The Senior Director leads Webster University's institution-wide civil rights, nondiscrimination, accessibility and Title IX compliance program and serves as the designated Title IX Coordinator, subject to formal institutional appointment. The position is accountable for complaint response and resolution frameworks, independent investigation oversight, prevention and education, compliance policy, ADA coordination for students, faculty and staff, and consultation on fair and consistent hiring practices. The Senior Director partners with Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Human Resources, Legal, Public Safety, Facilities, IT and campus leaders to advance access, inclusion, institutional values and a respectful learning and working environment. Routine staff performance management and non-civil-rights employee relations remain with the Senior HRBP - Employee Relations & Organizational Effectiveness.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities1. Institutional Civil Rights, Title IX & Policy Governance (25%)- Serve as University Title IX Coordinator; maintain compliant, published reporting, response and resolution procedures, coordinator authority and required institutional notices.
- Lead interpretation, periodic review and implementation of civil rights, nondiscrimination, harassment, retaliation, Title IX and accessibility policies; monitor legal developments with Legal.
- Set standards for prompt, impartial, equitable and trauma-informed complaint assessment, supportive measures, formal and informal resolution when permitted, records retention and regulatory reporting.
- Oversee Clery/VAWA coordination and external agency responses with designated institutional owners; assess systemic trends and corrective action.
2. Investigations, Response, Resolution & Risk (25%)- Oversee complaint intake, jurisdictional assessment, investigator assignment, conflicts screening, investigative quality, findings, resolution pathways and timely case closure.
- Personally lead or assign complex, high-risk or leadership-related investigations; coordinate independent investigators and decision-makers as required by applicable procedures.
- Review escalated complaints, retaliation concerns, safety risks, repeat allegations and potential institutional exposure; engage Legal and appropriate executive leaders promptly.
- Maintain quality assurance for case files, Maxient or approved systems, documentation, metrics and audit readiness.
3. Accessibility & ADA Coordination (20%)- Provide institution-wide oversight and coordination of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and related accessibility and nondiscrimination obligations for students, faculty and staff.
- Partner with Student Accessibility Services, Academic Affairs, the designated employee ADA accommodation administrator, the FMLA/leave administration leader, Benefits, Facilities and IT on accommodation pathways, interactive-process standards, accessible programs, digital access and escalation of complex cases.
- Clarify designated decision-makers: student academic accommodations remain with authorized academic/accessibility officials; employee accommodation administration is coordinated with designated HR owners.
- Review accessibility complaints, identify systemic barriers and recommend reasonable remedies and policy/process improvements.
4. Education, Outreach, Hiring Consultation & Prevention (20%)- Establish an annual prevention, outreach and education plan for students, faculty, staff, managers, investigators and mandated reporters; monitor completion and effectiveness.
- Partner with Talent Management and campus units to ensure inclusion, equitable treatment, accessibility and mission-aligned values are reflected in established processes, learning, access and policy awareness; this is process oversight, not ownership of a separate DEI program.
- Consult with Talent Acquisition, HR Business Partners, Academic Affairs and hiring leaders on consistent, accessible, job-related and equitable recruitment and selection processes, including job-related criteria, interview practices, reasonable accommodations, documentation and nondiscrimination requirements; advise rather than independently approve hiring decisions.
- Maintain campus and global-site partnerships to surface concerns, improve reporting confidence and strengthen consistent institutional responses.
5. Leadership, Institutional Partnerships & Operational Excellence (10%)- Supervise, coach and evaluate assigned compliance personnel; approve case assignments, priorities, standards and escalations.
- Advise the AVP and executive leaders on institutional compliance risk, resource needs, case trends and corrective measures without compromising investigative independence.
- Coordinate with Legal, Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, Public Safety, HR Business Partners, Talent Acquisition, the FMLA/leave administration leader and other accountable owners; prepare executive dashboards and compliance plans.
Salary range for this position is: $105,000-$115,000 annually.
Requisite Experience and Education- Bachelor's degree in HR, higher education administration, law, public administration, student affairs or related field required
- Eight (8) to ten (10) years of progressively responsible civil rights, Title IX, accessibility, investigations, compliance or related experience, including leadership responsibility.
- Experience overseeing complex investigations and advising senior leaders in higher education or a comparably regulated organization strongly preferred.
- Title IX Coordinator/investigator training and relevant ATIXA, compliance or HR credentials preferred; required role-specific training must be maintained.
Functional and Technical Skills- Expert knowledge of Title IX, Title VII, ADA, Section 504, applicable civil rights laws and higher education investigation and resolution practices.
- Strong executive consultation, investigation oversight, policy governance, risk assessment, documentation and sound independent judgment.
- Demonstrated experience coordinating student and employee accessibility/accommodation processes and cross-campus response pathways.
- Ability to advise on equitable, job-related hiring standards and accessible selection practices without displacing hiring authorities.
- Strong leadership, facilitation, prevention training, outreach, case management, analytics and confidential records skills.
- Commitment to inclusion, procedural fairness, impartiality, mission stewardship and regulatory compliance.
