Background Specialist

Background Specialist

This position performs professional background investigation work of moderate difficulty. The Background Specialist examines documentation, identifies discrepancies, prepares reports, reconciles invoices, and clears applicants for work in adult and child care facilities. The role requires strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and the ability to interpret and apply policies and procedures effectively.

Responsibilities:

• Notify applicant providers of rejected fingerprints and provide instructions for reprinting.
• Reconcile files and manually process reprints to ensure investigations are initiated.
• Monitor and respond to inquiries regarding applicant background checks from providers, applicants, and program staff.
• Review data in the applicant processing system and communicate investigation status.
• Review cases involving excludable offenses, including dismissed, expunged, retired, or invalidated criminal offenses, and perform manual case closures as required.
• Reconcile invoices to ensure accuracy, resolve discrepancies, and submit for processing and payment.
• Process driver checks, applicant transfer requests, authorization forms for transmittal of information, and Federal Tax Information name check requests.
• Assist with user acceptance testing for upgrades or changes to the applicant tracking system.
• Build and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders to foster collaboration.
• Analyze, interpret, and apply policies and procedures; recommend improvements where appropriate.
• Perform required registry checks, monitor receipt of results, and ensure documentation is properly recorded in the applicant tracking system.
• Create and issue clearance letters to providers and refer applicants with findings to the appropriate division.

Qualification And Education:

• Bachelors degree in any field.
• Relevant full-time professional experience in background investigations, legal fields, law enforcement, or related work may substitute for education on a year-for-year basis.
• Must have good moral character as determined by a background check.
• Must complete a criminal history disclosure form as required.
• Must agree to release criminal history records to the appointing authority.
• Must provide a fingerprint sample for a fingerprint-based criminal history records check.

Skills:

• Active learning and listening.
• Critical thinking.
• Complex problem solving.
• Judgment and decision making.
• Reading comprehension.

Abilities:

• Deductive reasoning.
• Inductive reasoning.
• Problem sensitivity.
• Written comprehension.

Knowledge:

• Customer and personal service.
• Law and government.

Competencies:

• Decision quality.
• Resourcefulness.
• Collaboration.
• Effective communication.
• Situational adaptability.

Tools And Equipment:

• General office equipment.
• Computer or laptop.