Investigative Assistant

Company: Orange County
Location: Santa Ana
Posted on: May 15, 2022

Job Description:

CAREER DESCRIPTION

Investigative Assistant

In addition to performance-based merit increases, this position is scheduled to receive salary range increases on the following dates:

Effective July 1, 2022 - 3.5% increase

Salary may be negotiable within the range listed above, based on position requirements and successful candidate's qualifications, subject to appropriate authorization.

This recruitment is open to the public.

The Office of the District Attorney will accept online applications from Monday, May 9, 2022 for a minimum of five (5) business days. Thereafter, this recruitment will remain open on a continuous basis until 11:59 PM (PST) on the day the County's needs are met.

This recruitment is being held to establish an Open Eligible List to fill current and future vacancies in this classification until the next recruitment.

THE OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY:

The Office of the District Attorney represents the People of the State of California in all criminal and civil proceedings, serves the court and criminal justice system, and the Orange County Grand Jury. The mission of the Office of the Orange County District Attorney is to enhance public safety and welfare and to protect and respect crime victims and to create security in the community through the vigorous enforcement of criminal and civil laws in a just, honest, efficient and ethical manner. The Office consists of three major divisions: Legal, Investigative Bureau, and Administration.

THE OPPORTUNITY:

The Office of the District Attorney has an opportunity for an Investigative Assistant to provide investigative support to our Investigation Bureau and Investigators. Under general supervision, the Investigative Assistant performs a variety of non-sworn office and field investigative support. The Investigative Assistant is a journey-level class performing routine, low hazard, field and office assignments. Areas of assignment include, but are not limited to, Welfare Fraud/Public Assistance, Sexual Assault, Homicide, Narcotics Enforcement, Child Abduction, Consumer Fraud/Toxic Waste, Mental Health, Criminal and Juvenile cases, DNA and other assignments as required.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to:

* Interview clients and witnesses, in and out of custody, regarding the circumstances and events by obtaining: the names and addresses of witnesses; information regarding the crime scene; the name of police departments and officers involved with the case.
* Conduct research to locate witnesses through a variety of sources, public and subpoenaed records, legal databases, and other related search methods.
* Gather, research, and analyze data and facts as needed to support investigations and the discovery process for attorney use.
* Prepare and serve personal subpoenas to non-hostile witnesses, expert witnesses, and to public institutions for staff or records; drive vehicle to various field locations.
* Act as liaison between clients, witnesses, victims and county staff. Duties could include: transporting to/from court and various court ordered programs, arranging lodging, collecting witness fees, persuading witnesses to cooperate, informing witnesses and victims of case disposition, changes in appearance date, and delivering clothing to the jail.
* Participate in low hazard surveillance.
* Prepare reports on activities relevant to investigation, reports may include diagrams, jury instructions, and other exhibits and presentation material as needed.
* May be called to testify in Court regarding the "due diligence" attempts to locate/serve witnesses, compliance with the discovery process and chain of evidence.
* Conduct field and office interviews to locate witnesses, research public records to locate witnesses.
* Conduct limited interviews or obtain other evidence required for investigation and prosecution.
* Collect and preserve subpoenaed evidence.
* Perform field service of civil process and criminal and civil subpoenas.
* Fingerprint, photograph, and collect and track DNA samples from subjects in and out of custody.
* Work with multiple DNA Databases.
* Understand the use of DNA Technology to solve crimes.
* Evaluate DNA Summary Reports from Crime Laboratories.
* Obtain and submit DNA Reference Swabs.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS:

The District Attorney is seeking an exceptional individual who can work without direct supervision, with frequent interruptions, and with definitive timelines, who possess the following competencies:

