Background Investigator (Full-Time)

Background Investigator (Full-Time)

Salary

$72,567.00 - $115,363.00 Annually

Location

100 Edison Park Dr Gaithersburg MD 20878 USA

Job Type

Permanent

Remote Employment

Flexible/Hybrid

Job Number

2026-00488

Department

Department of Police

Division

POL 47 MSB Personnel Division

Opening Date

08/18/2026

Closing Date

8/25/2026 11:59 PM Eastern

FLSA

Exempt

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

About the Position

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THIS IS AN INTERNAL "ONLY" JOB POSTING, AVAILABLE TO CURRENT

MONTGOMERY COUNTY GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES ONLY.

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This Position is ONLY Open to Montgomery County Government Employees:

• Current Montgomery County Government employees;
• Montgomery County employees who were affected by reduction-in-force and currently have RIF priority rights;
• Active Montgomery County local fire and rescue department volunteers with at least 50 points under the length of service award program (LOSAP); or
• Active Project SEARCH Interns or former Montgomery County Government Customized Employment Public Interns, or Project SEARCH Interns within 24 months of completion of internship.

Please note: The salary range above represents this position's earning potential. The anticipated hiring range for this position will be $72,567 to $115363 based on the candidate's qualifications and experience.

WHO WE ARE

The Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) is made up of approximately 1,300 sworn officers and approximately 800 support personnel. The Police Department was established in 1922 and today is responsible for providing service to a County with a population of over one million people.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

MCPD Personnel Division is seeking an individual that has Law Enforcement employee background investigative experience. Can handle a large workload and work closely with applicants applying for Sworn and Professional Staff positions.

What Youll Be Doing

A Background Investigator will ensure the most qualified applicants for both sworn and professional staff positions are selected for positions with this agency. The Background Investigator will assess an applicant's suitability for a position with the Montgomery County Police Department. An incumbent in this class conducts thorough and objective background investigations of applicants to determine employment suitability

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Conducts thorough and complete background investigations according to department policies, applicable laws, and procedural requirements; reviews applications/personal history statements (and other documents, as required to determine suitability) for completeness and directs applicants to provide additional information if needed; obtains proper information release documents.
• Contacts and conduct face-to-face investigative interviews of applicants, applicant personal references and applicant employment references; develops and pursues lines of inquiry. Effectively communicates both orally and in writing.
• Collects, verifies, and analyzes personal, professional, credit/financial, military, driving and educational documents; contacts other agencies, governments, and professional organizations to obtain and verify information.
• Researches, obtains, and reviews data from various databases and information systems to verify information and/or check for inconsistencies related to applicant information. Utilizes law enforcement databases to collect civil and criminal history information.
• Must be able to interact professionally with others, speak for extended periods of time in person and over the phone and transcribe all obtained information into clear and concise letters, memorandums, and reports.
• Prepare comprehensive investigative reports and executive summaries that clearly communicate findings.
• Make well-supported recommendations regarding an applicant's suitability for employment.
• Assists outside agencies when appropriately requested to provide background information regarding previous applicant background investigation, answers applicant questions.
• Attends training sessions, seminars and conferences; trains and advises others as required. May be required to travel to interview sources and verify information.
• Manages confidential information with care and discretion, observing the Privacy Act, ADA, and working independently, establishing work priorities and coordinating work to meet deadlines.
• Employee must successfully complete a comprehensive background investigation to be able to access information required to perform the work of this position

This position requires out of the office work traveling to various locations to conduct investigations.

Minimum Qualifications

Experience: Two (2) years of investigative experience related to police or employment background inquiries or directly related to conducting public safety pre-employment background investigations.

Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree.

Equivalency: An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted.

Preferred Criteria, Interview Preferences

• Experience conducting investigations and preparing extensive written investigative reports; conducting pre-employment background investigations on applicants for public safety positions is preferred.
• Experience in utilizing interviewing techniques.
• Experience in utilizing law enforcement computer systems, such as NCIC, METERS, etc.
• Experience operating a personal computer utilizing Word, Excel, Access, etc.
• Experience working with guidelines, federal, state and local laws regarding the conducting of background investigations including the American with Disabilities Act and Age Discrimination in Employment Act.
• Experience training employees to assist in conducting pre-employment background Investigations.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

The Office of Human Resources (OHR) reviews the minimum qualifications of all applicants, irrespective of whether the candidate has previously been found to have met the minimum requirements for the job or been temporarily promoted to the same position. This evaluation is based solely on the information contained in the application/resume submitted for this specific position.

