State of Maryland

A Civil Rights Officer Advanced/Lead is the advanced or lead level of investigating alleged discrimination complaints and negotiating agreements to settle discrimination complaints in housing, employment and public accommodations based on race, color, ancestry or national origin, religion/creed, sex, marital status, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information and familial status.  Employees in this classification at the Advanced level serve as a specialist in charge of one or more significant components of an equal opportunity compliance investigation program or as the primary agency representative responsible for implementation of an equal opportunity compliance program for a designated geographical region of the State.  Employees in this classification at the Lead level assign, review and approve the work of and train lower-level Civil Rights Officers.  Employees in this classification do not supervise other positions.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision from a Civil Rights Officer Supervisor or other designated administrator.  Employees may be required to work evenings and weekends based on staffing needs.  The work may require travel in Maryland and other states.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the class specification.

The Civil Rights Officer Advanced/Lead is differentiated from the Civil Rights Officer III in that the Civil Rights Officer Advanced/Lead performs advanced duties as a specialist in one or more components of an equal opportunity compliance program, implements an equal opportunity compliance program in a designated geographical area or assigns, reviews and approves the work of and trains lower-level Civil Rights Officers, while the Civil Rights Officer III performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.  The Civil Rights Officer Advanced/Lead is differentiated from the Civil Rights Officer Supervisor in that the Civil Rights Officer Supervisor has supervisory responsibility for lower-level Civil Rights Officers.

                                                       (Civil Rights Officer Advanced)

Serves as a specialist in charge of one or more significant components of an equal opportunity compliance program or as the primary agency representative responsible for implementation of a compliance program within a designated geographical region;

Develops operating procedures and guidelines for one or more components of an equal opportunity compliance program or designated geographical region;

Makes recommendations to the equal opportunity program manager or other administrator for the development of new or modified policies and procedures;

Represents the agency as the program component authority on strategic task forces, boards or committees;

Chairs intra-agency groups and/or community committees dealing with program issues for which the employee is considered a subject matter expert;

Provides outreach to minority individuals and groups; Monitors compliance with civil rights laws;

Provides training in civil rights and fair practice concepts, requirements and policies;

Assists the supervisor or program manager in planning, developing and implementing equal opportunity compliance program policies and procedures;

Participates in programs designed to secure full participation of minority groups and individuals in activities of public and private organizations;

Interprets federal and State regulations and laws governing equal opportunity and equal access programs;

Prepares, reviews and analyzes statistical reports concerning equal opportunity programs and objectives;

Keeps abreast of changes in civil rights laws, relations, practices and issues;

Prepares correspondence, reports, documents and electronic mail;

Performs other related duties.

                                                           (Civil Rights Officer Lead)

Assigns, reviews and approves the work of lower-level Civil Rights Officers for investigation and attempted resolution of complaints of alleged discrimination;

Trains lower-level Civil Rights Officers;

Reviews and gives preliminary responses to proposed findings and corrective actions recommended by Civil Rights Officers to insure conformity to operating standards and practices;

Provides outreach to minority individuals and groups;

Monitors compliance with civil rights laws;

Provides training in civil rights and fair practice concepts, requirements and policies;

Assists the supervisor or program manager in planning, developing and implementing equal opportunity compliance program policies and procedures;

Participates in programs designed to secure full participation of minority groups and individuals in activities of public and private organizations;

Interprets federal and State regulations and laws governing equal opportunity and equal access programs;

Prepares, reviews and analyzes statistical reports concerning equal opportunity programs and objectives;

Keeps abreast of changes in civil rights laws, relations, practices and issues;

Prepares correspondence, reports, documents and electronic mail;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of the provisions of federal, State and local laws defining discrimination, such as Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1991 and Human Relations Title 20 of the Annotated Code of Maryland;

Knowledge of the history of discrimination on the basis of race, race, color, ancestry or national origin, religion/creed, sex, marital status, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information and familial status;

Knowledge of the goals, regulations and policies of the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights;

Knowledge of demographic, social and economic conditions within the State of Maryland related to equal opportunity, equal access and fair practice for minority individuals and groups;

Skill in preparing for and conducting investigations, obtaining testimony, recording facts and evaluating conflicting information;

Skill in maintaining records and preparing concise and accurate reports;

Skill in negotiating settlement agreements that are amicable to all parties;

Ability to assign, review and approve the work of and train lower-level Civil Rights Officers;

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with elected officials, Administrative Law Judges, attorneys, business owners, employees, employers, landlords, and the general public;

Ability to represent the agency as a subject matter expert for a significant component of an equal opportunity compliance program;

Ability to testify in court and at public hearings;

Ability to maintain confidentiality of case files;

Ability to conduct studies, analyze information and make clear, effective recommendations;

Ability to communicate effectively;

Ability to counsel, interpret and explain applicable laws and regulations and serve as a resource to refer people to other appropriate regulatory government agencies, private organizations or other groups;

Ability to use word processing, spreadsheet and electronic communication software programs.

Experience: Five years of professional experience investigating alleged discrimination complaints and negotiating agreements to settle discrimination complaints in housing employment and public accommodations.

Notes:

1. Candidates may substitute the possession of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and one year of professional work experience investigating alleged discrimination complaints and negotiating to settle discrimination complaints in housing, employment and public accommodations for the required experience.

2. Candidates may substitute additional years of administrative staff work experience on a year-to-year basis for the required experience.

3. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a commissioned officer in General Legal and Administrative classifications or General Legal and Administrative specialty codes in the Legal field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required experience.

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies.  Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is not assigned to a bargaining unit as indicated by the designation of S (supervisor), M (manager), T (agency head), U (Board or Commission member), W (student), X (excluded by agency), or Z (confidential).  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and therefore, all positions in those agencies are excluded form collective bargaining.