POSITION PROFILE
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF ETHICS
COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS GOVERNMENT
March 2024
POSITION PROFILE
POSITION: Deputy Director of Ethics
DEPARTMENT: Department of Human Rights and Ethics
REPORTS TO: Execuve Director
SALARY RANGE: $110,770 - $135,384
HOW TO APPLY: Please submit a Resume and Cover leer to Shakmanexemptapplicaons@cookcountyil.gov
OVERVIEW
The Cook County Department of Human Rights and Ethics is seeking a Deputy
Director of Ethics. The Deputy Director serves as the internal control point for ethics
and impropriees, allegaons, complaints, and conicts of interest. Counsels all
Department sta, outside aorneys, volunteer commissioners, and as necessary, the
Cook County Board President and Cook County Board Commissioners on procedural
and substanve quesons of law and policy which pertain to the work and mandate
of the Department. Oversees audit compliance which includes vendor and campaign
donor compliance and conngency fund reimbursements.
Cook County oers great benets and the chance to parcipate in a strong tradion
of public service. Cook County is home to more than ve million residents, roughly
45% of Illinois’ populaon. Cook County Government provides a range of vital
services and programs that enhance the quality of life for residents across the
region. These services range from health care to urban planning. Cook County is
commied to empowering its employees to bring our constuents the best that
public service has to oer.
WHY PURSUE A CAREER WITH COOK COUNTY?
In addion to providing employees with a challenging, rewarding environment for
career and personal growth, we are proud to also oer some of the best benets in
the public sphere, including:
➢ Top Tier Medical Benets: Medical Plans, Prescripon Drug Benet, Dental
Plans, Vision Plan and 7 Addional voluntary benet plans
➢ Flexible Teleworking Opons
➢ Generous, Flexible Paid Time O (13 paid designated holidays; Minimum of
10 vacaon days annually; Up to 4 personal days annually; and Paid sick
leave)
➢ Pension Plan
➢ Financial Support Programs and Resources: Life Insurance, Flexible Spending
Accounts – Dependent Day Care, Commuter Benets, Discounted Parking,
PSLF Eligibility, Deferred Compensaon and Educaon Tuion Spend
➢ Health/Wellness Perks: Flexible Spending Accounts-Health Care, Employee
Assistance Program and MyHealth Connecons wellness program.
Please review carefully the Employee Benets page. For benets quesons contact Risk Management at 312-603-6385
or email risk.mgmt@cookcountyil.gov.
SNAPSHOT OF COOK COUNTY:
➢ Serves 5.28 million residents of Chicago and its inner suburbs
o 2nd largest county in America
o Larger than 27 states
➢ Cook County employs over 22,000 employees who work in a variety of skilled jobs and trades.
o Nearly 80% unionized workforce
o 15 unions represented
o 63 separate collecve bargaining agreements
➢ Highway – Cook County maintains almost 600 miles of roads and highways.
➢ Land – Cook County assesses the value of more than 1.5 million parcels of taxable land and collects and
distributes tax funds as a service for local government taxing bodies.
➢ Safety – Cook County provides vital services to local government, from conducng elecons in suburban areas
to oering 911 services in unincorporated areas and municipalies.
LOCATION:
Located in the Loop District of downtown Chicago, one of the most formidable business districts in the world, the area
has an astounding number of cultural foundaons, stunning parks such as Millennial Park and Maggie Daley Park, steps
away from the Chicago Riverwalk, award-winning restaurants and plenty of shopping! In addion, Chicago is serviced
by mulple bus and train lines for public transportaon from the suburbs to the city, taxis are plenful, public parking
garages for motorist, and bicycle share rentals and local bike lanes for bicyclist.
ROLE SUMMARY
The Deputy Director of Ethics serves as the internal control point for ethics and impropriees, allegaons, complaints,
and conicts of interest. Under the direcon of the Execuve Director, the Deputy Director of Ethics counsels all
Department sta, outside aorneys, volunteer commissioners, and as necessary, the Cook County Board President and
Cook County Board Commissioners on procedural and substanve quesons of law and policy which pertain to the
work and mandate of the Department. Oversees audit compliance which includes vendor and campaign donor
compliance and conngency fund reimbursements.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES:
Assists the Execuve Director as needed, planning, direcng, organizing, coordinang, and evaluang the overall
acvies of the Department of Human Rights and Ethics.
