Civil Rights Specialist

 
Work for Indiana
 

Begin a fulfilling career with the State of Indiana by joining one of the largest employers in the state, offering a diverse range of opportunities across 60+ agencies. At the state, you'll find competitive compensation, a robust benefits package and a commitment to work-life balance. Most importantly, you'll have the chance to make a real and measurable impact on the lives of Hoosiers across Indiana.

At the State of Indiana, we don’t just talk about diversity and inclusion—we make it our goal to create a welcoming, accessible, and equitable workplace with a workforce that is representative of Indiana's population. As a proud equal opportunity employer, reasonable accommodations may be available to enable individuals with disabilities to complete the application and interview process as well as perform the essential functions of a role.

About the Indiana Civil Rights Commission (ICRC):

The Indiana Civil Rights Commission enforces the Indiana civil rights laws and provides education and services to the public in an effort to ensure equal opportunity for all Hoosiers and visitors to the State of Indiana. The Indiana Civil Rights Commission will be an important societal influence working to eliminate illegal discrimination in Indiana.

Role Overview:

This position is responsible for investigating housing, public accommodation, credit and education discrimination complaints within 100 or 180 days.  Occassionaly you will be required to conduct on-site investigations and will be required to attend out of state training.  You will also be responsible for tracking open and closed case data, education and outreach efforts and completing the assessment reports for federal partners.

Salary Statement: 

The salary for this position traditionally starts at $47,320.00 but may be commensurate with education or work experience.

A Day in the Life:

The essential responsibilities of the job are:- 

-Draft consent agreements, prepare a written summary of the investigation, and make recommendations as to whether there is probable cause. 
-May occasionally testify at evidentiary and appeal hearings. 
-Conduct and analyze interviews of complainants, respondents, and witnesses. 
-Prepare concise written record of violations (or non-violations) in a case analysis that includes relevant facts, interviews, observations, and conclusions gathered. 
-Conduct mandatory conciliation attempt after finding the probable cause and try to resolve via mediation. 
-Conduct conciliation conferences and draft consent agreements. 
-Monitor compliance of all consent agreements via onsite assessment and/or reviewing compliance reports. 
-Negotiate settlements of all civil rights disputes with the public interest in mind. 
-Maintain monthly statistics on all mediation, conciliation, and compliance activities. 
-Maintain and update appropriate case file records. 
-Establish effective working relationships with coworkers, clients and/or the public by serving as a resource to educate and train others regarding Civil Rights Laws and the work of ICRC. 
-Participate in ICRC affiliated public outreach/education events per year. 
The job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Other duties, responsibilities and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice.  

What You'll Need for Success:

You must meet the following requirement to be considered for employment:

-Four years (4) full time professional experience in affirmative action; business administration; civil rights; labor relations; law; public administration; public relations; social services; workforce development; or related experience. 
- Substitution: Accredited college training in any one of or a combination of the following subject areas may substitute for the required experience on a year for year basis; Law, Sociology, Psychology, Labor Relations, Public Administration, Human Resources and Business Administration. 
-Thorough knowledge of and ability to interpret and apply the Indiana Civil Rights Law, Commission rules and regulations, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD and EEOC rules and regulations), and court decisions falling within the area of Civil Rights. 
-Specialized knowledge of the principles, practices, and the past and current trends of Civil Rights Field on a state and national level.  
-Ability to secure and analyze data and testimony relevant to all areas covered by the Indiana Civil Rights law including employment, housing, credit, public accommodation, and education.  
-Ability to conduct difficult and involved investigations and make recommendations to the director regarding disposition. 
-Ability to facilitate negotiations in good faith with difficult individuals in order to reach an agreement in the best interest of the involved parties and public good. 
-Ability to understand legal concepts and to relate prior decisions to specific cases. 
-Ability to counsel persons who make an inquiry at the Commission office regarding civil rights complaints and to assist them in filing a complaint. 
-Ability to maintain confidentiality. 

Supervisory Responsibilities/Direct Reports:

This role may be utilized in a supervisory capacity based on agency needs.
 

Benefits of Employment with the State of Indiana:

The State of Indiana offers a comprehensive benefit package for full-time employees which includes: 

-Three (3) medical plan options (including RX coverage) as well as vision and dental plans
-Wellness Rewards Program: Complete wellness activities to earn gift card rewards
-Health savings account, which includes bi-weekly state contribution
-Flexible work scheduling options, including the potential for hybrid remote work for employees whose work may be performed outside state facilities
-Deferred compensation 457B account (similar to 401k plan) with employer match
-Two (2) fully-funded pension plan options
-A robust, comprehensive program of leave policies covering a variety of employee needs, including but not limited to:

-150 hours of paid new parent leave
-Up to 15 hours of paid community service leave
-Combined 180 hours of paid vacation, personal, and sick leave time off
-12 paid holidays, 14 on election years
-Education Reimbursement Program
-Group life insurance
-Referral Bonus program
-Employee assistance program that allows for covered behavioral health visits
-Qualified employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
-Free Parking for most positions
-Free LinkedIn Learning access
 

Equal Employment Opportunity:

The State of Indiana is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to recruiting, selecting, developing, and promoting employees based on individual ability and job performance. Our policy is to provide equal employment opportunity to all people in all aspects of employer-employee relations without discrimination because of race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical or mental disability, or veteran status. We will comply with the spirit as well as the letter of all applicable state and federal laws. 

If you are a qualified individual with a disability and require reasonable accommodations to complete this application, you can request assistance by contacting the Indiana State Personnel Department at jobsspd.IN.gov.

The State of Indiana has established a culture that welcomes equity, inclusion, and opportunity for all employees and applicants. We encourage you if you feel you have the transferrable skills to be successful in this position and we look forward to reviewing your application.

 

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