Junior Equal Opportunity Investigator

Description

JOB TITLE:                Junior Equal Opportunity Investigator

SALARY:                   $75,000

HAY POINTS:           372

DEPT/DIV:               Diversity and Equal Opportunity     

SUPERVISOR:          Director, Investigations         

LOCATION:               2 Broadway  

HOURS OF WORK:  9:00 am - 5:30 pm (7 1/2 hours/day)

DEADLINE:               Open Until Filled                      

 This position is eligible for telework which is currently one day per week. New hires are eligible to apply 30 days after their effective date of hire.

 SUMMARY:

Under general guidance of the Senior Director, Title VI and Workforce Initiatives and the Director Investigations, the Junior Equal Opportunity Investigator will conduct basic to more routine investigations for both internal employees and external applicant, customer and communities pertaining to alleged discriminatory treatment. The Junior Equal Opportunity Investigator will also assist with trend analysis. In coordination with the Sr. EO Investigators and EO Investigators, will partner with stakeholders to develop appropriate action planning to address areas of concern made visible through the complaint data.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Fundamental duties of the Junior Equal Opportunity Investigator include but are not limited to:

·         Conduct thorough and timely routine Equal Opportunity investigations to include (but not limited to) race, ethnicity, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, US military veteran status, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, family structure, genetic information or mental/physical disability, low-income and minority status. Investigations include interviewing employees, applicants, customers and community members as a neutral fact finder, reviewing documents, and analyzing data in a timely manner.

·         Under the guidance of Senior Director, Title VI and Workforce Initiatives and the Director Investigations, will prepare written reports and summary of findings, with supporting documentation, that are fair, impartially representing the facts, and investigatory analysis to determine whether the facts suggest the complaining party was subjected to behavior (or incident) that constitutes a violation of MTA policy.

·         Assist with providing information used for discipline review meetings, as needed.

·         Liaise with appropriate business units and HR to convey all HR related concerns resulting from investigations.

·         Support internal and external Equal Opportunity related investigations, complaints, inquiries, and charges across the enterprise.

·         Assist in the response to external inquiries and charges in partnership with appropriate business areas and Legal.

·         Other duties as assigned by senior management.

Specific programmatic responsibilities of the Junior EO Investigator:

·         Perform intake of informal and formal complaints and identify the relevant scope of complaints and make recommendations of interim measures, when needed.

·         Under the guidance Senior Director, Title VI and Workforce Initiatives and the Director Investigations, compose investigative plans, which include deciding which witnesses to interview, outlining which questions to ask, and planning which documents to request and how to acquire documents.

·         Assist with interviewing witnesses to obtain complete and thorough responses to questions.

·         Under the guidance and review of the Director of Investigations, the Junior EO Investigator will write investigative reports and make recommendations to the Senior Director Title VI and Workforce Initiatives or the supervising DEO staff on investigatory findings.

·         Secure relevant documentation to prove or disprove allegations in complaint.

·         Under the supervision of more senior EO Investigators, conduct thorough analysis of evidence gathered in accordance with applicable equal opportunity laws, regulations and established internal policies and procedures.

·         Follow up on all new complaints in a timely manner.

·         Maintain accurate and thorough records and notes of investigatory process.

·         Manage and track multiple intake and investigations at any given time with competing priorities, while handling other projects simultaneously.

·         Under the guidance of Senior Director, Title VI and Workforce Initiatives and the Director Investigations, facilitate informal resolution of complaints, when appropriate. Document efforts and conclusion of informal resolution.

·         Communicate investigative factual determinations and analysis to complainants, subjects, departments, and others with a business reason to know.

·         Input complaint data into Master Complaint tracking database.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

·         Requires of the application of EEO, Title VI, Environmental Justice and LEP laws, regulations, and guidelines; and   basic ability to interpret, explain and advise staff and management on applicable compliance.

·         Must have an understanding of the MTA organization and an understanding of where various sources of data can be obtained in order to prove or disprove allegations in complaint.

·         Must possess analytical and problem-solving skills, in order to evaluate alternatives and recommend a sound solution pertaining to violations of EEO established policies and procedures.

·         Must demonstrate integrity, fair-mindedness and be persuasive in order to make objective recommendations regarding resolutions and appropriate remedies. 

·         Must make evaluative judgement based on the application of statutory or regulatory provisions and administrative procedures when making a determination as to whether there is reasonable cause to support a finding that a violation of MTA’s policy on nondiscrimination has occurred.

·         Functioning under pressure and coping with conflicting points of view; new, unexpected information discovered during the investigation of the discrimination complaint occurs; may have uncooperative witnesses, complainants, or managerial personnel; violations of EEO policies and procedures which require immediate corrective action, etc.

·         Knowledge of federal, state, city and local laws and regulations governing nondiscrimination of employees, applicants, and customers and mitigation of disproportionate impact/burden to communities.

·         Strong investigative skills.

·         Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, including: the ability to both be impartial and project impartiality, and the ability to establish rapport with a diverse range of community members.

·         Excellent critical thinking skills and the ability to analyze information, evaluate results, and facilitate resolution of difficult challenges.

·         Ability to manage issues of complex and extreme sensitivity with a high level of professionalism.

·         Demonstrated ability to organize and plan one’s work to meet critical deadlines.

·         Demonstrated ability to prepare complex written reports and provide reliable testimony explaining the investigation’s process, findings, conclusions, and rationales.

·         Ability to work effectively both independently and as a member of a team.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

 ·         BA/BS from an accredited college or university is required. An equivalent combination of education and experience from an accredited college may be considered in lieu of a degree. A Juris Doctorate degree is a preferred.

·         Plus, a minimum of 2-3 years demonstrated experience conducting thorough investigations, i.e. Human Resources, Labor Relations, Special Investigations, Criminal, and Operations; or 2-3 years’ experience in an EEO department is required.

OTHER INFORMATION:

Pursuant to the New York State Public Officers Law & the MTA Code of Ethics, all employees who hold a policymaking position must file an Annual Statement of Financial Disclosure (FDS) with the NYS Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government (the “Commission”).

Equal Employment Opportunity

MTA and its subsidiary and affiliated agencies are Equal Opportunity Employers, including with respect to veteran status and individuals with disabilities.

The MTA encourages qualified applicants from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and abilities, including military service members, to apply.