Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

J  o  b    D  e  s  c  r  i  p  t  i  o  n

Job Information

Title:

Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Market Range:

MR26

Approved Date:

1/16/2025 8:41:55 AM

FLSA:

Exempt

EEO Code:

OFFICIALS AND ADMINISTRATORS

Career Level:

L1

Career Level Description:

Leadership Level 1

Job Code:

100844

Job Family:

GM - General Management

Sub Family:

COMGT - County Management

Primary Purpose

Leads Wake County's efforts to advocate for access, equity, inclusion and diversity through innovative policies, programs, and services. Serves as the subject matter expert and technical advisor on county-wide matters of equity and disparities. Leads the analysis, development and implementation of proactive diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging initiatives that support a learning and working environment where all have an opportunity to succeed, departments achieve better outcomes and the County has an enriching and humane working environment for all. Models the County's core values—specifically 'work together', 'serve with passion and empathy' and 'embrace diversity.' Champions the value of a diverse and inclusive work environment through creating a vision and effective strategy for a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion.

•

Assesses existing programs, services and initiatives that supports equity and identifies opportunities to maximize efforts. Plans, guides, and advises County management on diversity, equity, inclusion matters.

1

25%

•

Leads the County in implementing strategic initiatives, including the creation of a culture for equity, diversity, and inclusion. 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.

2

25%

•

Keeps abreast of market trends to drive innovative DEI efforts. Creates awareness, understanding and effective use of an equity lens in developing and implementing programs to achieve fair and equitable outcomes.

3

20%

•

Participates in decision making that produce high-quality results by applying DEI knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks and benefits. Communicates in a manner that drives consensus and partnerships among leaders with a range of perspectives and working style.

4

20%

•

Develops performance indicators to ensure accountability. Collects, analyzes, and presents data measuring equity and inclusion efforts.

5

5%

•

Develops and manages program’s budget, ensuring sound fiscal management.

6

5%

Position(s) may perform other duties in addition to the above as assigned by management.

•

Responsible for other duties as assigned.

*IMPORTANT* In the event of an emergency, as determined by the County Manager or designee, participation in preparedness and response operations should be expected. Employee may be required to fill a temporary assignment in a role different from standard duties, work hours and/or work location in preparation for, during and after the emergency. Employee may also be required to participate in relevant exercises and regular preparedness training.

Career Level Dimensions

Career Level:

L1

Career Level Description:

Leadership Level 1

•

Plans and manages projects that have significant impact on Work Group and Division results OR works as a technical expert within a Medical or Scientific Discipline.

•

Shares insights and analyses that inform new processes, and/or operational plans.

•

Responsible for making improvements in processes, systems, or standards to enhance performance of the Work Group.

•

Works to influence parties within and outside of the Work Group and Division regarding projects and procedures.

•

May be responsible for providing guidance, coaching and training to other employees within the Work Group.

•

Requires advanced knowledge of the Work Group and Division typically obtained through advanced education combined with experience. May have practical knowledge of project management.

•

Within Medical or Scientific Disciplines, typically requires a doctoral degree.

Qualifications

•

Bachelor’s degree in social justice, sociology, public administration, human resources, education, or a related field

•

Five years of experience advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in a complex organization

•

Valid Driver's License and "safe" driving record

•

Equivalent education and experience are accepted

•

Demonstrated ability to lead large-scale change projects within a complex organization

•

Proven experience in large scale diversity, equity and inclusion assessments and DEI plan implementations

•

Ability to demonstrate empathy and real-world experience with a wide range of disciplines, interests and people represented at Wake County and show a deep appreciation for the County’s public mission

•

Ability to maintain a professional demeanor during emotionally charged, difficult, or high-pressure situations

•

Proven ability to create frameworks around ambiguous or unstructured topics, to enable colleagues and clients with executable, practical solutions to DEI challenges

•

Exceptional communication and facilitation skills with proven ability to facilitate difficult conversations around race, gender, sexual identities, as well as other experiences of injustice, inequity, and oppression and to clearly convey information in a manner that engages the audience and helps them understand and retain the message

•

Excellent project management and organizational change skills to plan, prioritize, multi-task and independently execute projects/tasks with specific deadlines while maintaining flexibility

•

Demonstrated ability to facilitate change and encourage others to seek opportunities for different and innovative approaches to addressing problems and opportunities, and to facilitate the implementation and acceptance of change

•

Superb analytical, evaluation and decision-making skills including the ability to identify the issue, compare data from multiple sources to draw conclusions, and to use effective approaches for a course of action

An individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily to perform this job successfully. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Competencies

Change Management

Initiates and/or manages the change process and energizes it on an ongoing basis, taking steps to remove barriers or accelerate its pace.

