Responsibilities

The responsibilities of this position are included, but are not limited to the following:

• Oversee West Palm Beach and Fort Myers office management in coordination with other staff supervisors and the Chief of Investigations for South Florida, under the direction of the Director including, but not limited to, enforcing agency and division policies and procedures; supervising personnel, involving hiring, disciplining, employee relations, making recommendations for retention and classification and pay changes, attendance and leave approvals, performance reviews, and workload distribution.
• Coordinate Bureau Chief coverage with the Ft Lauderdale and Miami Consumer Protection Bureaus as needed.
• Case development and recommend new case initiatives.
• Oversee and provide necessary guidance for any special initiatives in the West Palm Beach or Fort Myers offices or other initiatives at the request of the Director.
• Participate in and supervise investigations of potential violations of state and federal consumer protection and trade practices law; review reports prepared by law enforcement officers, investigators, accountants, and financial analysts; gather and evaluate evidence; and prepare cases for appropriate legal proceedings.
• Conduct litigation of both complex and non-complex consumer protection cases in state and federal courts, including preparing pleadings, motions, memoranda of law and briefs; prepare legal research and evaluate the research of staff attorneys and investigators; prepare subpoenas, conduct discovery and other pretrial proceedings. Attend trials, hearings, and appellate oral arguments.
• Negotiate resolutions of litigation cases or investigations and drafts resolution documents such as assurances of voluntary compliance, consent judgments, and mediated resolutions.
• Assist and advise attorneys in trial, pleading, practice, and procedure.
• Participate with other states through the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) by representing the State of Florida in multistate investigations and litigation.
• Assist in preparing legislation proposed by the Department.
• Respond to correspondence and telephone inquiries concerning consumer protection issues.
• Represent the Department in meetings and conferences relating to consumer protection issues.
• Establish lines of communication with local, state and federal law enforcement officers and prosecutors; serve on federal and state task forces and work with those agencies, as needed; initiate contact with and process information from law enforcement agencies to further consumer protection enforcement.
• Maintain current expertise in areas of practice, including reading recent judicial decisions and case summaries and attending continuing legal education and other professional seminars.
• Perform routine administrative functions, including, as assigned, approvals of travel vouchers, expense reimbursements, purchasing, time records, and work schedules.
• Prepare recommendations for budgetary item requests for the annual budget process, approval for staffing changes, and resolution of administrative issues in the Bureau.
• Perform, in a timely fashion, other assigned duties, which may require extended hours and/or travel outside the worksite.