Head of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Head of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging

Job Profile Title

Director C, Academic Affairs, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Job Description Summary

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University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

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Posted Job Title

Head of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging

Job Profile Title

Director C, Academic Affairs, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Job Description Summary

Reporting to the Director of Athletics and Recreation and working as a part of the leadership team for both the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation (DRIA) and Wellness at Penn (Wellness), the Head of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging will work as an executive leader to lead cultural change and tackle challenges that are unique to both departments. The Head of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging will be responsible for providing strategic and actionable commitments to develop a safe and inclusive culture across all aspects of diversity. These commitments will also include social justice, accessibility, civil discourse and various aspects of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging that will enhance a sense of belonging for employees and students accessing services through DRIA and Wellness.

The person will be a hands-on leader and trusted advisor, gathering information from all levels, including our various student and employee populations, to develop meaningful education and training programs to foster a more inclusive and diverse community for DRIA and Wellness.

The Head of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging will create measurable goals that will be outlined and tracked for the leadership team, being the main driver behind these efforts while working collaboratively with department staff, students, and faculty. In addition to outlining and tracking goals, this individual will be responsible for using data analytics to develop and report on goals, track key metrics, highlight successes, and identify areas of improvement. As an example, owning a project to increase diversity in our supplier list.

Job Description

Job Responsibilities

• Serve as a member of the leadership teams for both Wellness and DRIA, being the face of DEIB efforts across both departments. Address the unique needs of both departments (Athletics, Recreation, Counseling, Medical Care, etc.) by identifying interdepartmental opportunities for goals and collaboration alongside department-specific goals. Own execution of all goals and other action items related to DEI across both departments. Work directly with each department’s leadership team, staff, and students to understand each department's unique culture and design both the structure and specific goals/actions that will lead to cultural change. Through collaboration, learning and development, implementing guidelines and procedures, and setting measurable outcomes.
• Create and maintain DEIB guidelines and procedures for Athletics, Recreation, Student Health, Counseling, Public Health, Wellbeing. This includes (but is not limited to) creating or curating appropriate training to assist student-facing staff become more comfortable speaking about DEI and outlining plans to ensure proper resources are provided for all populations. Tracking and coordinating ongoing DEIB efforts across both divisions.
• Manage the development and execution of crucial professional development offerings for staff to encourage professional growth, succession planning, engagement, and competitiveness in the market.
• Use data and supporting analytic tools to define and prioritize the strategy, inform decisions, and measure results. Lead benchmarking analysis to make recommendations on trends in both the industry and the community. Create a dashboard that can track DEIB goal progress and overall analytics to be reported to the senior leadership team.
• Partner with PAA HR team to identify recruitment opportunities to establish a pipeline of diverse talent through enhanced sourcing, onboarding, learning and development, succession, and retention programs.
• Acting as the UPenn DEIB representative to outside organizations affiliated with the university.

Core Competencies

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate strengths across several key competencies:

• Subject Matter Expert : You will be an active DEIB practitioner with a strong grasp of DEIB fundamentals and the latest research and recommended practices. You can effectively apply this expertise to relevant situations across both departments.
• Employee and Student Experience : Deep understanding of the experience of both populations and how DEIB efforts apply. Understanding a campus's operations and administrative functions and opportunities for DEIB efforts. Additional knowledge of the development of a student-athlete would increase your effectiveness in this role.
• Strategic/Executive Leadership : In addition to being an active member of both leadership teams, you will also need to lead and push committee work forward, both within the department and across the university.  
• Program Development & Execution : This role requires a strong focus across multiple programs (ex., onboarding, student affinity groups, etc.) and the ability to both develop and monitor/manage their effectiveness. You have owned programs from start to finish.
• Data-Driven Decision Making : Have a strong data orientation and include some aspect in all work – whether quantitative or qualitative. Have been held accountable to developing metrics.
• Collaboration : Being able to speak to thoughtful and strategic partnerships at a very high level, very visible, high-impact stakeholders and partners. Also, being able to collaborate autonomously, be self-sufficient, and not feel the need to check in all the time.
• Training & Development : Strong facilitation skills; will not always be able to bring in external resources. What can you deliver and also help train others to deliver.
• Financial Acumen : Being able to advocate for budget where it makes sense but also adept at working with limited resources. How do you execute without the ability to fund everything 100%. Related, skilled at working with Development and Alumni Relations on ways to financially support DEIB work.
• Innovation : You think differently about the work which leads you to design and implement creative solutions with high-level impact.
• Communication & Relationship Building : Proactive communicator with a high level of acumen for communicating across different audiences – from board members to staff and everything in between. Earns trust quickly and builds strong relationships.
• Process Design & Implementation : Experience with building processes and also rolling them out to broad, varied constituents. Effective at iterating to incorporate feedback and increase efficiency.
• Crisis Management : Demonstrates expertise in handling high-profile, sensitive situations with discretion and tact. Skilled in partnering with key stakeholders such as the Office of General Counsel, Vice President of Human Resources, and the President’s Office to address immediate concerns while planning long-term strategies to restore and reconcile communities. Effectively navigates crises to foster resilience, trust, and a sense of collective well-being.
• Strategic Communication and Visibility : Adept at internal and external communications, including partnering with strategic communications and marketing teams to manage social media strategies and develop content for routine messaging and campaigns. Proactively drives visibility for DEIB efforts through storytelling, outreach, and communication campaigns tailored to diverse audiences, ensuring alignment with the organization’s overarching goals.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree and 5 to 7 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
• Relevant work experience, including experience in the areas of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging, Anti-Racism, organizational change, training/education, group facilitation, program development, and evaluation, is required.
• Knowledge of higher education, collegiate athletics, professional sports, public health, medical and counseling settings and/or experience with regulatory responsibilities is strongly preferred.
• Must be able to initiate strategies and develop clear, actionable steps to support department priorities.
• Ability to engage, inspire, and influence people. Ability to speak effectively to individuals of diverse backgrounds and viewpoints.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and client service skills, with the capacity to function well during periods of high pressure. Ability to develop and deliver relevant, effective training programs to broad audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to cultivate relationships and work collaboratively and cross-functionally with all levels of employees.

Application Requirement

• A Cover Letter and Resume/CV are required to be considered for this position. Please upload your Cover Letter where it asks you to upload your Resume/CV; multiple documents are allowed.
   

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Division of Recreation & Intercollegiate Athletics

Pay Range

$74,476.00 - $150,000.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, as well as internal and market factors and grade profile.

Affirmative Action Statement 
Penn adheres to a policy that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class.

Special Requirements 
Background check required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts : Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.

• Tuition : Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.

• Retirement:  Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.

• Time Away from Work:  Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.

• Long-Term Care Insurance:  In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.

• Wellness and Work-life Resources : Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.

• Professional and Personal Development:  Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.

• University Resources:  As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.

• Discounts and Special Services : From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.

• Flexible Work Hours:  Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.

• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.

• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

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To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay 

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