Equal Opportunity Specialist - Job ID 74304

Make a difference in the lives of Minnesotans.

The work you’ll do is more than just a job. Join the talented, engaged and inclusive workforce dedicated to creating a better Minnesota.

Job Summary

This position is a member of the Operations Division of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). The MPCA Affirmative Action Officer contributes to the Agency’s work and ensures operational excellence by promoting, via State of Minnesota HR compliance, and ensuring that the MPCA is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.

This position will ensure agency staff, programs and initiatives, and local workforce areas comply with state and federal EEO requirements, by meeting programmatic, physical, digital and language access requirements. Additionally, this position has an important role in MPCA’s complaint process, triaging complaints, providing early conflict resolution services, and investigating harassment and discrimination complaints made by internal and external customers. Finally, this role will support MPCA staff and applicants by providing requested reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  The Affirmative Action Officer with partner with MPCA HR Consultants/Business Partners and HR Special to ensure Connect 700 hiring compliance. 

To accomplish these responsibilities, this position conducts thorough, impartial, and competent investigations into complaints of discrimination or harassment based on protected class and facilitates conversations/mediates complaints at the lowest level where possible. The conflict resolution work performed by this role will be grounded by a multi-cultural, equity lens, rooted in MPCA’s values of equity and inclusion. This position will have the opportunity to influence MPCA’s learning and development work for staff and stakeholders; provide consultation to MPCA partners to nurture an inclusive culture that celebrates diversity and provides culturally responsive services to MPCA internal and external customers.

The incumbent has access to labor relations information as defined by Minn. Stat. 13.37; participates in meeting where MPCA and state labor negotiation proposals are discussed and evaluated; provides data and information to labor negotiations as it relates to recruitment, selection, retention, and diversity issues.

Minimum Qualifications

Candidates must clearly demonstrate all of the following qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in Public Policy, Human Resources, Human Rights, Law or related field AND two (2) years of professional experience in areas of equal opportunity, affirmative action, or human/civil rights.

OR

Three (3) years of professional work experience in the areas listed above.

Experience to include:

In-depth knowledge of federal, state, and local equal opportunity and affirmative action laws and policies.

Experience conducting investigations of discrimination and/or harassment and writing investigative reports.

Knowledge of best practices in the field of diversity, equity, inclusion.

Excellent communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) coursework or training (microaggressions, unconscious bias, intercultural communications, the IDI, etc.), diversity; affirmative action; equal employment opportunity; human rights; conducting discrimination, harassment, retaliation investigations; and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Experience in developing and/or administering affirmative action plans.

Excellent intercultural competency and human relations skills and demonstrated success in building relationships and communicating effectively with diverse individuals and groups.

Experience conducting sexual harassment investigations.

Experience developing and delivering training.

Additional Requirements

Position duties may require travel, but driving is not a minimum qualification or essential function of this position. Employees who may drive for state business will need their driver’s license checked prior to operating a state vehicle.

About Pollution Control Agency 

Our mission is to protect and improve the environment and human health. We work with many partners (citizens, communities, and businesses, all levels of government, environmental groups and educators) to prevent pollution, conserve resources, and to help ensure polluting does not have disproportionate impact on any groups of people. We emphasize work-life balance with flex schedules, compressed schedules, and options to telework for some positions.