State of Maryland

A Civil Rights Officer Supervisor is the supervisory level of work investigating alleged discrimination complaints and negotiating agreements to settle discrimination complaints in housing, employment and public accommodations based 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 supervise lower-level Civil Rights Officers.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision from a case processing manager or other designated administrator.  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 Supervisor is differentiated from the Civil Rights Officer Advanced/Lead in that the Civil Rights Officer Supervisor has supervisory responsibility for lower-level Civil Rights Officers, while the Civil Rights Officer Advanced/Lead performs advanced duties as a specialist in one or more components of an equal opportunity compliance program, or 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.

Plans, coordinates, supervises and evaluates the work of lower-level Civil Rights Officers;

Trains lower-level Civil Rights Officers;

Reviews the initial alleged discrimination complaint to determine substantiveness of the evidence and the need for additional information;

Forwards questionnaire or interrogatory to complainant to request information concerning the nature and scope of the charge and determines the direction of the investigation;

Interprets and explains applicable laws and regulations to complainants;

Advises complainants and respondents of their rights, legal requirements and responsibilities;

Negotiates pre-determination and conciliation agreements between complainants and respondents to settle discrimination complaints;

Establishes and maintains networks with representatives of federal, State, local and other public or private agencies, and organizations to conduct conciliation efforts, foster better human relations and resolve problems involving alleged discriminatory practices;

Investigates complaints of discrimination in State government agencies;

Plans and conducts training sessions, seminars and speaking engagements for employees, employers, union representatives and public and private organizations to educate and promote better human relations;

Provides technical assistance to representatives of federal, State, local and other public or private agencies, and organizations that are formulating new human relations programs;

Composes educational literature concerning discrimination for distribution to promote better human relations;

Testifies in court and at public hearings concerning alleged discrimination practices;

Prepares correspondence, reports, documents and electronic mail;

May travel to field offices to supervise staff;

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, 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;

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 is amicable to all parties;

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 plan, coordinate, supervise and evaluate the work of lower-level Civil Rights Officers and Human Relations Assistants;

Ability to compose educational literature concerning discrimination;

Ability to recognize subtle and blatant acts of discrimination;

Ability to testify in court and at public hearings;

Ability to maintain confidentiality of case files;

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 remain calm and objective in adversarial situations;

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

Experience: Six years of professional work 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 two years 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.