Director of Civil Rights Resolution Services

Job Summary

The Director of Civil Rights Resolution Services serves as a member of the Office of Civil Rights Compliance (CRC) leadership team, reporting to the Assistant Vice President (AVP) for Civil Rights Compliance & Title IX/EEO Coordinator with a dotted-line to the Deputy Title IX & Civil Rights Coordinator, and holds principal responsibility for the substantive quality, procedural integrity, and timely execution of CRC's formal and informal resolution functions across the full civil rights portfolio, including Title IX, Title VII, Title VI, equal opportunity generally, ADA/Section 504, and other civil rights compliance areas.

Essential Functions

• Serves as a member of the CRC leadership team and the Office's principal subject matter expert on formal and alternative resolution pathways

• Reports to the AVP for Civil Rights Compliance & Title IX/EO Coordinator with dotted-line accountability to the Senior Deputy Title IX & Civil Rights Coordinator

• Advances the Office's strategic priorities, including reducing time-to-resolution, enhancing informal resolution utilization, strengthening procedural consistency, and deepening the Office's bench of trained neutrals

• Promotes collaboration with the AVP on policy development, regulatory response, and institutional risk management within the resolution function

• Represents CRC on resolution-related matters in university committees, working groups, and external convenings as delegated

Leadership & Strategic Direction

• Facilitates the appropriate resolution matters, formal investigation, live hearing, administrative resolution, or alternative/informal resolution, in consultation with the AVP and Senior Deputy

• Advises on case strategy, procedural posture, and resolution planning for complex, high-profile, or novel matters

• Designs and refines the Office's resolution pathway framework, decision criteria, and escalation protocols

• Develops criteria for matter suitability across formal and informal resolution pathways

• Monitors pathway utilization patterns and recommends adjustments to maximize efficiency and participant experience

• Develops service delivery standards

• Supervises the Office's investigator team and hearing officers, including hiring, onboarding, performance management, and professional development

• Conducts regular one-on-ones, team meetings, and case assignments with investigators and hearing officers

• Provides substantive coaching, mentoring, and feedback on investigative technique, interview practice, report writing, and adjudicative decision-making

• Facilitates post-matter debriefs and quality assurance to capture lessons learned and drive continuous improvement

• Manages conflict-of-interest screening, recusals, and reassignment protocols for investigators and hearing officers

Quality Assurance for Investigative & Adjudicative Work Product

• Reviews investigative reports and hearing outcomes for substantive quality, procedural integrity, and legal sufficiency

• Ensures consistency with the 2020 Title IX Final Rule, Pennsylvania's duties of fair procedure, and the Office's established SOPs, interview guides, hearing scripts, and sanctioning rubrics

• Administers the Office's quality assurance program for resolution work product, including file audits, decision consistency checks, and procedural compliance reviews

• Maintains procedural checklists, decision templates, and practice aids for investigators and hearing officers

Alternative Resolution Facilitator Pool

• Designs, recruits, vets, trains, and maintains a pool of alternative resolution facilitators with appropriate subject-matter expertise

• Serves as an alternative resolution facilitator when needed, particularly for complex, sensitive, or precedent-setting matters

• Develops and maintains informal resolution frameworks, including mediation, restorative practice, facilitated dialogue, and negotiated resolution models

• Ensures facilitator assignments are conflict-free and matched to matter complexity and party needs

• Manages engagement, contracting, onboarding, and performance oversight of alternative resolution facilitators

• Tracks facilitator utilization, outcomes, and participant feedback to inform pool development

Appeals Officer Pool

• Designs, recruits, vets, trains, and maintains a pool of appeals officers with appropriate expertise across the CRC portfolio

• Safeguards appeals officer assignments are conflict-free, impartial, and appropriately credentialed for the matter type

• Manages engagement, contracting, onboarding, and performance oversight of appeals officers

• Develops appellate procedural guidance, decision templates, and reviewer resources

