INVESTIGATOR

Department of Toxic Substances Control · Orange County

Salary: $6,339 – $10,609 per month

Job description and requirements

Job Description and Duties **Applications will be reviewed on the 1st and 15th of each month. Are you interested in a challenging opportunity to make a difference in underrepresented communities? The DTSC's Office of Criminal Investigations is hiring. Become part of a specialized team of Sworn Peace Officers dedicated to investigating the most egregious environmental violations for the protection of human health and the environment. Join us in making a difference. Apply today! As an Investigator you will have the opportunity to: • Investigate violations of the California Hazardous Waste Control Law by reviewing and responding to complaints, tips and other information submitted to OCI that alleges illegal Hazardous Waste Activities in the State • Use databases such as Accurint, Envirostor, local property records, CLETS (California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System), California Secretary of State filings, California Department of Motor Vehicles records, DTSC’s Hazardous Waste Tracking System (HWTS), and California Environmental Reporting System (CERS) to research site(s) of violation, responsible entities/parties, background data and compliance and enforcement history of suspects, suspect sites, and suspect entities • Plan and determine best investigatory methods to be used to gather, analyze, and present evidence for a solid legal case that can substantiate the violation(s) occurred and/or is/are occurring such as, obtains hazardous waste samples for physical evidence from the site and documents the collected evidence, transport to a DTSC laboratory for testing and handles according to proper laboratory and law enforcement standards • Write statements of probable cause and capably present facts to appropriate judicial officials for the purpose of obtaining search and arrest warrants • Accurately transcribe and document witness and suspect verbal statements (including date, time, place, and contact information) to include in case support files • Capture and preserve usable photographic/video/other evidence and organize and assemble photo logs of surveyed sites and activities, plus obtain photos/video from third parties, to include in case support files Desirable Qualifications We Look For: • Bilingual Spanish preferred but not required. Must pass Spanish Fluency Examination • Current POST peace officer desired • Experience in digital forensics • Previous law enforcement or investigative experiences You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement. Special Requirements • The position(s) require(s) a valid California Drivers License (CDL). You must answer the questions addressing your CDL on your application. Ensure you provide your CDL number, class, expiration date, and any endorsements and/or restrictions. • The position(s) require(s) a Background Investigation be cleared prior to being hired. • The position(s) require(s) Medical Clearance prior to being hired. • The position(s) require(s) Psychological Evaluation clearance prior to being hired. This position has been reposted. If you have previously applied for JC-518646 your application will NOT be considered. Therefore, you must apply to JC-527942 to be considered.
Show full description and requirements

Job Description and Duties

**Applications will be reviewed on the 1st and 15th of each month.

Are you interested in a challenging opportunity to make a difference in underrepresented communities? The DTSC's Office of Criminal Investigations is hiring. Become part of a specialized team of Sworn Peace Officers dedicated to investigating the most egregious environmental violations for the protection of human health and the environment. Join us in making a difference. Apply today!

As an Investigator you will have the opportunity to:

  • Investigate violations of the California Hazardous Waste Control Law by reviewing and responding to complaints, tips and other information submitted to OCI that alleges illegal Hazardous Waste Activities in the State
  • Use databases such as Accurint, Envirostor, local property records, CLETS (California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System), California Secretary of State filings, California Department of Motor Vehicles records, DTSC’s Hazardous Waste Tracking System (HWTS), and California Environmental Reporting System (CERS) to research site(s) of violation, responsible entities/parties, background data and compliance and enforcement history of suspects, suspect sites, and suspect entities
  • Plan and determine best investigatory methods to be used to gather, analyze, and present evidence for a solid legal case that can substantiate the violation(s) occurred and/or is/are occurring such as, obtains hazardous waste samples for physical evidence from the site and documents the collected evidence, transport to a DTSC laboratory for testing and handles according to proper laboratory and law enforcement standards
  • Write statements of probable cause and capably present facts to appropriate judicial officials for the purpose of obtaining search and arrest warrants
  • Accurately transcribe and document witness and suspect verbal statements (including date, time, place, and contact information) to include in case support files
  • Capture and preserve usable photographic/video/other evidence and organize and assemble photo logs of surveyed sites and activities, plus obtain photos/video from third parties, to include in case support files

Desirable Qualifications We Look For:

  • Bilingual Spanish preferred but not required. Must pass Spanish Fluency Examination
  • Current POST peace officer desired
  • Experience in digital forensics
  • Previous law enforcement or investigative experiences

You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.

Special Requirements

  • The position(s) require(s) a valid California Drivers License (CDL). You must answer the questions addressing your CDL on your application. Ensure you provide your CDL number, class, expiration date, and any endorsements and/or restrictions.
  • The position(s) require(s) a Background Investigation be cleared prior to being hired.
  • The position(s) require(s) Medical Clearance prior to being hired.
  • The position(s) require(s) Psychological Evaluation clearance prior to being hired.

This position has been reposted. If you have previously applied for JC-518646 your application will NOT be considered. Therefore, you must apply to JC-527942 to be considered.

About this opportunity

Salary context

The annualized midpoint for this posting is $101,688. That matches the $101,688 median among 14 current California public jobs with the same normalized title.

More jobs at this employer

Department of Toxic Substances Control currently has 9 other open positions in this database.

Regional hiring context

There are 45 current state openings in Orange County, including this position.

Application timeline

This is a continuous filing that has been listed for 82 days since CA Public Jobs first observed it.

Similar roles at other employers

These employers are currently listing the same normalized role:

Posting history

This posting appears on CalCareers. CA Public Jobs first observed it on August 14, 2026. It was last verified open on November 4, 2026.

View the official posting