Assistant Ombudsman and Equity Officer (Part-Time)

Job Summary

The Mayor's office is seeking an Assistant Ombudsman & Equity Officer. This is a part-time employment agreement position for ten months from January 2025 through October 2025. The person in this position will assist the City Ombudsman to advocate for the constituents served by the City of Annapolis, working particularly through a lens of fairness and equity. The goal is to ensure that all individuals are treated fairly in their interactions with city government and no one is disadvantaged in accessing City services due to political or religious affiliation or belief, race, color, sex, age, family status, national origin, marital status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

They will also assist in advocating for city policies and procedures that further these goals.
The contracted individual compensation will be $25.00 per hour during the contract period. The work will be a mixture of remote and in person work with an expectation of 20 - 25 hours per week.

The Assistant Ombudsman & Equity Officer would report to the Ombudsman & Constituent Services Officer and the Chief of Staff in the Mayor's Office.

The Assistant Ombudsman & Equity Officer will preserve the confidentiality of those seeking services, maintain a neutral/impartial position, and work at an informal level of the City organizational system while remaining independent of the formal City organizational structure.

For enquiries about position duties and requirements please contact: Hilary Raftovich, Ombudsman, Mayor’s
Office. E: hrraftovich@annapolis.gov M: 410-263-7997

Essential Job Functions

Activities and functions most frequently undertaken by the Assistant Ombudsman & Equity Officer may include, but are not limited to:

o Receiving questions and complaints from residents, assessing the needs and working with the Ombudsman to find the appropriate referrals and solutions
o Advocating for equitable treatment of constituents in dealings with the city of Annapolis
o Assisting in tracking complaints and concerns to look for trends and potential systemic problems in city services
o Identifying areas where city policies and procedures are inconsistent with the equitable treatment of constituents and suggest solutions to the city
o Facilitating informal resolution processes and refer residents to formal resolution processes as needed
o Reporting on cases that they are working on to the Chief of Staff, City Manager and Alderpersons as appropriate
o Working with the the City Ombudsman to advise the Mayor and City Council on any suggested legislative changes that would serve to improve the equitable treatment of constituents
o Working with the the City Ombudsman to advise the City Manager's office on any suggested policy changes that would serve to improve the equitable treatment of constituents

The Ombudsman and Assistant Ombudsman & Equity Officer would not participate in formal investigations or play any role in a formal issue resolution process, or make binding decisions or mandate policies for the City.

Qualifications

Education and Experience
Background, experience, or education in the legal field, government administration and/or knowledge of City Code and City Procedures is desirable, however, any relevant combination of experience and skills will be considered.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
o Knowledge of the principles and practices of public administration, public personnel administration, local finance administration and local government law;
o Knowledge and ability to understand relevant federal, state, regional, and local ordinances, regulations, programs, and policies and the ability to integrate them into strategic goals and objectives;
o Skill in analysis and applied research techniques;
o Excellent interpersonal skills;
o Excellent written and oral communication skills;
o Skill in preparing and presenting reports and other informative materials;
o Ability to use initiative and resourcefulness in handling general problems, conflict resolution, and group facilitation;
o Ability to demonstrate integrity in the performance of assigned tasks;
o Ability to maintain high levels of confidentiality when dealing with sensitive or private information;
o Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with the community at-large, the City Council, City departments, other public officials, public and private organizations and businesses, commissions/committees, and City staff;
o Ability to meet with the public to discuss problems and complaints tactfully, courteously, and effectively;
o Ability to produce clear and concise reports, memoranda, directives and letters;
o Ability to develop comprehensive plans and accomplish assigned administrative tasks with minimum supervision;
o Ability to give clear presentations orally and in writing;
o Ability to operate small office equipment, including copy machines or multi-line telephone systems;
o Ability to operate computers for data entry, word processing and/or accounting purposes;
o Ability to supervise employees using or repairing heavy or complex machinery;
o Ability to establish policies for using, acquiring, and/or maintaining technology systems;
o Ability to create and guide implementation of capital improvement plans or programs; and
o Ability to create plans for and guide implementation of major construction projects.

Employment Conditions

The work is light work which requires exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force to
move objects. Additionally, the following physical abilities are required:
o Crouching ability: sufficient to bend the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine.
o Handling ability: sufficient to pick, hold, or otherwise work, primarily with the whole hand.
o Hearing ability: sufficient to perceive the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction.
o Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discrimination in sound.
o Mental Acuity: sufficient to make rational decisions through sound logic and deductive processes.
o Reaching ability: sufficient to extend hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
o Repetitive Motion: Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers.
o Speaking ability: sufficient to express or exchange ideas by means of the spoken word including the ability to
convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately and concisely.
o Standing ability: Particularly for sustained periods of time.
o Visual ability: sufficient to effectively operate standard engineering office equipment; ability to read and write
reports, correspondence, instructions, etc.
o Walking ability: sufficient to move about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or move
from one work site to another.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Work is performed in a dynamic environment that requires the need to be sensitive to change and responsive to
changing goals, priorities, and needs.