Investigator

PURPOSE OF THE JOB
The Cannabis Control Commission (Commission) Investigator conducts inspections and investigations of licensed marijuana establishments in the Commonwealth to ensure understanding and compliance with laws, rules and regulations. A significant component of this position includes visiting marijuana establishments across the Commonwealth and completing regulatory compliance inspections/audits targeting operational requirements, and may include specific cultivation product manufacturing and, retail requirements as pertains to the license type, as well as facility management requirements. Investigators will assist in the administration of the registration and licensing compliance process for marijuana establishments and individual registered marijuana establishment agents as defined in the regulations.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Conducts and reports about on-site inspections of marijuana establishments;
• Tracks compliance with all relevant laws and regulations through on-site visits, auditing and inspection of records;
• Responds to inquiries in a reasonable timeframe via on-site visits, telephone, email and/or other written correspondence;
• Assists with ongoing documentation and implementation of Commission policies and procedures in an effort to reflect best practices in this new industry;
• Reviews policies, processes and oversight of marijuana establishments to ensure compliance with the regulations (examples of specific policies may include: security policies; product safety policies, sanitation and waste disposal policies).
• Assists Investigations and Enforcement Division by gathering, verifying, and reviewing information relating to any investigation.
• Reviews the implementation of marijuana establishment policies and procedures to ensure the security of the cultivation, processing and dispensing of marijuana;
• Reviews marijuana establishment processes and procedures for determining the placement and proper use of surveillance cameras and other security controls;
• Reviews standards and implementation for storage facilities regarding the use of lighting, ventilation, labeling, security procedures, access controls, etc.;
• Inspects procedures outlined in the marijuana establishment operational documents to ensure compliance with required seed-to-sale tracking;
• Reviews and assesses protocols for the testing of marijuana and marijuana products;
• Reviews all operational policies and procedures, such as: quality control, record keeping and reporting, staffing plans, human resources policies, staff training, business records for accounting administration and operations standards;
• Responds to rule violations, incidents or complaints by issuing deficiency statements and evaluating and approving plans for corrective action;
• Drafts investigative dispositions;
• Represents Commission in administrative or court hearings related to non-compliance;
• Confers with parties to complaints in order to resolve issues and encourage compliance with established laws, rules and regulations through settlement, where appropriate;
• Obtains evidence and establishes facts concerning non-compliance with laws, rules and regulations regarding marijuana cultivation, processing and distribution;
• Maintains thorough documentation of inspections and makes corrective action recommendations;
• Submits necessary documents for enforcement within time period as directed;
• Complies with quality control procedures to ensure information is accurate and complete;
• Prepares reports concerning assigned activities in order to provide requested information and make appropriate recommendations;
  

OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Working with people from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
• Maintains professional relationships with assigned agency personnel and various private, local, state and federal agencies;
• Makes relevant referrals to appropriate state, local and federal agencies;
• Communicates as requested with state and local agencies, including law enforcement and local boards of health;
• Responds to inquiries and complaints to provide information concerning medical use of marijuana and adult-use of marijuana laws, regulations, rules, and procedures;
• Performs related duties such as maintaining records, attending meetings and preparing correspondence including emails and letters;
• Assists in determining compliance with applicable laws and standards and recommending enforcement actions and corrective measures;
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

SALARY RANGE: $70,000 - $80,000
Benefits Package:
The Commission is pleased to offer a comprehensive benefits package to its employees. The specific components and eligibility may vary based upon position classification, hours worked per week and other variables. Therefore, specific benefits for this position may be discussed as part of the interview and offer process.

This position is non-civil service. This position is an exempt position.
The overall benefits available include: paid vacation, sick and personal leave time, health, dental and vision insurance through the Commonwealth’s Group Insurance, and optional pre-tax Health Savings Account plans.
In addition, the Commission provides employees the opportunity to elect life insurance, long-term disability insurance, deferred compensation savings, tuition remission and pre-tax commuter account plans, along with other programs.
The Commission employees also participate in the Commonwealth’s State Retirement Plan, which can become a defined benefit plan for those that both vest and subsequently retire from State service. Follow this link for additional retirement information: http://www.mass.gov/treasury/retirement/state-board-of-retire/.
Commitment to Diversity:
The Commission is committed to building a diverse staff across its entire agency and at all levels. The Commission is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.
Application Process and Deadline:
The Commission encourages interested candidates that meet the minimum requirements for experience and skills to apply for this position. Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume by e-mail no later than Friday, June 15, 2018. The application package should be submitted to:
CannabisCommission@state.ma.us
Please include the position title in the subject line: CCC Investigator.
Submissions are due by 5:00 pm (e-mail) on June 15; late submissions may be considered solely at the discretion of the Commission.

Notice of Required Background Check – Including Tax Compliance:

The Commission requires a background check on all prospective employees as a condition of employment.
Candidates should be aware of this requirement but should also know that such background check is not initiated until:

• A candidate is invited to a second or subsequent interview, and
• The candidate has signed the Background Check Authorization Form and related releases.

This background check includes a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) check, Federal IRS and Department of Revenue state tax compliance on all prospective employees as a condition of their employment. In addition, may also include a pre-employment physical and drug testing.
Candidates with advanced degrees and professional licenses may have these credentials verified. Individuals other than those references provided by a candidate may be contacted in the course of completing a full background and qualification check.
Those candidates invited to interview will be contacted by the Commission. Unfortunately, due to the anticipated high volume of applicants for this vacancy, we are unable to provide status updates to specific individuals.

Qualifications
This requisition will remain open until filled; however, first consideration will be given to those applicants that apply within the first 14 days.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

• Ability to operate a motor vehicle;
• Possesses a valid Motor Vehicle Operator's License from Massachusetts or another state;
• Ability to establish rapport with persons from different ethnic, cultural and/or economic backgrounds;
• Ability to use investigative techniques to obtain information;
• Ability to gather information from questioning individuals and observation;
• Ability to gather information by examiningrecords and documents;
• Ability to maintain an in-depth knowledge of state statutes related to work performed and agency rules and regulations including 935 CMR 500.000;
• Ability to proficiently utilize MS Word, Excel, Outlook;
• Ability to write concisely, to express thoughts clearly and to develop ideas in logical sequence;
• Ability to work independently, as well as with teams;
• Experience or familiarity with administrative law and procedure;
• Ability to exercise discretion in handling confidential information;
• Ability to maintain a calm manner in stressful and emergency situations;
• Ability to work in the Commission’s Boston headquarters until May 2019.
• This position will be based in our Worcester headquarters beginning in May 2019.
• Ability to spend the majority of the workweek traveling to marijuana establishment locations throughout the Commonwealth. Typical schedules may require occasional work on the weekends in order to conduct inspections.
• Approximately 60-70% of the time is spent in the field, out of the office.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelors or higher degree in an academic discipline requiring extensive writing experience;
• Three years of full-time, or equivalent part-time, experience in investigatory or inspection work, or an equivalent or related field;
• One or more of the following:
  • Experience with financial or fraud investigations, audits;
  • Regulatory compliance experience in the food industry, including safety inspections related to food preparation;
  • Experience with building inspection, building code compliance, architectural review or related inspections;
  • Regulatory compliance experience in the pharmaceutical industry;
  • Work experience with agriculture, horticulture, farming, or hydroponic growing;
  • Work experience in analysis of laboratory tests;

Knowledge of and ability to understand and explain independent laboratory tests of soil, temperature, humidityand carbon dioxide type and use of fertilizers; and processes to implement best practices to limit contamination.