SENIOR FINANCIAL INVESTIGATOR - 43004166 (OFFICE OF FINANCIAL REGULATION)

Requisition No: 793464 

Agency: Financial Services

Working Title: SENIOR FINANCIAL INVESTIGATOR - 43004166 (OFFICE OF FINANCIAL REGULATION)

Position Number: 43004166 

Salary:  Within 10% of the base salary $40,739.88 (plus CAD for specific locations) 

Posting Closing Date: 04/07/2023 

****OPEN COMPETITIVE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY*****

OFFICE OF FINANCIAL REGULATION
BUREAU: FINANCIAL INVESTIGATIONS

CITY: WEST PALM BEACH

Candidates in the following counties may be considered: Escambia, Leon, Duval, Alachua, Marion, Lake, Sumter, Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, St. Lucie, Collier, Hendry, Glades, Martin, Okeechobee

The position will be located in one of the advertised cities/counties and the incumbent will be expected to reside in and work from one of the cities/counties within the advertisement.  

ABOUT THE AGENCY:

The Florida Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) provides regulatory oversight for Florida’s financial services industry.  The OFR is organized into five areas: Executive Direction, Division of Financial Institutions, Division of Consumer Finance, Division of Securities, and Bureau of Financial Investigations (BFI).  The programs oversee and regulate a wide range of financial enterprises and individuals, such as: securities industry participants, money transmitters, consumer finance companies, mortgage loan originators, foreign currency exchangers, payday lenders, state-chartered banks, and state-chartered credit unions.  The OFR’s agency head, known as the Commissioner, is appointed by the Financial Services Commission, which is comprised of the Governor, the Attorney General, the Chief Financial Officer, and the Commissioner of Agriculture.

ABOUT THE POSITION:

The Senior Financial Investigator position is a senior level investigator within the BFI that conducts criminal, administrative, and civil investigations under the regulatory jurisdiction of the OFR.  BFI cases are prosecuted in state and federal courts.  Applicants must have adequate experience conducting fraud and/or financial investigations and/or examinations and presenting complex case findings to criminal and administrative prosecutors.  Candidates must have professional experience other than or aside from Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) or Anti Money Laundering (AML) experience within a financial institution in order to be considered for this position.

This position reports to the West Palm Beach Investigations Manager.  This position may be authorized or required to telework and may occasionally be required to report to the West Palm Beach office. Office hours are M-F / 8 am to 5 pm, with a 1-hour unpaid lunch.  However, a flexible work schedule may be available.  This position requires some travel, including overnight travel for training and conducting field work (interviews, surveillance, subpoena service, etc.).  Approximately 25% of time is spent in the field.  The OFR does not offer state issued vehicles to its employees.  Employees are required to travel using their personal vehicle with a mileage reimbursement of 44.5¢ a mile or a rental car that is paid by the state.  A state cell phone is not issued with this position.

The Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) has approved this position as a full-time Permanently Designated Telework (PDT) position. The selected incumbent will be required to identify the address of their physical residence, including the county, as their permanent telework location. The selected incumbent will be required to attend meetings and training programs at locations designated by the OFR, where physical in-person attendance is required.

SALARY:

Qualified candidates are normally hired at a salary that is within 10% of the advertised base salary for the position ($40,739.88), plus a competitive area differential (CAD) pay may be included.

Employees of the Department of Financial Services are paid on a monthly pay cycle. 

All applicants seeking employment with the OFR are subject to mandatory background checks conducted through the Department of Financial Services (DFS), Bureau of Human Resource Management in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 435, F.S. and reviews by OFR. Applicants may be disqualified for employment with OFR based on the information that may be obtained through research and/or OFR’s review process.   

Responses to qualifying questions must be clearly supported by the state application and any omission, falsification, or misrepresentation in the answering of the qualifying questions will be cause for immediate elimination from the selection process.

SPECIAL NOTES:

Applicants are required to meet one (1) of the following:

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a major course of study in Finance, Accounting or Criminal Justice and two (2) years of recent professional experience (recent means within the past three (3) years) conducting complex financial crimes investigations or examinations; OR

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a major course of study in Finance, Accounting or Criminal Justice and a master’s degree from an accredited college or university in Finance, Accounting or Criminal Justice and one (1) year of recent professional experience (recent means within the past three (3) years) experience conducting complex financial crimes investigations or examinations; OR

• Six (6) years of experience conducting complex financial crimes investigations with at least one (1) of those years of experience occurring within the past three (3) years.

Preference will be given to applicants who have experience and expertise in the following areas:

• Accounting.
• Analyzing bank and/or brokerage records.
• Conducting complex financial examinations or investigations.
• Interviewing subjects and witnesses.
• Possess Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) designation, Certified Public Accountant (CPA) License, or Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) designation.
• Experience using Microsoft Excel, specifically utilizing formulas, filters, and pivot tables.

Minimum Qualifications for this position include the following REQUIRED ENTRY LEVEL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of basic investigative techniques.
• Knowledge of the rules of evidence.
• Knowledge of court procedures and requirements.
• Ability to conduct fact-finding interviews and take statements.
• Ability to analyze financial records.
• Ability to collect and analyze evidence.
• Ability to use deductive reasoning.
• Ability to analyze information and determine its validity.
• Ability to write accurate investigative reports and verbally brief them.
• Ability to make independent decisions.
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality.
• Ability to communicate effectively.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
• Ability to utilize a personal computer

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES:

Investigators are responsible for conducting financial investigations. Duties include, but are not limited to, reviewing, and analyzing financial records and reports, issuing subpoenas, interviewing witnesses, taking sworn statements, developing cases, and giving testimony in administrative, civil, and criminal cases.  Investigators must also prepare detailed charts, exhibits and reports for use by attorneys and state and federal prosecutors. This position may conduct joint investigations with other local, state, and federal agencies. 

If you are a retiree of the Florida Retirement System (FRS), please check with the FRS on how your current benefits will be affected if you are re-employed with the State of Florida. Your current retirement benefits may be canceled, suspended, or deemed ineligible depending upon the date of your retirement.

The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer, and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.

VETERANS’ PREFERENCE.  Pursuant to Chapter 295, Florida Statutes, candidates eligible for Veterans’ Preference will receive preference in employment for Career Service vacancies and are encouraged to apply.  Certain service members may be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements.  Candidates claiming Veterans’ Preference must attach supporting documentation with each submission that includes character of service (for example, DD Form 214 Member Copy #4) along with any other documentation as required by Rule 55A-7, Florida Administrative Code.  Veterans’ Preference documentation requirements are available by clicking here.  All documentation is due by the close of the vacancy announcement.