"Deputy Chief Diversity Officer and Chief of Staff"

About the Job

The Deputy Chief Diversity Officer (DCDO) reports directly to the Vice Chancellor for Equity, Justice & Inclusive Excellence. The DCDO is a member of the Vice Chancellor's leadership team and other advisory/working groups formed by the Vice Chancellor. The DCDO represents the Vice Chancellor to UC Merced constituents (students, faculty, administrative leaders, campus counsel), system-wide constituents (Office of the President and Office of the Regents), and external constituencies, speaks on behalf of the Vice Chancellor, and has authority to negotiate agreements and make decisions and commitments on high-level task forces and campus-wide committees. The DCDO directs projects and analyses of high-impact and high-profile campus-wide EDI initiatives, and facilitates the communication and implementation of decisions and strategies. The DCDO operational area encompasses strategic planning, assessment of institutional effectiveness, serving as liaison to Human Resources and External Relations, and leading equity-focused community engagement. This position provides strategic leadership in the EJIE Division and has significant responsibility for helping achieve the campus' goals for equity and inclusion under the direction of the Vice Chancellor and in collaboration with multiple stakeholders and constituencies. A primary focus of this position is that of using data to help guide planning and decision-making regarding equity and justice issues. Additionally, the DCDO serves as the primary liaison for the division to external community groups, pertinent to collaboration and support on EJIE-related issues.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Leadership and Strategic Planning: Oversees divisional programming, typically with broad and /or organization-wide impact. Develops and implements a framework and outcome metrics that will promote equity, diversity, and inclusion and serve as an action plan for the university and units across campus. In collaboration with analysts from partner offices (e.g., CIE), the DCDO will contribute to the development and presentation of institutional statistics for assessment and monitoring, and communicate findings effectively for campus leaders, organizations, and units. Participating with executives in short- and long-term strategic planning with organization-wide impact, helps integrate and align the University's EDI environment. Performs a lead role in strategic planning and fostering institutional effectiveness, with a particular focus on equity, diversity, inclusion, and campus climate; providing leadership and expertise to develop novel interventions to address campus-wide EDI goals and priorities. Both a strategist and practitioner with a level of expertise in diversity research, planning, and programs, explains complex data to diverse constituencies, provides campus-wide influence on the identification and framing of systemic issues, and formulates and advances approaches to solve them by integrating multiple parts of the organization to address relevant campus EDI concerns. Providing organization-wide influence on the identification and framing of systemic issues, and the formulation and advancement of approaches to address them. Representing the Executive with authority to make decisions on high-level task forces and long- and short-range strategic planning groups. Represents the Vice Chancellor on senior task forces, committees, and working groups with authority to negotiate and make commitments and decisions. Works with the Vice Chancellor to produce an annual outcome and impact report for the university and other key stakeholders. When needed, serve as liaison for the Vice Chancellor in interactions with the Chancellor, EVC, and other Vice Chancellors, Deans, Provosts, and other senior leaders at UCM and the Office of the President. Represents the Vice Chancellor on relevant system-wide, national, and international committees and task forces. Negotiating directly to achieve solutions with high-level stakeholders such as faculty, senate committee chairs, senior administrators, other UC locations, Office of the President, public agencies, and the community to develop solutions to complex problems; providing briefings on current and emerging issues. Formulate and recommend corrective action to the Vice Chancellor and other senior leaders. Collaborates and consults broadly with senior campus leaders to address critical issues facing the campus, including the formulation and implementation of new policies and the development of new initiatives. Undertakes unique, sensitive, and confidential projects on behalf of the Vice Chancellor. Crafts well-developed and practical solutions to a wide range of complex issues affecting the campus, either working independently or part of a team. Leads various ad-hoc committees and working groups to accomplish the goals and objectives of the Vice Chancellor. Steering and coordinating the implementation of long and short-term strategic and operational plans. Ensuring schedules and plans are established, parties are informed and prepared, and any barriers (that is, resource allocation, training, staffing, etc.) are brought to the attention of the appropriate group for resolution. Serves as strategic advisor and thought partner to the Vice Chancellor and the senior team, organizing, coordinating, and translating plans into existing and newly created frameworks. Develops and manages high-profile, ongoing campus-wide projects launched by EJIE. Participates in leadership transition planning. Acculturating new leaders in organizational and Regental protocols, overall operations within areas of responsibility, and initiative and program planning and management.
2. Community Engagement: Represents the division on community boards and at community events. Responsible for developing and cultivating productive relationships with university and community partners to enhance the division's reach and impact. Partners with national, state, and local agencies and organizations; university departments; educational institutions, businesses, and industries; museums and galleries; artists and educators; and other non-profit and community organizations. Engages in effective communication and meaningful collaboration with university and community partners. Identifies and cultivates strategic partnership opportunities that align with the division's priorities and community needs. Coordinates the division's participation in community-driven initiatives, committees, and working groups. Organizes community listening sessions and focus groups to gather input on EJIE services and programming. The DCDO will collaborate with community groups to develop, collect, analyze, and present input on equity issues pertinent to the community. Will work to connect community members with campus constituents to leverage expertise and mutually beneficial partnerships. Creates opportunities for programming and meetings that facilitate collaboration between campus experts and community group leaders.