• Coordinates appeals scheduling, record preparation, and communication with parties within applicable timelines

• Marks and monitors appellate outcomes and remand patterns to identify systemic procedural issues

Advisor Pool

• Designs, recruits, vets, trains, and maintains a pool of advisors to support parties in hearings and throughout resolution processes

• Safeguards advisor availability consistent with regulatory requirements, including the 2020 Title IX Final Rule's cross-examination provisions

• Manages engagement, contracting, onboarding, and performance oversight of advisors

• Develops advisor training curricula, practice guides, and role-specific resources

• Safeguards advisor assignments are conflict-free and appropriately matched to party needs and matter complexity

• Captures and coordinates advisor scheduling, preparation, and support for hearing and resolution participation

Training & Professional Development

• Designs and delivers substantive training for investigators, hearing officers, alternative resolution facilitators, appeals officers, and advisors

• Coordinates annual recertification, refresher training, and continuing education to maintain compliance and substantive expertise

• Partners with the Senior Deputy on integrated training calendars and shared curricula across CRC roles

• Identifies emerging training needs based on regulatory developments, case trends, and quality assurance findings

Case Flow & Operational Integration

• Collaborates closely with the Senior Deputy on operational integration and data-informed case flow management

• Marks and monitors case pipeline, aging, and timeliness metrics for resolution functions; identifies and addresses bottlenecks

• Coordinates resolution scheduling across investigators, hearing officers, facilitators, appeals officers, advisors, and parties

• Partners with the case management team on intake-to-resolution handoffs and cross-functional workflows

• Contributes resolution data and trend analysis to Office dashboards, reporting, and strategic planning

Policy, Procedure & Continuous Improvement

• Drafts, revises, and maintains resolution-related SOPs, interview guides, hearing scripts, sanctioning rubrics, and procedural templates

• Tracks regulatory changes, case law developments, and OCR guidance affecting resolution practice; coordinates procedural updates

• Benchmarks resolution operations against promising practices and standards

• Leads quality assurance reviews following complex matters, audits, or external reviews within the resolution function

• Contributes to the Office's continuous improvement initiatives in partnership with the AVP and Senior Deputy

Regulatory Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensures resolution operations comply with Title IX, Title VII, Title VI, ADA/Section 504, equal opportunity, and other applicable civil rights frameworks

• Supports the AVP in responding to OCR complaints, agency inquiries, and external compliance reviews involving resolution matters

• Identifies procedural, substantive, and systemic risks within the resolution function and recommends mitigation strategies

• Coordinates with the Office of General Counsel on legally sensitive resolution matters, litigation support, and subpoena response

Other Duties

• Performs other duties as assigned by the AVP for Civil Rights Compliance & Title IX/EO Coordinator in furtherance of the Office's mission

• Serve as an investigator, alternative resolution facilitator, and/or other resolutions officer as needed

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of a Master's Degree in higher education, legal studies, human resources, or a related/transferrable field or the equivalent combination of education and work experience

• Minimum of 3 years of advancing and/or specialized experience in civil rights and/or nondiscrimination investigations and adjudication

• Minimum of 2 years of effective, results-evidenced supervisory experience that includes supervision of investigator(s)

• Proven subject matter expertise in Title IX, Title VII, Title VI, equal opportunity generally, ADA/Section 504, and other civil rights compliance areas

• Substantive understanding and functional ability in operating case management software(s)

• Substantive understanding of regulatory requirements and promising practices related to coordinators, investigators, advisors, adjudicators, appeals officer, alternative resolution facilitators, case managers, and other roles within Drexel’s CRC

• Documented experience in promoting effective, compliant, and prompt formal and alternative resolutions in civil rights/nondiscrimination compliance units

Preferred Qualifications

• Juris doctor (J.D.)

• Experience as a Title IX and/or civil rights investigator

• Experience as a Title IX and/or civil rights hearing officer, appeals officer, case manager, alternative resolution facilitator, and/or advisor

• Experience with Maxient case management software