Civil Rights Manager / Office of Equity and Equal Opportunity (OEEO)

We are the Metropolitan Council, the regional government for the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area. We plan 30 years ahead for the future of the metropolitan area and provide regional transportation, wastewater, and housing services. More information about us on our website.

We are committed to supporting a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve.

The Office of Equity and Equal Opportunity (OEEO) supports the role of the Metropolitan Council as an Equal Opportunity Employer and its employment practices and business operations, to reflect a sense of value and respect for diversity among its employees, customers and the citizens of the seven-county metropolitan area.

The Civil Rights Unit (CRU) resides in the Council's Office of Equity and Equal opportunity (OEEO). The CRU Manager under the leadership of the Assistant Director, leads the unit in implementing the Council's Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity (AA/EO) and equity and diversity objectives and initiatives across all five divisions of the Council. The Civil Rights Manager is charged with the responsibility of implementing, monitoring, and ensuring the Council's compliance with Civil Rights Title VI and ADA Title II regulations in the day-to-day administration and periodic reporting requirements of the agency.

How your work would contribute to our organization and the Twin Cities region:

As the Civil Right Unit Manager, you will be responsible for managing the unit, supervising and developing several direct reports, as well as providing strategic direction and technical assistance for development and implementation of the Civil Right Act of 1964 and other nondiscrimination laws with the emphasis on Title VI program to ensure the public receives equal access to services provided by the Council.

Note: This position is eligible for a hybrid (remote and onsite) telework arrangement. The candidate's permanent residence must be in Minnesota or Wisconsin.

This posting will create a six-month eligibility list for current and future openings.

• Develop, review and revise from time to time the Council's Civil Rights Plan to reflect changes in federal and state statutes and case law to ensure ongoing compliance with federal and state requirements and to complement the strategic vision of the Council.
• Ensure that the Council and all subrecipients and contractors are compliant with their requirements under Civil Rights Title VI and ADA Title II.
• Receive complaints from the public alleging civil rights discrimination related to the Council's services and programs and see to it that appropriate investigatory protocol is used to conduct thorough investigations.
• Develop language access policy guidance, implementation plan, and procedures to ensure that individuals with Limited English Proficiency have meaningful access to the Council's services.
• Attend key internal and external meetings as needed.
• Monitor and respond to stakeholder issues and identify additional outreach methods for resolving issues.
• Supervise, coordinate, distribute work, provide work instruction, coach, monitor work, train, and evaluate performance of direct reports.
• Establish collaborative work relationships across the Council and sub-recipients' staff responsible to support compliance with Civil Rights Title VI activities.
• Perform other directly related duties as assigned.

Any of the following combinations of experience (in a diversity-related field) and completed education (degree field of study in human resources, social sciences, law, business administration, public administration, public policy, or closely related field. Experience must include two (2) years of experience in management, supervisory, or project/ program management.

• High school diploma AND nine (9) years of experience.
• Associates degree AND seven (7) years of experience.
• Bachelor's degree AND five (5) years of experience.
• Master's degree or professional degree AND three (3) years of experience.

• Experience developing and implementing the Affirmative Action Plan and related programming. Experience working with HR staff and others to ensure the Affirmative Action Goals are met in the increase in attraction, promotion and retention of employees from protected groups.
• Experience in the implementation of ADA and Title VI compliance and provide oversight, guidance and decision making in equity, inclusion, diversity, accessibility, in ADA Title II and Civil Rights Title VI work.
• Experience with gathering information, analyzing, and interpreting data, writing unbiased reports in plain language, with findings and recommendations and presenting information to a variety of audiences.
• Experience developing and managing a program.
• Public or non-profit organization experience.
• Experience fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion competency and understanding.

• Knowledge of statues, rules and regulations related to programs administered.
• Knowledge of program management and administration.
• Skill in word processing, spreadsheets, emails and department specific databases.
• Ability to write clearly and concisely.
• Ability to work independently and prioritize workloads to meet established deadlines.
• Ability to communicate effectively before small and large groups.
• Ability to work cooperatively with others.
• Ability to coordinate and distribute work appropriately, provide work instruction, coaches, and monitor the work of subordinates.
• Thorough knowledge of civil rights programs, policies and regulations.
• Knowledge of government needs and resources, resources available within the Council, resources from the federal government, and resources available from private industry to make evaluations and judgments inherent in the responsibilities.
• Knowledge of transportation planning, design, construction, and urban planning concepts.
• Knowledge of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Email, Internet, TX Base, Contract databases, PeopleSoft Financial System, , and other database/spreadsheet systems
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to be persuasive without intimidation.
• Ability to build relationships and consensus amongst internal/external groups that may have diverging interests.
• Ability to collaborate across departments, teams, and organizations.
• Effective facilitation skills and the ability to give opinions and announce decisions with tact.
• Ability to skillfully mediate disputes and conduct sensitive negotiations with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Advanced skills in problem-solving and the ability to quickly develop creative solutions to problems.
• Exceptional critical thinking skills, as it pertains to complex, interconnected civil rights programs.
• The ability to effectively coach, develop, monitor, and assess the performance of direct reports.
• Ability to read, analyze, comprehend, and interpret professional documents.
• Ability to plan and organize major projects.
• Ability to apply mathematical/statistical methods and procedures.

• We offer the opportunity to make a difference and positively influence the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
• We encourage our employees to develop their skills through on-site training and tuition reimbursement.
• We provide a competitive salary, excellent benefits, and a good work/life balance.

Union/Grade: MANA/ Grade I
FLSA Status: Exempt
Safety Sensitive: No

Working Conditions: There will be frequent travel in the Twin Cities metro area, some areas are not accessible by public transportation. A Council vehicle is available to use for those with a valid driver's license.

What steps the recruitment process involves:
1. We review your minimum qualifications.
2. We rate your education and experience.
3. We conduct a structured panel interview.
4. We conduct a selection interview.

Once you have successfully completed the steps above, then:

If you are new to the Metropolitan Council, you must pass a drug test (safety-sensitive positions only), and a background check which verifies education, employment, and criminal history. A driving record check and/or physical may be conducted if applicable to the job. If you have a criminal conviction, you do not automatically fail. The Metropolitan Council considers felony, gross misdemeanor, and misdemeanor convictions on a case-by-case basis, based on whether they are related to the job and whether the candidate has demonstrated adequate rehabilitation.

If you are already an employee of the Metropolitan Council, you must pass a drug test (if moving from a non-safety sensitive position to a safety-sensitive position) and criminal background checks if the job you're applying for is safety-sensitive, is a supervisory or management job, is in the Finance, Information Services, Audit, or Human Resources departments, or has access to financial records, files/databases, cash, vouchers or transit fare cards. A driving record check and/or physical may be conducted if applicable to the position.

IMPORTANT: If you make a false statement or withhold information, you may be barred from job consideration.

The Metropolitan Council is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action, and veteran-friendly employer. The Council is committed to a workforce that reflects the diversity of the region and strongly encourages persons of color, members of the LGBTQ community, individuals with disabilities, women, and veterans to apply. If you have a disability that requires accommodation during the selection process, please email HR-OCCHealth@metc.state.mn.us.