Inspector General

Role overview

The Oklahoma Department of Human Services is hiring an Inspector General in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. This is a senior executive law enforcement position that leads the Office of Inspector General and the Office of Background Investigations. The role provides independent oversight of agency programs with the goal of preventing, identifying, and investigating fraud, waste, and abuse.

The selected leader will manage a multidisciplinary team that includes law enforcement officers, investigators, auditors, and support staff. The purpose of the position is to strengthen program integrity, protect vulnerable communities, and ensure public funds are used responsibly. The job calls for strong executive judgment, deep investigative experience, and a high level of independence and integrity.

Compensation and benefits

The annual salary for this position is $130,273.93, along with full state employee benefits.

Travel and work conditions

Travel requirements are extensive. A valid driver’s license and current car insurance are required and must be maintained. The job involves both office and field work. It is not eligible for telework. The position is classified as safety sensitive under Oklahoma law and may require evening or weekend work when needed.

Key responsibilities

This position oversees statewide program integrity activity across OKDHS benefit programs, including SNAP, TANF, Medicaid/SoonerCare, Child Care Assistance, Child Support Services, and Child Welfare Services. Responsibilities include fraud prevention, detection, investigations, quality control, audit coordination, and compliance activities designed to protect state and federal resources.

The Inspector General will set and run a risk-based fraud detection approach using data analytics, predictive modeling, and pattern analysis. The role also includes oversight of EBT trafficking investigations, the PARIS program, investigative evidence handling, and case documentation to support recovery of improper payments and administrative or criminal enforcement actions.

Other duties include leading commissioned law enforcement personnel who handle criminal fraud matters, administrative violation inquiries, internal affairs cases, and investigations involving employee misconduct, contractor fraud, provider fraud, recipient fraud, and other crimes affecting OKDHS programs.

The role manages the complete investigation process, including intake, referrals, warrants, subpoenas, court orders, prosecution coordination, documentation, and expert testimony, while ensuring cases are handled in line with criminal procedure and evidentiary standards.

This leader serves as OKDHS’s main point of contact with the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, CMS, and other oversight bodies. The position also builds partnerships with local, state, and federal agencies such as the FBI, USDA OIG, HHS OIG, U.S. Attorney’s Offices, District Attorneys, and the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office.

In addition, the Inspector General provides executive oversight for the Office of Inspector General and Office of Background Investigations, including strategic planning, performance tracking, budgets, federal grant funding, staffing, workforce development, statewide fingerprint-based background checks, and reporting results and recommendations to leadership.

The role advises executive leadership with objective findings and recommendations to improve program integrity, regulatory compliance, risk management, and fraud prevention, while monitoring emerging risks, legislative updates, and best practices. It also ensures internal policies, procedures, professional standards, state and federal compliance, and timely submission of required federal reports and audit responses.

Qualifications

Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, public administration, business administration, accounting, law, or a closely related field. They must also have seven years of progressively responsible professional experience in law enforcement, investigations, legal work, audit, or public administration, including four years in supervisory or administrative leadership roles. No substitution is allowed for the required supervisory experience.

Preferred qualifications include an advanced degree such as a J.D., M.P.A., M.B.A., M.S. in Criminal Justice or Forensic Accounting, or an equivalent credential; active CLEET certification or an out-of-state law enforcement certification eligible for reciprocal CLEET certification within the probationary period; a Certified Inspector General designation; a Certified Fraud Examiner credential; a Certified Internal Auditor or Certified Public Accountant credential; and direct leadership experience in program integrity operations within a state human services agency, federal agency, or large public sector organization.

Additional preferred experience includes knowledge of federal integrity requirements for SNAP, Medicaid, TANF, and Child Care programs; use of analytics platforms and predictive modeling for fraud detection; management of Medicaid Fraud Control Unit partnerships or federally funded investigative programs; and familiarity with PARIS, SAVE, and similar federal data-matching systems.

Skills and competencies

The ideal candidate brings strong knowledge of administrative investigations, criminal law, public assistance program rules, fraud prevention methods, data analytics, financial oversight, and forensic accounting. The role also requires strong leadership, communication, relationship management, confidentiality, professional independence, sound judgment, and the ability to work with multidisciplinary teams and present findings to leadership and prosecutors.

Equal opportunity and additional notes

OKDHS is a Fair Chance Employer. This is an executive management role and is not subject to Oklahoma Civil Service rules. Questions may be directed to DHS.Careers@okdhs.org.

Announcement Number: 26-KM123. Reference: 83011488/JR61887.

Employment details

This is a full-time onsite position based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

No openings count, application deadline, or start date was provided in the source.