Executive Director for System-Wide Civil Rights Compliance

About The State University of New York :

The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY's 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the state's only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.1 billion in fiscal year 2022, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit www.suny.edu.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The State University of New York System Administration (SUNY), located in Albany, New York invites applications for the position of Executive Director for System-Wide Civil Rights Compliance.  The position will ensure consistent policy interpretation and implementation of all Title IX and other civil rights (Title VI/Title VII/State Law) services and related programming across all of SUNY's state-operated campuses and SUNY System Administration.  The Executive Director for System-Wide Civil Rights Compliance will oversee and implement SUNY's system-wide compliance program for Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA), New York State Human Rights Law, New York State Education Law Article 129-B (also known as "Enough Is Enough") and all applicable federal and state laws and regulations, as well as institutional policies and procedures.

Key responsibilities include:

• Strategic planning
• Providing wrap-around service support and guidance on University-wide matters
• Assisting individual campuses with compliance questions
• Overseeing Civil Rights investigator(s) and prevention staff at the System office
• Meeting with relevant SUNY groups and providing compliance updates
• Working closely with SUNY Office of General Counsel on any issues identified relating to compliance with Title IX and other relevant federal and state laws, rules and/or regulations
• Other duties as assigned.

More specifically, duties of the role include:

• Serving as Title IX Coordinator for SUNY System Administration;
• Onboarding new Title IX Coordinators and Affirmative Action Officers hired at any of SUNY's state-operated and community college campuses and provide case consultation and policy guidance to such personnel;
• Conducting periodic review of Civil Rights Law-related policies across SUNY campuses to ensure legal compliance with relevant laws, rules, and regulations;
• Developing a best practices guide for practitioners on issues of sexual violence, including the handling of regarding investigations and adjudications of Title IX and sexual violence complaints among other issues within the purview of the Executive Director;
• Conducting periodic review of SUNY campus websites to ensure compliance with relevant laws, rules, and regulations;
• Working with SUNY Office of General Counsel on implementation and compliance should there be changes in law and regulation related to Title IX, Clery, VAWA, and Enough is Enough;
• Notifying campuses of legal compliance deadlines set in statute, rule, and regulation;
• Identifying and facilitating appropriate topics for training and professional development for Title IX coordinators, investigators and other employees involved in the Title IX/Article 129-B process, across the System;
• Managing SUNY's online Sexual and Interpersonal Violence Prevention and Response training program for students ("SPARC"), including training staff, revising curriculum, and overseeing campus compliance;
• Assist with responding to complaints (including overseeing investigations) made against campus presidents, Title IX Coordinators, Affirmative Action officers, and other high-level administrators or otherwise made to the Chancellor or Board of Trustees.;
• Collaborating with key offices and programs that engage in Civil Rights Law compliance practices;
• Working with appropriate offices on SUNY's campus-wide climate surveys;
• Developing and implementing wrap-around services to assist SUNY campuses, and supervising staff that support these services.
• Work to institute regular campus compliance reviews in this space and create protocols; and
• Other duties as assigned.

The Executive Director for System-Wide Civil Rights Compliance will also work with the SUNY Office of General Counsel on any joint initiatives related to Title VI/Title VII/Title IX implementation and compliance, as necessary.

Requirements:

Qualifications:

• Master's degree or Juris Doctor from an accredited ABA law school (or foreign equivalent) or equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• Minimum of 5 years of related experience including extensive experience in Title IX, Title VI, Title VII, Title IX, VAWA, NY Human Rights Law, and civil rights compliance and programming, including education, prevention, training, policy and practice development and administration, supportive measures, accommodations, investigations, and resolutions related to discrimination and harassment.
• Demonstrated experience in interacting effectively with members of the community from diverse backgrounds.
• Prior experience supervising a team of professionals.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 10+ years of experience practicing in the Title IX area either as a practitioner and/or as legal counsel.
• Experience in an academic setting or government office.
• Ability to function effectively in a fast-paced environment with multiple and changing priorities and objectives. 
• Superior written and oral communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong analytical and legal research skills.

Additional Information:

• Salary is dependent on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, experience, education, training, and certifications. The range for this position is $110,000-$130,000.
• .Excellent Benefit Package which includes: NYS health insurance, free dental and vision coverage, competitive retirement options, tuition assistance, parental leave at full pay, and generous vacation, sick, and holiday time.13 days of paid holidays per year; 21 days of vacation and 21 days of sick time accrued each year. Please see our Management/Confidential benefits summary for additional information.
• Management/Confidential appointments work under the leadership and discretion of the appointing authority and are not represented by a union
• This position is located in Albany, New York. Limited telecommuting may be available. Some travel may be required throughout the State depending on the needs of clients.
• Offer of employment is contingent upon successful completion of a pre-employment background check and verification of degree(s) and credentials.
• Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

Application Instructions:

Interested candidates are invited to apply online using the following link: https://sunysystem.interviewexchange.com/jobofferdetails.jsp?JOBID=174861

Please submit a cover letter, resume and three professional references when applying.  The review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.