Employee Benefits Security Administration Hiring for Supervisory Employee Benefits Investigator at United States Full Time

Summary The mission of the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) is to ensure the security of retirement, health and other workplace related benefits of American workers and their families. Each office initiates, executes, and coordinates civil/criminal investigations of alleged violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and conducts investigations of all types of employee benefit plans. Responsibilities Major duties include but are not limited to: This position is that of a Group Supervisor assigned to the Regional Office of the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA). Supervises staff of investigators, auditors and support personnel; carries out all normal first-line supervisory responsibilities. The incumbent participates with the Deputy Director, and other supervisory staff in developing annual and long-range work plans designed to produce an affirmative and aggressive enforcement program that will detect serious abuses in the administration of pension and welfare plans and violations of ERISA and related laws. Recommends and participates in the development and implementation of Regional Office policies, priorities, strategies, targeting systems, operating procedures, and budget and staffing requests. Participates in Regional Office program assessment activities and ensures compliance with Agency and Regional Office programmatic reporting requirements. Provides policy, technical, and procedural guidance to staff and resolves unusually difficult or sensitive problems requiring an extensive background and understanding of EBSA policy, priorities and operating procedures. Ensures the implementation of new concepts, policies, and procedures to more effectively achieve the objectives of the Agency and the Regional Office. Determines when highly sensitive or controversial issues must be referred to higher management levels for consideration of policy implications. Conducts negotiation activities and secures voluntary compliance to resolve cases where the issues do not involve criminal violations. Determines case openings, allocates resources, approves investigative plans, determines and establishes investigative team priorities, assigns staff and redirects investigative efforts within determined priorities, as appropriate. Reviews completed investigations to determine adequacy of facts to support a violation of law, sufficiency of evidence, and whether further investigative effort is required. Forwards completed recommendations for forwarding to the National Office, administrative closing, or civil or criminal prosecution. Establishes and maintains contacts with officials of Federal and State agencies whose regulatory and enforcement efforts impact employee pension and welfare plans, labor organizations and management officials, the senior and executive staffs of financial institutions, and plan administrators and their legal and financial representatives. The purposes of these contacts are to understand the various programs administered by EBSA, promote compliance assistance, resolve identified problems, and coordinate enforcement or prosecution activities. Participates with the Directors and other supervisors in developing work plans and budget for the Regional Office. Provides recommendations to develop and implement policies and operating procedures for the Regional Office. Performs and carries out delegated administrative and personnel management responsibilities for the Regional Office. The incumbent works under the supervision of the Regional Director, who provides overall policy guidance. Within the broad framework of Departmental, EBSA, and Regional Office policies, the incumbent exercises a high degree of independence, judgment, and initiative with a minimum of direction in carrying out delegated responsibilities. Work performance is evaluated in terms of overall effectiveness in furtherance of EBSA and the Regional Office programs and conformity with established policies. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-13, in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that is generally in or directly related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience for this position is experience working with: – EBSA programs (Enforcement, Exemptions, Compliance Assistance, Outreach and Education, or Participant Assistance) and priorities; – the civil laws administered by other DOL, Federal and State agencies which impact health benefit plan activities and health coverage; – investigative methodology, auditing and accounting systems, the health benefit industry, and benefit claims processing; – regulatory requirements and sub-regulatory guidance of ERISA including the group health plan requirements under part 7 as amended by HIPAA, MHPA, MHPAEA, WHRCA, Newborn’s Act, GINA, Michelle’s Law, CHIPRA and the Affordable Care Act; – analyzing and measuring the effectiveness and efficiency of criminal, health, or other enforcement programs. Education There is no substitution of education for experience at the GS-14 level for this position. Additional Information This job is not 100% telework; it requires employees to report on a regular basis to their assigned office location. The mission of the Department of Labor (DOL) is to protect the welfare of workers and job seekers, improve working conditions, expand high-quality employment opportunities, and assure work-related benefits and rights for all workers. As such, the Department is committed to fostering a workplace and workforce that promote equal employment opportunity, reflects the diversity of the people we seek to serve, and models a culture of respect, equity, inclusion, and accessibility where every employee feels heard, supported, and empowered. Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or have speech disabilities, please dial 711 to access telecommunications relay services. This position is at the Full-Performance Level (FPL). This position is outside the Bargaining Unit. If additional vacancies become available, additional selections may be made from this announcement. You may not be aware, but in the regulations for agency ethics programs, there are requirements for supervisors. Section 2638.103 of Title 5 of the CFR states: Every supervisor in the executive branch has a heightened personal responsibility for advancing government ethics. It is imperative that supervisors serve as models of ethical behavior for subordinates. Supervisors have a responsibility to help ensure that subordinates are aware of their ethical obligations under the Standards of Conduct and that subordinates know how to contact agency ethics officials. Supervisors are also responsible for working with agency ethics officials to help resolve conflicts of interests and enforce government ethics laws and regulations, including those requiring certain employees to file financial disclosure reports. In addition, supervisors are responsible, when requested, for assisting agency ethics officials in evaluating potential conflicts of interest and identifying positions subject to financial disclosure requirements. Supervisory Financial Disclosure: This position is subject to the confidential financial disclosure requirements of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-521). Therefore, if selected, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) to determine if a conflict or an appearance of a conflict exists between your financial interest(s) and your prospective position with DOL. This information will be required annually. Telework: Eligibility is determined by management based on position duties during the recruitment process. Employee participation in telework on a routine or situational basis is determined by management primarily based on business needs. Employees participating in telework are subject to the terms and conditions of the Department of Labor’s Telework Program.