Civil Rights & Equal Opportunity Director (Kansas City, Missouri)

The Director of Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity (CREO) is responsible for the development, maintenance, and implementation of a comprehensive Affirmative Action and Contract Compliance Program for the City and the City's Disadvantaged/Minority/Women Business Enterprise (D/MBE/WBE) program to assure contractors, sub-contractors and vendors compliance with the City's Equal Opportunity requirements. The Director must be well versed in all operational aspects of the department, including but not limited to Minority, Women and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, prevailing wage and civil rights.  The Director will provide administrative direction for all CREO functions, operations, and personnel through supervision of subordinate staff and review of their activities.  Responsibilities include but are not limited to: directing the activities of the Civil Rights Division, the Community Relations/Dispute Resolution Division, the D/MBE/WBE/Affirmative Action Division and the Human Rights Commission, reviewing general operations of the department to determine efficiency, providing direction on major projects or problem areas, developing and implementing policies and procedures, administration of employee reviews and providing policy guidance. The Director represents the City at meetings with State and Federal officials, employee groups, community groups and other agencies regarding the City's Affirmative Action and Contract Compliance programs and is responsible for submitting required reports to City, County, State and Federal monitoring agencies on a timely basis. The Director is responsible, through study and consultation with the City Manager and elected officials, for developing recommendations for fulfilling the mission and vision of CREO.  The Director will exercise strategic and visionary thinking that will have long term organization wide application and impact, including development and implementation of critical programs and supervision of multiple assigned functions, divisions and significant resources. The City Manager appoints the Director. The Director receives general supervision from the City Manager, who reviews work based on overall results achieved. The Director may consult with the City Manager on problems relating to policy planning but works independently in supervising the global operations and is responsible for the proper administration of all affairs of the department of CREO. A successful candidate will understand relevant local, state and federal laws and how to work within them. A strong candidate will have the ability to build an equitable team based on individual strengths, skills and competencies.

• Establish and maintain productive working relationships with staff, board members, community organizations, other agencies, and the general public.
• Manage staff in the identification, investigation, mediation and adjudication of human rights discrimination claims in housing, employment, public accommodations, and education.
• Represent CREO with effective verbal and written presentations.
• Inform public groups on the plans, programs, and goals of the CREO Department
• Advise Department management and the City Manager on progress.
• Respond courteously and tactfully to a demanding and diverse public in answering questions, explaining department policies, and handling complaints.
• Organize and direct the activities of staff engaged in providing services and functions under the jurisdiction of CREO.
• Plan, direct, and control department activities such as recruitment of personnel; purchase of equipment; assignment of personnel and equipment; and the budgeting and control of expenditures.
• Coordinate CREO Department activities in accordance with federal, state, local organizations, and city departments.
• Coordinate and provide support to the Human Rights Commission.
• Plan, organize, coordinate, prepare, administer, and monitor the CREO Department budget.
• Responsible for all personnel matters, which include employment and termination of all department personnel.
• Analyze and resolve operational, procedural, and personnel problems.
• Resolve complex problems involving diverse functional areas.
• Analyze information, statistics, and reports on department activities.
• Develop plans designed to maintain department efficiency and responsiveness.
• Analyze CREO Department needs, as well as the availability of resources, existing programs, and other related factors in developing departmental programs to meet those needs.
• Provide direction on major projects or problem areas.
• Develop and implement policies and procedures applicable to administrative functions and provides policy guidance.
• Maintain a cooperative and collective relationship with outside stakeholders and other city departments.
• Work more than 40-hours in a workweek without additional compensation to perform assigned job duties, including weekends, evenings, early morning hours, and holidays as required.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong and demonstrated cultural competencies related to all protected classes.
• Knowledge of housing, employment, public accommodation and human rights laws.
• Knowledge of Federal, state and local Civil Rights laws.
• Ability to work collaboratively with diverse community stakeholders, and work with Human Rights Commissioners, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Legal Department, Federal, State, and local Human Rights Agencies including HUD, EEOC, and area housing authorities.
• Knowledge of the theories, principles, and practices of effective public administration, with particular reference to CREO policies, personnel, and budget administration.
• Knowledge of modern management techniques, supervisory practices, and evaluation methods.
• Knowledge of the modern principles and practices of human resources.
• Knowledge of governmental organization management.
• Knowledge of the principles and practices of effective administration with particular attention to short- and long-term strategic planning.
• Knowledge of the activities, objectives, and ideals of civil rights, equal opportunity and other areas under the purview of CREO.
• Knowledge of federal, state, and local laws, rules, and regulations as they pertain to CREO activities.
• Ability to demonstrate a basic understanding of the principles and methods of governmental funding, budget presentation, and monitoring.
• Ability to plan, organize, and direct a progressive public agency with several functional areas.
• Ability to organize and direct the activities of staff engaged in providing optimum services to both external and internal customers.
• Ability to plan, prepare, and administer an annual departmental budget.
• Ability to effectively analyze and resolve operational, procedural, and personnel problems.
• Ability to develop formal agreements and contracts with other agencies and communities.
• Ability to make effective verbal and written presentations.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with department staff, elected officials, community organizations, other agencies, and the general public.

Required Training and Experience:

• Juris Doctorate or Master’s Degree in Human Rights, Civil Rights Law, or other related graduate degree required.
• Minimum of 10 years of proven human or civil rights claims investigation, adjudication, mediation, program administration experience or a combination of training and experience which demonstrates the potential ability to perform the duties of the position.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience monitoring, ensuring compliance, enforcing, providing oversight, training assisting contractors with prevailing wage, Minority, Women and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (MWDBE), Airport Concession Disadvantage Business Enterprise (ACDBE) and Section 3 HUD Act of 1967.
• Experience preparing, analyzing and utilizing disparity studies.
• Experience with non-municipal agency and nonprofit contracts.

Salary Range: $12,389-$19,147/month
Main Office Location: 414 E 12th St, Kansas City, MO
Application Deadline Date: Open Until Filled