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Investigative Specialist 1 (Cannabis) (NY HELPS) - VID 228379

New York State Civil Service

Albany, NY · HybridFull-time$56–89K/yrSeen todaySeen in employer's feed today

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At a glance

Compensation
$56–89K/yr
Location
Albany, NYHybrid
Schedule
Full-time
Work Authorization
Not specified

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Requirements

Credentials this posting asks for.

Peace Officer TrainingPeace Officer Certification

Job overview

The Investigative Specialist 1 (Cannabis) investigates possible violations of cannabis laws, rules, and regulations, including activity involving licensed cannabis businesses and illicit cannabis activity. The role conducts interviews, gathers and safeguards evidence, prepares investigative reports, and may participate in joint law-enforcement operations. Travel may be required, and telecommuting is allowed with management approval. Appointment depends on meeting peace officer requirements and maintaining required certifications and permits.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Conducting InterviewsTaking StatementsEvidence CollectionEvidence AnalysisInvestigative ReportingSurveillanceUndercover WorkFirearms Proficiency

Qualifications

Six Years Investigative ExperiencePeace Officer TrainingPeace Officer CertificationFirearm PermitNew York Driver's License or Transportation CapacityPhysical and Medical StandardsAssociate Degree or Qualifying ExperienceBachelor's Degree or Qualifying ExperienceEligible List or Transfer Eligibility

Full job description

NY HELPS Yes

55-b/c Eligible Yes

Agency Cannabis Management, Office of

Title Investigative Specialist 1 (Cannabis) (NY HELPS) - VID 228379

Occupational Category Enforcement or Protective Services

Salary Grade NS

Bargaining Unit PS&T - Professional, Scientific, and Technical (PEF)

Salary Range From $56183 to $88970 Annually

Employment Type Full-Time

Appointment Type Contingent Permanent

Internship No

Jurisdictional Class Non-competitive Class

Travel Percentage 40%

Workweek Mon-Fri

Hours Per Week 37.5

Workday

From 8 AM

To 5 PM

Flextime allowed? No

Mandatory overtime? No

Compressed workweek allowed? No

Telecommuting allowed? Yes

County Albany

Street Address 1220 Washington Ave, Bldg. 9

City Albany

State NY

Zip Code 12226

Duties Description Under the general direction of the Investigative Specialist 2 (Cannabis), the incumbent of this position will be responsible for investigating possible violations of the cannabis laws, rules, and regulations. They will conduct investigations into cannabis license businesses and any illicit activity involving cannabis.Duties include, but may not be limited to:• Perform a wide variety of enforcement, regulatory, and licensing investigative activities to gather information and report facts. • Review assigned cases or complaints from the public to determine the section of law, rule, or regulation that applies and identify the issues and types of information needed.• Plan the scope and method of investigation based on the Office of Cannabis Management policy, the accessibility of information and the seriousness of the issue.• Meet with and interview witnesses, complainants, proprietors, prospective licensees, and others to obtain information relating to the investigation for enforcement, compliance, or eligibility purposes.• May arrest, confine, and transport subjects of investigation and process them per established procedures.• Take statements and affidavits from individuals in an appropriate format, taking care to include a full description of the facts needed to support the investigation.• Identify and search public and private documents to locate persons of interest and may question others and follow leads to find such persons.• Develop leads and informants; conduct surveillance and engage in undercover work. Use cameras, recording devices, or other equipment as necessary.• Obtain, inventory, and safeguard evidence according to OCM procedures and legal requirements.• Confer with law enforcement, prosecutors, and other entities to convey and obtain information relevant to an investigation, provide technical assistance and training, and develop and maintain rapport to ensure cooperation in the conduct of investigations. • Participate in joint operations with various levels of law enforcement targeting patterns of non-compliance or violations of laws and regulations.• Prepare factual written reports of information gathered during an investigation; and may recommend an appropriate course of action consistent with findings and agency policy and practices.• Discuss investigative findings and recommendations with supervisor and program specialists.• May perform full range of supervisory functions.Additional Requirements: Candidates will be required to meet the requirements for Peace Officer status* and meet physical/medical standards for these positions.***Peace Officer Status: Investigative Specialists (Cannabis) are peace officers and must be qualified to hold such office in accordance with state law. As such, they are required to attend NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services sanctioned peace officer training. Employment is dependent on continuous certification as a peace officer.Appointees to the New York City field office are required to obtain and maintain a New York City firearm permit. Appointees to field offices outside of New York City are required to obtain and maintain a local county firearm permit. All appointees must obtain the required permit within twelve months of hire, and successfully complete an assigned firearms training, annual re-qualification and display continued proficiency. Denial, suspension or loss of the required firearm permit or failure to re-qualify or display continued proficiency may result in removal from employment in this position.

