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Director, Diversity Strategies & Implementation

Job location is at 10240 Science Center Dr, San Diego, CA 9212
The role of the incumbent is to advise, recommend and further avenues to advance diversity at Salk, working closely with other members of the Office of Equity & Inclusion (OEI), partners (e.g., Human Resources (HR), Education Outreach (EO), External Relations (ER), Grants Development, the Postdoctoral Office (PDO), the Chief Science Officer (CSO), the Advisory Council on Diversity (ACOD)), and Salk stakeholders (e.g., Salk faculty and employees).
With general direction from the VP, Equity & Inclusion (the Institute’s chief diversity officer), the incumbent will plan, support, and promote objectives to support increased diversity through outreach and pathway development, recruitments, funding and learning to move forward the Institute’s DEI strategic plan.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Research, Strategy & Execution/Implementation – 50%
  • Through published academic research, peer best practice research and evaluation in the DEI space around impact-driven initiatives, develops strategies to enhance at Salk, including but not limited to increasing diverse applicant pools for faculty and staff hiring, incentivizing outreach and diversity awareness at Salk, and in-house DEI research.
  • Conducts outreach to develop and maintain relationships that lead to future training and career pathways at Salk. Evaluates current programs to identify and address potential barriers to success and evaluates solutions and the potential resultant impact.
  • Consults with and advises HR, faculty, and hiring managers about best practices and tools such as protecting against bias that can influence decision making, and opportunities for outreach and other steps to support recruitments such as hiring panel composition, bias awareness, diversity/inclusion contribution statements and other methods that have shown to be effective in increasing the diversity of employee populations. Identifies areas where training may be needed related to diversity in faculty hirings. 
  • Reviews and provides feedback around marketing and collateral materials for use by faculty at talks and symposia and by staff at outreach events to promote Salk DEI goals.
  • Provides input to faculty, ELT, and ALT members related to decisions and strategies to ensure diversity of perspectives and voice, and that the impact on diverse populations has been considered. Facilitates open and honest discussions to promote communication and understanding. Build strong internal relationships that allow for a deeper understanding of our DEI needs and how even nuanced changes (e.g., proactive and continual networking) can contribute to success. In collaboration with stakeholders advocates for measures that ensure to ensure that recruitment, retention, and advancement goals align with DEI goals.
  • Collaborates to develop data-driven metrics to measure the ROI of Salk’s attendance at major conferences and meetings focused on networking and recruitment to attract future faculty and fellows from underrepresented minorities in STEM (e.g., AWIS, SACNAS, ABRCMS). Collaboratively identifies individuals from Salk to attend such events.
  • Coordinates closely with and provides regular support to the EO team to facilitate and advance their outreach efforts to middle and high school students on behalf of Salk. Identifies barriers to success and proposes solutions. Explores opportunities for additional outreach, support, pathway development and funding to enable participation in mentored laboratory research experiences for students who may otherwise have limited awareness of, or access to, STEM opportunities. Develops and leverages relationships with third-party organizations who are focused on advancing access for underrepresented populations.
  • In collaboration with the OEI, PDO, Salk Cancer Center, ER and Grants Development, works to identify, promote and obtain funding to support underrepresented minorities in STEM at Salk, through salary or stipend support, and efforts around promoting and celebrating diversity (e.g., NIH research diversity supplements, NIH R25 funding, individual donations, foundation support, etc.).
Undergraduate Summer Program(s) Outreach – 30%
  • In concert with others in the OEI and Salk faculty, facilitates and nurtures partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and local institutions in San Diego, to implement and expand summer mentored research opportunities and related impactful programming at Salk for undergraduate students. Travels as needed to represent Salk on college campuses.
  • In coordination with college/university representatives and others in OEI, ensures that logistics around Salk’s undergraduate summer program are clearly communicated. Ensures a smooth transition to the Equity & Inclusion Manager upon arrival at Salk to execute programming and other inclusion efforts to ensure a welcoming environment at Salk and resources and connections for success. 
  • Works closely with the Equity & Inclusion Manager to cure any deficits identified in the summer program as communicated by the students and/or their home institutions and/or external funding agencies. Ensures periodic contact with program alumni to evaluate the impact of their Salk experience and keep them in the STEM pipeline.
Committee & Stakeholder Liaison – 20%
  • Provides advice & guidance to the ACOD and conducts research related to recommendations that originate from this group. Attends council meetings and ensures an agenda and minutes. Evaluates considerations and recommendations raised by the Council to plan and move forward initiatives. Solicits advocacy from the Council for Salk DEI initiatives.
  • Works with the Seminars Committee on data analysis for the nomination process (e.g., to identify base rates in scientific fields, ensuring lists of speakers in various scientific areas, etc.) are maintained, posted and disseminated and to collect and compile voluntary demographic surveys to speakers to build a database.
  • Advises and supports the Graduate Program Committee to enhance Salk’s DEI visibility at graduate program events for current and future UCSD graduate students at Salk. Is active in graduate student recruitment efforts (when prospective students visit San Diego), provides input about where Salk may enhance its commitment to diversity at the annual graduate student boot camp, works with Salk affinity groups to ensure they have a presence at recruitment events and conducts outreach efforts to current students. 
 
