"Organizational Ombuds - District"

College Information

Peralta/College Information

District Office

The Peralta Community College District is a two-year college system, dedicated to providing comprehensive educational and community services to the communities it serves, including the cities of Albany, Alameda, Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland and Piedmont California. The District enrolls over 25,000 students in a broad range of transfer and occupational curricula. The colleges in the District include College of Alameda, Laney College, Merritt College and Berkeley City College, which operate under the governance of a seven-member Board of Trustees and are administered by a Chancellor/Superintendent.

Position Information

Job Title
Organizational Ombuds - District

Time Base
40 hrs/week 12 months/year

Compensation
Salary Range: $155,695 - $184,004/Year - The maximum initial placement is Step 3 depending on experience.

Position Type
Management

Department
Human Resources-Personnel (135)

City
Oakland

State
CA

Job Description Summary

The Organizational Ombuds reports directly to the Chancellor and serves as a facilitator for faculty, staff, and, when appropriate, students across the college campuses and district service center to foster a positive campus climate and environment. This position facilitates an accessible, independent, impartial, and informal process for problem resolution through active listening, providing information, making referrals to other campus resources, and identifying options and alternatives for constituents from varying backgrounds and lived experiences, while maintaining the highest levels of professionalism, neutrality, confidentiality, and sound judgment.

WORK SCHEDULE
Work Schedule This is a full-time, 12-month position, administrative exempt position.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Establish, manage, and direct the operational objectives and work plans of the Office of the Ombudsperson.
• Exercise oversight of the Ombuds Office and Peer Mediation Program.
• Provide overall leadership to the district in conflict resolution.
• Provide advice and training to managers/supervisors on managing interpersonal conflict, and facilitating a resolution through conflict management processes.
• Provide confidential, independent, informal, and impartial conflict resolution services an adheres to the standards and practice as described by the International Ombuds Association.
• Design and manage the inaugural peer conflict services program, including program services, assessment, recruitment, and training of peer participants.
• Manage difficult, complex, and/or politically sensitive cases.
• Mitigate risk by resolving disputes before they result in formal grievance or litigation.
• Develop, modify, and execute policies that affect operations and may also have a district-wide effect.
• Develop and manage the budget for the Office of Ombuds.
• Manage and direct the Ombuds Office in providing confidential, independent, informal, and impartial conflict resolution services to the Peralta Community College District Communities in compliance with professional standards of practice and code of ethics, functions with autonomy, and provides feedback on systemic issues.
• Manage the accountability and stewardship of human, financial, and often physical resources in compliance with departmental and organizational goals and objectives.
• Oversee the daily responsibility for program administration and management, providing impartial, informal, and confidential conflict resolution services to one or more constituencies, including faculty, staff, and students (when appropriate).
• Use counseling, conflict resolution, and mediation techniques and skills, works with individuals and/or groups to present a variety of options for resolving conflicts, including complex and challenging cases
• Responsible for program administration and management, including establishing priorities, goals, objectives, and work plans, and managing the peer conflict services program.
• Exercise judgment in selecting methods, techniques, and evaluation criteria for obtaining results.
• Design and conduct training sessions, group facilitations, and outreach programs.
• Serve as an institutional resource for other campus offices in resolving complaints.
• Conduct conflict resolution needs assessments for campus departments and develops tailored training on conflict resolution, along with district-wide initiatives on effective communication during conflict, behaviors in the workplace, mediation, conflict management, and related topics.
• Advise senior campus administrators about issues, patterns, and trends that are affecting the welfare of the Peralta Community College District office and campus communities.
• Serve as a resource for key stakeholders in formulating or modifying policy and procedures and raise issues that might surface as a result of a gap between the stated goals of the institution and actual practice.
• Provide early warning of new areas of organizational concern, upward feedback, and critical analysis of system needs for improvement.
• Act as liaison between individuals or groups and the campus administrative structure, serving as an informal facilitator for communication and referral agent.
• Create and provide strategic oversight, development, and daily operations of a peer-led conflict service initiative.
• Design and implement the structure and scope of the Peer Conflict Services Program.
• Serve as an information and communication resource, recipient of feedback, advisor, informal mediator, and change agent.
• Supervise and evaluate the performance of assigned staff.
• Performs other related duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Possession of a Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university in a related area, four (4) years in conflict/dispute resolution, mediation, facilitation, or related experience.
• Five years of successful full-time experience in administrative or management positions in education, business, industry, or government.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in the principles of conflict resolution.
• Knowledge of California and federal laws and regulations for community colleges.
• Knowledge and proficiency in the operation and use of personal computers utilizing various software applications (i.e., word processing, spreadsheet and database management software) including email and the Internet.
• Evidence of sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, gender, cultural, disability, and ethnic backgrounds of community college students, faculty, staff, and community. (E.C. 87360(a)).

Desirable Qualifications

• Possession of an advanced degree in a related discipline from an accredited college or university.
• Advanced mediation training or certification (e.g. International Ombuds Association).
• Demonstrated leadership and relevant management experience in a California community college or other higher educational environment.

Application Deadline Date

January 30, 2026

Open Date
12/17/2025

First Review Date
02/02/2026

Special Instructions to Applicants

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

Required documents and applications are only accepted through the online process...