Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Director

Location:  City of San Antonio, TX Download:  Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Director - City of San Antonio, TX - brochure

About San Antonio

The City of San Antonio is the nation’s 7th largest city and is home to more than 1.5 million residents. The population is predominantly Hispanic/LatinX but the City has a rich diversity including a growing immigrant population from many areas of the world.  Located in South Central Texas, approximately 140 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, San Antonio offers many residents one of the most attractive and affordable lifestyles in the country.  San Antonio has one of the lowest tax rates in the state, low utility rates, and a relatively low cost of living.   The local economy includes an excellent mix of business services, manufacturing, health care, communications, corporate and regional offices, government, and the convention and tourism industry.   San Antonio faces much of the same challenges of rapidly growing Cities including availability of affordable housing, infrastructure needs, transportation options, and educational/job training opportunities.   By many accounts San Antonio is one of the most economically segregated Cities in the country.   San Antonio is a great place to live but we need to bridge the gap between those that are positioned to take full advantage of what the City has to offer and those who struggle to make ends meet.   The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Director will play a key role in that effort. 

City Government

San Antonio has a Council-Manager form of government with an eleven-member City Council. Councilmembers are elected by District, while the Mayor is elected at-large. The term of office for the Mayor and all members of the City are two-year terms, for not more than four (4) full terms of office. The City Council appoints the City Manager, who appoints all officials in executive positions apart from the City Clerk, City Internal Auditor, Presiding Judge, and Municipal Judges. 

The City of San Antonio has been recognized for its high level of professional management by the ICMA and National Civic League, amongst others. For ten consecutive years, the City has maintained a AAA bond rating. The Fiscal Year 2021 adopted operating budget is $2.9 billion with close to 13,000 employees across nearly 40 departments. The City has made a commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, primarily through the formation of a citywide Office of Equity in 2017.  The key goal is to deliver City services in a way that changes the outcomes of those members of the community that have been underserved in the past. 

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Department

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Department centralizes the City’s efforts to prioritize and operationalize accessibility, diversity, equity, inclusion, and integrity across departments and services. The DEI Department unifies strategic planning and reduces duplication by consolidating staff from previously discrete offices, those being the Office of Equity, the Office of Municipal Integrity, and the Disability Access Office. 

The DEI Department’s work is both proactive and responsive and collectively must lead to real results for real people. On the proactive side, the DEI Department trains City staff in equity strategies and fraud prevention, and it reviews City facilities and projects to ensure physical accessibility for users of all abilities. Examples of the DEI Department’s reactive work include providing employees and community members with a central hub to report complaints or allegations of waste, fraud, violations of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the City’s Non-Discrimination Ordinance (NDO). The DEI Department also plays a key role in promoting diversity across departments, Boards and Commissions, and the community. 

The Position

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Director is responsible for providing leadership in the development and performance of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office.  This position requires collaboration with City leadership to ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion as operating principles across the organization by facilitating and strengthening our processes. This position will further advance the City’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion by developing near term, mid-term, and long-term strategies.   These strategies will be measured in terms of demonstrating meaningful outcomes for both the organization and the community. 

Job Functions and Responsibilities

  •         Develops, implements, and refines the Office of Diversity and Inclusion’s mission, vision, and goals with a focus on implementing practical measures to advance the objectives.
  •         Facilitates and supports department training and equity assessments that can be tied to implementation strategies.
  •         Acts as official representative on diversity, equity, and inclusion issues and topics to City departments, the City Manager’s Office, elected officials, and in the community.
  •         Develops citywide performance indicators and progress benchmarks, including certification or recognition by national groups or accrediting agencies, to ensure accountability towards diversity, equity and inclusion. 
  •         Collects, analyzes, and presents data measuring the City’s progress on operationalizing diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  •         Manage the continued implementation of and reporting on the City’s Non-Discrimination Ordinance and other civil rights laws so that the goals of the Ordinance are furthered.
  •         Facilitates the timely investigation and resolution of discrimination complaints in collaboration with the City Attorney’s Office, Human Resources, and relevant City departments.
  •         Coordinates workforce diversity issues and recommends diversity training for the city workforce in collaboration with the Human Resources Department.  Coordinates City recognition or celebration of key milestones, holidays, or recognition months, such as Hispanic Heritage Month, Juneteenth, Women’s History Month and Asian, Pacific Islanders Month.
  •         Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with City staff and multi-sector community stakeholders so that the City departments see the value in further DEI goals.
  •         Develops and implements budgets, cost containment procedures, and program improvement measures.
  •         Manages the preparation of grant applications to ensure adequacy and timeliness.
  •         Conducts regular national best practices research and comparative analyses to ensure the City’s continue progress as a municipal leader in diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  •         Maintains knowledge of relevant legislation.
  •         Understands the balance of interests to further DEI goals. 

Education and Experience

Qualified candidates will have a J. D. degree or a Masters degree in public administration or a closely related field from an accredited college or university, and a minimum of seven (7) years of increasingly responsible experience in the administration of government, community, or educational programs related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, including three (3) years of supervisory experience or similar experience over a career in being an effective advocate and champion of DEI programs and initiatives at a government entity, company, or non-profit.  

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate will have experience as a representative or champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion issues and topics within a municipality or large organization.  The ideal candidate will have experience working within a large complex institution and developing performance indicators and progress benchmarks to ensure accountability and producing and achieving DEI outcome-oriented metrics and goals.   

The ideal candidate should be a strategic, community-oriented leader with the ability to earn trust, collaborate, and maintain positive and professional relationships with various stakeholders internally and externally. Strong knowledge of the City’s non-discrimination policies and related state and federal laws in addition to concepts, national trends, state trends, and current issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion will be important for the success of this role.  Exceptional communication along with strong collaboration and team building skills will be essential. 

In short, the ideal candidate must be effective in being an advocate within a large complex organization so that DEI principles become an integral part of any City services, programs, or initiatives. 

Salary

The City of San Antonio is offering a competitive salary commensurate with experience.  The City offers generous benefits and retirement including annual and personal leave, a deferred compensation plan, relocation/moving expenses, and participation in the Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS). 

How to Apply

Interested applicants should forward a cover letter and resume to: 

resumes@affionpublic.com
Reference: SADEID 

Affion Public
PO Box 794
Hershey, PA 17033
888.321.4922
www.affionpublic.com 

**The deadline to receive resumes is June 28, 2022** 

The City of San Antonio is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. 

Posted: 05/27/2022