Compliance Specialist

Title:                             Compliance Specialist

Unit:                             Court Advocacy – Supervised Release Program

Reports to:                   Compliance Manager

Status:                          Full Time; Regular; Non-Exempt                  

Location:                     502 East 163rd Street Bronx, NY 10451

Days/Hours:                Monday to  Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm

Salary:                         $32.97 (approximately $60,000 annually)

This position is represented by OPEIU Local 153

Organization Overview:

The Fortune Society, Inc. (Fortune) has been working for over 57 years in service to our mission: to support successful reentry from incarceration and promote alternatives to incarceration, thus strengthening the fabric of our communities. The organization has evolved into one of the nation’s preeminent reentry and justice-informed service organizations, providing formerly incarcerated people with the skills and wrap-around services needed to break the cycle of crime and incarceration and to build productive lives in their communities.

Fortune has grown steadily over the years to an agency with over $90 million in annual budget with approximately 600 staff. We anticipate that we will keep growing, both in size and depth of service. Fortune has a dual mission: both advocacy and service. The advocacy portion of our mission focuses on building a more just criminal legal system and reducing the barriers to reentry into society. The service side of Fortune has evolved to encompass a broad range of programs that started with employment and education and now includes a robust array of services, among them: alternatives to incarceration, supervised release, court advocacy, discharge planning within correctional facilities, licensed substance use and mental health treatment, a housing continuum ranging from emergency and transitional through permanent congregate and scattered site housing, assistance in obtaining benefits, a care management unit, HIV services, a food and nutrition program, and an arts program. Each service we provide is informed by the needs of the population we serve. Fortune currently serves approximately 18,000 people a year. Our program models are recognized, both nationally and internationally, for their quality and innovation. We have locations in Brooklyn, The Bronx, Manhattan, and Queens.

Position Summary:

Under the Supervised Release Program (SRP), the Compliance Specialist (CS) will provide compliance support to SRP staff and assist with implementing quality control procedures to enhance program efficiency when tracking and reporting on compliance measures. The CS will assist in overseeing the day-to-day operations of data collection and management to ensure the effectiveness of proper compliance reporting. The CS will work with SRP case managers, case management leadership team, and court advocates to ensure standardized practices in reporting.

Core Competencies:

Detail Oriented

The Compliance Specialist must pay close attention to detail, as each report will become a part of a client’s court record. This attention to detail includes reviewing data systems to extract necessary and pertinent information for court letters and reports.

Language and Writing

The Compliance Specialist must possess a solid knowledge of editing and grammar usage and have strong writing skills. These documents become a part of a client’s court record and are read by all court stakeholders. As such, precision and attention to verbiage are vital.

Time Management

The Compliance Specialist must have strong time-management skills and the ability to multitask. There are often many reports due at one time. The time and effort needed to review each document must be paced to ensure that timely and accurate documents are submitted to the court.

Mission and Fit:

Embodies Fortune’s mission and values and will be an effective member of the team in furthering both. The candidate should exhibit compassion and understanding for our participants (wherever they are in their re-entry process) and embrace Fortune’s core value that none of us should be measured against the worst things we have done.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assist case management staff in meeting ongoing court-based compliance measures (tracking re-arrests alerts, open/warranted cases, non-compliance court outcomes, updating case managers/management with client court date outcomes, drafting non-compliance memos and reviewing court memos) as needed.
• Sending daily court memos to court personnel
• Tracking client cases in the Criminal Inquiry System (CIS)
• Daily sorting of Judicial Actions Sheets sent by court staff
• Review of Day and Night shift paperwork (ensure all documents are present, sorting, saving paperwork to share drive).
• Conduct daily audits of new and existing clients placed into Supervised Release. Identify data entry errors of client profiles in our internal database (CaseWorthy).   
• Develop innovative ways to research, present and use programmatic trends to improve quality of services and program (i.e., failure to appear audits).
• Review finished court calendars for clients released into supervision
• Assist with onboarding new program staff.
• Attend all required staff meetings and training.

Qualifications:

• High school diploma or GED/HSE required, bachelor's degree preferred;
• A minimum of 2 years of experience in an administrative, compliance, auditing, and/or data-related role is required; experience in a social services-related field is a plus.
• Experience in the use of Microsoft Word and Excel and entering information into a database;
• Must possess a solid knowledge of editing and grammar usage and have strong writing skills;
• Familiarity with the Criminal Justice system and legal terminology;
• Strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to multi-task and meet deadlines; and
• Ability to be self-motivated in performing work and work effectively as a team member and with other staff members of the agency.

We seek talented, dedicated individuals from all walks of life who possess a strong commitment to this mission.  Relevant personal experience is a plus.

Physical Demands:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The responsibilities and requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skills, minimum education, training, licensing, experience, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

The Fortune Society is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will be afforded equal employment opportunities without discrimination because of conviction history, race, religion/creed, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, predisposing genetic characteristics, victim of domestic violence status or marital status.