Minimum Qualifications This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program (NY HELPS)* and applicants must meet the following minimum qualifications to be considered for this position:This title includes a traineeship opportunity and applicants will be appointed to the appropriate level** based on their experience and education. Required Experience:Six years of experience in a field investigative position conducting interviews of witnesses and others, taking written statements and affidavits, collecting and analyzing physical and documentary evidence, and preparing detailed written reports of investigative findings.*Types of Investigative experience that could be considered qualifying: Experience in such positions as police detective, insurance investigator, licensed and registered private investigator, federal investigator, state investigator, municipal investigator, child protective services investigator, in an investigative position involving trial preparations and detailed reports, or investigations within a branch of the Armed Services are examples which meet the Minimum Qualifications.Non-Qualifying Investigative Experience includes but may not be limited to: Experience in routine police patrol work, security guard or related security position, tax collector, collector of delinquent accounts, credit checker, legal assistant/attorney, hotel or store detective, loss prevention officer, parole officer, correction officer, guard, inspector, or experience in adoption and/or foster care placement.**Investigative Specialist 1 (Cannabis) level requirements:• Investigative Specialist Trainee 1 (Cannabis) (equated to SG-14): four years of qualifying experience OR an associate degree and two years of qualifying experience OR a bachelor's degree• Investigative Specialist Trainee 2 (Cannabis) (equated to SG-16): five years of qualifying experience OR an associate degree and three years of qualifying experience OR a bachelor’s degree and one year of qualifying experience.• Investigative Specialist 1 (Cannabis), SG-18: six years of qualifying experience OR qualifying associate and four years of qualifying experience OR qualifying bachelor and two years of qualifying experience. SG-18 Qualifying degree: Applicants with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, cyber security, law enforcement, police science, criminal justice administration, criminology, criminal investigation, police studies, public justice, forensic accounting, forensic psychology, forensic science, economic crime management, or homeland security will be credited with four years of the required experience. Applicants with an associate degree in a field listed above will be credited with two years of the required experience.ORApplicants may also be appointed to this position if currently reachable on the appropriate eligible list for this title OR are a current New York State employee with one year or more of qualifying permanent service in a position allocated to a Grade 12 or above and eligible for transfer under Section 70.1 of the Civil Service Law.Preferred Qualifications:• Possession of a valid New York City or local county firearm permit.• Current Peace Officer status.NOTE: IN ORDER TO AWARD THE PROPER CREDIT FOR WORK EXPERIENCE, RESUMES MUST INCLUDE MONTH AND YEAR FOR START AND END DATES. IF ANY OF THIS EXPERIENCE IS LESS THAN FULL TIME YOU MUST INDICATE THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF HOURS WORKED PER WEEK.

Additional Comments • Travel may be required (approximately 40%), including during evening and weekends, depending on mission and assignment. • Possession and maintenance of a valid Driver’s License issued by the NYS Department of Motor Vehicle is required, or otherwise demonstrate the capacity to meet the transportation needs of the job. *There is no examination required for appointment to a NY HELPS position. Candidates hired via NY HELPS will be appointed on a permanent non-competitive basis and will begin a probationary period.At a future date (within one year of permanent appointment), it is expected that NY HELPS employees will have their non-competitive employment status converted to competitive status, without having to take an exam. Employees will then be afforded with all the same rights and privileges of competitive class employees of New York State. While serving permanently in a NY HELPS title, employees may take part in any promotion examination for which they are qualified.The Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) is an equal opportunity employer, and we recognize that diversity in our workforce is critical to fulfilling our mission. We encourage applicants from all communities to apply. For a full version of OCM’s EEO/AA statement and benefits of joining OCM, please visit: About | Office of Cannabis Management (ny.gov). NYS Office of Cannabis Management does not participate in E-Verify and does not sponsor visa applications. NOTE ON TELECOMMUTING: Employees are required to apply and obtain approval through management to telecommute according to the agency’s Telecommuting Program Guidelines.

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Name Human Resources/JY

Telephone 518-473-5282

Fax 518-486-1631

Email Address [email protected]

Address

Street NYS Office of General Services, HRM

31st Floor Corning Tower, Empire State Plaza

City Albany

State NY

Zip Code 12242

Notes on Applying Please submit a resume and cover letter to [email protected] detailing how you meet the minimum qualifications along with the month/year and, if less than full time, the average hours worked per week for each position listed. Indicate the Position Title & Vacancy ID number of each position you are applying to.

How this job compares

Set against the 591 open Investigator jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 5, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$56–89K/yr
  • New York median$70–87K/yr67 salary ranges
  • US median$70–101K/yr311 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $73K, is 6% below the New York median midpoint ($77K) — in the middle half of Investigator salary ranges in New York.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 83 open Investigator jobs in New York and 591 across the US. 7% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in New York
Experience
This posting asks for at least 6 years of experience — more than three in four Investigator postings that state a minimum ask for (median 3 years, across 391 postings).
Education
185 of the 591 open Investigator jobs (31%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 5, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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