3. Assessment and Institutional Effectiveness: Provides a framework for policy and administrative change, involved with change management and developing strategies to remove barriers to goal achievement. Provides high-level support and advice to the Vice Chancellor in the development of strategies, programs, initiatives, and assessment protocols to help the university measure and achieve its goals and objectives embodied in the Strategic Action Plan. Supports the Vice Chancellor in facilitating the use of institutional data in high level planning and decision-making related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Provides leadership to assess outcomes of initiatives that promote a campus climate of inclusion. Supports the Vice Chancellor's vision and strategic action by providing research, data, and implementing best practices to effectively monitor, analyze, and benchmark the University's progress as it relates to equity, diversity, and inclusion. Establishes and promotes the assessment, adjustment, and achievement of institutional diversity goals using metrics to measure success and disseminates information. Communicates analytic findings to the internal campus community both orally and in writing. Directs, analyzes, and prepares recommendations for resource plans having a critical, organization-wide impact. Collaborates with faculty and administrators in the development of research studies, including but not limited to the measurement of institutional outcomes and trends in the area of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Supports regional accreditation and reaffirmation through designing and conducting self-studies as evidence of institutional effectiveness. Works with units/departments to identify, recommend, and assist in the collection, analysis, and dissemination of relevant data, as well as in the design and preparation of protocols to effectively monitor, analyze, and benchmark institutional progress. Stays well-informed and keeps abreast of higher education's current and emerging issues to provide the executive broad perspective across the organization.
4. Staff relations: Achieves organizational objectives through the coordinated achievements of subordinate staff. Ensures subordinate supervisors and professionals adhere to defined internal controls. Provides guidance, direction, and assistance to subordinates on most complex issues. Serves as a consultant to the VC on performance, salary actions, hiring decisions, and other human resources-related issues of managed staff. Overseeing or managing the recruitment process for key management. Defining the position, developing the recruitment plan, and assisting with forming and staffing the selection committee. May chair or participate on the selection committee. Provides advice on the development of complex annual budget; determining expense priorities, recommending and implementing changes to methods, unit planning, staffing, programs, and other financial activities. Identifying or negotiating between control units for resources (example: reorganizations, start-ups of large scope units, or administrative models).
5. External Relations: Works in collaboration with members of External Relations to ensure visibility of EJIE programming and events to on and off-campus constituents. Helps identify potential areas of external support/donors who may have an interest in contributing to EJIE's resources. Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited university in a related area or equivalent experience/training (required); and/or
• Advanced degree from an accredited university (preferred); and
• Five years of directly related, progressively responsible experience in a related field, or and equivalent combination of education, training, and experience. Advanced degree is preferred, but may not substitute for the required experience.
• Working knowledge of organization and system-wide organizational reporting structure, as well as an understanding of the interactive roles of management throughout the organization.
• Knowledge of the legal constraints and opportunities for higher education in the State of California and through Federal programs and regulations.
• Demonstrated ability in translating administrative policy and academic behavior into constructs within the context of institutional research reporting, statistical modeling, and other analysis.
• Advanced written, verbal and presentation skills for influencing and facilitating sustained change.
• Exceptional demonstrated oral and written communication skills, particularly when reporting on research methods and findings.
• Demonstrated skills in interpreting executive questions, undertaking the necessary statistical analysis and utilizing appropriate data and analytic tools to create effective, well-written reports and presentations to support executive level planning and decision making.
• Proven ability to research and prepare executive level documents, reports, and summaries.
• Demonstrated ability to compose error-free, concise, well-organized and unambiguous prose to communicate complex information and research findings to a variety of audiences, including executive management.
• Proven ability to handle highly sensitive and confidential issues that require independent judgment, strict discretion and confidentiality.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently or as a member of a group to complete tasks effectively within a constrained time frame and budget.
• Demonstrated expertise in data administration, including working with multiple offices and users to coordinate collection and use of data.
• Experience managing diverse staff, writing performance evaluations, and setting goals and objectives for staff.

Hiring Range

The salary range the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $101,000 - $126,000.

Job Closing Date

Initial applicant review will take place on or around January 22, 2026 and will continue until position is filled.

This position is expected to work 100% on campus.