ADA Coordinator & Investigator

Statement of Duties:

The employee is responsible for managing the administrative and programmatic functions of the City’s Americans with Disabilities Act programs and services, while supporting and strengthening partnerships with City departments, community organizations, and external agencies on matters of accessibility. This role ensures Citywide compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) requirements, and other applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. The employee provides oversight of the City’s ADA Transition Plan and serves as a subject matter expert, providing technical guidance to leadership and staff on ADA compliance, EEO obligations, and equitable practices.

A primary focus of the role is conducting thorough and impartial investigations into ADA and EEO complaints, including investigatory interviews, analysis, and the preparation of detailed written findings and recommendations. The employee oversees the reasonable accommodation process, supports policy development and training, and serves as staff liaison to the Commission for Persons with Disabilities by collaborating with the Chair and members on agendas, reporting on relevant items, and providing administrative support and coordinating programming. In collaboration with Human Resources and City leadership, the role also advances community outreach and education efforts to promote awareness of ADA, EEO, and equity initiatives.

Essential Functions:

The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various type of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

• Lead Citywide ADA compliance and accessibility initiatives, including implementation and monitoring of the ADA Transition Plan across City programs, services, facilities, communications, and operations.
• Serve as the City’s ADA subject matter expert, providing technical guidance to City leadership, managers, departments, and staff regarding ADA requirements, accessibility standards, disability rights, reasonable modifications, and inclusive practices.
• Serve as staff liaison to the Commission for Persons with Disabilities, supporting Commission operations, preparing reports and recommendations, and facilitating communication between the Commission, City departments, and the disability community.
• Develop and maintain relationships with disability advocacy organizations, community organizations, residents, external agencies, and other stakeholders to identify accessibility concerns, understand community needs, and advance inclusive City services.
• Conduct thorough, impartial, and timely investigations of ADA, EEO, discrimination, and accessibility-related complaints, including interviews, evidence review, credibility assessment, findings, and written recommendations.
• Oversee and support the interactive process for reasonable accommodation requests and
• provide guidance to departments and employees regarding ADA-related workplace accommodations and accessibility.
• Advise Human Resources and City leadership on ADA- and EEO-related employment matters, including compliance, workplace accessibility, discrimination concerns, and applicable collective bargaining requirements.
• Develop, implement, and deliver ADA, EEO, accessibility, policies, procedures, training, and educational programs for City employees, managers, and community stakeholders.
• Monitor emerging federal, state, and local legal and regulatory requirements related to ADA, disability rights, EEO, reasonable accommodation, and related employment requirements, and recommend policy or operational changes as appropriate.
• Prepare and present reports, data, findings, recommendations, and updates to City leadership, the Commission for Persons with Disabilities, and other appropriate bodies.
• Represent the City at public meetings, community events, trainings, and interagency collaborations concerning ADA, accessibility, disability rights, EEO, and equity initiatives.

Recommended Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience: Bachelor’s Degree in a related field and three to five (3-5) years’ experience; or any equivalent combination of education, training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the essential functions of the job. Master’s degree preferred.

Knowledge, Abilities and Skill

Knowledge: Thorough knowledge of federal, state, and local laws and regulations related to equal employment opportunity (EEO), affirmative action, ADA, and disability rights, including investigatory standards and procedures. Knowledge of principles and practices of conducting workplace investigations, including evidence gathering, interviewing techniques, documentation, and report writing. Familiarity with community organizations, advocacy groups, local government operations, and the social, political, and business dynamics of an urban environment.

Abilities: Ability to conduct thorough, objective, and legally sound EEO and ADA investigations, including organizing and analyzing complex information, assessing credibility, and making defensible findings and recommendations. Ability to interpret and apply laws, regulations, and policies to varied situations; prepare clear, comprehensive, and well-supported investigative and technical reports; and handle sensitive and confidential matters with discretion. Ability to communicate effectively and persuasively, both orally and in writing, with diverse audiences, and to manage conflict and facilitate resolution.

Skills: Strong investigative, analytical, and critical thinking skills with attention to detail. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including report writing and presentation development. Skilled in conducting interviews and engaging with diverse stakeholders in a professional and culturally competent manner. Demonstrated ability in community engagement within an urban setting, along with strong customer service, facilitation, and training skills.

Work Environment

The work environment involves everyday discomforts typical of offices, with occasional exposure to outside elements. Noise or physical surroundings may be distracting, but conditions are generally not unpleasant. Employee may be required to work beyond normal business hours in response to attend evening meetings or complete work assignments.

Physical and Mental Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the position’s essential functions.

Physical Skills

Few physical demands are required to perform the work. Work effort principally involves sitting to perform work tasks, with intermittent periods of stooping, walking, and standing. May also be some occasional lifting of objects such as office equipment and computer paper (up to 30lbs.)

Motor Skills

Duties are largely mental rather than physical, but the job may occasionally require minimal motor skills for activities such as moving objects, operating a telephone, personal computer and/or most other office equipment including word processing, filing and sorting of papers.

Visual Skills

Visual demands require constantly reading documents for general understanding and analytical purposes.

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The City of Somerville is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, disability or any other protected category. Women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures will be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities free of charge, upon request. Persons with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication (i.e., CART, ASL), written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures in order to access the programs, activities, and meetings of the City of Somerville should please contact the ADA Coordinator at View phone number on us.fitly.work or View email address on us.fitly.work.

Pre-Employment Requirements for All Employees:

• MA Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) clearance
• Completion of Conflict-of-Interest Law Education training for municipal employees

Overview of Total Rewards:

• 4 weeks annual vacation for non-union positions. Union positions vary by contract. Please note, police officers are members of the SPEA union. Public Health Nurses are part of Union A (SMEA).
• Medical insurance through the Group Insurance Commission (GIC) - 80% of premium costs paid by City
• Dental coverage low and high plans through Cigna
• Vision care through Vision Service Plan (VSP)
• Long term disability through Sun Life
• Group and voluntary life insurance through Boston Mutual
• Health Care and Dependent Care flexible spending through Benefit Strategies
• Deferred compensation plans through a choice of three vendors
• Free, confidential services through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provided by E4Health
• Annual cancer screening & wellness release
• Tuition reimbursement
• MBTA pass program
• FREE Blue Bikes membership
• Eligible employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)

Benefits listed are for benefits-eligible positions and the above information is meant to be a general overview of the benefit programs offered by the City of Somerville and not a binding contract.