ABOUT ALLIANCE COLLEGE-READY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Alliance College-Ready Public Schools was founded based on the belief that all young people, regardless of zip code, are capable of achieving at high levels. Alliance is now one of the largest and more successful public charter school networks in the nation, operating 25 high-performing middle and high schools serving 13,000 scholars in Los Angeles’ more educationally underserved communities. In our 14th school year, Alliance has a proven record of success: though our scholars come to Alliance on average four grade-levels behind in reading, 95% of Alliance graduates have been accepted to college—including 73% to a four-year university in 2018. We strive to truly change the life trajectories of our scholars and communities, with a goal of 75% of Alliance graduates completing a four-year college degree. Now is the time to join our collaborative community to make long-lasting change across Los Angeles.
ROLE SUMMARY
The Director, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion is a forward-thinking and dynamic change agent who is responsible for the development of the vision, goals, and strategy for Alliance’s DEI initiatives in collaboration with Alliance staff and senior leadership. Reporting to Alliance’s Vice President of Employee Relations & Engagement, the Director, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion will own implementation of Alliance’s DEI strategy to increase organizational capacity for DEI throughout the Alliance community so that Alliance is living its mission.
Candidates will rely heavily upon and should possess these skills:
- Exceptional change management leaders with demonstrated ability to work effectively in a large multi-layered organization
- Outstanding project management skills with strong attention to detail and ability to efficiently and simultaneously manage multiple multi-month projects to completion
- Experience directly advising senior, organizational leaders and holding them accountable to metrics
- Ability to collect and analyze data, qualitative and quantitative, to set the strategic direction for their work and the work of their team
This is an ideal opportunity for someone who has a vision for and is passionate about creating an organizational culture that values and promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion, ensures all staff feel a sense of belonging, and actively seeks to reverse societal inequities, with the end goal of fulfilling Alliance’s aspiration of being a community where all voices matter, are heard, and are responded to.
WHAT YOU WILL DO
Develop vision, goals, and strategy for Alliance’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiatives in partnership with Alliance staff and senior leadership
- Partner with the Head of Employee Relations & Engagement, to develop Alliance’s DEI goals, identify and implement strategies, initiatives, and partnerships to fulfill those goals, and monitor the overall progress and direction of Alliance’s DEI work
- Provide cross-team support to implement organization-wide DEI goals and policies
- Inspire colleagues and other members of the Alliance community to achieve new levels of DEI knowledge, practice, and strategic application in their work
- Support home office teams and school sites to further develop DEI strategies, action plans, goals and benchmarks, as well as inform policies and practices that support equity and inclusion
- Design ways to embed DEI into Alliance’s organizational culture and fabric (e.g. establish and implement a curriculum for developing staff on a full range of diversity competencies, develop and curate Alliance’s library of best in class DEI trainings and resources, design and implement initiatives that promote equitable professional & career development, etc.)
Move Alliance toward improving culture, staff retention, and satisfaction through successfully leading DEI work
- Manage the relationship with our external DEI partner and the scope of the work toward completion of deliverables
- Project manage cross-functional issues to create/maintain an inclusive environment, assist in navigating challenges, and work with leadership to escalate and resolve systemic concerns
- Lead highly active and engaged working groups and committees (e.g. DEI Working Group, Learning Community, Talent Practices Committee)
Educate and galvanize support by telling compelling stories grounded in data to establish key performance milestones and accountability mechanisms focused on diversity across the organization
- Leverage data to provide insights that drive decision-making and behavior changes
- Communicate internally and externally, in compelling ways, on topics that are emotionally charged, yet critically important to the work we do in partnership with our school communities
- Serve as a trusted and active listener for staff to gain insight into current concerns and assess the effectiveness of Alliance’s DEI work and approach
THE IDEAL CANDIDATES WILL HAVE/BE:
- Demonstrated cultural competency and understanding of systems of oppression, equity and inclusion, especially around issues of race
- Sound understanding of urban school environments and school culture challenges; ability to link DEI initiatives to scholar impact
- Exceptional project management skills with strong attention to detail and ability to efficiently and simultaneously manage multiple projects to completion
- Experience directly advising senior leaders and holding them accountable to metrics
- Bold enough to challenge the status quo and shatter biases to create equitable opportunities
- Exposure to talent functions and the ability to leverage the interdependencies of the talent team to maximize impact
- Ability to work effectively in a multi-layered organization and build strong relationships with teachers, coaches, school leaders, and other home office and school-based staff
- High emotional intelligence and change management skills
- Excellent judgment, political sensitivity, and ability to maintain confidentiality and act collaboratively and discreetly
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- At least 4 years of progressive professional work experience in a related field and A Bachelor’s Degree or higher from an accredited college or university OR
- At least 6 years progressive professional work experience in a related field and a high school diploma or equivalent (e.g. GED)
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
In alignment with our commitment to equity for our scholars, Alliance is committed to equity and transparency for our team and offer competitive salaries commensurate with experience and education, as well as an employer-sponsored 403b plan annual contribution equal to 5% of regular earnings, and a comprehensive group health benefits package, including medical, dental and vision. This position is exempt. The compensation range for this position is $89,000 - $130,000.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Interested candidates should submit their resume and cover letter at www.laalliance.org/careers. Please note that only candidates who are selected for an interview will be contacted. This position is pending board approval of the 2019-20 budget. Offers of employment will be contingent upon board approval of the budget and start dates will be on or after July 1, 2019.
Alliance College-Ready Public Schools are free public charter schools which do not discriminate against any student, parent, community member, or employee on the basis of actual or perceived ancestry, age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.
