OAG - Child Support | Child Support Officer IV | 27-0086

State of Texas; Texas; On-site; USD 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Office of the Attorney General (OAG), Child Support Division, seeks a dedicated Child Support Officer to locate noncustodial parents, establish paternity, and enforce child support orders. The role involves conducting investigations, negotiating settlements, and collaborating with state agencies to support Texas families.

Qualified candidates will have high school completion and a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent experience).

Qualifications

• Education: Graduation from high school or equivalent.
• Education: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university; experience substitutions allowed.
• Experience: 2 years in child support, investigations, or IV-D related fields.
• Knowledge of investigative practices, child support policies, and IV-D procedures.

Responsibilities

• Locate absent parents and establish paternity.
• Establish or enforce child support orders; respond to inquiries.
• Prepare documents for legal actions and court filings.
• Negotiate settlements and lump-sum payments.
• Supervise staff and assign workloads as needed.
• Maintain confidentiality and integrity of sensitive information.

Skills

Investigative methods

Negotiation

Customer service

Oral and written communication

Attention to detail

Education

High school diploma

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

Are you interested in mission-driven work? Do you enjoy helping others? Join the Office of the Attorney General's (OAG) Child Support Division (CSD) in our mission to encourage responsible parenting by promoting the involvement of both parents in their children's lives and ensuring that children in Texas receive the support they need and deserve. Child Support Officers (CSOs) conduct detailed investigations to locate absent parents; assist in establishing paternity; obtaining court orders for financial support and health care coverage for children; enforcing child support orders; responding to customer inquiries; promoting the involvement of both parents in their children's lives; and collaborating with state agencies and community organizations to serve Texas families. CSOs gain valuable investigative and legal experience and are part of a collegial team dedicated to supporting Texas children and families. CSOs experience the challenge and honor of public service while enjoying a healthy work-life balance; developing hands-on experience; and engaging camaraderie with their colleagues across the state. The OAG is a dynamic state agency with over 4,000 employees throughout the State of Texas. As the State's law firm, the OAG provides exemplary legal representation in diverse areas of law. OAG employees enjoy excellent benefits (https://ers.texas.gov/Benefits-at-a-Glance) along with tremendous opportunities to do important work at a large, dynamic state agency making a positive difference in the lives of Texans. ESSENTIAL POSITION FUNCTIONS Takes the appropriate case action to locate absent parents, establish paternity for children born out-of-wedlock, establish or enforce child/medical support obligation, or initiate case closure: Conducts detailed in-office investigations to locate parties, verify employment and determine assets Prepares documents relating to legal and administrative actions to establish or enforce child support orders Negotiates lump sum payments from noncustodial parents who owe past due child/medical support Negotiates out-of-court settlements and agreements with parties Monitors child support cases and refers delinquent cases for the appropriate enforcement action(s) Documents all case actions taken using the appropriate agency tools, including but not limited to the Children Are My Priority system (ChAMP), case/court documents Reviews and maintains child support virtual files for accuracy in the Enterprise Content Management (ECM) repository Reviews cases to determine if the cases are eligible for closure Attends court to assist legal staff, as needed Researches case information on the computer including the ChAMP system Maintains current knowledge of child support policies and procedures, Texas Family Law, federal regulations, and other states= IV-D regulations Assesses child support cases to determine the appropriate case action As team leader, assigns and monitors work of assigned staff Supervises office staff in the absence of the office manager and/or supervisor Explains Child Support Program policies, procedures, and regulations to customers Responds to customer inquiries and resolves complaints concerning case status Assesses the validity of complaints against the IV-D program with impartiality Serves as Notary Public Performs related work as assigned Maintains relevant knowledge necessary to perform essential job functions Attends work regularly in compliance with agreed-upon work schedule Ensures security and confidentiality of sensitive and/or protected information Complies with all agency policies and procedures, including those pertaining to ethics and integrity

Education: Graduation from high school or equivalent Education: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university; experience in the following (or closely related) fields may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis: full-time Child Support Program, credit collections, investigations, legal assistant, legal secretary, customer service, or IV-A eligibility specialist Experience: Two (2) years of full-time experience working in the following (or closely related) fields: full-time Child Support Program, credit collections, investigations, legal assistant, legal secretary, customer service, or IV-A eligibility specialist. (One of the two years of experience must be as a Child Support Officer or an equivalent position in a IV-D agency or private sector is required.) Knowledge of investigative practices and techniques, child support policies, procedures, and processes Skill in interviewing and negotiating Skill in using a personal computer for word-processing and data entry/retrieval Skill in basic mathematical computations Skill in handling multiple tasks, prioritizing, and meeting deadlines Skill in effective oral and written communication Skill in exercising sound judgment and effective decision making Ability to receive and respond positively to constructive feedback Ability to work cooperatively with others in a professional office environment Ability to provide excellent customer service Ability to work in person at assigned OAG work location, perform all assigned tasks at designated OAG work space within OAG work location, and perform in-person work with coworkers (e.g., collaborating, training, mentoring) for the entirety of every work week (unless on approved leave) Ability to arrange for personal transportation for business-related travel Ability to work more than 40 hours as needed and in compliance with the FLSA Ability to lift and relocate 30 lbs. Ability to travel (including overnight travel) up to 15% Ability to type 35 words per minute (Typing test required at time of interview) Education: Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university Knowledge: Investigative practices and techniques Other Language: Ability to proficiently read, write, and speak Spanish