OAG - Child Support | Child Support Officer III |

About the Role

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; obtain court orders for financial support and health care coverage for children; enforce child support orders; respond to customer inquiries; and collaborate 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. The OAG is a dynamic state agency with over 4,000 employees throughout Texas, providing exemplary legal representation in diverse areas of law.

Responsibilities

• Conduct detailed in-office investigations to locate parties, verify employment, and determine assets.
• Prepare documents relating to legal and administrative actions to establish or enforce child support orders.
• Negotiate lump sum payments from noncustodial parents who owe past due child/medical support.
• Negotiate out-of-court settlements and agreements with parties.
• Monitor child support cases and refer delinquent cases for appropriate enforcement action(s).
• Document all case actions using agency tools, including the Children Are My Priority system (ChAMP) and case/court documents.
• Review and maintain child support virtual files for accuracy in the Enterprise Content Management (ECM) repository.
• Review cases to determine eligibility for closure.
• Attend court to assist legal staff, as needed.
• Research case information using the ChAMP system and other computer resources.
• Maintain current knowledge of child support policies, Texas Family Law, federal regulations, and other states' IV-D regulations.
• Assess child support cases to determine appropriate case action.
• Explain Child Support Program policies, procedures, and regulations to customers.
• Respond to customer inquiries and resolve complaints concerning case status.
• Assess the validity of complaints against the IV-D program with impartiality.
• Serve as Notary Public.
• Perform related work as assigned.
• Maintain relevant knowledge necessary to perform essential job functions.
• Attend work regularly in compliance with agreed-upon work schedule.
• Ensure security and confidentiality of sensitive and/or protected information.
• Comply with all agency policies and procedures, including those pertaining to ethics and integrity.

Requirements

• Graduation from high school or equivalent.
• 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.
• One (1) year 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.
• Ability to work in person at assigned OAG work location and perform all assigned tasks at designated OAG workspace.
• 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).

Skills

• Knowledge of investigative practices and techniques.
• 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.

Preferred Qualifications

• Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university.
• Enhanced knowledge of investigative practices and techniques.
• Ability to proficiently read, write, and speak Spanish.

Benefits

OAG employees enjoy excellent benefits. For more details, visit ERS Benefits at a Glance.