Review Vacancy

Date Posted: 12/08/22
Applications Due: 01/08/23
Vacancy ID: 118257

Position Information

AgencyPeople With Developmental Disabilities, Office for

TitleEqual Opportunity Specialist 2

Occupational CategoryAdministrative or General Management

Salary Grade23

Bargaining UnitM/C - Management / Confidential (Unrepresented)

Salary RangeFrom $79410 to $99213 Annually

Employment Type Full-Time

Appointment Type Permanent

Jurisdictional Class Non-competitive Class

Travel Percentage 0%

Schedule

Workweek Mon-Fri

Hours Per Week 37.5

Workday

From 9 AM

To 5 PM

Flextime allowed? No

Mandatory overtime? No

Compressed workweek allowed? No

Telecommuting allowed? Yes

Location

County Albany

Street Address 44 Holland Avenue

City Albany

StateNY

Zip Code12229

Job Specifics

Minimum Qualifications Non-competitive: seven years of the experience* in equal opportunity, diversity and inclusion, or human rights.; OR one year of State service in an equal opportunity, diversity and inclusion, minority business, employment compliance, human resources, or training position allocated at or above Grade 18.

*Qualifying experience includes working with organizations concerned with equal opportunity, diversity and inclusion, civil rights, minority business development, or similar programs; or in recruiting, training, and upgrading the educational and job qualifications of protected class members. Substitutions: an associate’s degree may substitute for two years of experience; bachelor’s degree for four years; and J.D. or master’s degree for five years.

Preferred Qualifications:
- Advanced knowledge experience in the Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access).
- Advanced interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, and understanding of intersecting identities that impact a person in the workplace.
- Master's degree in business, human resources, psychology, public administration, social sciences, or related field.
- Ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
- Highly organized and detail-oriented.
- 5 years' experience working in government with an understanding of how different divisions and agencies work together to implement statewide and agency-wide policies.
- 3 or more years' experience in a Human Resources/Americans with Disabilities Act/Equal Employment Opportunity (HR/ADA/EEO) or diversity and inclusion role. This includes an advanced knowledge of State, Federal, and Labor policies (e.g., Family Medical Leave Act, NYS HR Leave, collective bargaining agreements, Federal and State human resources employment laws, EEO laws).
- 3 or more years of professional or related experience in organizational development, program, or project management with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
- 2-3 years of experience entering, interpreting, and/or managing data into spreadsheets, including creating graphics, charts, tables, presentations, reports, and/or other materials to communicate information to others.
- 3 years of professional experience in consultation, guidance, training, and presentations in ADA compliance (providing disability, accessibility, inclusion, and accommodation services for people with disabilities).
- ADA Coordinator Training Certificate preferred but not required.

