People Strategy, Equity, and Culture

Chief Diversity Officer

  • Title: Chief Diversity Officer
  • Category: Management
  • FLSA: Exempt
  • Grade: N

Job Summary

Under the direction of the College President, the Chief Diversity Officer leads the development and implementation of proactive diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in support of the College’s strategic plan to create a learning and working environment where all have an opportunity to succeed.  The Chief Diversity Officer is a senior-level management position reporting directly to the President and serving as a member of the President’s Cabinet. The Chief Diversity Officer champions the importance and value of a diverse and inclusive college environment and leads the development of a vision and effective strategy to create a culture for equity, diversity, and inclusion. The Chief Diversity Officer actively engages students, faculty, and staff to further behaviors, attitudes, and policies that support diversity, equity, and inclusion. The Chief Diversity Officer will collaborate with College stakeholders to assess potential barriers and develop strategies to recruit and retain a diverse workforce. The Chief Diversity Officer will also collaborate with college stakeholders to assess the need for, and recommend training initiatives on, cultural competency, gender differences, disability, sexual harassment, and other topics designed to increase awareness and support of equity and inclusion values, and maintaining compliance with applicable laws. The Chief Diversity Officer will manage the College’s Workforce Analysis and oversee compliance with Affirmative Action, Equal Employment Opportunity, and other applicable requirements.

Distinguishing Characteristics

The primary areas of accountability include compliance, advocacy and education. The incumbent serves as advisor and resource person for management and staff in the areas of diversity, inclusion, equity and intake and investigation of concerns across the College that pertains to discrimination or harassment. Serves as a referral person to outside agencies in the areas of Equal Employment Opportunities and Affirmative Action.

Typical Duties and Responsibilities

  1. Plans, guides and advises President and executive officers on diversity, equity, inclusion and affirmative action matters. Collaborates with College management to create, implement and monitor programs designed to ensure fair and equitable treatment of students, faculty and staff.
  2. Leads the College in implementing strategic initiatives, including the creation of a culture for equity, diversity, and inclusion. Partners with campus leaders, faculty, students, staff, and internal and external constituencies to ensure programing supports the college’s values and strategic goals.
  3. Provides strategic direction for training initiatives on cultural competency, gender differences, disability, sexual harassment, building a climate of equity and inclusion, and other topics designed to increase awareness and support of equity and inclusion values, and maintaining compliance with applicable laws in collaboration with College stakeholders.
  4. Leads District Leadership Diversity Council. Supports campus diversity councils and Multicultural event programming. Engages faculty, staff and students to build a welcoming and inclusive culture at PCC.
  5. Promotes College commitment to a climate of equity, diversity, and inclusion through interaction with the Board of Directors, Executive Staff, supervisory staff, employees, students and the community.
  6. Represents the College to external community, organizations, and agencies. Collaborates with external and internal constituency groups, including students and protected veterans, to promote and advance diversity, equity, and inclusion. Serves as a liaison between the College and enforcement agencies.
  7. Manages the College’s Workforce Analysis and oversees compliance with Affirmative Action, including Affirmative Action for Protected Veterans, Equal Employment Opportunity, Title IX and other applicable regulations. Oversees EEO and Title IX investigations as a result of claims of discrimination, harassment, assault, and other complaints filed by students, faculty, staff and administrators. Ensures investigatory process, notification, reporting, and documentation complies with Federal regulations and statutes.
  8. Serves as the central resource for student, faculty, staff and the PCC community on issues related to protected class discrimination, harassment and Title IX.
  9. Establishes and maintains an internal audit and reporting system to allow for effective measurement of College programs. Assesses and monitors program effectiveness and keeps management informed of equal opportunity progress and issues through periodic reports.
  10. Provides analysis of legislation and regulations related to equity, affirmative action, and Title IX and makes recommendations to leadership on College policy and practice.
  11. Directs the work of department staff. Hires, evaluates, trains, disciplines and recommends dismissal of staff as necessary.
  12. Gathers, researches and analyzes data for use in statistical calculations and reporting in order to meet federal and state requirements, including creating workforce analysis reports. Conducts annual Climate Survey, analyzes results, makes recommendations for action.
  13. Manages the department budget, including developing budget proposals, justifying expenses and monitoring accounts.
  14. Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements

Work pressure, disturbances of work flow, and/or irregularities in work schedule are frequent and require significant adaptation. The work environment rapidly evolves, requiring continual upgrading of skills. Work is mostly sedentary and confined to an office setting with periodic outside activity for training and intervention. Extended work hours are common.  Physical exertion includes standing during training, carrying materials and hand-outs, flip charts and other audio-visual equipment. Frequent travel within the college district is required. Early morning, evening and/or weekend work occasionally required.

Minimum Qualifications

A Master’s degree in social justice, post-secondary education, sociology, social anthropology, public administration, human resource management or other related field. Experience performing the duties described above may substitute for the education requirement on a year-for-year basis. Eight years of experience advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in a complex organization; three years of experience working in an affirmative action and EEO compliance function; and including two years of management or supervisory experience.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge of:
  • Leadership and managerial principles;
  • Budgeting principles and practices;
  • Advanced theories and principles related to area of assignment;
  • Strategy development and management principles and practices;
  • Diversity, equity and inclusion best practices
  • Program management and development principles;
  • Public administration principles and practices;
  • Policy and procedure development and administration principles and practices;
  • 1964 Civil Rights Act, the 1991 Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Affirmative Action, Equal Employment Opportunity, and other applicable laws;
  • Applicable local, state and federal laws, codes, rules, and regulations;
  • Public relations principles;
  • Higher education principles and practices;
  • Training methods and best practices;
  • Conflict resolution and mediation methods.
Skills in:
  • Providing strategic leadership;
  • Cultural competency;
  • Working with diverse academic, cultural and ethnic backgrounds of community college students and staff;
  • Collaboration and consensus building;
  • Managing change and sensitive topics;
  • Offering viable solutions for problem solving;
  • Analyzing and making sound recommendations on complex management and administrative issues, including identifying alternative solutions, projecting consequences of proposed actions, and making recommendations in support of goals;
  • Planning, implementing, improving, and evaluating programs, policies, and procedures;
  • Evaluating research to identify potential solutions, resolve problems, or provide information;
  • Communicating effectively through oral and written mediums;
  • Leading and supervising staff;
  • Developing, administering, and managing budgets;
  • Managing multiple priorities simultaneously;
  • Analyzing and developing policies and procedures;
  • Planning, analyzing, and evaluating programs and services, operational needs, and fiscal constraints;
  • Evaluating research to identify potential solutions, resolve problems, or provide information;
  • Utilizing computer technology for communication, data gathering and reporting activities;
  • Speaking in public.
Ability to:
  • Understand, be sensitive to, and respect the diverse academic, socio-economic, ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds, disabilities and sexual orientation of students, faculty, administrators, and staff;
  • Develop policy and procedure related to program initiatives;
  • Effectively communicate both in writing and verbally;
  • Maintain a professional demeanor during emotionally charged, difficult, or high pressure situations;
  • Defuse anger and establish or restore harmony.

Revised: 8/2020; 9/2018; 12/2015; 1/2014
Reviewed: 12/2018
New: 3/2013