Job Description

Job Description and Duties

Department of Industrial Relations – Office of the Director—Legal Unit, 355 S. Grand Ave., Suite 1800, Los Angeles, CA 90071

Under the general supervision of the Supervising Special Investigator for the Department of Industrial Relations, Office of the Director Legal Unit (OD Legal), and the direction of the Assistant Chief Counsels and the Chief Counsel, the Special Investigator conducts independent investigations in workers’ compensation cases in which OD Legal attorneys represent the Uninsured Employers Benefits Trust Fund (UEBTF), the Subsequent Injuries Benefits Trust Fund (SIBTF), and the Death Without Dependents Fund (DWD); conducts investigations related to civil litigation; and analyzes the application of and enforcement of rules, regulations and laws, as relevant to investigations. The Special Investigator is expected to conduct careful and thorough investigations in order to detect relevant evidence and background information concerning civil litigation and workers’ compensation cases handled by the Legal Unit; investigate cases in which the worker asserts employee status rather than independent contractor status, pursuant to the ABC test; assist with discovery investigations in civil litigation and workers' compensation cases; locate and interview potential witnesses; gather documentary evidence; and prepare correspondence and written reports.

This posting may be used to fill future vacancies in accordance with 2 CCR §249.3

To be considered for this Special Investigator job opportunity, applicants must be either reachable on an employment list, have transfer eligibility or have reinstatement eligibility. To take the exam and gain employment list eligibility, please click here to access the exam bulletin:

Effective July 1, 2025, specific Bargaining Units and associated Excluded State employees are subject to a salary reduction between 2% - 4.62% in exchange for hours in the Personal Leave Program 2025 (PLP 2025) per month. For more details, please click e to visit the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) website.

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Working Conditions

This is a full-time position in an office environment on the 18th floor of a 45-story private office building located at 355 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, California. Employees in this position have a cubicle or an office as available, work at desks, and are required to work extensively on computers as necessary for the drafting of letters and other documents, and for research, email communication, file review, training and other purposes.

• The office location in downtown Los Angeles on Bunker Hill, and is two blocks from the Grand Ave. Arts/Bunker Hill station on the A and E lines. Many bus lines have stops on adjacent streets, including Commuter Express buses as well as LADOT Dash buses. Benefits include reimbursement of 100% of the cost of commuter transit passes.
• Bike parking is available in the building’s garage

Special Requirements

In order to apply for this position, you must submit a Statement of Qualifications highlighting your experience that qualifies you for this position in addition to the standard application form. A resume cannot be submitted in lieu of the SOQ. The SOQ should be typed in 13-point Times New Roman font, spaced at 1.5 spaces, be no more than 5 pages in length and address the following two topics (include each topic as a heading):

• Describe your knowledge of investigation procedure and technique by describing in detail each step that you would take to (a) gather and preserve information from a witness to a workplace injury, and (b) communicate the information you gathered to your supervisor. Divide the description into three distinct points of time: (1) before interviewing the witness; (2) while interviewing the witness; and, (3) after interviewing the witness.

• Describe how your experience to date has prepared you to organize and manage a high volume of work.

You may attach your SOQ in either Word or Adobe pdf format.

Additional Special Requirement :

Candidates must possess a valid driver's license and be at least 21 years of age at the time of appointment.

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

• Knowledge concerning the work of the Department in administering and enforcing labor laws, especially those concerning workers’ compensation.
• Prior experience working in a legal office preparing legal documents.
• Knowledge of laws related to the identities of legal entities.
• Knowledge of rules of civil procedure and service of process.
• Familiarity with bankruptcy law.
• Prior experience conducting investigations and drafting investigation reports.
• Prior experience doing internet research to obtain public records.
• Strong interpersonal skills and tact in dealing with members of the public.
• Proficiency in Word and other Microsoft applications.

Benefits

Benefit information can be found on the CalHR website and the CalPERS website.

The state offers comprehensive benefits for its employees, who provide essential and exceptional service to millions of Californians every day.

• Health, Vision and Dental
• Retirement
• Savings Plan
• Group Legal Service Insurance
• Vacation/Annual Leave Accrual
• Paid Holidays
• Employee Assistance Program

Additional Information

Preference will be given to persons with State Restriction of Appointments (SROA) or Surplus status. Applicants must attach a copy of their most recently dated letter that specifies their designation as either SROA or surplus candidate as proof.

Qualified candidates must have eligibility in State employment, be in a reachable rank on an employment list for this classification, be currently in this classification, or have transfer eligibility to this classification.

If you do not hear from us in 4-6 weeks, you may assume the position has been filled by another applicant. Please note that all additional vacancies that become available may be added to this advertisement.

Please note that the Exam and Certification Online System (ECOS) does not allow you to resubmit your application once you withdraw it. If you have any updates to your online application, please contact the Personnel, Recruitment, & Hiring Unit at (800) 564-0771.

Please let us know how you heard about our position by taking this brief survey:  DIR Applicant Survey

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is optional. It may be included, but is not required.
• Statement of Qualifications - Please see Special Requirements section of the posting for instructions on the Statement of Qualifications.

Job Tags

Permanent employment, Full time, For contractors, Work at office,

Similar Jobs