The City of San Luis Obispo is seeking a Diversity Equity and Inclusion Manager!
CLICK HERE to view the City's DEI Strategic Plan and to learn more about the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion! If you are selected for interviews, they will take place in person on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, so please hold that date.
JOB SUMMARY:Plans, develops, organizes, implements, oversees, and evaluates Citywide internal and external diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and programs in order to strengthen and build on a culture of equity and inclusion; demonstrates a commitment to the City’s core values; serves as a strategic partner with the City’s Leadership Team on internal and external DEI work, while supporting employees and the community at large; leads and collaborates with senior leadership and the Human Resources Department in the ideation, coordination, administration, and management of all DEI programs, including learning content, staff development, policy and practice improvement, and community engagement efforts.
CLASS CHARACTERISTICS:This single-position class is distinguished from other management-level classes by its focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and programs, and its extensive involvement in politically sensitive programs, projects, policies, and highly visible issues, both internally and within the community.
SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED:The DEI Manager receives direction from the City Manager or designee within a framework of broad policies and procedures and established organizational values and processes. Provides direct supervision to assigned staff.
EXAMPLES OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:(Any one position may not include all of the duties listed nor do the listed examples include all tasks that may be found in positions of this class.)
- Partners with City departments on the development, monitoring, and implementation of diversity, equity, and inclusion practices, including talent acquisition, contracting, purchasing, training and development, and employee engagement.
- Serves as the City’s subject matter expert on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Designs, sets up, and operates the new Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the programs to meet City objectives; develops, implements, coordinates, and monitors City employee and community-facing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and programs.
- Leads the development of a comprehensive DEI strategic plan for the City, including needs assessment and stakeholder engagement activities; implements priority DEI initiatives, programs, and action plans.
- Manages the day-to-day operations of the DEI Office.
- Provides training, coaching, and skill-building to all levels of City leaders, managers, and employees; develops, leads, and coordinates DEI training, seminars, workshops, and employee resource groups.
- Provides coordination, facilitation, and guidance to the Employee DEI Committee.
- Administers the annual DEI High Impact grant-making process for community-based organizations.
- Consults on barriers and opportunities to advance DEI throughout the organization; provides expertise, assessment, and consultation on addressing bias in City services and practices; recommends policies and procedures related to diversity and inclusion.
- Reviews policies, procedures, and programs to ensure equity in business practices.
- Provides internal consultation to individual departments and units; designs tailored interventions; works with leaders and managers to ensure diverse employees receive career support and actionable feedback.
- Supports the implementation of prioritized DEI Community Task Force recommendations and findings from the Internal Organizational Audit.
- Defines DEI performance measures; measures, tracks, and analyzes the effectiveness of DEI strategies and programs against those metrics; uses data to make recommendations on goals and objectives.
- Supports the Human Relations Commission.
- Supports the Human Resources Department in efforts to attract, hire, and retain a diverse workforce.
- Provides outreach and engagement to San Luis Obispo’s diverse communities and supports efforts to provide community advocacy initiatives and culturally competent community programming.
- Partners with Cal Poly and Cuesta College to leverage their DEI work, support a welcoming community experience for students, and expand their offerings to a greater community audience.
- Facilitates DEI-related programs and events for the community.
- Serves as the City’s representative in researching and developing a community-based Multicultural Center; assists with the feasibility study and planning process.
- Represents the City in regional, state, and federal DEI efforts.
- Presents DEI-related reports and status on DEI initiatives to the City Council, City Manager, the Leadership Team, staff groups, other officials, and official boards as required.
- Manages, supervises, coaches, and supports assigned staff.
- Develops, manages, and tracks the DEI Office budget in coordination and collaboration with the City Manager.
- Performs related duties similar to the above in scope and function as required.
KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES:Knowledge of:- Principles, practices, trends, and research related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Intersections of race, power, and privilege within the context of organizational structures and functions.
- Principles, practices, and techniques of program implementation, management, evaluation, and budgeting.
- Principles, practices, and techniques of leadership, mentoring, empowering, and teamwork.
- Principles, practices, and techniques of management, supervision, training, and employee evaluation.
- Issues affecting people of diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
- Practices and techniques related to community outreach and engagement.
Ability to:- Plan, develop, organize, implement, oversee, and evaluate DEI initiatives and programs.
- Remain informed regarding current DEI issues affecting San Luis Obispo and the region.
- Manage complex projects and situations.
- Make sense of complex, high-quantity, and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems.
- Set priorities to coordinate multiple assignments with fluctuating and time-sensitive deadlines.
- Use tact and diplomacy to effectively handle a broad range of high-level and sensitive interpersonal situations with diverse personalities.
- Respond effectively and appropriately to conflicts and problems.
- Effectively navigate tensions that arise when engaging in difficult conversations and decision-making across various constituent groups.
- Effectively supervise, plan, assign, direct, and evaluate the work of staff, providing leadership, coaching, and support.
- Anticipate and balance the needs of multiple stakeholders with different interests and priorities.
- Review, interpret, and implement policies, procedures, and programs.
- Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, to develop and deliver communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences, internally and externally.
- Work in a team atmosphere and participate on a variety of Citywide committees to enhance the provisions of all City services.
- Represent the City effectively in meetings with commissions, community groups, governmental bodies, the media, and the public.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:Graduation from a four-year college or university with major coursework in sociology, education, public administration, ethnic studies, or a closely related field;
andFive years of experience managing DEI, community outreach, or social justice programs, including program development, project and change management, leadership and staff development, strategic planning and consulting, and introducing DEI concepts and initiatives to the workplace and/or community;
andDemonstrated experience working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds;
or An equivalent combination of education and experience.
Experience building a DEI strategy or program from the ground up and a deep understanding of the issues facing underrepresented populations are desirable.
THIS POSITION WILL BE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING BEFORE A FINAL OFFER IS MADE:- Livescan Fingerprinting (DOJ)
