First Assistant Attorney General – Medicaid Fraud

The Colorado Department of Law is recruiting for the First Assistant Attorney General to help lead the Colorado Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (COMFCU). This is an exciting opportunity to make a difference in the lives of Coloradans! The Unit works investigates cases that directly impacts residents of the State of Colorado. The Office of the Attorney General offers the opportunity to be involved in challenging, interesting, and meaningful work in a collaborative environment supported by leadership committed to effective and innovative law enforcement.

The Colorado Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (COMFCU) is a multidisciplinary team tasked with two missions, the investigation and prosecution of Medicaid provider fraud and the investigation and prosecution of the abuse and neglect of the most vulnerable Coloradans. To that end the work of the COMFCU is primarily focused in three areas:

• Fraudulent conduct by Medicaid providers and individuals involved with providing Medicaid services.
• The abuse, neglect, and exploitation of individuals in health care facilities that receive Medicaid funds or in board and care facilities.
• The recovery of Medicaid overpayments identified in the investigation of fraud, patient abuse and neglect, and financial exploitation of clients.

The work of COMFCU is some of the most diverse and rewarding work possible for a legal practitioner and provides an opportunity to learn, explore and make the law that will protect the integrity of the program that provides healthcare for those most in need throughout Colorado.

In this role an individual will be tasked with developing their expertise in the state and federal statutes and regulations that govern medical practitioners, the provision of health care, coverage of medical interventions, the filing of false claims with the government, and kickbacks.

This work will also involve the investigation into the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of Colorado patients.

WHAT YOU WILL DO
The First Assistant Attorney General (“First”) is responsible for leading a team of individuals with diverse backgrounds in investigations, the medical field, as well as civil and criminal litigation.  The First reports to the Assistant Deputy Attorney General of Corporate Fraud and participates in management and leadership teams for the Section and the Office.

The First facilitates the work and operations of the Unit, promoting collaboration, engagement, integrity, and exceptional legal service. The First assigns and oversees cases to COMFCU attorneys, coordinates workflow, and carries an independent workload. In addition, the First has management responsibilities that include making hiring and salary recommendations; coaching and evaluating the attorneys and paralegal; and reporting to senior management on legal, operational, and personnel matters.

Specific duties include:

• Maintaining communication with victims and other stakeholders to keep them apprised of the status of COMFCU investigations;
• Assist in the preparation of cases for court;
• Review of affidavits for both arrest and search warrants;
• Reviewing medical records both independently and with the assistance of medical personnel to discover individual events or patterns of neglect and abuse, or falsified records;
• Assist in the execution of COMFCU search warrants and the seizure of evidence as needed, even outside of normal duty hours;
• Ability to assist in the development of investigative techniques and case strategies to be utilized based upon the nature of the investigation;
• Appear in court for hearings and trials both in Colorado and nationwide;
• Participate in public education and recommend needed legislation and revision of regulations;
• Handle a caseload which may include high profile or complex cases in the unit and to supervise other staff performing the same;
• Serve as a frontline leader, including being responsible for employee performance management activities.

Salary note: Although a salary range is listed, salary will be set commensurate with the successful candidate’s qualifications and in compliance with the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in the Department of Law.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
The First Assistant Attorney General is part of the Office of the Attorney General/Department of Law leadership team. As such, the strongest candidates will demonstrate excellence in the following competencies.

Communication & Listening – Inspires confidence through active listening and effective communication with the public, leadership, colleagues, and staff.
Flexible & Adaptable Management – Accepts, adapts, and contributes positively to change; leads with new concepts and ideas; and encourages others to be equally adaptive and flexible.
Coaching & Developing People – Invests in our talent through coaching and sponsorship and by pushing individuals outside of their comfort zones to grow as professionals.
Creative & Strategic Problem Solving – Takes a result-oriented, open-minded, and innovative approach to overcoming challenges and dealing with crises.
Enterprise & Growth Mindset – Balances the desires of the public, leadership, colleagues, and staff with the broader interest of the enterprise.
Client Service, Interpersonal Skills, and Emotional Intelligence– Demonstrates and models self- awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and sensitivity in working with members of the public, colleagues, and staff.

Applicants for the First Assistant Attorney General – Medicaid Fraud position must meet the following criteria:

• Admitted to the Colorado bar or clearly eligible to waive into the Colorado Bar and be in good standing at the time of application. Applicants eligible to waive into the bar must be eligible to Practice Pending Admission.

Given that this position is a manager-level role, the strongest candidates will: 1) have significant litigation experience, ideally in both civil and criminal matters; 2) have formal or informal experience as a coach, mentor, and/or manager – with a demonstrated ability to develop individuals and teams professionally; 3) be committed to and value diversity, equity, inclusion, and public service; 4) have organizational or team leadership experience and be eager to work with our leadership team on high-level, strategic decisions for the Unit and the enterprise; and 5) be an outstanding legal writer who is capable of coaching others on their writing.

In addition, we are particularly interested in candidates that have a background in the following areas: Experience with regulatory law (state & federal); Medicaid fraud; complex white-collar cases, healthcare cases, and and/or state and federal healthcare regulations (i.e., Medicaid, Medicare, HHS/OIG exclusion) and HIPPA.

Conditions of Employment: 

• The final candidates for employment must successfully pass a thorough criminal background investigation.
• Candidates eligible to waive into the Colorado Bar will be required to submit proof of their completed application and application for Practice Pending Admission before the first day of employment. For more information about admission to the Colorado bar please review information on the Colorado Supreme Court Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel website.