Review Vacancy
AgencyPeople With Developmental Disabilities, Office for
TitleSpecial Assistant – Chief Diversity Officer
Occupational CategoryAdministrative or General Management
Bargaining UnitM/C - Management / Confidential (Unrepresented)
Salary RangeFrom $112155 to $141538 Annually
Minimum Qualifications PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
A Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources, Public Policy, Public Administration, Public Health or a related field, experience in organizational and systemic change, and at least 4 years of experience in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in a complex organization. Management experience preferred.
The ideal candidate for Chief Diversity Officer (Special Assistant) would have:
• Experience in strategic development, organizational and systemic change initiatives.
• Demonstrated skill in all aspects of equal opportunity and non-discrimination as it relates to under-represented groups – including but not limited to LGBTQ individuals, people and veterans with disabilities, and women.
• Experience working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, and historically marginalized groups.
• Working knowledge of the concepts of institutional and structural racism and their impact on underserved and underrepresented communities.
• Knowledge of program leadership, health equity, policy and procedure development, and community outreach.
• Strong judgment, decision-making, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to build strong interpersonal relationships at all levels of an organization and with external entities.
• Expertise in using data in decision-making processes.
Duties Description The New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) is committed to an environment that values diversity, promotes an inclusive culture, and provides equitable services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). OPWDD is recruiting for a Chief Diversity Officer (Special Assistant) to lead organizational, and systems change initiatives that improve diversity, equity, inclusion and cultural and linguistic competence within the agency and the network of hundreds of I/DD providers who serve 130,000 New Yorkers. The Chief Diversity Officer would provide agency-wide leadership on agency policies, programs, and initiatives for the agency of 18,000 employees, while also building coalitions among external service delivery organizations, people with I/DD, their families, and other stakeholders.
Under the direction of the Executive Deputy Commissioner, the incumbent will support the pillars of the agency strategy with a focus on a diverse and inclusive workforce, equitable service access and provision to people with I/DD, and health equity for people with I/DD.
Specific responsibilities include:
• Lead and direct the agency’s diversity, equity, inclusion and cultural and linguistic competence programs and policy;
• Coordinate an extensive DEI and cultural competence strategy with the agency’s contracted consultant organization;
• Oversee DEI grant opportunities created by the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage funds;
• Collaborate with the NYS Civil Service Office of Diversity and Inclusion Management in support of Executive Orders 187 and 26;
• Oversee data collection and analysis in partnership with agency data managers;
• Utilize change management strategy to implement the agency’s multi-year DEI Strategic Plan in concert with the executive leadership, senior managers, and agency stakeholders; and provide progress reports with measurable outcomes;
• Collaborate with other members of leadership to develop and maintain strategic partnerships with community organizations and other entities;
• Represent the organization with external organizations and communities;
• Serve as key contact to work with the DEI consulting organization to conduct meaningful assessment of existing policy to identify gaps and needed actions that will promote DEI and cultural and linguistic competence in the agency and the I/DD field;
• Develop strategic DEI guidance and support for executive and senior leadership, and key stakeholders for diversity and inclusion considerations;
• Lead strategic diversity and inclusion initiatives across the agency, improving internal culture, fostering staff and leadership diversity, and increasing employee engagement and retention;
• Review and advise on how the agency can improve on health equity outcomes and coordinate initiatives amongst clinical staff;
• Advise agency management on diversity and inclusion issues and oversee creation of programs and training to support program goals;
• Identify external trends and recognize best practices to increase diversity among the workforce and people served;
• Develop tracking strategies to monitor and evaluate the impact and ROI of initiatives; develop reports on program effectiveness and make recommendations for program enhancement and improvement;
• Identify performance indicators for diversity and inclusion activities, and plan and evaluate outcomes via data collection and reporting;
• Prepare the agency’s DEI employee communications, working in coordination with the Public Information Office (PIO) to provide relevant educational materials and resources for agency staff on a regularly scheduled basis;
• Work with agency Human Resources and Workforce and Talent Management to review all aspects of the recruitment, hiring and onboarding processes to ensure that diversity and inclusion efforts are an ingrained part of all aspects of the recruitment, selection, and hiring processes;
• Serve as the agency’s DEI liaison to the Governor’s Office, other state agencies and external stakeholders.
Additional Comments Please note: •As of 10/12/2021 all OPWDD employees must be vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to mandatory weekly testing for COVID-19.•Preference will be given to OPWDD employees impacted by closures. If you are being impacted by closure, please indicate this on your resume/cover letter.•In order to be eligible for appointment and to maintain employment, you cannot be listed as an excluded individual or entity on any of the Federal and/or State Medicaid and Medicare exclusion lists (or excluded from any other Federal or Federally assisted program). If you are appointed and subsequently listed as an excluded individual or entity on any of these lists (or excluded from any other Federal or Federally assisted program), you may be terminated from your employment.•OPWDD is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer
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