Our Mission: Keep Washington Safe and Working! Our Values: Customer Focus, One L&I, Respect, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Learning and Growth, Reliability.

This position supports the mission of the Investigations Program which works to identify, combat, and prevent fraud, theft, abuse, and violations perpetrated by injured workers, employers, providers, and other entities in support of “Keeping Washington Safe and Working.” The purpose of this position is to prevent abuse of the workers’ compensation system and protect the economic vitality of Washington State by investigating allegations of fraud, theft, or other inappropriate activities. This position also directly supports the agency’s strategic goal of “Helping honest workers, businesses and providers by cracking down on the dishonest ones.”

This position is responsible for conducting investigations into allegations of wrongdoing affecting Title 51, RCW. This includes, but is not limited to, planning and investigating complex civil and criminal allegations of economic benefit fraud by injured workers and providers, investigating complex/difficult allegations of claim suppression and discrimination as well as evading taxes and premiums due from businesses employing workers in the State of Washington. Additionally, this position will investigate other significant violations under L&I’s statutory authority including sensitive and controversial cases.

Some of what you will do:

• Independently conducts the most complex civil, criminal and/or administrative investigations under the Industrial Insurance Act (Title 51, RCW) concerning allegations of claimant, employer, and provider wrongdoing on a wide range of issues including cases or enforcement action, which may garner media attention or scrutiny. These cases involve a high degree of medically confidential information and requires the use of highly confidential criminal information in order to resolve their outcome.
  • Manages, organizes, documents and completes a caseload of investigative assignments in accordance with established priorities and standards of timeliness and quality.
  • Gathers facts and develops evidence for the purpose of substantiating allegations of fraud, misconduct, or unfair business practices, in order to prove or disprove allegations.
  • Analyzes, focuses, resolves, and reports on relevant investigation issues employing a full range use of investigative methods and procedures.
  • Follows up on all leads provided by the reporting parties.
  • Independently conducts stationary or moving surveillance of people over extended periods of time while sitting in a vehicle or on foot.
  • Performs videotaping and photography while conducting surveillance activities.
  • Conducts in person interviews in order to gather and record statements of fact, confessions, and other information pertinent to the investigation, including interviews of an adversarial nature.
  • Researches and obtains records and documentation pertinent to the investigation.
  • Adheres to legal requirements and responsibilities.
  • Prepares, obtains, issues and serves legal documents in accordance with established statutes, laws, regulations, policies and procedures and coordinates the service of search warrants.
  • Presents completed investigations to fraud adjudicators, prosecutors, Assistant Attorneys General, or the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
  • Coordinates regarding investigators and work-related matters.
  • Negotiates legally binding settlement agreements.
  • Analyzes medical billing payment records.
  • Coordinates investigative resources with non-governmental organizations.
  • Conducts joint investigations with local and federal law enforcement agencies.
  • And more!

REQUIRED:

Two years of experience as an Investigator 2

OR

Five years of experience as an investigator with a criminal justice government agency or private organization, or other directly allied field, three years must include field experience.

Qualifying investigative experience is interpreted to be experience gathering and substantiating facts through the use of investigative duties such as:

• Researching records and developing case files;
• Gathering and preserving documentary evidence;
• Obtaining statements of fact, depositions, or confessions;
• Obtaining and serving subpoenas to compel the attendance of witnesses or the production of records;
• Conducting field surveillance;
• Obtaining and coordinating the service of search warrants;
• Advising parties of their constitutional rights;
• Writing investigative reports, establishing proof of facts and evidence sufficient to be used in a court or administrative hearing;
• Reviewing the case with private attorneys, assistant attorneys general or prosecuting attorneys;
• Presenting completed investigation to a county prosecutor, Office of the Attorney General or U.S. Attorney's Office;
• Testifying in court or other proceedings as necessary.

Must possess a valid and unrestricted driver license.

Note: Two years of related college-level course work may be substituted for experience.

Demonstration of position-specific skills, abilities and competencies.

