State of Ohio

The Office of the Ohio Public Defender (OPD) is the state agency responsible for providing legal representation and other services to people accused or convicted of a crime who cannot afford to hire an attorney.. The Mitigation Investigation Specialist position plays a key role in providing quality client-centered investigation services as a member of the Mitigation and Investigation Department.. The Mitigation Investigation Specialist position is assigned to the State of Ohio’s OCSEA Pay Schedule, Pay Range 32.. FY24 Mitigation Investigation Specialist Pay Range. Ohio Public Employees Retirement System

investigation specialist

About Us The Office of the Ohio Public Defender (OPD) is the state agency responsible for providing legal representation and other services to people accused or convicted of a crime who cannot afford to hire an attorney. Our Mission: Advocating. Fighting. Helping. Our Vision: A Fair Justice System. Our Values: Compassion. Dignity. Equity. Integrity. Service. Community. Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Our commitment to inclusion is inseparable from our commitment to a fair justice system. We strive to ensure inclusive spaces and services for our staff, our clients, and Ohio’s diverse communities. We are committed to building a work environment where all our team members have a voice and can embrace our differences to innovate service to the public. We can best meet our public defense mission through a diverse workforce and an inclusive workplace, where employees thrive, our mission is accomplished, and Ohioans are served. #TeamOPD is grounded in diversity, equity, inclusion as we work together to pursue fairness and justice for all people. Follow OPD on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Threads | Visit our Website About The Position And What You'll Do The Mitigation Investigation Specialist position plays a key role in providing quality client-centered investigation services as a member of the Mitigation and Investigation Department. The mission of the Department is to provide a thorough investigation in an ethical and honest manner, in order to ensure quality representation of indigent clients. You will join a team of eleven investigators and work both independently and with a team, regularly interacting with other department members, attorneys, core support staff, and with clients, witnesses, and experts. In this position, you will conduct and/or lead mitigation investigation through psycho-social field investigation in the trial, post-conviction, federal habeas and clemency phase of capital cases, and conduct mitigation investigation for non-capital cases, juvenile de facto life sentences, and juvenile transfer cases. You will also conduct fact investigations on trial and post-trial litigation, and conduct and/or act as lead on complex and specialized criminal investigations on felony, capital and juvenile cases at the trial, post-conviction, and federal levels as well as at clemency. And, you will synthesize information gathered in investigations and recommend how to develop and present themes and theories to courts. A successful candidate will have passion for working with a large team and assisting our diverse clientele who are facing the challenges of poverty and other challenges beyond socio-economic factors. A successful candidate will also be detail oriented, a meticulous recordkeeper, and have strong interpersonal skills. The preferred candidate will have experience conducting both bio-psychosocial history and fact investigations, and have knowledge on topics related to forensics, fact investigation and mitigation. The position does require in-office time: two days a week are spent in the office or in the field, and potentially other days as required to meet business needs. At initial onboarding, more days in-the-office will be required. The position also requires you to regularly travel throughout the state of Ohio, and occasionally requires you to travel outside the state. Weekly car travel averages two days a week, but is variable and can be more depending on need. In the position you must be able to provide your own transportation. The agency does maintain fleet vehicles for you to reserve; use of a fleet vehicle requires evidence of valid driver’s license and personal auto insurance coverage. Essential duties performed by the position include but are not limited to: <ul><li>Locate, contact, and interview witnesses, other suspects, family members, employers, medical or psychological service providers, and others to obtain information pertaining to the case</li><li>Conduct lengthy interviews with clients, client’s immediate and extended family members, spouses/partners, friends, and education, medical, mental health, legal and agency personnel who encountered the client and their family</li><li>Gather and analyze records (including but not limited to school, medical, mental health, employer, legal, military, and social services documentation) in order to provide detailed medical, psychological, sociological, cultural or other insights into the client’s psycho-social history</li><li>Obtain and analyzes other anecdotal and documentary evidence relevant to the