Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Title: Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Reports to: Office of the President

Salary: $178,440.34

Position Summary:

The Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Director will establish the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). This newly created role will lead the long-term strategic planning and execution of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives across the organization. The Director will engage with leaders, staff, DEI committee leads, and union representatives across the organization to champion workforce strategies to develop, sustain, and evolve DEI within the organizational culture. They will use their expertise to create and implement actionable, sustainable, and measurable solutions to the organization's DEI priorities.

Position Responsibilities:

• Develop and lead the organization's implementation of strategic DEI initiatives, including fostering a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Set DEI strategy, leading the organization's implementation of strategic DEI action-orientated initiative, goals, and measurement in partnership with the President and Executive Leadership team
• Partner with the President and Executive Leadership Team to influence, educate and guide actions relating to DEI strategy; mobilize management and staff to drive a culture of inclusion and belonging for all colleagues.
• Develop strong collaborative internal partnerships that will build DEI strategy by embedding DEI into the organization's culture, operations, and ways of thinking, influencing leadership to take a refreshed and evolving approach that will make the organization better
• Foster a culture that guarantees every colleague has an equal opportunity to succeed in their professional career, regardless of their background, and promote a culture of belonging that enables colleagues to bring their authentic selves to work each day confidently
• Collaborate with the Director of HR to develop strategies and deliver representation (hiring, retention, promotion) goals
• Evaluate existing initiatives, programs, and policies and recommend additions and enhancements to promote a more authentically diverse and inclusive culture and workforce
• Leverage data to inspire action, drive outcomes, and reinforce accountability throughout the organization
• Provide oversight and structure to Diversity Networks to inform, engage and build momentum around the organization's commitment to a culture of DEI at all levels within the organization
• Engage a broader ecosystem of partners, suppliers, affiliates and community groups
• Support a recruiting and diverse pipeline strategy
• Priorities of this position are strategy and engagement, coordination and alignment; communications and issue management; development of success metrics

DEI Thought Leadership

• Provide vision, leadership, and strategic planning for organization-wide design and implementation of an inclusion strategy that promotes DEI
• Be a trusted advisor and change agent with the Executive Leadership Team
• Partner with executive leaders, HR leadership, and other stakeholders on identifying and reducing bias and any potential systemic barriers and enablers of DEI

Strategic Responsibilities

• Define and deliver a comprehensive plan for key priorities and interventions, including increasing diversity representation within the talent pipeline and delivering inclusion campaigns that deliver measurable progress
• Develop metrics to inform strategic planning/decision-making and create a dashboard to ensure accountability in tracking and monitoring DE&I initiatives.

Policy and Education Responsibilities

• Provide expertise in the development and alignment of plans, policies, and guidelines that advance DEI and safe work environments, and maintain compliance with applicable laws in collaboration with the organization's key stakeholders
• Develop and deliver behavior-changing learning experiences, training, coursework, and tools to support and measure DEI acumen throughout the organization, with an eye for cultural sensitivity in the delivery to our members and affiliates

Required Qualifications:

• Master's Degree in Human Resource Management, or relevant area of study
• Seven (7) plus years of related experience working in HR functions or related field, including experience in a union environment
• In depth understanding of diversity, inclusion theory, practice, and strategies for organizations and populations.
• Strong familiarity and knowledge of legal matters related to DEI, specifically federal and state guidelines
• Experience developing effective and impactful initiatives advancing DE&I to create and sustain cultural change
• Proven project management capabilities, including oversight of budgets
• Solid written and verbal communication skills and experience presenting to large groups
• Demonstrated success in using influence and collaboration to drive initiatives forward with internal and external stakeholders
• Experience managing, hiring, and developing a team

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience and success in developing and executing strategies to improve DE&I outside an internal organization.
• Experience within a membership organization preferred

AFT is an Equal Opportunity Employer

The AFT is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.