ASSISTANT DISABILITY OFFICER

City of Chicago; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Chicago's Department of Human Resources, Diversity and Equal Employment Opportunity Division, seeks an Assistant Disability Officer to assist in administering the city’s Reasonable Accommodation Program under the Disability Officer’s guidance.

You will guide disability staff, coordinate with departments, process accommodation requests, maintain confidential records, and help develop policies, training, and outreach to ensure lawful, equitable treatment of employees with disabilities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources management, organizational development or a directly related field.
• Master’s degree in HR management, organizational development or related field is preferred.
• ABA-accredited law school degree with relevant work experience may satisfy requirements.

Responsibilities

• Assist in administering the Reasonable Accommodation Program under the Disability Officer guidance.
• Coordinate with departments to resolve accommodation issues and maintain records.
• Process and review reasonable accommodation and pregnancy-related requests.
• Develop and update policies, procedures, and training materials on reasonable accommodations.
• Maintain confidentiality and ensure compliance with HIPAA and ADA regulations.
• Respond to information requests from legal and regulatory bodies as needed.
• Support onboarding and training of Disability Office staff.
• Prepare program reports and provide recommendations based on data.

Skills

Critical Thinking

Novel issue resolution

Data analysis

Legal research and analysis

Deescalation

Leadership counseling/advising

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR/organizational development or related field

Master’s degree in HR/OD or related field

ABA-approved law school degree

Job description

Department of Human Resources

Diversity and Equal Employment Opportunity Division

Number of Positions: 1

(Additional Vacancies Possible Pending Budget Approval)

Starting Salary: $100,248.00 annually

6.

Under direction, assists in the administration of the City’s Reasonable Accommodation Program by processing and reviewing reasonable accommodation and pregnancy‑related requests under the guidance of the Disability Officer, and performs related duties as required.

• Guides and supports Associate Disability Officers and Human Resources Generalists.
• Resolves complex accommodation issues, maintains records of actions taken, and communicates resolutions to the team.
• Coordinates with departments and other City offices regarding issue resolution process clarity and collaboration.
• Assists in oversight of accommodation‑related procurement and employee reassignment processes.
• Supports pregnancy and pumping related accommodations and related logistics.
• Develops and supports the Disability Liaison program.
• Manages reasonable accommodation training.
• Assists in the improvement of Disability Office operations.
• Assists with onboarding new Disability Office employees.
• Conducts research and special projects.
• Manages reasonable accommodation requests, as needed.
• Monitors and participates as needed in the receiving and reviewing of reasonable accommodation and pregnancy‑related requests, gathering supporting documentation, including medical documentation, and consulting with employees, applicants, and medical professionals to help determine the appropriate decision.
• Monitors and participates as needed in the interactive process, including written and oral communications with the requesting employee, supervisors, department leadership, and the employee’s medical provider, under the direction of the Disability Officer.
• Conducts research on effective accommodation alternatives and options that will not create undue hardship for the City, and prepares draft reports and recommendations for review by the Disability Officer.
• Assists in ensuring consistency with respect to determination notice dispositions and language used in documentation.
• Assists in developing and updating policies, procedures, and training materials concerning the reasonable accommodation process and disability issues.
• Ensures that all medical‑related information is processed and maintained in accordance with confidentiality safeguards and protocols.
• Maintains record‑keeping, documentation, and reports related to requests, including the Department of Human Resources’ regarding accommodation requests.
• Assists in responding to requests for information from the Department of Law and/or external regulatory agencies (e.g., U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Illinois Department of Human Rights, or the Chicago Commission on Human Relations).
• Monitors and stays abreast of federal, state, and local laws, as well as court cases and trends related to providing reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities and brings relevant developments to the attention of the Disability Officer.
• Assists in maintaining the case file system, ensuring compliance with laws governing confidentiality (e.g., HIPAA, Title I of ADA, etc.).
• Assists in preparing program reports (e.g., statistical, trend analysis, etc.) and recommending actions to be taken pursuant to the information gathered.

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Assistant Disability Officer

Department of Human Resources

Diversity and Equal Employment Opportunity Division

Number of Positions: 1

(Additional Vacancies Possible Pending Budget Approval)

Starting Salary: $100,248.00 annually

Under direction, assists in the administration of the City’s Reasonable Accommodation Program by processing and reviewing reasonable accommodation and pregnancy‑related requests under the guidance of the Disability Officer, and performs related duties as required.

