Investigator Supervisor

The Legal Aid Society, the nation’s oldest and largest social justice legal services organization, has an immediate opening an Investigator Supervisor, for its Homicide Defense Task Force (HDTF) and Specialized Units across New York City. The Criminal Defense Practice is the primary public defender of New York City, providing holistic, client-centered representation to over 150,000 people facing misdemeanor, felony, and homicide charges.

The Investigator Supervisor will work under the direction and supervision of the Director of Investigative Services and support the Attorneys in Charge in providing high-quality services to the clients and to the defense team. The Investigator Supervisor will assist and expand the training curriculum and process for investigators, investigative interns, attorneys, and other defense team staff. The Investigator Supervisor will have strong knowledge and experience in criminal defense investigations, along with demonstrated leadership, training, and communication skills. They will promote best practices, trainings, mentorships, counseling, evaluations, case management, case conferencing, administrative duties, investigative technology, and their own continuing professional development.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

Investigator Training, Support and Administration

• Responsible for supporting the Director of Investigative Staff in recruiting, interviewing, hiring, onboarding and training of new staff, investigative interns and the investigative internship program
• Responsible for supporting the Director of Investigative Staff in developing training curriculums and materials for all investigative staff, investigative interns and attorneys
• Responsible for supporting Attorneys-in-Charge, Directors, Supervisors, Administrators, Attorneys, and other defense team staffing the Trial Offices and specialized units in the deliverance of investigative services for the defense team
• Work closely with the Director of Investigative Services and the offices in the use of discretion and sound judgment to help troubleshoot issues and challenges with investigative cases and investigative personnel
• Supports, assesses, and evaluates investigative requests and caseloads in collaboration with the needs of the clients, attorneys, and the office while monitoring adherence to best practices and professional ethical rules
• Organizes work, sets priorities, and determines resource requirements; determines short- or long-term goals and strategies to achieve them; coordinates with Director of Investigative Services, Attorneys-in-Charge and other managers to accomplish stated goals; and monitors progress and evaluates outcomes
• Required continuous training, professional development, and best practices training under direction of the Director of Investigative Services and the CDP Training Unit
• Will be required to carry an active caseload and assist, shadow, evaluate and travel with defense team on other cases in the field

Team Development and Supervision

• Assists in the continued professional growth, training and development of investigative staff, and fosters teamwork and communications with the defense team
• Schedule employee hours, assign work, approve time off and remote work schedule requests following the guidance of LAS policy and procedures
• Manage Investigator reimbursements, investigative logs, and other duties required for efficiency and productivity in the offices 
• Attend management meetings, participate in management trainings, and utilize current employment policies, practices and guidance as provided by management and Human Resources
• Conduct management and supervision practices that affirmatively support equity and inclusion in the workplace
• Assess and reports back training, technological, investigative, and administrative needs of investigative staff and investigative interns
• Supervise direct reports in setting performance standards, provide routine feedback as well as coaching/counseling, and issue disciplinary action as needed
• Lead organizational and culture change for the Investigative unit
• Resolve employee conflict, complaints, and address union concerns, with guidance from Human Resources

Professional Development and other duties as assigned

• Assists in the development of strategic plans to integrate improved investigative techniques and technology into the criminal defense practice
• Participate in continuous professional development
• Continuously learn about forms of bias in the workplace and demonstrate affirmative behaviors that support an inclusive work environment
• Other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

Required qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree and at least 3 years of criminal defense investigative work or a combination of 7 years of post-secondary education and criminal defense investigative work
• Ability to set standard operating procedures, best practices and other processes that will enrich client service and staff professional development
• Demonstrated experience in training on investigative services, including mentoring
• Ability to work in and value a collaborative team representation model
• Commitment to working collegially and constructively with managers and staff
• An aptitude for motivating, training, and managing investigative staff and others
• Experience in and a commitment to advocacy on behalf of people of color, low-income and non- citizens
• Knowledge of New York City and ability to travel around New York City
• May be required to work after 5pm and on weekends
• A valid driver’s license in NY (tri-state region) and access to a vehicle for daily field work

