Director of Investigation for Faculty & Staff

Position Summary

The Office of Institutional Equity (?OIE?) is Columbia University?s central office for addressing all reports of discrimination and discriminatory harassment. OIE?s jurisdiction includes matters arising under the University?s Discrimination and Discriminatory Harassment Policies. OIE manages and addresses concerns raised by students, faculty, staff, and affiliates that reach OIE either through direct reporting or through referrals from schools, departments, and campus partners.

The Director of the Discrimination and Discriminatory Harassment Faculty & Staff Division, who reports to the Vice Provost for the Office of Institutional Equity (?OIE?), is responsible for preventing and responding to discrimination, discriminatory harassment, and retaliation involving University faculty, staff, or affiliates. The Director develops and administers policies and procedures addressing prohibited conduct in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local anti-discrimination laws, including Title VI, VII and IX. The Director provides support to individuals seeking to bring complaints against University faculty, staff, or affiliates, and oversees resolution processes including Informal Resolutions, Formal Investigations, and the enforcement of the University?s Anti-Discrimination and Discriminatory Harassment Policies and Procedures for Faculty and Staff.

Responsibilities

• Oversees and conducts investigations into alleged violations of the Anti-Discrimination and Discriminatory Harassment Policies and Procedures for Faculty and Staff (?the Policy?) and facilitates informal, formal, or other resolutions of any alleged violations;
• Oversees and ensures the provision of supportive or remedial measures to students, faculty and staff impacted by potential violations of applicable policies or applicable laws;
• Provides guidance to students, faculty and staff, concerning compliance with the University?s Policy;
• Works closely and collaboratively with the University?s Office of General Counsel, Deans of the schools, and University stakeholders.
• Daily direct supervision and oversight of the Division?s Investigators and their caseloads.
• Oversees the team?s handling of each investigation to ensure progression and timely completion, reviews and provides feedback on drafts of memos, reports and other correspondence.
• Lead weekly case/investigation status update meetings with Investigators, Case Managers, and the Operations team; serve as liaison between investigative team and senior administrators to provide updates, discuss the need for interim measures/supportive accommodations, and address other concerns raised during the course of the investigation.
• Revise policy based on changes to federal, state, and local laws and regulations, as well as feedback from the University community and investigative team.
• Work with Operations and Case Management staff to create standard operating procedures and  best practices and collaborate with OIE Division Directors to advance the work of the office.
• Review and provide feedback on training materials, OIE policies and procedures, and various reports, including the Annual Report.
• Discuss overlapping cases with the other OIE investigative teams and coordinate next steps.
• Work closely with the Director of Training and Education on resolving matters informally.

Minimum Qualifications

• J.D. (New York Bar admission required);
• Seven years of relevant experience, such as litigation, including substantial courtroom experience, experience investigating protected class discrimination, harassment, or related criminal conduct;
• Knowledge of, and experience with, Title VI, VII, Title IX and FERPA as well as state and local anti-discrimination laws;
• Supervisory and investigative experience;
• Experience providing training and guidance on compliance with nondiscrimination laws;
• Experience providing supportive and remedial measures for violations of prohibited conduct under Title VI, Title VII, Title IX, and nondiscrimination laws.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity and experience with Title VI, Title VII, the ADA, the ADEA and, the New York State and New York City Human Rights Laws, the Clery Act, the VAWA and relevant aspects of the New York State Education Law;
• Experience conducting and supervising law enforcement investigations;
• Experience in an educational environment, ideally a higher education environment;
• Experience with mediation or alternative resolution practices;
• Experience working with people who have experienced discrimination, bias, harassment, and/or violence based on their identity including sexual harassment/sexual violence;
• Ability to demonstrate fairness and trust in responding to complaints and conflict management;
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects simultaneously, to adapt to changing environments and shifting priorities, to meet fixed and short deadlines and manage stressful situation;
• Ability to work effectively and collaboratively with people from diverse backgrounds;
• Strong research skills and the ability to synthesize a wide variety of data and compile appropriate reports using spreadsheets and other appropriate software. Preferred experience working with a case management database such as Maxient;
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing, multitask and meet sensitive timelines, use discretion and good judgment; maintain a high level of confidentiality, and work collaboratively with diverse constituencies including students, faculty, staff, administrators, and community partners.
• The successful candidate must have strong supervision, organization, planning, analytic and problem resolution abilities and excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to remain neutral.