Information Management Counsel & Records Access Officer

Job Title: Information Management Counsel & Records Access Officer

Reports to: General Counsel

The Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission is an independent agency that oversees law enforcement departments and officers throughout the Commonwealth. The Commission is charged with the following:

• Establishing certification standards for law enforcement departments and officers;
• Determining whether those standards have been met;
• Developing regulations and policies governing law enforcement;
• Decertifying, suspending, or ordering retraining for, or imposing other sanctions on officers who commit misconduct or otherwise fail to satisfy requirements;
• Maintaining, analyzing, and disseminating information regarding law enforcement; and
• Conducting investigations, adjudicatory proceedings, and public hearings regarding such matters.

The Commission is governed by, implements, and enforces Chapter 6E of the Massachusetts General Laws. Pursuant to that statute, the Commission collaborates with the Commonwealth’s Municipal Police Training Committee in several areas of its work.

The Commission is looking for an individual to join its Legal Division in the position of Information Management Counsel & Records Access Officer. Working under the direction of the Commission’s General Counsel, the individual will predominately work on legal and policy matters related to information management, public records, data privacy, and cybersecurity. The position will substantially, if not principally, involve responding to public records requests received by the agency.

The Information Management Counsel & Records Access Officer will work on various legal and policy matters for the Commission, primarily those involving information management, public records, data privacy and cybersecurity. The individual will be expected to adhere to applicable sources of law and serve the public ethically at all times.

Core responsibilities of the Information Management Counsel function will include:

• Maintaining an in-depth understanding of, and ensuring Commission compliance with, the law governing information management, public records, data privacy, and cybersecurity;
• Providing legal guidance and policy analysis on such subjects to Commission personnel;
• Contributing to the development of regulations, policies, protocols, manuals, and other informational materials related to such matters;
• Contributing to associated training and risk management initiatives;
• Responding to subpoenas and other forms of discovery, which may involve preparing court filings based on legal analysis, assembling responsive documents and redacting information protected by law, developing privilege logs, communicating with other counsel, and/or appearing in court;
• Contributing to the development of the Commission's public and internal databases, and its other information management systems and processes;
• Working with the Municipal Police Training Committee regarding the exchange of sensitive information;
• Developing a familiarity, and collaborating, with all Commission units.

Core responsibilities of the Records Access Officer function will include:

• Performing the duties of a Records Access Officer described in Chapter 66 of the Massachusetts General Laws and associated regulations;
• Managing the process of responding to public records requests made to the Commission and the performance of associated tasks;
• Ensuring that requests, deadlines, and related forms of information are tracked electronically;
• Communicating and negotiating with requesters regarding their requests;
• Developing written responses to requests, which responses may need to include substantive legal analysis and advocacy;
• Overseeing the collection of records, and the redaction of information made non-public by law, in response to requests;
• Managing the assessment of fees for the production of public records;
• Drafting petitions to the Secretary of the Commonwealth's Office, and addressing appeals to that office, regarding the Commission's public records responses and fee assessments;
• Overseeing the preparation of internal…