Deputy Director, Investigations and Compliance Unit

NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services; New York (NY); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Job summary

NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) seeks a Deputy Director for Investigations and Compliance within Citywide Equity and Inclusion (CEI). The role oversees intake, investigations, and enforcement of EEO policies across city agencies, reporting to the Executive Director.

The selected candidate must be a NYS Bar member with at least four years of relevant legal experience, including supervisory duties, and possess strong analytical, communication, and project-management

Qualifications

• Admission to the New York State Bar and four years of recent full-time legal experience after admission, including at least 18 months supervising other attorneys.
• Experience conducting EEO investigations, civil rights compliance, or workplace conduct investigations.
• Strong knowledge of federal, state, and local equal employment opportunity laws and regulations.

Responsibilities

• Manage intake of EEO complaints and determine CEI jurisdiction and next steps.
• Oversee third-party investigations into discrimination and harassment.
• Coordinate investigations with attorneys and set investigative strategies.
• Draft thorough investigative reports with findings aligned to EEO Policy.
• Provide guidance to agency EEO personnel on policy interpretation and accommodations.

Skills

EEO investigations

Civil rights compliance

Workplace investigations

Policy development

Data analysis

Project management

Supervisory experience

Policy interpretation

Communication skills

Microsoft Office

Education

Admitted to NYS Bar

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

DCAS's mission is to make city government work for all New Yorkers. From managing New York City’s most iconic courthouses and municipal buildings, to purchasing over $1 billion annually in goods and services for more than 80 City agencies what we do ensures that all agencies can deliver on their mission. Our reach touches every facet of city government and is instrumental to the successful day-to-day operations of the City of New York.

Our Commitment To Equity, Effectiveness, And Sustainability Guides Our Work Providing City Agencies With The Critical Resources And Support Needed To Succeed, Including

• Recruiting, hiring, and training City employees.
• Managing 56 public buildings.
• Acquiring, selling, and leasing City property.
• Purchasing over $1 billion in goods and services for City agencies.
• Overseeing the greenest municipal vehicle fleet in the country.
• Leading the City's efforts to reduce carbon emissions from government operations.

When you work at DCAS, you're not just working for one agency, but in service of them all. It's an opportunity to provide impactful support, quality customer service, and help protect the future of New York City for generations to come. Visit our website at nyc.gov/dcas to learn more about the work we do.

The New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) is offering an exciting professional opportunity for a dynamic and collaborative individual with EEO investigative and supervisory experience to serve as the Deputy Director for Investigations and Compliance within Citywide Equity and Inclusion (CEI).

DCAS' Citywide Equity and Inclusion (CEI) provides critical guidance and support to all city agencies to ensure the proper implementation and adherence to federal, state and city mandated workplace non-discrimination policy and procedures, including responsibilities under the New York City Charter and promulgated by the City's EEO Policy. The mission of CEI is to foster the City of New York's emergence as an innovative and global leader in equitable, diverse and inclusive employment practices. CEI is responsible for the development of the City's EEO Policy and other equal employment opportunity (EEO) best practice guidance impacting the workforce across over 80 agencies (mayoral and non-mayoral). The Investigation and Compliance Unit, to which this position belongs, updates and provides guidance to agency EEO Officers on investigative and reasonable accommodation processes, develops and presents legally mandated non-discrimination training curricula, conducts very time-sensitive high-level discrimination complaint investigations when the EEO Officer or agency head is a party.

CEI develops and collaborates on strategies that fulfill the City's EEO mandates, under local laws and executive orders, and equity and inclusion initiatives that drive the development, engagement, advancement, and retention of a diverse and inclusive workforce. CEI also guides city agencies as they establish their own D&I strategies through the charter-mandated annual Diversity & EEO plans that set forth objectives and best practices to implement EEO policies, promote equitable workforce practices, and create engaging and respectful workplace environments.

This position will report directly to the Executive Director, Citywide EEO Investigations and Compliance and will be responsible for providing oversight and guidance to multiply City agencies on investigation and compliance matters.

Responsibilities

• Managing the intake process for EEO complaints, including conducting initial assessments to determine CEI's jurisdiction and whether the complaint should be investigated or forwarded to another agency or department;
• Conducting and overseeing third-party investigations into complaints of discrimination and harassment in the workplace;
• Coordinating with the Executive Director to assign investigations to attorneys and provide guidance on investigative strategies;
• Ensuring that investigations are thorough, timely, and consistent with the City's policies and best practices;
• Drafting and reviewing well-written and well-reasoned investigative reports so that they are clear and supported by the facts, including making findings in accordance with EEO Policy;
• Managing relationships with agency EEO personnel, including providing guidance on the proper interpretation and application of EEO Policy, investigative practices, and requests for reasonable accommodations;
• Serving as a subject matter expert in the development, enhancement and implementation of investigative and complaint procedures and processes in order to develop and adopt a comprehensive strategy to align the City's investigative process;
• Managing case practice reviews entailing reviews of agencies' closed EEO complaints and reasonable accommodation files in order to bring consistency in the application of the EEO Policy and to enhance best practice guidance to all agencies;
• Analyze citywide trends, including inquiry and complaint data, and offer appropriate guidance to agencies in addressing necessary shifts in workplace culture and other systemic concerns;
• Formulating, creating, and monitoring enforcement strategies and ensuring compliance with respect to new legislation, executive orders, and EEO-related legal mandates;
• Providing input on the design and content of discrimination and harassment prevention training for the City's workforce;
• Using subject matter expertise to develop and provide practicum training for agency EEO professionals on investigative protocols/procedures, complaint filling and tracking, and other EEO-related topics;
• Assisting the Executive Director with managing the day-to-day responsibilities of subordinate attorneys, college aides, interns, and CEI support staff, as necessary;
• Demonstrating discretion, tact and diplomacy in communicating difficult and sensitive messaging;
• Advising the Executive Director on important initiatives and trends.

Minimum Qualifications

• Admission to the New York State Bar; and four years of recent full-time responsible, relevant, satisfactory legal experience subsequent to admission to any bar, eighteen months of which must have been in the supervision of other attorneys, in an administrative, managerial or executive capacity, or performing highly complex and significant legal work.
• Incumbents must remain Members of the New York State Bar in good standing for the duration of this employment.

Preferred Skills

• - 5+ years of progressively responsible experience in conducting EEO investigations, civil rights compliance, or workplace conduct investigations
• - Well-versed in federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to equal employment opportunity, sexual harassment, retaliation, and reasonable accommodations
• - Expertise administering and developing investigatory policy, conducting complex investigations involving allegations of discrimination and harassment, and addressing reasonable accommodations
• - Experience working with the City of New York's EEO Policy is a plus
• - Excellent analytical, critical thinking, problem-solving, and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple assignments and priorities, and meet deadlines with limited supervision
• - Successful supervisory experience of full-time staff, including setting clear expectations, goals, managing priorities and deadlines in order to motivate staff to balance multiple responsibilities
• - Sound judgment, discretion, professionalism and a high degree of confidentiality
• - Superior presentation and verbal/written communication skills, including the ability to build coalitions of stakeholders and nurture relationships and
• - Strong computer proficiency and experience with systems and software including Microsoft Office, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.

Residency Requirement

New York City Residency is not required for this position

Additional Information

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.