Technical Knowledge

* Thorough knowledge of research methods and resources for locating or identifying individuals, checking financial assets and other property, and interviewing techniques.
* General knowledge of criminal law and methods.
* Ability to understand and apply laws, rules, and regulations applicable to the activities in the Office of the District Attorney.
* Knowledge of gathering and analyzing facts and evidence.
* Ability to locate witnesses and other persons or data.
* Thorough understanding of the use of DNA technology to solve crimes including but not limited to the utilization of DNA and other law enforcement databases; such as, Cold Hit Outcome Project (CHOP), Taskforce Review Aimed at Catching Killers, Rapist, and Sexual Offenders (TracKRs), Samples Collected Index Location, Activity, & Status (SciLas), Work Request and Case Status (WRCS), Regional Information Sharing Systems (RISS), and Western States Information Network (WSIN).
* Possess an advanced understanding of crime scene evidence collection; DNA triage; evidence submission procedures; forensic DNA analysis; DNA database searching; and DNA hit and confirmation procedures including the collection of DNA reference swabs.
* Possess the capacity of utilizing the WRCS system to submit DNA analysis requests to Orange County Crime Lab.
* Have an understanding of the statutes and laws that govern the collection, retention, and searching of law enforcement DNA databases on federal, state, and local levels.

Special Requirements

* Willing to work a modified work schedule based on assignment.
* Ability to adapt to changing work environment, with varying levels of stress.

Effective Communication Skills

* Establish rapport with and gain cooperation of people from varying backgrounds.
* Persuade and obtain cooperation from reluctant witnesses.
* Demonstrated ability to write and prepare clear and concise summaries.
* Speak clearly and testify in court regarding the facts of the case.
* Ability to work well independently and in a team environment.
* Work effectively with a variety of government agencies.
* Ability to communicate with the public as well as all levels of Supervisory and Executive staff.

Judgment

* Draw conclusions and make appropriate decisions.
* Ability to make immediate decisions.

Accountability & Dependability

* Take personal responsibility for the quality and timeliness of work, and achieve results with little oversight.
* Follow instructions, policies, and procedures.
* Meet productivity standards, deadlines, and work schedules.
* Stay focused on tasks in spite of distractions and interruptions.
* Balance quality of work with meeting deadlines.

Ethics & Integrity

* Earn others' trust and respect through consistent honesty and professionalism in all interactions.
* Maintain confidentiality.
* Avoid situations and actions considered inappropriate or which present a conflict of interest
* Adhere to a set of core values that are represented in decisions and actions.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Click here to view the minimum qualifications for the Investigative Assistant classification.

BILINGUAL COMPENSATION:

Additional compensation up to 70 cents ($0.70) per hour may be available for candidates selected to work in positions requiring the following bilingual skills:

* Spanish/English: Ability to speak, read, write, and understand fluent Spanish and English.
* Vietnamese/English: Ability to speak, write, and understand fluent Vietnamese and English.

RECRUITMENT PROCEDURE:

The Office of the District Attorney Human Resources screens all applications to identify the qualified candidates. After the initial screening, qualified candidates will be referred to the next step and notified of all further recruitment steps applicable to their status in the competition. After all assessments have been completed, the District Attorney's Human Resources will establish an eligible list of qualified candidates.

The recruitment procedure will consist of the following assessment, which will require a few weeks to complete.

Application Appraisal Panel (Refer/Non-Refer): Application materials will be rated by a panel of job knowledge experts for those qualifications most needed to perform the duties of the job. The more qualified candidates will be referred to the next step. This is a competitive process; therefore, be thorough in your responses.

Structured Oral Interview (SOI): (Weighted 100%) Candidates will be interviewed and rated by a panel of job knowledge experts. Each candidate's rating will be based on responses to a series of structured questions designed to elicit the candidate's qualifications for the job.

Based on the Department's needs, the recruitment procedure listed above may be modified. All candidates will be notified of any change(s) in the recruitment procedure.

All candidates, including current District Attorney employees, considered for the position will be required to pass a background investigation to the satisfaction of the District Attorney. The information gathered in the course of a background investigation is deemed confidential and will not be disclosed to the applicant unless legally mandated by statute to do so.