Montgomery County Government(MCG) is an equal opportunity employer, committed to workforce diversity. Accordingly, as it relates to employment opportunities, the County will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, in accordance with the law. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should email OHR at Hiring@montgomerycountymd.gov. Individual determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made in accordance with all applicable laws.

MCG also provides hiring preference to certain categories of veterans and veterans/persons with a disability. For more information and to claim employment preference, refer to the Careers webpage on Hiring Preference.

All applicants will respond to a series of questions related to their education, relevant experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities required to minimally perform the job. The applicants responses in conjunction with their resume and all other information provided in the employment application process will be evaluated to determine the minimum qualifications and preferred criteria or interview preference status. Based on the results, the highest qualified applicants will be placed on an Eligible List and may be considered for an interview. Employees meeting minimum qualifications who are the same grade will be placed on the Eligible List as a "Lateral Transfer" candidate and may be considered for an interview.

This will establish an Eligible List that may be used to fill both current and future vacancies.

If selected for consideration for this position, you may be required to provide evidence that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities indicated on your resume.

Montgomery County Ethics Law: Except as provided by law or regulation, the Countys "Public Employees" (which does not include employees of the Sheriffs office) are subject to the Countys ethics law including the requirements to obtain advanced approval of any outside employment and the prohibitions on certain outside employment. The outside employment requirements of the ethics law can be found at 19A-12 of the County Code. Additional information about outside employment can be obtained from the Ethics Commission website.

Leave Benefits

Our generous leave package starts with non-MLS permanent and term employees earning 15 days of sick leave and 15 days of annual leave in their first year, as well as up to three additional personal days each calendar year. Positions in MLS earn 35 days of paid time off each year. In addition, we offer all employees 10 paid holidays. Our leave policies adhere to the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993, and we provide six weeks of paid parental leave for new parents.

Retirement Benefits

All permanent and term positions are eligible for robust retirement plans. Public safety positions are eligible for a defined benefit pension plan in which they are vested after only five years. Employees in non-public safety positions can participate in retirement plans that contribute up to 12 percent of their annual salary. All employees can also participate in a supplemental retirement plan, the 457 Deferred Compensation Plan, to contribute even more to their retirement goals.

Tuition Assistance & Student Loan Forgiveness

Montgomery County employees are eligible to participate in the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Participants who meet all requirements may qualify for forgiveness on the remaining balance on their Direct Loans after making 120 qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan while working full-time in a qualifying public service position. To learn more about PSLF, please visit the Student Loan Repayment Benefits page. Our tuition assistance program allows you to receive up to $2,130 annually in tuition assistance to help you achieve a degree that supports your career path.

Free Mass Transit Benefit

County employees are entitled to use the RideOn Bus service for free with a valid County-employee ID. This benefit can be used any time of the day or evening, including weekends. We also offer a pre-tax flexible spending account to reduce the cost of other mass-transit options such as MARC trains and Metro.

Reduced Child and Health Care Costs

Working for Montgomery County also entitles permanent and term employees to participate in healthcare and childcare Flexible Spending Accounts. These plans allow eligible employees to save on a pretax basis for healthcare and dependent care costs incurred during the plan year.

Employee Wellbeing

We deeply care about your holistic wellness. Our award-winning wellness program, LiveWell, will support you in improving and maintaining your physical, mental, financial, social, and intellectual well-being.

Learn more about our wonderful benefits available to you once you join our team. Montgomery County Benefits

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THIS POSITION IS "ONLY" OPEN TO INTERNAL MONTGOMERY COUNTY GOVERNMENT (MCG) EMPLOYEES. Are you a current MCG employee?

• Yes
• No

Required Question

Employer Montgomery County (MD)

Address 101 Monroe Street

7th Floor

Rockville, Maryland, 20850

Phone 240-777-5000

Website https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/ohr