Essential Duties

• Guides and supports Associate Disability Officers and Human Resources Generalists.
• Resolves complex accommodation issues, maintains records of actions taken, and communicates resolutions to the team.
• Coordinates with departments and other City offices regarding issue resolution process clarity and collaboration.
• Assists in oversight of accommodation‑related procurement and employee reassignment processes.
• Supports pregnancy and pumping related accommodations and related logistics.
• Develops and supports the Disability Liaison program.
• Manages reasonable accommodation training.
• Assists in the improvement of Disability Office operations.
• Assists with onboarding new Disability Office employees.
• Conducts research and special projects.
• Manages reasonable accommodation requests, as needed.
• Monitors and participates as needed in the receiving and reviewing of reasonable accommodation and pregnancy‑related requests, gathering supporting documentation, including medical documentation, and consulting with employees, applicants, and medical professionals to help determine the appropriate decision.
• Monitors and participates as needed in the interactive process, including written and oral communications with the requesting employee, supervisors, department leadership, and the employee’s medical provider, under the direction of the Disability Officer.
• Conducts research on effective accommodation alternatives and options that will not create undue hardship for the City, and prepares draft reports and recommendations for review by the Disability Officer.
• Assists in ensuring consistency with respect to determination notice dispositions and language used in documentation.
• Assists in developing and updating policies, procedures, and training materials concerning the reasonable accommodation process and disability issues.
• Ensures that all medical‑related information is processed and maintained in accordance with confidentiality safeguards and protocols.
• Maintains record‑keeping, documentation, and reports related to requests, including the Department of Human Resources’ regarding accommodation requests.
• Assists in responding to requests for information from the Department of Law and/or external regulatory agencies (e.g., U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Illinois Department of Human Rights, or the Chicago Commission on Human Relations).
• Monitors and stays abreast of federal, state, and local laws, as well as court cases and trends related to providing reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities and brings relevant developments to the attention of the Disability Officer.
• Assists in maintaining the case file system, ensuring compliance with laws governing confidentiality (e.g., HIPAA, Title I of ADA, etc.).
• Assists in preparing program reports (e.g., statistical, trend analysis, etc.) and recommending actions to be taken pursuant to the information gathered.

Additional Duties May Be Required For This Position.

Location

121 N. LaSalle St., Room 1100, Chicago, IL 60602

Days

Monday through Friday

Hours

8:30 AM to 4:30 PM

THIS POSITION IS IN THE CAREER SERVICE

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree in human resources management, organizational development or a directly related field, plus three (3) years of work experience in equal employment opportunity (EEO), or employee relations that includes handling disability‑related investigations or processes,

OR

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a master’s degree or higher in human resources management, organizational development or a directly related field, plus two (2) years of work experience in equal employment opportunity (EEO), or employee relations that includes handling disability‑related investigations or processes,

OR

Graduation from an American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law school, plus two (2) years of professional work experience in employment relations.

LICENSURE, CERTIFICATION, Or OTHER QUALIFICATIONS

Preference may be given to applicants with coursework or experience related to ADA compliance, reasonable accommodation requests, or disability‑related case management.

Desired Skills

• Critical Thinking
• Novel issue resolution
• Data analysis
• Legal research and analysis
• Deescalation
• Leadership counseling/advising

Selection Requirements

This position requires applicants to complete an interview. The interviewed candidate(s) possessing the qualifications best suited to fulfill the responsibilities of the position will be selected.

For Information on our employees benefits please visit our benefits website at: https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/fin/benefits-office.html

City of Chicago :: Classification and Pay Plan

APPLICATION EVALUATION:

Initial evaluation will be based on information provided on the application and the documents submitted. Department of Human Resource staff will review applications after the final posting date. Staff will follow any and all required Employment/Hiring Plan provisions, federal, state and local laws, and Collective Bargaining Agreements when applicable. Staff will apply hiring preferences as required by the municipal code. Placement on an eligibility list is not an offer or guarantee of an interview nor employment with the City of Chicago.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY:

To further our commitment to hiring applicants with diverse experience the City of Chicago has adopted the following ordinances 2-74-020 and 2-74-075. The ordinances provide a preference to applicants who meet minimum qualifications and who are veterans of the Armed Forces, and/or residents of Socio‑Economically Disadvantaged Areas (SEDA) and/or Chicago Public School (CPS) high school graduates to be referred to departments for consideration. These hiring preferences do not apply to bidders, as Collective Bargaining Agreements define the hiring process for bidders. For positions covered by a collective bargaining agreement, bidders will be considered before external candidates.

ALL REFERENCES TO POLITICAL SPONSORSHIP OR RECOMMENDATION MUST BE OMITTED FROM ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS SUBMITTED FOR CITY EMPLOYMENT.

The City of Chicago is an Equal Employment Opportunity, Military Friendly, and Fair Chance Employer.

City of Chicago

Brandon Johnson, Mayor