Supervising Investigator (Human Rights Specialist 2) (NY HELPS)

Description

Duties Description

Duties Description: As a Human Rights Specialist 2, reporting to the Chief Investigator for Intake, the incumbent will oversee the activities in the Intake Unit, ensuring the Division serves only clear, complete, and jurisdictional discrimination complaints, in a timely manner.

The Intake Unit receives information from the public about alleged discrimination in areas like employment, housing, public accommodation, and more, as defined in the Human Rights Law. The Law covers discrimination on bases that include, but are not limited to, age, disability, gender identity, national origin, race, religion, and sex.

The Incumbent Human Rights Specialist 2

• Directly supervises Human Rights Specialist 1s (HRS1s) within the Intake Unit, ensuring the HRS1s manage their portfolios effectively to resolve discrimination reports and complaints timely. This includes, but is not limited to, monitoring the case load, ensuring timely completion of case tasks, ensuring sound judgment on decisions that dismiss cases for lack of jurisdiction, assisting staff in the analysis of case details and issue spotting, promoting problem solving and improvement of case analytical skills, and interceding when cases require escalation or entail complex legal issues or circumstances.
• Interacts and communicates in a courteous and professional manner with members of the public, staff, and subordinates, and supervisors, and seeks assistance and supervision where appropriate.
• Maintains knowledge of the NYS Human Rights Law and other antidiscrimination laws, as well as Division policies and procedures, and their application in completing Intake tasks.
• Covers for the Chief Investigator in their absence.
• Reviews, or assists with the reviews of, case files for completeness and accuracy, providing recommendations as needed for filing and other resolutions.
• Ensures draft complaints are clear and concise.
• Holds HRS 1s accountable for key performance indicators; coaches HRS 1s to improve knowledge, skills and abilities, and completes performance evaluations timely; and follows agency procedures on related administrative actions.
• May conduct Intake functions as required based on needs of the unit, including work with members of the public and Complainants to clarify allegations of discrimination and reported information received in reports, work to identify the proper legal entity name for identified respondents, request and follow up on the receipt of evidence to support allegations of discrimination (e.g., documents, photos, recordings), draft clear and concise complaints for review and signature by the appropriate party or member of the public, answer calls from parties in a professional and accurate manner, contemporaneously document all case activities accurately in the Division’s case management system.
• With the approval of Chief Investigator, may participate in outreach activities and perform public relations duties.
• Working with the Chief Investigator of Intake, the incumbent will help ensure that cases which remain unclear, incomplete, and/or non-jurisdictional do not advance for investigation, and that the Intake Unit dismiss these cases timely.
• Work with the Chief Investigator and Associate Deputy Commissioner of Intake to develop training resources and administer training programs to the entirety of the Intake unit.
• Assist the Chief Investigator and Associate Deputy Commissioner of Intake in addressing matters which have been escalated both internally and from other DHR business units, while assisting in serving as liaison between the units with the Chief Investigator and Associate Deputy Commissioner of Intake.
• In conjunction with the Chief Investigator and Associate Deputy Commissioner of Intake, the incumbent will help to develop and enforce the standard operating procedures of the Intake unit.
  
  

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program (NY HELPS).
  
  

Promotion: One year of permanent, competitive, service as a Human Rights Specialist 1, or a Human Rights Specialist 1 (Spanish Language).

Non-Competitive: Seven years of experience* in any combination of the following areas: field investigation or law enforcement investigation and the preparation of detailed narrative reports; planning, developing, implementing or enforcing a human rights, civil rights or housing and community development program; conducting discrimination or labor relations investigations; or litigation.

• Substitution: an associate degree may substitute for two years of specialized experience; bachelor's degree may substitute for four years of specialized experience; master's degree may substitute for five years of specialized experience; J.D. may substitute for six years of specialized experience; Ph.D. may substitute for seven years of specialized experience.
  
  

For the duration of the NY HELPS Program, this title may be filled via a non-competitive appointment, which means no examination is required but all candidates must meet the minimum qualifications of the title for which they apply.

At a future date, it is expected employees hired under NY HELPS will have their non-competitive employment status converted to competitive status, without having to compete in an examination. Employees will then be afforded with all of the same rights and privileges of competitive class employees of New York State. While serving permanently in an NY HELPS title, employees may take part in any promotion examination for which they are qualified.

Additional Comments

We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Holiday & Paid Time Off
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)
• Pension from New York State Employees’ Retirement System
• Affordable Health Care options
• Family dental and vision benefits at no additional cost
• NYS Deferred Compensation plan
• Access to NY 529 College Savings Program
  
  

Please note that specific benefits and programs may vary based on negotiating unit, current contract, and length of State service.

All people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.