Senior Director, DEI & Strategic Initiatives

Position Summary

The Senior Director, DEI and Strategic Initiatives will work to craft, implement and manage strategic projects that advance the goals of the Center on Global Energy Policy. The ideal candidate will plan and effectively execute multiple projects and programs in an evolving environment while ensuring alignment with the Center’s strategic vision. The incumbent will have a keen sense for meeting both Center objectives and those of internal and external stakeholders. The candidate will work collaboratively across all levels of the University to plan and organize programs for a variety of audiences. The incumbent will also engage in regular and active recruiting efforts to staff emerging programs, run on-site programming in coordination with events staff and other program staff, perform marketing and recruiting activities associated with strategic programs, and build relationships with stakeholders, supporters, and subject matter experts. The director of strategic initiatives will work beside the leadership team to launch a multi-year project plan to embed the DEI values into all aspects of the organization.

This position will work closely with senior leadership to cultivate and manage donor and potential donor relationships.

Responsibilities

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

• support the implementation of the organizational five-year strategic plan by developing a multi-year DEI action plan for the organization, including the associated change management required to embed DEI into every aspect of CGEP’s work
• provide strategic advice and coaching to leaders to foster DEI leaders at all levels of the organization,
• develop and implement evidence-based tools that support progress toward organizational goals,
• collaborate with internal and external experts to develop and deliver the scope and sequence of DEI-related professional development to foster DEI mindsets and skills across all staff,
• monitor and report on progress of DEI goals and initiatives and make adjustments as needed to foster DEI outcomes
• analyze quantitative and qualitative data to develop recommendations to inform our DEI goals and strategic priorities

Strategic Initiatives

• Serves as an informed, insightful, and confidential sounding board to test ideas, debate issues, and provide critical feedback.
• Provides direct support to the strategic planning process, ensures it aligns with all related planning processes (annual planning, staffing, budgets).
• Leads and supports strategic planning across the Center, including:
• assisting in the compilation of data in relation to strategic priorities and emerging issues;
• ensuring that teams are delivering value, quality, and efficiency;
• helping to create and deliver presentations that effectively communicate key project findings and recommendations to various audiences; and
• initiating projects and preparing results for presentation.
• Convenes and works with strategic planners across the Climate school to ensure that all activity aligns with the Center’s strategic goals and vision.
• Facilitates working group and committee sessions with key stakeholders to ensure end-user design process satisfaction
• Oversee the development and execution of critical initiatives and special projects that require senior level leadership and cut across the Center and/or projects that involve partnerships with other external stakeholders.
• Lead cross-functional program teams to achieve specific outcomes
• Troubleshoot, participate in crisis management, and manage expectations of leadership, and external partners.
• Develop policies, protocols, and standards on programmatic matters to improve efficiency and strengthen capacity.
• Direct staff in the synthesis of complex information and the collection and research of data to design creative solutions
• Supervise staff and delegate tasks to colleagues

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in public administration or policy.
• Seven or more years of education administration experience and/or strategic project management and leading change within a large organization.
• Strategic project management skills, including assessment, gap analysis, planning and implementing.
• Strong organizational abilities including planning, delegating, program development and task facilitation.
• Ability to convey a vision of the Center’s strategic future to staff and partners.
• Ability to think strategically, mobilize disparate groups of people toward a common and ambitious goal, manage horizontally, and translate insights into action
• Attentive to detail, extremely well organized, able to work under pressure, and meet frequent and changing deadlines.
• Skilled with group problem-solving and working with complex concepts in a dynamic setting.
• Ability to organize facts and present information and figures in a clear, concise, and logical manner, both orally and in writing.
• Exceptional interpersonal, organizational, and oral and written communication skills required.
• Strong written and oral communications skills.
• Strong public speaking ability.