Deputy Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion/Equal Employment Opportunity

The New York City Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD) promotes quality and affordability in the citys housing and diversity and strength in the citys neighborhoods because every New Yorker deserves a safe affordable place to live in a neighborhood they love.

-We maintain building and resident safety and health
-We create opportunities for New Yorkers through housing affordability
-We engage New Yorkers to build and sustain neighborhood strength and diversity.

HPD is entrusted with fulfilling these objectives through the goals and strategies of Housing Our Neighbors: A Blueprint for Housing and Homelessness Mayor Adams comprehensive housing framework. To support this important work the administration has committed $5 billion in new capital funding bringing the 10-year planned investment in housing to $22 billion the largest in the citys history. This investment coupled with a commitment to reduce administrative and regulatory barriers is a multi-pronged strategy to tackle New York Citys complex housing crisis by addressing homelessness and housing instability promoting economic stability and mobility increasing homeownership opportunities improving health and safety and increasing opportunities for equitable growth.


Your Team:

The Office of Diversity Equity and Inclusion/Equal Employment Opportunity (ODEI/EEO) forwards the mission of HPD to construct and preserve affordable housing by ensuring that all internally- and externally-facing policies programs and procedures are created and executed with an intersectional equity lens that focuses on wellness both for employees and the public we serve. The Office also serves an important compliance role ensuring that anti-discrimination laws are enforced. The Office is transitioning to focus even more on equity and inclusion paying close attention to race gender and disability as intersectional lenses to help uncover barriers to accessing resources and opportunities.

The Office works both internally and externally to ensure that the agency is as responsive as possible to the diverse public we serve through building partnerships with neighborhoods communities and organizations. The Office also acts as a one-stop resource with regard to equity and as a liaison for HPD to equity initiatives throughout the city. Finally the Office is committed to educating HPDs workforce about equity and inclusion strategies and equal employment opportunity policies as well as state and local anti-discrimination laws in order to better equip our staff to work together and with the public in an unbiased and professional manner.

Your Role:

The Deputy Director will assist with all aspects of HPDs Diversity Equity Inclusion and compliance with all federal state and local policies procedures and regulations around Equal Employment Opportunity. The Deputy Director will:

Required skills:

This position requires demonstrable knowledge of federal state and local employment and disability laws and an understanding of the landscape in New York City with regard to diversity equity and inclusion.

You will work with agency stakeholders and partners towards identifying and reducing job- and program-related barriers to staff and clients with disabilities.
-Work with agency stakeholders and partners toward identifying and reducing job- and program-related barriers to staff and clients with disabilities.
-Developing agency policies and procedures to ensure full programmatic and communication accessibility for persons with disabilities; providing accessible notices to members of the public advising them of their rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) the New York State Human Rights Law the New York City Human Rights Law and associated regulations related to persons with disabilities as well as the agencys ADA grievance procedure; and serving as the primary contact within HPD for persons with disabilities requesting auxiliary services.
-Respond to inquiries from members of the public concerning accessibility; assist in the investigation of any complaint alleging noncompliance with the ADA and/or other applicable federal state and local laws relating to people with disabilities or alleging any actions that would be prohibited by such laws; document and maintain records of complaints made pursuant to the ADA and other applicable laws; and forward such complaints to the Mayors Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD).
-Process requests for Reasonable Accommodations from the public and employees.
-Conduct live EEO trainings for all HPD employees and identify and administer other relevant trainings as needed.
-Assist in the preparation and submission of timely and accurate quarterly and annual reports; collaborate with departments to gather and analyze statistical information.
-Serve as the 55-a Coordinator.
-Ensure that HPDs programs services and activities meet the requirements under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act which mandates non-discrimination and accessibility in federally funded housing programs for persons with disabilities.
-Serve as a liaison between HPD MOPD and disability advocacy groups.
-Establish HPDs first Employee Resource Groups and hold equity-themed HPD events to help engage all levels of HPD staff in frank conversations around equity particularly regarding race and gender.
-Maintain close relationships with agency partners and mayoral offices and commissions paying close attention to City Council legislation to seek out equity best practices and initiatives and determine the best place for their implementation at HPD; including meeting regularly with agency leadership to assess and respond to agency needs around diversity equity and inclusion using qualitative and quantitative data when available.
-Act as an expert in equity best practices especially regarding race and gender helping policy leaders at HPD to mainstream equity considerations into all levels of their work; including collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to develop and conduct trainings to better sensitize service providers to inequity in access to opportunity including implicit bias.
-Work with divisions across the agency to conduct and share findings from diversity equity and inclusion audits.

Preferred skills:

-Substantive knowledge of Federal State and Local employment laws
-Working knowledge of disability rights issues
-Excellent communication skills including proven ability to effectively analyze and interpret employment issues
-Proven ability to communicate verbally and in writing with all levels of a diverse workforce
-A passion for applying an intersectional equity lens to policies and procedures.
-An eagerness to work on a close-knit team.
-A keen sense of how engage effectively in tough conversations.
-Great relationship-building skills and an ability to build bridges when there are silos.
-Ability to independently take on projects and join policy discussions with guidance as needed.
-Strong interpersonal skills
-Experience working independently with minimal oversight
-Highest ability to exercise and maintain confidentiality

COMMUNITY COORDINATOR - 56058

Qualifications :

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and two years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties described above; or
2. High school graduation or equivalent and six years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties as described above; or
3. Education and/or experience which is equivalent to 1 or 2 above. However all candidates must have at least one year of experience as described in 1 above.

Additional Information :

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic including but not limited to an individuals sex race color ethnicity national origin age religion disability sexual orientation veteran status gender identity or pregnancy.

Remote Work :

No

Employment Type :

Full-time