HOW TO APPLY:

* Only online applications will be accepted.
* Applicants are required to answer the supplemental questions in addition to the online application.
* Submit your online application and supplemental questionnaire responses by the application closing date.

For questions pertaining to this recruitment, please contact Alissa Quintero at (714) 347-8805 or Alissa.Quintero@da.ocgov.com

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

APPLICATION AND SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONS:

Apply online by clicking the "Apply" link above. Only online applications with completed supplemental questions, if applicable, will be accepted and evaluated unless otherwise specified.

Your application should highlight all of the experience, education and training you possess, matching this with the specific qualifications and competencies listed on the job announcement. All required information submitted will be evaluated in order to identify the most qualified candidates. Application and supplemental information must be current, clear, succinct and related to the requirements in this job announcement. You may only apply once. Duplicate and incomplete applications will be disqualified.

You are required to provide a full and complete response to each supplemental question. The information you provide may be used as a rating device, so please be detailed in your response. Failure to do so may result in a lower rating or "disqualification." Remember, this is a competitive recruitment and only the most qualified, will be referred further in the competition.

Clarity of expression, grammar, spelling and your ability to follow instructions will also be considered in the evaluation process.

Note: Responses of "See Resume" or copy and paste of work experience are not a qualifying response and will not be evaluated or rated. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of the application and any supplemental questions. If you have no experience, write "no experience" for the appropriate question.

For detailed information on how to apply, click here.

EMAIL NOTIFICATION:

Email is the primary form of notification during the recruitment process. Please ensure your correct email address is on your application and only use one email account. *User accounts are established for one person only and should not be shared with another person. Multiple applications with multiple users may jeopardize your status in the recruitment process for any positions for which you apply.*

Candidates will be notified regarding their status as the recruitment proceeds via email through the GovernmentJobs.com site. Please check your email folders, including spam/junk folders, and/or accept emails ending with "governmentjobs.com" and "da.ocgov.com." If your email address should change, please update your profile at www.governmentjobs.com

BACKGROUND VERIFICATION:

All employment offers are contingent upon successful completion of a background check consisting of employment history, professional references, conviction history, criminal check and educational verification (i.e., degree, license, and/or official transcript). * Please note, information gathered in the course of a background investigation is deemed confidential and will not be disclosed to the applicant unless legally mandated by statue to do so.

Foreign degrees require an evaluation for U.S. equivalency by an agency that is a member of the National Association of Credentials Evaluation Services (NACES). Education information provided is subject to verification. Individuals hired by the County of Orange through this recruitment may be required to provide an official copy of diploma, college transcripts or official evaluation of foreign degree for U.S. equivalency within two weeks following the employment start date.

Applicants will be required to pass the background check to the satisfaction of the hiring Agency/Department. All applicants will also be required to answer a conviction questionnaire as part of the recruitment process. A clean driving record may be required while employed in this classification (see minimum qualifications and classification description for required license).

ADA/TESTING ACCOMMODATIONS:

The County of Orange is committed to providing a means for applicants who may have a disability to identify areas, tests or other assessments in which they may request a reasonable accommodation. To request a reasonable accommodation for any or all of the selection process components, please notify the recruiter immediately so appropriate accommodations may be made prior to the date of the selection component.

BENEFITS:

The County offers a competitive benefits package which includes a choice of several health plans, annual leave (includes paid vacation) and paid holidays. Additionally, the County provides a retirement plan, which has reciprocity with the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS). Participation in a deferred compensation plan is available. The County also offers $10,000 annual Educational and Professional Reimbursement.

For detailed information on benefits click here.

For detailed information on OCERS retirement click here.

Click here for additional Frequently Asked Questions

EEO INFORMATION

Orange County, as an equal employment opportunity employer encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.

Keywords: Orange County, Santa Ana , Investigative Assistant, Other , Santa Ana, California