Richard Verner is a heuristician.
I had to look it up. That occupation is a person who practices or teaches the "study and use of heuristic techniques." Okay, I then looked that up and found that a heuristic technique is, according to Wikipedia, "any approach to problem solving or self-discovery that employs a practical method that is not guaranteed to be optimal, perfect, or rational, but is nevertheless sufficient for reaching an immediate, short-term goal or approximation. Where finding an optimal solution is impossible or impractical, heuristic methods can be used to speed up the process of finding a satisfactory solution."
Further descriptions state, "Examples that employ heuristics include using trial and error, a rule of thumb or an educated guess."
In this regard we can safely assume that Verner is a consultant. One thing he makes sure to tell people coming to him for such consultation, though, is that he is not a detective; he has so skills in forensics or fingerprint analysis or the like. What he can do is to come up with interesting approaches to problem solving. As such, it is no wonder that he is often referred to as 'the Problem Solver'.
Verner must make a living in this line of work because we learn that he has an office complete with a secretary named Jean. Further, he has business cards made across the top of which is printed "When Desperate, Call ---" and his number.
He is said to have gray eyes which take on a glint when he has warmed up to his current task. He is also described as having "faintly red-Indian features" with "a tall frame that gave a somewhat catlike appearance of lithe quick strength. His waist was narrow and his face lean."