Civil Rights Officer

Job Description - Civil Rights Officer )

Turn civil-rights requirements into practical systems that expand access, strengthen fairness, and improve public service across Montana. As the Department of Labor & Industry’s Civil Rights Officer, you will help ensure that Montanans can access programs, services, and workforce opportunities without discrimination or unnecessary barriers. This position offers meaningful public-service work, broad collaboration, and the opportunity to build lasting expertise in accessibility, equal opportunity, and compliance.

MISSION STATEMENT:

Empowering all Montanans through work and opportunity.

It's about the people and the impact we make in our communities every day. We are proud of our open, team-based, supportive, and collaborative work environments. Learn more about DLIhere.

POSITION OVERVIEW:

The Office of Legal Services provides legal guidance and support that helps the Department of Labor & Industry carry out its responsibilities fairly, lawfully, and effectively. The Civil Rights Officer serves as the Department’s public-facing Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator and designated Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Equal Opportunity Officer. This position leads civil-rights compliance activities, including accessibility coordination, complaint oversight, program monitoring, training, and corrective-action processes.

The role works closely with program staff, leadership, Human Resources, investigators, service providers, and state and federal partners to strengthen consistent, accessible, and equitable service delivery.

WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU:

• Meaningful public-service impact — Help ensure that Montanans can access DLI programs, services, and workforce opportunities without discrimination or unnecessary barriers.
• A role you can shape — Lead a newly consolidated civil-rights function and build clear, consistent systems for accessibility, complaints, monitoring, training, and corrective action.
• Complex, practical work — Apply civil-rights requirements to real situations involving public access, workforce programs, service delivery, and federally funded activities.
• Broad collaboration — Work with Legal, Human Resources, program teams, investigators, data professionals, leadership, service providers, and federal and state partners.
• Professional growth — Develop deep expertise in ADA Title II, WIOA Section 188, 29 C.F.R. part 38, language access, effective communication, and public-sector compliance.
• Data-informed results — Use complaint, monitoring, and program data to identify risks, measure progress, and improve how DLI serves the public.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Coordinate accessible services: Addresses public-facing ADA, language-access, assistive-technology, effective-communication, accommodation, and online-accessibility needs across Department programs and services.
• Lead equal-opportunity compliance: Serves as the Department’s designated WIOA Equal Opportunity Officer and oversees required notices, policies, data collection, annual monitoring, trackable training, and the biennial Nondiscrimination Plan.
• Manage complaint processes: Receives concerns, determines jurisdiction, investigates matters when required, makes appropriate referrals, maintains case records, and communicates outcomes to involved parties, including matters involving the State Apprenticeship Agency.
• Strengthen compliance systems: Reviews policies, procedures, and service-delivery practices to identify compliance risks, improve consistency, and support practical, sustainable solutions.
• Monitor programs and providers: Conducts and documents monitoring activities involving Department programs, workforce services, and service providers; tracks corrective actions through completion.
• Analyze trends and risks: Uses complaint, monitoring, and program data to identify patterns, measure progress, report risks, and support audit readiness and continuous improvement.
• Provide training and guidance: Delivers technical assistance, training, and practical guidance to Department staff, leadership, service providers, and partners on civil-rights responsibilities and emerging compliance issues.
• Build…