Duties Description The New York State Office of People With Developmental Disabilities (NYS OPWDD) has approximately 18,000 employees across 1,000+ locations and provides services to approximately 121,000 people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. OPWDD is committed to providing equal employment opportunity and equal access to services, programs, and activities for persons with disabilities - including the OPWDD workforce. The Bureau of Diversity Management and Workforce Outcomes in the Executive Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is responsible for several programs aimed at improving and strengthening the workforce. Reasonable Accommodations is a program under this Bureau, which grants reasonable accommodations to qualified employees with religious observances and disabilities/pregnancy-related conditions. Reasonable accommodations are given to assure that a qualified individual with a disability within OPWDD, has rights and privileges equal to those employees without a disability.
With this, we are looking for an Equal Opportunity Specialist 2 (EOS 2) to serve as the OPWDD Statewide ADA/DRA Coordinator (Americans with Disabilities Act/Designee for Reasonable Accommodations). The OPWDD Statewide ADA/DRA Coordinator will be assigned to the Bureau of Diversity Management and Workforce Outcomes in the Executive Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
OPWDD Statewide ADA/DRA Coordinator, will report directly to the Assistant Director, and will assist in the implementation of reasonable accommodations. The Coordinator will supervise the Reasonable Accommodations Unit, manage the operation of the program, and coordinate with leadership from different divisions to implement the agency's Reasonable Accommodations program. The Coordinator will also be responsible for evaluating, developing, and instituting internal protocols to ensure the effectiveness of the Reasonable Accommodations program/unit.
A successful ADA needs to be able to identify issues and find solutions that work for everyone. This includes finding ways to make accommodations for OPWDD employees and its job applicants who have disabilities, while still maintaining the integrity of the agency and NYS Office of Employee Relations (OER) current policies. The ideal candidate will be able to analyze complex problems and utilize their knowledge of alternative accommodations and technologies to make sound recommendations on complex disability and accommodation issues within OPWDD. The OPWDD Statewide ADA/DRA Coordinator will need to tactfully communicate with varying departments and agencies while actively engaging the OPWDD workforce. The coordinator will provide consultation on all applicable laws, policies, and mandates such as the ADA, Employee Relations, and the EEO. Duties include but are not limited to the following:
- Works with DEI staff and partnering divisions to learn about agency data, policies, and programming to best implement the agency's strategic plan for diversity and inclusion.
- Expert knowledge of best practices regarding disability, equity, inclusion, and cultural competence- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other federal, state, and local laws pertaining to the rights of people with disabilities.
- Maintains the consistent application of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the NYS Human Rights Law, the Office of Employee Relations Reasonable Accommodations Policy, and the Equal Employment Opportunity in New York State- Rights and Responsibilities Handbook for NYS employees, the OPWDD Employee Handbook, and any regulations and mandates applicable to OPWDD.
- Monitors and researches all sources (local, state, federal) for changes/additions/clarifications to ADA; employment law and workplace trends and ensures the RA Unit and appropriate divisions are informed of changes or additions in regulations and federal laws.
- Receives, screens, and assists in the investigation of allegations of violations of the New York State Human Rights Law, the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VII and Sections 503/504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requirements and responds to the Appeals Review Committee (ARC) of the Office of Diversity Inclusion Management (ODIM) - Department of Civil Service.
- Reviews, evaluates, and determines, in conjunction with legal counsel, whether to grant coverage under the ADA for applicants and employees asking for reasonable accommodations.
- Articulates program goals, objectives policies, procedures, and practices to agency executives; and advises agency management on diversity and inclusion, and equal opportunity matters.
- Evaluates staff performance; determines training needs; and provides communicative feedback to staff to support their growth.
- Develops and trains department Local DRA Liaisons and employees in ADA, ER, EEO and responsibilities and sensitivity to disability issues.
- Receives and accesses their own caseloads, while assisting Local DRAs with their caseloads to help make determinations on accommodation requests for disability/pregnancy-related conditions, and religious accommodations pursuant to federal and State laws.
- Analyzes data and produces reports related to agency diversity and inclusion, and its Reasonable Accommodations.

Additional Comments Please note:
• The Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) and it's Division of Executive Office is committed to creating and sustaining a culture of inclusion. We believe that we are most effective in managing and improving our service system with a
diverse team of employees. With such a large workforce, we rely on the collective individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, self-expression, ideas
and talent that our employees bring to their work. This speaks to our culture, and is a key part of our successes. As we continuously recruit people for our
team, we welcome the unique contributions that applicants bring in terms of their education, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression,
nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, color, religion, disability, sexual orientation and beliefs.
• Preference will be given to OPWDD employees impacted by closures. If you are being impacted by closure, please indicate this on your resume/cover letter.
• In order to be eligible for appointment and to maintain employment, you cannot be listed as an excluded individual or entity on any of the Federal and/or State
Medicaid and Medicare exclusion lists (or excluded from any other Federal or Federally assisted program). If you are appointed and subsequently listed as an
excluded individual or entity on any of these lists (or excluded from any other Federal or Federally assisted program), you may be terminated from your
employment.
• OPWDD is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

Some positions may require additional credentials or a background check to verify your identity.

Contact Information

Name Chelsea Williams

Telephone 518-473-4785

Fax 518-474-9902

Email Address OPWDD.sm.COrecruitment@opwdd.ny.gov

Address

Street 44 Holland Avenue

City Albany

State NY

Zip Code 12229

 

Notes on ApplyingPlease submit a cover letter and resume as an attached PDF or Word document by 1/8/22. Please reference the EOA #2022-490 in all correspondence.