Our Ability Jobs

Working Title: Consumer Protection Investigator

Job Class: Legal Assistant 5 / Legal Assistant 6 / Legal Assistant 7

Agency: Attorney General

• Who May Apply : Open to all qualified job seekers

• Date Posted : 05/26/2023

• Closing Date : 06/12/2023

• Hiring Agency/Seniority Unit : Attorney General

• Division/Unit : Attorney Gen. / Cons/Wage/Antitrust

• Work Shift/Work Hours : Day Shift

• Days of Work : Monday - Friday

• Travel Required : Rarely

• LA5Salary Range: $22.67 - $33.41 / hourly; $47,334 - $69,760 / annually

• LA6Salary Range: $24.58 - $37.51 / hourly; $51,323 - $78,320 / annually

• LA7Salary Range: $26.87 - $47.69 / hourly; $56,104 - $99,576 / annually

• Classified Status : Unclassified

• Telework Eligible : Yes

• Designated in Connect 700 Program for Applicants with Disabilities (https://mn.gov/mmb/careers/diverse-workforce/people-with-disabilities/connect700/) : No

Make a difference in the lives of Minnesotans.

The work you’ll do is more than just a job. Join the talented, engaged and inclusive workforce dedicated to creating a better Minnesota.

The Office of the Minnesota Attorney General is currently seeking a consumer protection investigator to join the Consumer, Wage, and Antitrust Division of the Office. As a consumer protection investigator, you will have the opportunity to work on important civil enforcement investigations and litigation that seek to protect some of Minnesota’s most vulnerable and underserved communities around the State. While the Office’s consumer protection work is for the benefit of all Minnesota consumers, much of the Office’s investigative work and enforcement actions are focused on unlawful business practices that target people of limited means, the elderly, students, children, and youth, as well as immigrant communities. In this position, you would be at the forefront of cutting-edge consumer protection investigations that have a direct, measurable impact on the lives of Minnesota consumers.

As a consumer protection investigator, you will help to find and develop high-profile consumer protection cases involving various industries and subject areas such as health care, housing, automobile sales, consumer finance, debt collection and debt relief, social media and technology platforms, and door-to-door and contractor sales. Such investigations and cases include, for example:

• Kia and Hyundai Vehicle Thefts (https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2023/03/07_KiaHyundai.asp) (investigating Kia and Hyundai’s sale of vehicles to Minnesota consumers that lacked industry-standard, anti-theft technology);

• State v. Brio Energy, et al. (https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2023/05/19_Avolta.asp) (deceptive door-to-door sales of residential solar panels);

• State v. Juul Labs, Inc. and Altria (https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2023/05/17_JUUL.asp) (unlawful and deceptive sale of nicotine vaping products to youth);

• State v. Minnesota School of Business and Globe University (https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2019/04/09_GlobeMSB.asp) (misrepresenting job opportunities from criminal justice degree and charging illegal interest rates on private student loans)

To be an effective consumer protection investigator, you will need to be a curious and motivated self-starter able to identify misconduct based on consumer reports and efficiently gather relevant information through research and witness interviews. You will work closely with consumer protection attorneys on developing and building cases before suit and preparing cases for trial during litigation. One of the most important skills is being able to competently handle multiple projects at once that may be in different stages of investigation/litigation or in different consumer protection areas. As part of your duties, you will need to interact with, understand, and build trust and rapport with consumers from across Minnesota, who may have diverse backgrounds, languages, and cultures. As part of your job duties, you will be expected to establish and maintain relationships, conduct outreach, and provide public education to impacted communities, stakeholders, advocates, and grass roots leaders. If you are offered this position, you can expect to have a great deal of responsibility for and control over your daily investigative work while also collaborating with the Office’s consumer protection attorneys that oversee and participate in the investigations. You will be expected to manage your investigative caseload to ensure matters are moving expeditiously. In this position, you will also have the opportunity to receive ongoing training, professional development, and mentorship opportunities to support your professional growth.

A successful candidate in this position must have strong interpersonal skills, be detail-oriented, creative, and a problem solver, have strong writing and analysis skills, have a strong initiative and work ethic, and enjoy working collaboratively with a fast-paced team.

This position is eligible for a hybrid work environment.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or demonstrable similar experience

• Strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to effectively interact and communicate with persons from diverse backgrounds, languages, and cultures

• Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Microsoft Excel

• Outstanding writing, research, critical thinking, and communication skills

To be considered at the LA6 level, candidates must have 6 years of related experience. To be considered at the LA7 level, candidates must have 12 years of related experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience or academic background in consumer protection related issues

• Knowledge of state or federal consumer protection laws

• Prior experience/knowledge with the Minnesota or federal civil court system

• Experience:

• conducting criminal or civil investigations

• conducting background checks and searching public records

• interviewing witnesses

• using eDiscovery tools or platforms

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Microsoft Excel

• Fluency in Spanish, Hmong, Somali, or other relevant language for Minnesota

Physical Requirements

• Ability to move and transport such articles as files, laptop computer and resource materials weighing up to 20 pounds

Additional Requirements

It is our policy that all candidates submit to a background investigation prior to employment. This background check may consist of the following components:

• SEMA4 Records Check (state employment records)

• Criminal History Check

• Employment Reference Check

• Education/License Verification

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities is an Equal Opportunity employer/educator committed to the principles of diversity. We prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their race, sex, color, creed, religion, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or membership in a local commission as defined by law. As an affirmative action employer, we actively seek and encourage applications from women, minorities, persons with disabilities, and individuals with protected veteran status.

Reasonable accommodations will be made to all qualified applicants with disabilities. If you are an individual with a disability who needs assistance or cannot access the online job application system, please contact the job information line at 651-259-3637 or email careers@state.mn.us . Please indicate what assistance is needed.