EDUCATION
Required:
  • The combination of a relevant academic and experiential background that demonstrates knowledge of DEI best practices, their implementation and evaluation, and a focus and dedication to the advancement of diversity strategies and initiatives.
Preferred:
  • An advanced degree in life sciences or other relevant discipline and time spent in an academic research environment through work experience (e.g., research analyst, program manager, postdoctoral affairs, graduate, academic or student affairs, etc.) and/or through academic training (graduate or postdoctoral) with a dedicated focus on advancing diversity.
EXPERIENCE
 Required:
  •  A minimum of 5 years or increasing responsibility advancing diversity, equity and inclusion role in a comparable senior individual contributor role that has placed a heavy emphasis on communication to audiences from diverse backgrounds and personal identities, recruitment strategies, programming, research, analysis and evaluation of data and best practices that culminated in actionable cultural change related to diversity advancement.
  • Extensive experience persuasively communicating with diverse stakeholders at all organizational levels and with committees to drive change.
  • Experience collaborating with committees and groups using consensus-building and an orientation toward action as guiding principles.
  • Experience with outreach to various internal and external constituents to develop and sustain positive purpose-driven partnerships.
  • Experience conducting research, analysis, evaluation and implementation of diversity strategies through academic research outcomes, industry best practices and peer models.
Preferred:
  • Prior experience in academia or research as a trainee (graduate student and/or postdoctoral fellow) and as a professional is strongly preferred. Experience in academic and/or graduate affairs would be an asset in this role along with a passion for STEM education/career advocacy to establish and guide engagement and retention of members of communities that are underrepresented in STEM.
  • Experience working in or with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and with professional organizations dedicated to the advancement of diversity in academia.
  • Professional, life or volunteer experience with individuals from a broad array of identities and backgrounds; with civil rights, disability rights, social justice; and/or outreach to underserved and/or underrepresented populations.
  • Experience in an academic, nonprofit or professional services environment, particularly where governance is shared.
  • Experience with grant writing and other funding vehicles.
SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE & ABILITIES
  •  Knowledge of academia and of best practices around diversity, equity, and inclusion broadly and within academia. 
  • Strong communicator. Advanced skill in inclusive employee communication techniques and the ability to communicate clearly and effectively to the intended audience both orally and in writing. Strength in influencing others and in working with stakeholders at all levels.
  • Excellent judgment that is regularly demonstrated particularly related to communication, audience and prioritization.
  • Strong research and data analysis skills. Experience creating and/or using relational databases.
  • Ability to independently formulate long-range objectives and manage varied programs and services. Excellent critical thinking and analytical skills. Strong communication and writing skills.
  • Skilled in research methods and the synthesis of information. Ability to quickly read and synthesize voluminous information quickly and comprehensively and determine its applicability/usefulness to the organization.
  • Demonstrated ability to effectively interpret, organize, and present information and ideas in written or presentation form and use consultative and facilitation skills to gain consensus.
  • Familiarity with relevant state and federal laws including but not limited to Unruh, Titles VI, VII, IX, FEHA, affirmative action plans and equal employment opportunity.
SPECIAL CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
  • Must be willing to work in an animal-related research environment.
  • Must be willing to work an adjusted schedule to support operational and program needs.
  • Successful completion of the Institute’s background investigation.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/MENTAL ACTIVITIES/ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS
This position will require constant adjusting focus, grasping, hearing, keying, seeing, sitting, talking, analyzing, calculating, communicating, reading, reasoning, writing and working inside. 

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)