Director, Racial Equity Strategy and Policy, City of Philadelphia

Posted by City of Philadelphia on August 18, 2020

Mayor Kenney created the Citys first Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, (CDEIO), and created the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). As Philadelphia’s neighborhoods continue to grow and evolve, this office will reinforce the Mayors commitment to ensuring that the services provided and dollars expended by local government are a strong and vibrant model of fairness among the diverse groups that make up the neighborhoods of Philadelphia. The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will focus on promoting the value that diverse populations bring to our city; and for everyone, will fairly and equitably promote opportunities to be a part of the government. DEI is responsible for coordinating efforts to integrate diversity, racial equity, and inclusion principles into City operations, projects and services through the application and integration of best practices, training and development of City staff, tracking and measurement of outcomes and community engagement.

Job Description

This position will report to the Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer, and support DEI and City leadership to implement the Racial Equity Strategy, which was formalized in Section 3 of Executive Order 1-20 in January 2020. EO 1-20 (Section 3) expanded the mandate of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion by establishing additional directives for all City departments, in order to embed racial equity as an explicit governing principle. The City-wide Racial Equity Strategy requires all City departments, by the end of 2023, to conduct Racial Equity Assessments and Create Racial Equity Action Plans. Short-term efforts will focus on improving service delivery, internal practices, and community engagement, with a long-term goal of closing gaps in outcomes so that race no longer predicts a persons success in Philadelphia. The Director will lead and manage the Racial Equity Strategy, working closely with the Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer to lead its successful implementation beginning with its launch. The Director will also work with City leadership to advise on several equity initiatives facilitated by individual departments.

Essential Functions

• Work closely with the CDEIO to lead the implementation of the Citywide Racial Equity Strategy, including implementing the strategy’s rollout, with the first cohort of City departments in 2020; and planning for and implementing consecutive phases of the Citywide Racial Equity Strategy until all departments are integrated by 2023.
• Lead day-to-day and overall project management for the Citywide Racial Equity Strategy, including facilitating ongoing communication among City leadership, DEI, City staff, and consultants engaged in equity-focused projects.
• Establish partnerships and relationships with key governmental, institutional, and community stakeholders to develop and implement solutions that create structural change to advance racial equity.
• Facilitate a complex committee structure that informs and advances the citywide strategy, helping the CDEIO to staff and manage numerous committees and teams, cross-departmental, within departments, and including community and external stakeholders.
• Act as a resource and assist City departments in developing and implementing racial equity plans, strategies, and programmatic initiatives within their departments, providing or facilitating access to technical assistance on the use of racial equity strategies, tools, and best practices to improve service delivery. May include assisting in the collection and analysis of data.
• Manage the Racial Equity Strategy budget, including developing proposals for grants to enable the work to move forward.
• Ensure ongoing alignment between the Citywide Racial Equity Strategy and other DEI work including Workforce equity, diversity and inclusion, the work of the Office of LGBT Affairs and the Mayors Office for People with Disabilities; and Administration efforts related to Reconciliation and COVID-19 Recovery.
• Oversee development of a wide range of communications related to the Racial Equity Strategy, including public information, policy recommendations, and reports for the Mayor, Council and departments. May include conducting and/or synthesizing research on best practices to advance equitable outcomes.
• Represent the DEI in a wide range of venues, including public presentations and events, workshops, conferences, and meetings with political and community leaders.

Learn more and apply: https://www.smartrecruiters.com/CityofPhiladelphia/743999717338981-director-racial-equity-strategy-and-policy