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WORKING IN HUMAN RIGHTS?

 

Human rights professionals work in many area including state and local governments, non-governmental agencies, charities, academia and law. There is a huge variety of roles, including research, public relations, investigation, and administration. Whatever role you are interested in and whatever your qualifications, getting into Human Rights work is highly competitive.

Get the relevant training and experience you will need to prepare or propel your career as a human rights professional!  

 


 

TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN HUMAN RIGHTS 

 

 

EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT 2, HOUSING DIRECTOR POSITION #4865
TENNESSEE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION 

Job Location: 7175 Strawberry Plains, Suite 100, Knoxville, TN, 37914 
Target Salary Range:  $5,591-$8,915 monthly

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This position will have AWS component as well as on-site responsibility. Travel would be minimal (less than 10%) for any monthly/quarterly/yearly meetings that would require to attend. 
 

ABOUT POSITION 

Tennessee Human Rights Commission's (THRC) is a neutral fact-finding agency charged to investigate each complaint of discrimination to determine if a violation of the Tennessee Human Rights Act, the Tennessee Disability Act, or Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 has occurred. 
 

An employee in this class may perform liaison, public contact, public relations, and/or other administrative assistance work. This work often requires an incumbent to handle difficult decisions, personal contacts, and staff analysis. This classification may directly supervise subordinate positions
 

RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Directs the processing, investigations, and resolutions of complaints in housing.

  • Provides daily compliance oversight with federal and state Fair Housing laws.

  • Supervises and monitors complaint processing goals.

  • Accepts and assigns cases to investigators.

  • Monitors and tracks staff work to ensure timely complaint processing.

  • Ensures quality of complaint processing.

  • Ability to apply knowledge of federal and state housing anti-discrimination laws.

  • Provides day-to-day operations of the office and staff. Monitors the Agreement with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

  • Acts as the primary case reviewer for submitted housing cases closures and provides investigative feedback and assessment.

  • Performs compliance reviews on complaints to ensure the process meets the THRC and HUD standards.

  • Provides monthly reports to executive management.

  • Provides housing program oversight.
     

QUALIFICATIONS 

Minimum Requirements: 

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a master's degree in Legal Studies, Social Sciences, Public or Business Administration, or related field; five (5) years of experience in equal opportunity, Fair Housing, civil rights investigations, or other civil rights work; and five (5) years of supervisory experience in management of complaints of discrimination, social services, and case management; or any equivalent combination of related training and experience. Excellent verbal and written communication, legal research, and extensive writing skills. 

 

Preferred Qualifications: 

Juris Doctorate (JD), with a license to practice law in Tennessee. 

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Competitive Benefits Pension 

  • 401K Match 

  • Family Tuition 

  • Paid Family Leave 

  • 11 Paid Holidays 

  • Career Mentoring 

  • Emotional Health/ 

  • Wellness Programs 
     

For Information regarding State of Tennessee benefits please click here 
 

How to apply: 

To be considered for the Executive Administrative Assistant 2, Housing Director position with the Tennessee Human Rights Commission external applicants must apply online at https://www.tn.gov/careers. 
 

Active state employees apply for career opportunities directly through Edison self-service. 
 

Target Salary Range $5,591-$8,915 monthly. The directly related experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities of the selected candidate will determine the actual salary offer. 
 

Any position could ultimately be designated as work from home, mobile work or free address (i.e. Employees work in office and can choose from various space options based on need for a given day such as private meeting rooms, conference rooms, collaborative spaces and enclaves for individual work assignments.) 
 

Pursuant to the State of Tennessee’s Workplace Discrimination and Harassment policy, the State is firmly committed to the principle of fair and equal employment opportunities for its citizens and strives to protect the rights and opportunities of all people to seek, obtain, and hold employment without being subjected to illegal discrimination and harassment in the workplace. It is the State’s policy to provide an environment free of discrimination and harassment of an individual because of that person’s race, color, national origin, age (40 and over), sex, pregnancy, religion, creed, disability, veteran’s status or any other category protected by state and/or federal civil rights laws. 