Cooperative Leadership

Promotes and generates cooperation among one's peers in leadership to achieve a collective outcome; fosters the development of a common vision and fully participates in creating a unified leadership team that gets results.

Influence

Asserts own ideas and persuades others, gaining support and commitment from others; mobilizes people to take action, using creative approaches to motivate others to meet organizational goals.

Organizational Alignment

Ensures the organization’s goals and objectives align with the County’s mission and vision.

Strategic Vision

Sees the big, long-range picture and leads others accordingly.

Team Leadership

Willingly cooperates and works collaboratively toward solutions that generally benefit all involved parties; works cooperatively with others to accomplish organizational objectives. Manages staff in ways that improve their ability to succeed on the job.

Integrity

Act with honesty, transparency and respect in our interactions with co-workers and those we serve. Adhere, without exception, to laws, policies, procedures and professional standards.

Accountability

Establish high-quality standards for work. Add value. Measure results and hold self and others accountable for making progress toward desired outcomes. Take a logical and data-driven approach to decision-making.

Diversity

Believe that different backgrounds and experiences strengthen the organization and produce better results. Value inclusion across race, gender, age, religion, identity and experience, and strive to reflect in our workforce the diversity of our community.

Collaboration

Foster a work culture in which different ideas and opinions are encouraged and expected. Listen carefully and speak thoughtfully. Work together toward shared goals with mutual respect and cooperation.

Continuous Improvement

Continuously improve work processes and products. Provide a safe environment to be innovative and creative and try new things. When things don't go as planned, use it as an opportunity to learn, regroup and begin again. Provide time and resources for individuals to grow and develop both personally and professionally.

Wellness

Take proactive steps to be physically fit and healthy, emotionally strong, financially secure and socially fulfilled, while inspiring and empowering others to do the same.

Service Orientation

Commit to making a difference within the community. Actively engage in and enjoy our work. Deliver services that exceed expectations, with courtesy, politeness and sensitivity to the experiences, concerns and feelings of all co-workers and customers.

ADA Checklist

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions

Standard ADA Selection:

Office Environment

Standing

X

Walking

X

Sitting

X

Lifting/Carrying 0-10 pounds

X

Lifting/Carrying 10-20 pounds

X

Lifting/Carrying 20-50 pounds

X

Lifting/Carrying 50-100 pounds

X

Pushing

X

Pulling

X

Climbing

X

Balancing

X

Stooping

X

Kneeling

X

Crouching

X

Crawling

X

Reaching

X

Handling

X

Grasping

X

Fingering

X

Feeling

X

Talking

X

Hearing

X

Visual Perception

X

Repetitive Motions

X

Eye/Hand/Foot Coordination

X

Memorization/Concentration

X

Learning/Knowledge Retention

X

Preparing/Analyzing Numerical Figures

X

Use of Interfaced Commmunication Devices (Phone, Computer, Radio etc.)

X

Analyzing/Examining/Testing Data

X

Emotional/Behavioral Self-Regulation

X

Interacting with Others

X

Comprehension

X

Organization

X

Decision Making

X

Comprehension

Understand complex problems and collaborate to explore alternative solutions

Organization

Organize and prioritize individual work schedule to manage multiple tasks and/or projects

Decision Making

Make decisions that have significant impact on a department's credibility, operations and/or services

Communication

Communicate in-depth information for the purpose of interpreting and/or negotiating

Extreme cold

X

Extreme heat

X

Humid

X

Wet

X

Noise

X

Hazards

X

Temperature Change

X

Atmospheric Conditions

X

Vibration

X

Computers/Monitors

X