Director, Special Investigations (Director III)

Job Description - Director, Special Investigations (Director III) (00046135)Organization

TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCYPrimary Location

Texas-AustinWork Locations

Texas Education Agency1701 NORTH CONGRESS AVENUEAustin 78701Job

ManagementEmployee Status

RegularSchedule

Travel: Yes, 25% of the TimeState Job Code: 1622Salary Admin Plan: BGrade: 28Salary (Pay Basis)

7,716.66 - 10,383.83 (Monthly)Number of Openings

1Overtime Status

ExemptJob Posting

Oct 31, 2024, 1:12:56 PMClosing Date

OngoingDescription

MISSION:

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) will improve outcomes for all public-school students in the state by providing leadership, guidance, and support to school systems.Core Values:•

We are Determined:

We are committed and intentional in the pursuit of our main purpose, to improve outcomes for students.•

We are People-Centered:

We strive to attract, develop, and retain the most committed talent, representing the diversity of Texas, each contributing to our common vision for students.•

We are Learners:

We seek evidence, reflect on success and failure, and try new approaches in the pursuit of excellence for our students.•

We are Servant Leaders:

Above all else, we are public servants working to improve opportunities for students and provide support to those who serve them.New hires, re-hires, and internal hires will typically receive a starting salary between the posted minimum and the average pay of employees in their same classification. Offers will be commensurate with the candidate’s experience and qualifications and will thoughtfully consider internal pay equity for agency staff who perform similar duties and have similar qualifications. The top half of the posted salary range is generally reserved for candidates who exceed the requirements and qualifications for the role. The maximum of the salary range is reserved for candidates that far exceed the required and preferred qualifications for the role.POSITION OVERVIEW:The Office of Governance strives to proactively support school systems, keep students safe, and uphold Texas education law with integrity, objectivity, and excellence. We engage with local education agencies (LEAs) to promote best practices through two core workstreams: Field Support and Compliance & Investigations. By fostering collaboration across the agency and engaging directly in the field, we advance our vision of creating a safe school environment and excellent education for every Texas public school student.The Director of Special Investigations plays a crucial role in safeguarding student welfare and ensuring LEAs adhere to regulatory standards within the Texas educational system. The director leads an investigative unit (the Special Investigations Unit, or SIU), which is currently comprised of ten team members structured into two investigative teams who conduct high-profile investigations into violations of the Texas Education Code, including alleged misconduct and wrongdoing by educators, school employees, and district officials. This role provides expert guidance and strategic direction on complex investigations. Common examples of the types of misconduct investigated by the SIU include public trust violations, fraud, misuse of resources, electioneering, and allegations of governance violations.

The position ensures alignment with agency and office leadership; oversees advanced regulatory investigations; collaborates with school districts, Education Service Centers (ESCs), central office administrators, and local school boards; and provides guidance on investigative strategies and ensures the team’s adherence to best practices in investigative procedures. The Director will provide vision and direction for planning, organizing, and coordinating investigations. This position reports to the Executive Director of Investigations, will operate with significant autonomy, and requires exceptional aptitude in leadership, strategic planning, performance management and stakeholder engagement.Flexible work location within the state of Texas may be considered for qualified candidates.Please note that a resume, tailored cover letter, and short answer responses are required attachments for applying to this position. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Additionally, applicants who are strongly being considered for employment must submit to a national criminal history background check.ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:Job duties are not limited to the essential functions mentioned below. You may perform other functions as assigned.Vision and Strategy:

establish and execute on a vision and strategy that ensures high-profile, complex investigations lead to outcomes that safeguard student welfare in addition to adherence to regulatory standards; proactively build relationships across the agency and with external agencies and leverage partnerships to identify opportunities for collaboration and advance division goals.Investigations Workflow and Performance:

oversee and provide strategic direction for the workflow within the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), including establishing clear objectives, evaluating performance, providing timely feedback, and coaching to enhance effectiveness; ensure adherence to law, policy, and SIU procedures; monitor and conduct quality assurance to ensure timeliness, professionalism, and continuity of workflow; and develop processes to keep management apprised of high-profile or complex cases to ensure alignment with priorities and expectations.Process Optimization and Improvement:

regularly and proactively collaborate with colleagues and managers to develop, refine, and implement policies and procedures that align with the team’s strategic goals; drive and manage process improvements within the division by identifying and applying best practices, creating and standardizing resources, and enhancing division functions; develop and optimize investigative processes; and leverage data to assess performance and output.Team Management and Development:

create effective performance management structures to achieve team's goals; oversee and increase engagement and teamwork within the SIU, which includes providing vision and guidance on strategy development, goal setting, performance management, and continuous feedback and coaching; establish comprehensive onboarding and transition processes; guide professional development strategies for the team to support ongoing growth; and engage in research, policy development, and system design to support the SIU's objectives.Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:•

Education:

Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university.•

Experience:

At least seven [7] years of experience in overseeing complex investigations involving official misconduct, fraud, and/or public corruption with at least three [3] years supervisory experience.•

Substitutions:

Each additional year of related experience above the required minimum may substitute for education on a year-for-year basis.OTHER QUALIFICATIONS:• Share the belief that all Texas students can achieve at high levels and are able to succeed in college, career, or the military.• Experience working with law enforcement and administrative regulatory agencies to conduct high-profile and complex investigations.• Demonstrated ability to manage a substantial case docket and operationalize upper-level directives to achieve necessary timelines and goals.• Experience effectively leading teams of investigators, forensic auditors, and/or analysts and developing and monitoring performance measures to meet investigation-related objectives.• Experience gathering and analyzing evidence from multiple sources, conducting interviews, reviewing financial records, and training others on these and other investigative practices.• Aptitude for presenting information and recommendations in professionally written reports which may be used as the basis for enforcement action; ability to effectively create and present concise investigative briefings to leadership as needed.• Working knowledge of state and federal laws and regulations pertaining to misconduct, criminal and administrative investigations, compliance and fraud-related violations, and confidentiality; preferred knowledge of the Texas Penal Code, Texas Education Code, Texas Family Code, and Texas Administrative Code.• Exceptional communication (oral and written) and interpersonal skills with the ability to maintain confidentiality and appropriately communicate sensitive issues and complex findings.• A desire to self-reflect, give/receive feedback, and continuously improve.• Ability to engage in a collaborative, results-oriented team environment.• Outstanding personnel management skills.• Must satisfy the Texas Department of Public Safety’s criteria for access to the TX DPS secure website and clearinghouse.As an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, disability, age or veteran status, unless an applicant is entitled to the military employment preference.This position requires the applicant to meet Agency standards and criteria which may include passing a pre-employment criminal background check, prior to being offered employment by the Agency.No phone calls or emails, please. Due to the high volume of applications, we do not accept telephone calls and cannot reply to all email inquiries. Only candidates selected for interview will be contacted.Please add "capps.recruiting@cpa.texas.gov" and "@tea.texas.gov" to your safe senders list to ensure you receive email notifications from our talent acquisition team and/or hiring division regarding your candidacy.

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