DESIRED:

Criminal Investigation degree from a two year program consisting of 60 credit hours focusing on the fundamentals of proper evidence handling, law enforcement techniques, and interrogation.

OR

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university with major focus in the areas of criminal justice, forensic science, or closely related field of study.

To help you maintain a proper work-life balance, teleworking is one of the work schedule options for this position. L&I also offers flexible custom work schedules.

State employee who meet the qualifications will become eligible for a generous retirement package at the end of the employee’s career. Click on the “Benefits” tab to learn more.

At L&I, your voice matters. In addition, L&I is a diverse state agency dedicated to the safety and health and security of Washington's 3.3 million workers. Take a look at this brief video and learn more about why L&I is an employer of choice.

Per Governor Inslee’s Directive 22-13.1, state employees must be fully vaccinated effective November 4, 2022. Providing proof of being fully vaccinated is a condition of employment and your vaccine status will be verified by Human Resources prior to your first day of employment. Please contact April Sharp (she/her/hers) at elib235@lni.wa.gov if you need information on medical or religious accommodation.

For this position, telework is dependent upon business needs and supervisor approval). The assigned duty station for this position is Tacoma, Washington.

For positions where in-office work is necessary, the frequency of telework will be discussed with the supervisor of the position at the time of offer.

Application process

We will contact the top candidates directly to interview for this position. Because we base the selection on information provided by you, it is in your best interest to identify the knowledge, skills, and abilities that address the mandatory and desirable qualifications described in the announcement.

Please include the following documents with your application:

• A cover letter describing specific qualifications.
• A current resume detailing applicable experience and education.
• A list of at least three professional references with current telephone numbers.

Please do not attach or place any information about your vaccination status, including listing the governor’s mandate as a reason for leaving employment, within the application, resume, or cover letter. If you do, we will have to reject your application to safeguard others from receiving your confidential information. You will have to remove the confidential information before you can apply again.

Other information

• A job offer is contingent upon completion of a background check that includes a criminal record review.
• For positions requiring travel, you must have a valid unrestricted driver's license and have insurance if driving a privately owned vehicle on state business.
• This position is represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE).
• Candidates who are offered a job with L&I must possess work authorization that does not require sponsorship by the employer for a visa now or in the future.
• The Department of Labor & Industries complies with the employment eligibility verification requirements of the federal employment eligibility verification form, I-9. The selected candidate must be able to provide proof of identity and eligibility to work in the United States consistent with the requirements of that form on the first day of employment.
• Please note: L&I may use this announcement to fill multiple permanent and/or non-permanent positions.

Did You Know?

Washington is America's Top State to live, play, and work, according to U.S. News (2021). Join the L&I team and enjoy all the Evergreen State has to offer.

In addition to offering a positive balance between life and work, L&I provides one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation. We also believe your voice matters. We value our employees and their work-life balance by encouraging flexible schedules. L&I is a diverse state agency dedicated to the safety and health and security of Washington's 3 million workers.

Veterans Preference

Applicants wishing to claim Veterans Preference should attach to their application a copy of their DD-214 (Member 4 copy), NGB 22, or signed verification of service letter from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Please blackout any personally identifiable data such as Social Security numbers. For further information, contact L&I’s Jobs@lni.wa.gov.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Employer

L&I employees come from all walks of life. We strive to hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

We believe in the importance of recognizing the value each of us contribute to the success of the agency mission. Having a diverse workforce is this agency’s greatest resource of strength and knowledge. It is through the combination of talents and abilities that we can pursue finding effective measures to provide the best customer service. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace for everyone and we strongly mean everyone.

The State of Washington is an equal opportunity employer. Persons with a disability who need accommodation in the application process or testing process, or those needing this announcement in an alternative format, may call 360-902-5700. TTY users should first call 711 to access the Washington Relay Service.

You are welcome to include the name and pronoun you would like to be referred to in your materials and we will honor this as you interact with our award-winning diverse and inclusive organization.

If you have any questions regarding this announcement, program, or the agency please contact April Sharp at elib235@lni.wa.gov or Angela Laramie at lari235@lni.wa.gov.