Requisition No: 803189

Agency: Business and Professional Regulations

Working Title: Chief Ombudsman - DBPR - 79011250

Position Number: 79011250

Salary: $90,000+ commensurate with experience

Posting Closing Date: 03/31/2024

CHIEF OMBUDSMAN - 79011250/DBPR/CTMH

Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares and Mobile Homes

Office of the Ombudsman

Chief Ombudsman

Position Number: 79011250

*OPEN COMPETITIVE *

Base Salary: $90,000+ commensurate with experience

PLEASE NOTE : Completion of candidate work history on the State of Florida Employment Application is required in order to be considered. Submission of a resume cannot be accepted in lieu of the completed work history but can be included with your application.

Our Organization and Mission:

The Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) is the agency charged with licensing and regulating State of Florida businesses and professionals, such as cosmetologists, veterinarians, condominiums, hotels, and restaurants. Our mission is to license efficiently and regulate fairly, and we strive to meet this goal in our day-to-day operations.

The work you will do:

This position must be a Florida licensed attorney and is located within the Office of the Ombudsman of the Division of Condominiums, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes. This in-office position reports to the Division Director and primarily acts as a liaison between condominium unit owners and association boards. This position also oversees the division’s election monitoring program. The ombudsman’s specific powers and duties are outlined s. 718.5012, F.S.

How you will grow:

DBPR employees are expected to uphold these seven core values: Accountability, Innovation, Integrity, Ownership, Responsiveness, Respect, and Teamwork. In turn, we will involve you in important and often complex projects while offering you the opportunity to gain valuable experience quickly.

Benefits of working for the State of Florida:

Working for the State of Florida is more than a paycheck. The state’s total compensation package for our SES and Career Service employees features a highly competitive set of benefits including:

• Annual and sick leave
• Holiday leave – Nine days per year
• Personal holiday – One day per year
• State group insurance – Health, dental, vision, life, and supplemental coverage options
• Retirement plan options–including employer contributions (for specifics, visit www.myfrs.com )
• Flexible spending accounts
• Tuition waivers
• Mentorship/Volunteer opportunities – one hour a week per month
• And more!
• For specific details, visit www.mybenefits.myflorida.com

Simplified Overview:

This incumbent in this position shall be a licensed attorney admitted to practice before the Florida Supreme Court and may be required to assist with:

• Developing policies and procedures to assist unit owners, boards of directors, board members, community association managers, and other affected parties to understand their rights and responsibilities as set forth in Chapter 718, F.S. and the condominium documents governing their respective association.
• Coordinating the preparation and adoption of educational and reference materials, and shall endeavor to coordinate with private or volunteer providers of these services, so that the availability of these resources is made known to the largest possible audience.
• Encouraging and facilitating voluntary meetings with and between unit owners, board of directors, board members, community association managers, and other affected parties when the meetings may assist in resolving a dispute within a community association before a person submits a dispute for a formal or administrative remedy. It is the intent of the Legislature that the ombudsman act as a neutral resource both the rights and responsibilities of unit owners, associations, and board members.
• The resolution of disputes between unit owners and the association or between unit owners when the dispute is not within the jurisdiction of the division to resolve.
• Monitoring and reviewing procedures and disputes concerning condominiums elections or meetings, including investigations where there is reasonable cause to believe that election misconduct has occurred.
• Making recommendations to the division for changes in rules and procedures for the filing, investigation, and resolution of complaints filed by unit owners, associations, and managers.
• Acting as a neutral resource for both the rights and responsibilities of unit owners, associations, and board members.
• Supervising and directing the work of staff responsible for communications between all parties interacting with the Condominium Ombudsman's office.
• Performing all tasks related to supervision of employees including leave and attendance, performance management and evaluation, recruitment and selection for the office and other duties as necessary.
• Other duties as required or assigned by the division or the department.

Minimum Requirement:

• Must be a Florida licensed attorney;
• Must be able to demonstrate professional experience with community outreach;
• Must be willing to conduct consistent and regular work travel across the state and particularly throughout South Florida.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of Florida laws, rules and regulations governing condominiums and corporations; ability to act as a neutral third party in disputes.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing; ability to gather, document, record and analyze data.
• Ability to make decisions and solve problems based upon evaluation and reasoning with the data and information accumulated.
• Ability to professionally mediate disputes between opposing parties.

Preferences:

• Experience in researching and analyzing legal issues.
• Experience with public speaking.
• Experience in dealing regularly with members of the public.
• Experience with supervising or overseeing a staff.
• Experience in Florida condominium and/property law.
• Fluent in Spanish.

***Information contained in responses to Qualifying Questions concerning education, experience, knowledge, skills and/or abilities must also be disclosed on the State of Florida Employment Application. ***

Applicant Note: If you are the selected candidate for this position and hold a current license through the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation, you may be required to place your license in an inactive status. NOTE: This position requires a security background check and/or drug screening and participation in direct deposit. You will be required to provide your Social Security Number (SSN) and date of birth in order to conduct this background check.

Applicants are required to apply through the People First system by the closing date, by applying online. All required documentation must be received by the closing date of the advertisement. If you have any questions regarding your application, you may call 1-877-562-7287.

The Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation is committed
to increasing recruitment and hiring of individuals with disabilities and
improving employment outcomes.

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must contact the DBPR Human Resources (HR) Office at (850) 487-2074. DBPR requests applicants notify HR in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

SPECIAL REMINDERS:
Male applicants born on or after October 1, 1962, will not be eligible for hire or promotion unless they are registered with the Selective Services System (SSS) before their 26th birthday, or have a Letter of Registration Exemption from the SSS. For more information, please visit the SSS website: http://www.sss.gov .

If you are a retiree of the Florida Retirement System (FRS), please check with the FRS on how your current benefits will be affected if you are re-employed with the State of Florida. Your current retirement benefits may be canceled, suspended or deemed ineligible depending upon the date of your retirement.

The Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation values the sacrifices
veterans and their family members have given to our country and supports
the hiring of returning service members and military spouses.

A candidate for veterans’ preference who believes he or she was not afforded employment preference may file a complaint in accordance with Rule 55A-7.016, F.A.C., with the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Veterans’ Preference Coordinator, 11351 Ulmerton Road, Suite 311, Largo, FL, 33778. The Department of Veterans’ Affairs has also established an email where people can electronically file claims or ask questions. The email is veteranspreference@fdva.state.fl.us.
We hire only U. S. citizens and lawfully authorized alien workers. Our agency participates in the E-Verify System which is a federal government electronic database available for employers to use to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.

The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer, and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.