Office of the SVP, General Counsel & Chief People Officer

Exempt, Regular, Full-time

University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) is seeking a Vice President and Chief Diversity & Equity Officer (CDEO) to serve as a passionate, visionary leader who delivers expertise in designing and curating meaningful, measurable DEI initiatives that transform lives. Reporting to our Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Chief People Officer, our new CDEO will create an industry-leading blueprint for DEI that aligns our policies, practices, and employee/student experiences. Above all, this position is characterized by a relentless dedication to both employee DEI, by promoting an inclusive workplace, and student DEI, by reducing the student success gap for historically underserved populations without ever lowering the bar on expected performance outcomes.

With a bias for action, the CDEO will leverage data-informed decision-making and partner with colleagues to identify and enact strategies that support UMGC’s ability to attract, retain, and support students, faculty, and staff from underrepresented populations. Collaborating across UMGC, the CDEO will be a trusted advisor who builds our global capacity for creating a more culturally relevant DEI ecosystem. Serving as the senior global DEI executive of the largest public online university in the country, our CDEO will lead a team that provides proactive strategic leadership and subject matter expertise to cultivate student success for all underrepresented student populations, multicultural training and programming, Fair Practices, EO resolutions, Title IX coordination, ADA compliance, accommodations and accessibility, affirmative action planning (AAP), alternative dispute resolution, and DEI/equity compliance investigations.

A spirit of collegiality, camaraderie, inclusivity, and collaboration, as well as a willingness to do what they have asked others to do, is also of significant importance in this highly visible position.

Relocation to the Maryland/Washington, D.C./Northern Virginia metro area is required.

Additional accountabilities include the following:

• Introduces restorative, affirming practices through interventions that cultivate a culture in which every leader demonstrably embraces a shared responsibility for DEI rather than it being solely the purview of the CDEO
• Establishes clear metrics and analyzes data to identify opportunities to advance DEI goals and support a sustainable environment
• Leads and develops a team of experienced DEI professionals that serve as change agents who build trust, actively listen, and are comfortable having difficult and courageous conversations
• Leads grant facilitation and stewards the budget for the CDEO’s office in ways that optimize resource allocation impact
• Builds global relationships and collaborates across the enterprise to provide strategic direction toward positioning DEI as an integral part of UMGC’s competitive advantage
• Serves as the subject matter expert for DEI initiatives and works with other key stakeholders to develop and execute a roadmap of initiatives that advance UMGC’s ability to serve students and ultimately deliver improvements in student success and completion
• Partners with leadership to ensure that students see themselves in their experiences with Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, and Admissions, thus affirming that students’ individual life circumstances and challenges are considered in UMGC services
• Shares a commitment to minimizing financial burdens and gaps for our students
• Upskills the UMGC population by championing a variety of programs and conversations that infuse DEI throughout our learning ecosystem   
• Partners with our Communications team to shape internal and external communication strategies that regularly promote DEI activities, events, and progress
• Partners with the Human Resources team on myriad matters including AAP
• Creates and empowers internal and external networks of diversity champions
• Positions the university to serve as an innovative partner with University System of Maryland (USM) schools, governing boards, HBCUs, HSIs, Tribal and Indigenous institutions, and other organizations around the Washington, D.C., metro area and beyond
• Drives civic engagement as an active, contributing force, educating people and organizations on resources they may not realize are available
• Ensures compliance with applicable federal and state equal opportunity, fair employment practices, and civil rights laws and regulations, as well as USM and UMGC policies and procedures
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned

Required education & experience: Demonstrated ability to get things done; an earned Master’s degree from an accredited institution of higher learning; at least seven (7) years of leadership experience driving diversity initiatives focused on both students and employees; the ability to bridge strategy and tactics by seeing the big picture while simultaneously understanding all the steps and stakeholders involved to achieve it; successful experiences leading and developing all levels of talent in a multicultural workplace; success with community outreach that results in broader social impact; experience creating and enacting a next-level DEI strategic plan; evidence of being an inspiring team player/coach able to quickly gain credibility and build relationships across an organization; superior skills at navigating and responding well to sensitive, politically and/or emotionally charged situations; demonstrated experience understanding the cultural values, norms, and biases regarding communities of color, LGBTQ+ communities, and other marginalized communities; as well as an influencer and natural connector of people and organizations with the gravitas of an emotionally intelligent, professionally mature global executive.

Preferred education & experience: An earned doctorate from an accredited institution of higher learning and experience working globally in higher education; a diversity certification from an established college, university, or professional association; balances a sense of urgency with the courage and willingness to challenge the status quo; demonstrable critical thinking, tact, nuance, and diplomacy in both verbal and written communication; and evidence of the belief that natural human differences build better relationships, create resilience, and with intentionality produce more sustainable organizational results.