Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer – Center for Reproductive Rights

Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer – Center for Reproductive Rights

Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer – Center for Reproductive Rights 150 150 katie@axistalentpartners.com
Center for Reproductive Rights
Published
October 14, 2021
Location
New York City
Job Type
Contact Name (not public)
DJ Cervantes
Main Phone
781-534-9191

Description

About the Organization:

The Center for Reproductive Rights (the Center) is the global leader in using the power of law to advance reproductive rights as fundamental human rights. Headquartered in New York City, the non-profit, non-partisan organization has regional offices in Bogota, Geneva, Nairobi, and Washington, DC, and a staff of approximately 200 diverse professionals. The Center’s compelling human rights mission and reputation for excellence and cutting-edge legal work has powered its exceptional growth trajectory to an operating budget of over $40 million and won the respect of the world’s leading law firms, as reflected in the additional $30 million annually in donated legal services, representing the work last year of 820 lawyers in 46 countries.

The overarching goal of the Center’s new Strategic Plan sets a high mark for impact: By 2030, half of the world’s population will be living under stronger protections for reproductive rights than they do today. The Center has a track record of success to back up this ambitious goal. Since its founding in 1992, the Center’s game-changing litigation and advocacy, combined with its unparalleled expertise in constitutional, comparative, and international human rights law, have transformed how reproductive rights are understood by courts, governments, and human rights bodies worldwide on issues including maternal health, contraception, abortion, and assisted reproduction. It has won groundbreaking cases before national courts, U.N. Committees, and regional human rights bodies, led the development of historic, proactive legislation advancing robust protections for reproductive rights, and has built the legal capacity of women’s rights advocates in more than 60 countries and counting.

To learn more about the Center for Reproductive Rights, go to www.reproductiverights.org.

About the Opportunity:

At the Center, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is fundamental to our mission and our vision of a world where every person has the right to make decisions about their reproductive health and life and has equitable access to the full range of reproductive health care services and information. We recognize in our work and in our workplace that individual experience is based on multiple and intersecting identities, including but not limited to age, citizenship, class, color, culture, education, ethnicity, family status, gender identity and expression, health status or disability, income, language, national origin, partnership status, pregnancy status, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation.

The Center’s first ever Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer (CDEIO) has the exciting opportunity to make a significant impact on a growing organization with a global mission and presence, infusing the organization with globally equitable and inclusive practices that contribute to a culture in which all identities thrive. Reporting to, and partnering with, the Chief of Strategy and Operations, the CDEIO will serve as a member of the Executive Team and work closely with the CEO. The incoming CDEIO will bring significant expertise to lead the big picture DEI visioning, including how the DEI work will make the organization more impactful, stronger, better performing, and globally inclusive. They will do this by creating the overarching organizational framework to ensure that equity and inclusion are at the center of the work, ensuring that DEI is implemented and operationalized across the organization.

Critical to this work is that candidates have a deep understanding of creating inclusive organizations that have operations around the world, honoring and valuing the intersecting identities of team members regardless of where they are located. Learn more about the Center’s organizational commitments to diversity equity and inclusion here

The CDEIO will be based in New York City with international travel required. Covid-19 vaccination is required for all US-based employees of the Center.

Areas of Leadership: 

DEI Leadership & Strategy:

  • In partnership with the Executive Team, Human Resources, and the DEI Task Force, build on the overarching vision, strategy, and framework for DEI at the Center, identifying biggest areas of need, key components, goals, ways of measurement, and evaluation, creating the pathway for the Center to infuse DEI into its work and practices.
  • Support the Board of Directors’ DEI Task Force to advance DEI work at the Board level.
  • Engage the DEI Staff Task Force as an advisory committee to inform practices and initiatives.
  • Build internal and external connections, leveraging data, insights, and industry trends to lead, influence, support, and facilitate ongoing organizational change with fresh insights and proposals.

Operationalize DEI Strategy: 

  • Establish the DEI function, dedicated to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion at the Center.
  • Provide leadership, collaboration, and support to staff to translate the organizational vision for DEI into role-specific actions and performance management/accountability systems.
  • Ensure systems policies and practices are developed, implemented, and audited for equity and inclusion. Research and implement custom initiatives and programs that are tailored to the particular needs of the Center.
  • In collaboration across departments, develop consistent communication and feedback mechanisms and practices to ensure the organization’s ability to identify, discuss, and address equity issues internally.

Support a culture of inclusion & belonging at the Center: 

  • Support an inclusive workplace culture through a continuous DEI learning agenda that promotes global diversity, inclusion, and belonging, and disrupts unconscious bias, microaggressions, and discrimination.
  • Implement programs that develop and retain staff of diverse backgrounds.

Key Qualifications:

Mission & Values Alignment: Commitment to advancing reproductive rights as human rights. Demonstrated alignment with Center’s core values: globally inclusive, integrity, excellence, and impact. Possesses a global mindset and understands the contextual differences within the countries and core constituencies with which we work. Fluency with Spanish is a strong plus.

DEI Expertise: Demonstrated experience integrating a multi-year diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy throughout an organization’s programs, operations, and practices. Deep familiarity with historical underpinnings of racism, and research-based best practices that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion across a geographically - and ideally globally - distributed organization.

Change Leadership: Adept at identifying and leading through significant change, including organizational and behavioral change across geographies and levels. Models adaptability and strong tolerance for ambiguity. Problem solves through friction or dissent. Has successfully implemented new behaviors and has a track record of operationalizing and sustaining change within the culture, processes, and structures of an organization.

Executive Leadership Experience: At least 5-10 years of experience serving as a senior leader within a complex, multi-office organization, ideally with global operations. Demonstrated ability to design, develop, and facilitate the implementation of organizational strategies and goals. Ability to work with and through board and executive team stakeholders to advance goals related to DEI.

Relationship Building & Collaboration: Demonstrated ability to cultivate, grow, and manage positive, mutually beneficial relationships at all levels of an organization. Outstanding interpersonal and relationship management skills, including the ability to identify and work through challenges, underscored by strong judgment and emotional intelligence. Proven collaborator, able to work with and through senior leadership teams, as well as across functions.

The Center for Reproductive Rights is an equal opportunity employer, committed to inclusive hiring, and dedicated to diversity in our work and staff. We strongly encourage people from all groups and communities to apply.

How To Apply

To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter here.