General Summary:  The Director of Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion (DEAI) will partner across all levels of the organization in the assessment, development, implementation and tracking of campus wide ongoing strategic and tactical initiatives that help dismantle inequities and enhance an inclusive work environment. 

To be successful in this role, the incumbent must develop a thorough understanding of the business operations of the organization, trends in the zoo industry, and local business market in order to develop and implement a program that enhances the employee, vendor, contractor and volunteer experience at the organization. The Director of DEAI will be an individual who is able to foster sustained and challenging conversation and action on topics such as race, ethnicity, gender identity, familial structure, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, age, and ability.

Essential Functions:

 Primary Function:

·         Under the direction of the President/CEO and in collaboration with the DEAI committee, develop and implement a programmatic approach for DEAI initiatives campus wide; 

·         Participate in the achievement of DEAI goals as established by the organization and AZA, and identify additional areas for improvement;

·         Act as the primary liaison for contractor and vendor questions related to DEAI standards. Educate, enforce, and support the achievement of organizational goals and objectives;

·         Act as a lead member of the DEAI committee. Solicit committee member input and create detailed meeting agendas, formalize goals, maintain meeting minutes and shared drive, monitor ongoing project deliverables, and provide status reports;

·         Work collaboratively to analyze the needs of the organization, source available funding, and participate in the implementation of appropriate DEAI activities.  Ensure cohesive courses of action diagonally across all departments to provide input about policy/practices from an equity lens, as applicable;

·         Speak on behalf of management and act as a catalyst for change by articulating the benefit(s) of DEAI activities to support the mission of the Zoo;

·         Participate in the development of proposals to obtain funding from grants and sponsorships, adhere to budgets, and provide detailed and data driven reports;

·         Research and present solutions to increase accessibility campus wide;

·         Support human resources and other departments by presenting new recruitment/ sourcing ideas with the goal of increasing return on investment and broadening the Zoo’s outreach;

·         Responsible for facilitating the reporting process for DEAI related suggestions or concerns.  Participate in the investigation of complaints and facilitate the response or corrective action, as assigned;

·         Conduct departmental audits, present findings, and recommend corrective action(s).  Work collaboratively with business partners to educate and implement changes;

·         Recommend training initiatives on topics, such as, cultural competency or gender differences to increase awareness and support of equity and inclusion values, and to proactively maintain compliance with best practices and applicable laws;

·         Identify opportunities to invite external experts to share new perspectives on inclusion and collaboration;

·         Assess and monitor training program effectiveness and provide management with frequent updates;

·         Write, revise, edit, and proofread company policy, procedures, and related documents, as assigned;

·         Participate in the development of best practices and deliver training, as needed;

·         Maintain knowledge of relevant laws and regulations and participate in policy development, as needed;

·         Maintain confidentiality and security of employee information, correspondence, reports, and files;

·         Perform other duties as assigned; and,

·         Adhere to all policies and procedures of the Zoo.

Communication (Internal and External):

·         Act as the primary DEAI resource for internal departments, vendors, and contractors;

·         Conduct community outreach and relationship management;

·         Ability to utilize various presentation styles to effectively communicate training content; and,

·         Serve as a member and/or attend in zoo committee meetings, as assigned;

Management of Resources (financial/facilities):

·         Participate in project planning meetings to ensure DEAI standards are prioritized;

·         Maintain training materials and equipment; and,

·         Audit invoices to ensure proper charges and payment.

Minimum Qualifications:

Education:

·         Bachelor’s degree in human resources, organizational psychology, or a related field preferred;

Experience/Training:

·         Minimum of three years of relevant experience;

·         Valid driver’s license; and,

·         Possess excellent skills in Word, Excel and Outlook/ Google Workspace.

Traits Desirable:

·         Ability to craft and communicate clear project plans both verbally and in writing;

·         Ability to maintain sensitive and confidential information;

·         Problem solving, reasoning, motivating, organizational and training abilities;

·         Ability to perform well in a team environment;

·         Ability to make recommendation to effective resolve problems or issues, by using judgment that is consistent with standards, practices, policies, procedures, regulation or government law; and,

·         Ability to work with individuals from a wide variety of ethnic, cultural and economic backgrounds.

Equipment:

·         Must be able to operate a variety of machines and equipment including computer, keyboard, telephone, two-way radio, and golf cart.

Working Conditions:

·         Must be able to travel large areas of the Zoo as needed;

·         Must be able to handle objects, files, community outreach/career fair materials, and booth set-up; and,

·         Must be able to carry, push, or lift items weighing up to 35 pounds.

Disclaimer:

The statements above are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this classification.  They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and/or skills required of all personnel so classified.  Therefore, management reserves the right to revise the job or to require that other or different tasks be performed when circumstances change.