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Posted September 24, 2024

 

DEPUTY DIRECTOR, TENNESSEE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, NASHVILLE, TN
Salary: Minimum $8,408 monthly


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WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO:
Tennessee Human Rights Commission's (THRC) mission is to safeguard individuals from discrimination through enforcement and education. THRC is an independent state agency responsible for enforcing the Tennessee Human Rights Act and the Tennessee Disability Act which prohibit discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodation on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, disability (not in public accommodations), familial status (housing only) and age (40+, not in housing). THRC is a neutral fact-finding agency charged to investigate each complaint of discrimination to determine if a violation of the Tennessee Human Rights Act or the Tennessee Disability Act has occurred. THRC also ensures the State of Tennessee's compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibits discrimination based on race, color and national origin by State agencies receiving federal financial assistance.

HOW YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THIS ROLE:
THRC is seeking a highly qualified individual who is willing to meet the challenges of public service and support our mission. The Deputy Director will report to the Executive Director and support with overseeing the agency’s operations which include enforcement and administration, policy and procedure development, case management, mediation, litigation, budget, human resources, education, and community outreach. The Deputy Director will also be responsible for the supervision, training, and development of staff members. ​

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree. Advanced degree (Master’s or J.D.) preferred. 

  • Minimum of five or more years of full-time increasingly responsible professional experience.

  • Five years effectively supervising staff, managing projects, and leading teams.

  • Demonstrated sound and reasoned judgment. Ability to make decisions, justify recommendations, and be responsive and clear with staff and stakeholders.

  • Strong organizational skills, including the ability to prioritize, multi-task, and manage workload to meet specific timeframes and deadlines.

  • Effective communication and training skills, as well as strong presentation skills and critical analysis proficiencies.

  • Strong work ethic, professionalism, and ability to adapt to changing priorities.​


KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Administrative

  • Provide strategic direction and leadership to the Commission and ensuring efficient functioning of all departments.

  • Oversee daily operations and compliance of policies and procedures.

  • Works closely with the Executive Director in development of budget and other projects.

  • Assists in presentations before General Assembly.

  • Serves as the agency head at the Executive Director's request.

  • Develop and maintain agency policies and procedures at the direction of the Executive Director.


Supervision

  • Monitoring the effectiveness of programs and initiatives, evaluating outcomes, and recommending improvements.

  • Counsel and discipline unsatisfactory work behaviors and/or performance.

  • Provide oversight for the mediation, intake, and investigation processes.


Case Management

  • Provide legal research and counsel to intake and investigative staff to discover or explain the elements of proof for a particular case.

  • reports to determine the efficiency of staff.Case management of the investigative staff- assigning cases and assessing case

  • Negotiate the annual Work Sharing Agreements and contract extensions with EEOC and HUD- review annual case closures and charge receipts to determine contract performance goals.​


Training

  • Develop, coordinate, and conduct training programs for staff, stakeholders, and the public on various civil rights laws, policies, and practices.

  • Develop and deliver training modules for outreach presentations.​


COMPETENCIES:

  • Performance Driven

  • Approachability

  • Planning

  • Quality Decisions

  • Strategic Agility

  • Leading Change

  • Critical Thinking

  • Self-Awareness

  • Action-Oriented

  • Problem Solving

  • Communication

  • Time Management

  • Customer Focused

  • Reliability

  • Integrity

  • Professionalism


WILLIAM R. SNODGRASS TENNESSEE TOWER
312 ROSA L PARKS AVENUE, 23RD FLOOR
NASHVILLE, TN 37243-1102
615-741-5825 FAX: 615-253-1886

Toll-Free: 1-800-251-3589 Toll-Free Spanish: 1-866-856-1252

www.tn.gov/humanrights

Posted Aug. 2, 2024

 

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