such as the City’s Consumer Protection Law, Protected Time Off Law, Fair Workweek Law, and Delivery Worker Laws, including the Minimum Pay Rate for delivery workers. Through licensing more than 45,000 businesses in over 45 industries, DCWP ensures fair competition and a level playing field for responsible small businesses that are integral to New York City’s vibrant communities. DCWP also provides essential services such as free tax preparation and financial counseling to ensure New Yorkers keep more of what they earn and can plan for their futures. DCWP is committed to making sure New York City is a fairer, more affordable place to live. For more information about DCWP and its work, call 311 or visit DCWP at nyc.gov/dcwp, sign up for its newsletter, or follow on its social media sites, X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
The Office of Labor Policy & Standards (“OLPS”) enforces the City’s worker protection laws, including the Protected Time Off Law, Fair Workweek scheduling laws that protect fast food and retail workers, and Delivery Worker Laws that protect delivery workers classified as independent contractors. We also administer the Freelance Isn’t Free Act (FIFA) program, which assists freelance workers who have experienced wage theft and other violations. We obtain monetary compensation for workers for violations and bring companies into compliance. More information about our office is available at nyc.gov/workers.
Responsibilities
OLPS is seeking an Investigations Manager to play a key leadership role in the enforcement of workers’ rights laws under OLPS’s jurisdiction. Responsibilities include:
- Supervise 4-5 Supervising Investigators and other Investigations Team staff.
- Oversee Investigations Team workflows and case assignments. Identify and implement improvements to OLPS investigations and case-handling processes, draft new procedures, and communicate updates to Investigations Team staff.
- Oversee Investigations Team reporting, including supervising data clean-up projects, ensuring data readiness for external reporting, identifying error trends in data quality in case records, developing data quality control practices as needed, and identifying and proposing improvements to reporting processes.
- Ensure that Supervising Investigators and Investigators follow procedures documented in OLPS manuals and other materials and that case decision-making is consistent across the Investigations Team.
- Make decisions on case issues that Supervising Investigators elevate for advice or guidance and consult with Director of Investigations and other attorneys on the Investigations Team about unique issues or cases needing legal support.
- Manage systems for monitoring compliance with the terms of OLPS Consent Orders, including overseeing processes for incoming employer payments and outgoing worker payments.
- Project manage work with the DCWP Division of Technology and Strategic Solutions, including serving as the OLPS Subject Matter Expert on projects to develop enhancements or resolve bugs in case management databases and the DCWP complaint-filing portal.
- Manage projects related to investigations tools, such as worker surveys and research tools.
- Collaborate with other leaders on the Investigations Team to design and implement enforcement systems and strategies for new laws under OLPS’ jurisdiction, such as proposing complaint-filing enhancements to the complaint portal, investigation procedures, and template reports and correspondence.
- Oversee the recruitment, training, professional development, and annual evaluations of Investigations Team staff.
- Enforce DCWP policies, including the DCWP code of conduct and the time and leave manual.
- Stay up-to-date with various federal, state, and city laws and regulations.
- Coordinate with community organizations, worker advocacy groups, and other local, state, and federal labor law enforcement agencies as needed in order to advance shared goals.
ASSOCIATE INSPECTOR (CONSUMER - 33998
Minimum Qualifications
- A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent and five years of full-time satisfactory experience in a consumer or worker protection agency conducting inspections or investigations, at least one year of which must have been in a supervisory or administrative capacity or as an Inspector Assignment Level II; or
- A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and one year of full-time satisfactory experience in a consumer or worker protection agency conducting inspections or investigations in a supervisory or administrative capacity or as an Inspector Assignment Level II; or
- Education and/or experience equivalent to "1" or "2" above. College education may be substituted for the required experience on the basis of 30 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. The license must be maintained for the duration of employment.
Preferred Skills
- Experience in a management or supervisory role - The ability to confidently make decisions combined with good judgment about when to elevate issues to a supervisor - Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to respond quickly to colleagues - Strong critical thinking, analytic, research, and writing skills - Knowledge and experience in labor standards investigations or low-wage worker issues - Commitment to protecting workers’ rights - Experience in handling multiple assignments with competing deadlines with a high degree of detail and accuracy - Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including the ability to create and manipulate Excel documents using custom field formulas and the ability to effectively work with database reports - 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 and coordinating with multiple divisions in a government agency - Ability to understand laws, rules, and regulations - Ability to be flexible in response to changes in office priorities - Experience with project management
55a Program
This position is also open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a Program. Please indicate at the top of your resume and cover letter that you would like to be considered for the position through the 55-a Program.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness
As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.
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.
Additional Information
The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.