Preferred qualifications:

• At least 2 years of management experience preferred
• Proficiency in a language other than English is desirable
• Investigator certifications preferred

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Supervision Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge of New York laws of arrest, search and seizure, rules of evidence, courtroom procedures, subpoena practice, and the ability to testify effectively at hearings or trials
• Skill in using current office software programs including word processing, spreadsheet, databases and email such as Microsoft Windows: Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, CLEAR, etc.; cameras, video equipment, tape recorders, and other relevant technology as appropriate
• Skill in effective listening, communication, speaking, writing, teaching, and organizational skills
• Skill in working independently when setting priorities and meeting deadlines
• Skill in working with a variety of individuals from diverse backgrounds and personalities within The Legal Aid Society and the communities of New York City

Organizational Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Commitment to Legal Aid Society’s mission to secure equal justice before the law for all New Yorkers
• Interpersonal and communication skills that enable healthy and productive working relationships 
• Ability to perform duties with the highest regard for confidentiality, integrity, and respect 
• Commitment to Legal Aid Society’s mission and values 

Physical, environment, travel, and other duties required:

• Requires occasional or frequent physical movement to perform essential job functions which may include, bending, reaching, pulling, pushing, standing or walking for long periods of time, accessing small spaces 
• May or will require travel within NYC, across the five-borough region 
• Ability to lift 10 pounds on an occasional/routine basis 

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The salary range represents a good faith estimate of the range we expect to pay for this role. The actual salary offered may vary depending on many factors, including but not limited to job-related knowledge, skills, and experience, as well as collectively bargained salary steps for unionized roles.

Salary Range: $101,231 - $106,231

The Legal Aid Society offers a generous benefits package including health insurance, paid vacation, disability, and life insurance, and more. Click here to read more about benefits.

Higher Education and Loan Forgiveness

The Legal Aid Society is a qualified employer for the purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This position allows an employee to take advantage of PSLF and other State and Federal loan forgiveness programs. Additionally, employees who are New York residents may be eligible for assistance from New York state to assist with loan repayments, depending on years of practice. To learn more, click the links below. 

studentaid.gov

hesc.ny.gov/loan-forgiveness-programs

WORK AUTHORIZATION

All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship for a work visa or permit. We are currently unable to sponsor employment visas or permits. (However, for citizens of Canada and Mexico, LAS will provide a letter documenting employment status that is needed to obtain a TN visa.)

HOW TO APPLY

All applications must be completed online via the career portal. We do not accept emailed applications. Submit the following documents as a combined PDF:

• Cover Letter
• Resume 

For technical difficulties or questions regarding this posting, please email [email protected].

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

As an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer, The Legal Aid Society prohibits discriminatory employment actions against and treatment of its employees and applicants for employment based on actual or perceived race or color, size (including bone structure, body size, height, shape, and weight), religion or creed, alienage or citizenship status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity (one’s internal deeply-held sense of one’s gender which may be the same or different from one’s sex assigned at birth); gender expression (the representation of gender as expressed through, for example, one’s name, choice of pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics; gender expression may not conform to traditional gender-based stereotypes assigned to specific gender identities), disability, marital status, relationship and family structure (including domestic partnerships, polyamorous families and individuals, chosen family, platonic co-parents, and multigenerational families), genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, arrest or pre-employment conviction record, credit history, unemployment status, caregiver status, salary history, or any other characteristic protected by law. 

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

The Legal Aid Society is committed to a work culture of zealous advocacy, respect, diversity and inclusion, client-oriented defense, access to justice and excellent representation. We are dedicated to building a strong professional relationship with each of our clients (people), to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us and our ability to build strong relationships with our colleagues. Every member of our community is expected to continuously learn about the dynamic, evolving, and emerging field of knowledge of identity, bias, and systemic forms of oppression and participate in productive efforts to dismantling bias in all forms.