What are the responsibilities and job description for the HR Affirmative Action Specialist position at Mount Wachusett Community College?
Job Description :
General Statement of Duties :
The Affirmative Action Specialist is responsible for coordinating recruitment and retention efforts to attract and support diverse talent in compliance with the College's Policy on Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity and Diversity (PAA). The Affirmative Action Specialist provides a wide range of Affirmative Action and HR generalist activities including but not limited to job description and job posting reviews, ensuring consistency in interview processes, and engaging with hiring managers on recruitment efforts. Working closely with the College's Chief Diversity Executive, the Affirmative Action Specialist plays a pivotal role in advancing Mount Wachusett Community College's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) by focusing on attracting, engaging, and retaining a diverse talent pool while ensuring equitable hiring practices across all levels of the College. The incumbent is expected to be an analytical problem-solver who provides recommendations for process improvements as well as creative ways to attract talent. This role requires a deep understanding of recruitment best practices, DEI principles and effective communication and collaboration skills to drive meaningful change within the College. Responsibilities include strategizing and implementing Affirmative Action initiatives that prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Responsibilities :
- Responsible for the developing and implementing the full Affirmative Action plan in compliance with and addressing the expectations of the PAA, including aspects of sourcing, recruiting, screening and hiring of qualified, diverse and talented staff;
- Actively manages recruitment and retention initiatives to create and sustain a racially diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce and culture, utilizing workforce metrics to monitor and improve recruitment and retention processes, with a focus on increasing racial diversity and addressing any identified disparities;
- Ensures all stages of the hiring process are aligned with the College's commitment to Affirmative Action as expressed in the PAA, equity and inclusion.
- Provides guidance and support to College departments and search committees on recruitment-related matters, including interview techniques, talent assessment tools and candidate selection to ensure alignment with institutional objectives, hiring standards, and state and federal law. Partners with hiring managers to understand their specific needs and craft inclusive job descriptions that appeal to a broad range of talent.
- Serves as a resource to College managers and supervisors on hiring needs and ensures timely communication between HR and management team;
- Serve as an ex-officio member of the College's Affirmative Action Committee and facilitate the Committee addressing assigned responsibilities including those described in the PAA.
- Provides subject matter expertise to hiring managers and senior leaders on integrating inclusive hiring practices into our Affirmative Action operations;
- Collaborates with HR team to develop recruiting materials, training, and tools for managers and supervisors;
- Proactively searches for and engages qualified talent for open and hard to fill positions, specifically focusing on diversifying the College's workforce;
- Collaborates with the Chief Diversity Executive and Director of HR & Compliance to provide strategic support, process improvement, execution of recruitment, and robust Affirmative Action strategies, including development, implementation and maintenance of a data informed Affirmative Action Plan;
- Work closely with the Chief Diversity Executive to incorporate best practices for equity in hiring, including strategies to remove biases from the recruitment process;
- Uses Interview Exchange system to review job requisitions for full-time and part-time employees; provides backup assistance with posting jobs on the platform
- Audits and provides edits to the Interview Exchange electronic forms related to hiring process and personnel actions;
- Develops, maintains and uses workforce metrics to drive performance improvement in the recruitment and retention processes;
- Creates a positive candidate experience by providing the highest level of customer service and delivery of HR services throughout the employee life cycle.
Requirements :
Minimum Qualifications :
Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities :
Desired Qualifications :
Equivalency Statement
Applicants who do not meet the qualifications as stated above are encouraged to put in writing precisely how their background and experience have prepared them with the equivalent combination of education, training and experience required for the responsibilities of this position.
Additional Information :
Salary : $35,000.00-$42,000.00 with actual salary commensurate with academic background and experience.
Employee Status : Pro Rated
Benefits : Yes
Hours per Week : 20 This position is Hybrid eligible.
Number of Weeks : 52
Employees of Mount Wachusett Community College are considered employees of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and receive benefits which include :
Mount Wachusett Community College is an affirmative action / equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, sex, disability, religion, age, veteran status, genetic information, pregnancy or related conditions, gender identity, sex characteristics, sex stereotypes or sexual orientation in its programs and activities as required by Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and other applicable statutes and college policies. The College prohibits Sex-Based Harassment. Inquiries or complaints concerning discrimination, harassment, or retaliation shall be referred to the College's Affirmative Action Officer and / or Title IX Coordinator, the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission or the United States Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights.
Application Instructions :
Candidates for employment should be aware that although the COVID 19 Vaccination Requirement Policy is no longer in effect, all Community College students, faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to be up to date with vaccination against COVID-19. For additional information related to the status of the COVID19 Vaccination Requirement Policy, please visit :
The following documents are required :
1. Resume
2. Cover Letter
Anticipated Effective Date : January 2025
Priority will be given to applications received prior to January 13, 2025.
Applications will continue to be accepted until the position is filled.
Candidates may be subject to employment screening to include both a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) request and a Sexual Offender Registry Information (SORI).
Salary : $35,000 - $42,000