Human Rights And Opportunities Trainee

The Opportunity
We are currently recruiting for Human Rights and Opportunities Trainees with the target class of Human Rights And Opportunities Complaint Intake Officer. As an HRO Trainee, you will play a crucial role in assisting individuals who have experienced discrimination, including Covid-related cases. You will be responsible for various investigative tasks, such as filing complaint affidavits, reviewing complaints and responses, conducting fact-finding conferences, and preparing comprehensive reports.

Job Responsibilities

• Assist individuals in filing complaint affidavits and serve complaints.
• Review complaints, answers, rebuttals, and interrogatory responses.
• Conduct mediation, conciliations, and negotiations with parties.
• Notice parties regarding investigation progress.
• Conduct fact-finding conferences and interview witnesses.
• Stay updated with current case law regarding the reasonable cause standard.
• Prepare comprehensive findings of fact and make final investigative determinations.
• Prepare reports based on analysis of documentation.
• Participate in education and outreach activities and training.

Location and Schedule
This full-time position is available in our Central Office in Hartford, CT. The work schedule is Monday to Friday, from 8:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. Incumbents in this class will be required to travel between the Central Office in Hartford, Eastern Office in Norwich, West Central Office in Waterbury, and Southwest Office in Bridgeport

Join our Exceptional Team
The mission of the State of Connecticut, Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) is to eliminate discrimination through civil and human rights law enforcement and to establish equal opportunity and justice for all persons within the state through advocacy and education. If you have a proven track record in conducting investigations, interpreting laws, and are passionate about promoting equal opportunity and justice, this is the perfect opportunity for you. We offer a collaborative and inclusive work environment where your contributions will have a meaningful impact on society. At State of Connecticut, we believe in the power of diversity and strive to create an environment that celebrates the uniqueness of every individual.

How To Apply
To apply for the HRO Trainee position, please submit your application through the State of Connecticut job portal. Only qualified candidates will be contacted for further steps in the selection process. We look forward to reviewing your application and determining if you are the perfect fit for our team.

• Please visit our 'Applicant Tips on How to Apply' page or view our tutorial.
• The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.
• Although applicants will receive correspondence via email, as a backup they are also encouraged to sign on to their Personal Status Board on a daily basis to monitor their status, view all emailed notices and complete tasks required in the recruitment process.
• In order to comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process.
• This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQs). You can access these RQs via an email that will be sent to you after the posting's closing date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section). Your responses to these RQs must be submitted by the question's expiration date. Please regularly check your email and JobAps Personal Status Board for notifications. Please check your SPAM and/or Junk folders on a daily basis in the event an email provider places auto-notification emails in a user's spam.
• Note: At any point during the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation which support their qualification(s) for this position. These documents may include: a cover letter, resume, transcripts, diplomas, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency. Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications as indicated to apply for this position.
• Should you have questions pertaining to this recruitment, please contact Liz Pinette at elizabeth.pinette@ct.gov.
• This position will be filled in accordance with contractual language, reemployment, SEBAC, transfer, promotion and merit employment rules.
• The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.
• All application materials must be received by the recruiting agency by the time specified on the job opening for the position for which you are applying. Late applications may not be submitted and will not be considered. Exceptions are rare and limited to documented events that incapacitate a candidate during the entire duration of the job posting time period. It is the candidate’s obligation and responsibility to request an exception and provide a legally recognized justification to accommodate such exception. Requests should be made to DAS.SHRM@ct.gov.
• For current state employees, salary calculations are not necessarily comparable from one of the three branches of state government (i.e., Executive, Legislative, Judicial) to the other.
• Read through this helpful link to prepare for your interview.

In the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities this class is accountable for successfully completing a planned training program in civil rights law enforcement and investigative techniques while performing enforcement and investigative work with gradually increasing responsibility.

• Knowledge of
  • causes of discrimination and its social and economic impact on protected classes;
  • interviewing principles and techniques;
• Skills
  • interpersonal skills;
  • oral and written communication skills;
  • organizational skills; 
  • analytical skills;
• Ability to
  • read, understand and apply statutes, regulations, legal theories and policies to a given set of facts;
  • follow oral and written instructions;
  • prepare reports.

Four (4) years of experience involving the protection of human rights and examination of social problems of protected classes.

College training may be substituted for the General Experience on the basis of fifteen (15) semester hours equalling one-half (1/2) year of experience to a maximum of four (4) years for a Bachelor's degree.

• Experience in conducting investigations including extensive analysis of documentation.
• Experience in preparing and writing comprehensive reports based on analysis of documentation.
• Experience making a determination based on finding of facts and information.
• Experience in interpreting and applying state and federal statutory laws and state agency regulations.

Incumbents in this class may be required to travel.

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

As defined by Sec. 5-196 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for administrative purposes.  As such, a job class is not meant to be all-inclusive of every task and/or responsibility.