client’s history and their environmental and cultural background</li><li>Investigate the facts and circumstances of the alleged offense(s), gather documentation to support the testimony of expert and lay witnesses, and obtain and notarize affidavits and gather and organize physical documentary evidence</li><li>Travel throughout Ohio and outside the state as necessary to locate, interview, and investigate witnesses, evidence, materials, and records; Identify, locate, contact and interview suspects, claimants, former employers and coworkers, attorneys, witnesses, federal, state and municipal agencies; assist with transporting witnesses </li><li>Prepare complex reports of interviews and findings and prepare detailed timelines for use in trial and appellate level case preparations and presentations</li><li>Identify the need for experts and assist in locating and working with defense experts</li><li>Assist in the preparation and presentations for trials and hearings and also conduct interviews with clients for death row client clemency hearings.</li><li>Consult with internal and external attorneys and experts to develop trial and appellate sentencing phase themes and theories of the case; assist with preparing witnesses or clients for testimony</li><li>Lead brainstorming and strategizing discussions to develop mitigation presentation of defense</li><li>Participate in mentoring and training, and assist in providing educational experiences for volunteer students </li></ul>The Mitigation Investigation Specialist position is assigned to the State of Ohio’s OCSEA Pay Schedule, Pay Range 32. Unless required by legislation or union contract, starting salary will be the minimum salary of that pay range associated with this position. These ranges provide a standardized pathway for pay increases: with continued employment, new hires move to the next step in the range after 6 months and annually thereafter. The State of Ohio typically has Cost of Living Adjustments that increase wages in these ranges each fiscal year. In the event a candidate demonstrates exceptional qualifications above minimum, they may qualify for a starting salary above step 1. FY24 Mitigation Investigation Specialist Pay Range Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Step 7 Step 8 Step 9 Hourly $27.84 $29.06 $30.55 $32.04 $33.63 $35.27 $36.99 $38.84 $40.77 Annually $57,907 $60,445 $63,544 $66,643 $69,950 $73,362 $76,939 $80,787 $84,802 The Office of the Ohio Public Defender complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact Tamra Meister, ADA Coordinator, at 614-466-5394 or HCM@opd.ohio.gov. What’s In It For You At the State of Ohio, we take care of the team that cares for Ohioans. We provide a variety of quality, competitive benefits to eligible full-time and part-time employees. For a list of all the State of Ohio Benefits, visit our Total Rewards website! Our benefits package includes: Medical Coverage <ul><li>Quality, affordable, and competitive medical benefits are offered beginning first day of the month following your start date. You have three options to choose from. </li></ul>Dental, Vision and Basic Life Insurance <ul><li>Dental, vision and basic life insurance premiums are free and coverage is offered after one year of continuous service. </li></ul>Time Away From Work and Work/Life Balance <ul><li>Paid time off, including vacation, personal, and sick leave </li><li>11 paid holidays per year</li><li>Childbirth/Adoption leave </li></ul>Employee Development Funds <ul><li>The State of Ohio offers a variety of educational and professional development funding that varies based on whether you are a union-exempt employee or a union-represented employee. </li></ul>Ohio Public Employees Retirement System <ul><li>OPERS is the retirement system for State of Ohio employees. The employee contributes 10% of their salary towards their retirement. The employer contributes an amount equal to 14% of the employee’s salary. Visit the OPERS website for more information. </li></ul>Deferred Compensation <ul><li>The Ohio Deferred Compensation program is a 457(b) voluntary retirement savings plan. Visit the Ohio Deferred Compensation website for more information. </li></ul>The Following Are The Minimum Qualifications For This Position 30 mos. exp. conducting mitigation or criminal fact investigations. <ul><li>Or completion of undergraduate core program in behavioral sciences (e.g., social work, sociology, criminal justice, psychology); 6 mos. exp. in criminal investigations.</li><li>Or equivalent of Minimum Class Qualification For Employment noted above. </li></ul>Job Skills: Investigation, Attention to Detail, Establishing Relationships Primary Location United States of America-OHIO-Franklin County-Columbus Organization Public Defender Commission Classified Indicator Classified Bargaining Unit / Exempt Bargaining Unit Schedule Full-time Compensation $57,907 - $84,802 annually Unposting Date May 18, 2024, 10:59:00 PM Primary Job Skill Investigation Technical Skills Investigation Professional Skills Attention to Detail, Establishing Relationships Agency Contact Name Elisa Lenssen Agency Contact Information elisa.lenssen@opd.ohio.gov

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