Prepares and presents Department’s annual operang budget, including the development of Departmental goals,
objecves, and performance measures.
Develops, implements, and enforces oce policies and procedures.
Manages sta in the idencaon, invesgaon, mediaon, and adjudicaon of human rights discriminaon claims.
analyzes complex or sensive problems or issues and recommends soluons; serves as the advisor providing guidance
on all compliance maers.
Plans, develops, and presents programs for training employees in all the Department's components on the laws, rules
and policies that govern the conduct of Government employees, provides ongoing educaon and training for employees
and general public.
Supervises all aspects of the invesgaon process alleging ethical violaons; analyzes complex or sensive problems or
issues and recommends soluons; serves as the advisor providing guidance on all compliance maers.
Maintains a Code of Conduct that provides current guidance about the County's expectaons regarding ethical business
pracces; coordinates the documentaon of compliance and ethics programs including the development and annual
updates of compliance plans; develops policy and guidance memoranda to drive increased compliance.
Conducts audits and roune reviews of complaint les, training records and training content and complaint tracking
systems; analyzes countywide trends, including inquiry and complaint data, and oers appropriate guidance and
administers ongoing compliance and risk assessments and audits.
Directs outside counsel as needed for Department legal work, including Department appointed Administrave Hearing
Ocers and mediators, liaison to federal, state and local civil rights agencies, ethics agencies and women’s advocacy
and advisory organizaons.
Dras agenda and schedules, prepares for, and aends monthly Commission meengs for all three Commissions.
Traveling to meet with city ocials, employees, and members of the public as part of invesgave interviews or
processes, training and compliance-related meengs or events.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
Extensive knowledge of local, state and federal human rights and ethics ordinances, laws and standards.
Ability to demonstrate and uphold the highest levels of integrity, ethical conduct and stewardship.
Knowledge of current best pracces and trends related to eecve ethics and accountability programs.
Experience in auding, law, ethics, compliance, government operaons, or nancial management.
Ability to plan, organize, direct, research and evaluate the overall acvies related to the conduct of complex and
sensive invesgaons of countywide signicance to eecvely perform invesgaons and recommend correcve
acon.
Ability to develop and maintain cooperave and professional relaonships with employees, managers, and
representaves from other departments and organizaon; must possess strong mediaon and interpersonal skills;
ability to act professionally under highly emoonal situaons; ability to act as a mediator.
Execuve level ability to communicate eecvely both orally and in wring and to deal professionally with high level
ocials.
This posion requires moderate to extensive travel to work assignments throughout Cook County.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Graduaon from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree, PLUS a minimum of three (3) years of
experience in public administraon, human relaons, human rights, women’s issues or ethics administraon OR
equivalent combinaon of professional work experience, training and educaon.
Must possess general word processing skills.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Juris Doctorate or Master’s degree.
Professional work experience in the area of human rights, ethics, and women’s issues.
Prior supervisory or managerial work experience.
Exceponal wring and communicaon skills.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Sedentary Work
Sedentary Work involves exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally or a negligible amount of force frequently to
lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time but may involve
walking or standing for brief periods of time.
The dues listed are not set forth for purposes of liming the assignment of work. They are not to be construed as
a complete list of the many dues normally to be performed under a job tle or those to be performed temporarily
outside an employee’s normal line of work.
EMPLOYMENT TERMS
RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT: Pursuant to the Shakman Consent Decree, Supplemental Relief Order and the Cook County
Personnel Rules, this posion is exempt from the County’s career service rules, is at-will and polical reasons or factors
may be considered when taking any employment action. As an employee in a Shakman Exempt Posion, if you do not
currently live in Cook County, you will have six (6) months from date of hire to establish actual residency within Cook
County.