Chief Equity Officer

About the City

The City and County of San Francisco is the City’s largest employer, with more than 35,000 employees in more than 60 different City departments.  Through the provision of coordinated, compassionate, and high‐quality services, the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH) strives to make homelessness in San Francisco rare, brief, and one time. The Department provides assistance and support to homeless and at‐risk youth, adults, and families to prevent imminent episodes of homelessness and end homelessness for people in San Francisco. Services include outreach, homelessness prevention, emergency shelter, drop‐in centers, transitional housing, supportive housing, short‐term rental subsidies, and support services to help people exit homelessness.

With mindfulness about the racism and bias that has disproportionately created homelessness among people of color and LGBTQ people, HSH is committed to equity in our Department, systems, and programs. HSH is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected status.

About the Department

San Francisco is a pioneer in homeless services and a leader in providing supportive housing as a permanent exit from homelessness. The Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH), founded in 2016, is a national leader in the movement to end homelessness by developing a coordinated, equity-driven, client-focused system of compassionate services while piloting innovative models, and implementing best practice solutions with measurable results. HSH’s Homelessness Response System (HRS) oversees and implements a system of care that serves 14,000 people daily. Major programs include: street outreach and service connection through the Homeless Outreach Team (SFHOT); 3,000-bed shelter system for adults and families including shelters for members of the LGBTQ community and survivors of domestic violence; Navigation Centers that provide temporary shelter to chronically homeless individuals using a low-barrier entry model; rapid rehousing rental subsidies for families, adults, seniors and transitional aged youth; the Problem Solving/Diversional programs including the Homeward Bound program which has helped 11,000 individuals return to stable housing in their city of origin; and robust supportive housing programs with over 8,000 units which provide permanent housing and services to formerly homeless individuals and families.

THE POSITION

The Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH) is looking for a dynamic self-starter and bold leader to join our team as HSH’s first ever Chief Equity Officer. The Chief Equity Officer will report directly to the Department Head, will serve as a member of Executive Leadership Team, and will partner with the Deputy Director of Programs to develop and drive forward the key strategies of the organization. The position will supervise one Training Officer. The Chief Equity Officer will need to partner with the Deputy Director of Programs, HSH DEI Committee, HSH Human Resources, San Francisco’s Office of Racial Equity, HSH’s provider network, clients, and other stakeholders to advance HSH DEI initiatives. You will have the opportunity to create, strategize, and implement HSH’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and play an integral role in creating housing justice. You will partner with internal and external stakeholders to design and enable a DEI strategy by thinking big and bringing ideas to propel HSH’s DEI work forward with long-term results in mind. After collaborating with the Executive Leadership Team and other stakeholders to develop the approach, you will lead the implementation. 

The position includes the following responsibilities:

• Manage and lead the development and execution of the business DEI strategy for San Francisco’s Homelessness Response System and build internal equity, in close collaboration with the Executive Leadership Team, HR, HSH’s DEI Consultant, HSH’s DEI Committee, HSH provider community and other business partners, to define priorities, goals, and measures of success.
• Manage and lead the development and execution of HSH’s Racial Equity Action Plan and function as HSH’s lead Racial Equity Leader in all City and community forums. HSH’s Racial Equity Action Plan will focus on building internal equity for employees alongside work with partners and community to build equity ultimately for clients of services.
• Act as a DEI subject matter expert by contributing perspective, insights, and knowledge, and taking a balanced consultative and systematic approach to enable the organization to achieve measurable results.
• Provide leadership coaching to all levels of staff via one-to-one and group interactions including but not limited to inclusive leadership practices and implementation of DEI best practices in direct service work.
• Develop and provide diversity, equity, and inclusion training to staff and community partners.
• Influence and partner with cross functional working teams, including both internal and community partners and members, to launch timely, effective initiatives.
• Define key performance indicators by developing metrics for DEI programs and processes, aligned with business and DEI organizational objectives.
• Partner directly with HR Manager to develop DEI related HR metrics and assess progress against goals.
• Partner directly with the Deputy Director of Programs to develop programmatic metrics and assess progress against goals.
• Drive DEI goal attainment through program management and defined project plans; manage implementation activities, and develop processes, documentation and communications for program/process rollout and ongoing support.
• Proactively identify risks/challenges, providing solutions, resolving risks/challenges, and overcoming hurdles to drive results.
• Serve as an ambassador to partners and providers as needed for DEI initiatives.
• Provide consistent updates on progress and goals to key stakeholders.
• Establish and support DEI initiatives (employee resources groups, affinity groups, professional development communities, formal and informal initiatives).
• Additional responsibilities as required.

 

WHAT THE DEPARTMENT IS LOOKING FOR

The department seeks a candidate who:

• Has experience building effective multi-year DEI strategies, including full life cycle plans in the areas of recruitment, talent management, learning, and engagement
• Understands how DEI strategies connect with and influence one another
• Has strong project management, facilitation, coaching, consulting, written communication, and analytical skills
• Has the ability to influence and partner cross-functionally with both HR, leaders, community partners and teams 
• Has the ability to develop ideas and perform the implementation steps to achieve results

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE:

A successful candidate will have experience building effective multi-year DEI strategies, including full life cycle plans in the areas of recruitment, talent management, learning, and engagement. You should understand how these strategies connect with and influence one another. You should have strong project management, facilitation, coaching, consulting, written communication, and analytical skills, and ability to influence and partner cross-functionally with both HR, leaders, community partners and teams. In a small department, the successful candidate will need to roll up their sleeves to not only think big, but also perform the implementation steps to achieve results.

SALARY: $59.95 – $76.14/hour; 10,339.00 – 13,197.00/month; $124,072 – $158.366.00/year

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

1.) EDUCATION:

Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university; and

2.) EXPERIENCE:

Three (3) years of professional experience with an emphasis on implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion solutions or leading workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion programs which improves equity for staff and customers of services, including one year of experience coaching employees or providing consultation on DEI related matters.

SUBSTITUTION: Applicants may substitute up to 2 years of the required education with additional years qualifying experience. One year (2000 hours) of additional qualifying experience will be considered equivalent to 30 semester units/45 quarter units.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS:

The stated desirable qualifications may be used to identify job finalists at the end of the selection process when   candidates are referred to hiring.

• Two years of supervisory experience.
• Experience with and understanding of the causes of homelessness and best practice solutions to create housing justice.
• Experience supporting individuals reliving racial trauma while participating in DEI initiatives
• Experience building a DEI strategy from the ground up, including design of roadmaps to drive incremental progress towards long-term vision and goals.
• Experience in a client service or customer-facing leadership role, enabling organization to build and execute their DEI plan to achieve measurable results.
• Deep understanding of societal systems of bias, and ability to apply this knowledge to invent, evolve, improve, and simplify business and HR processes.
• Deep understanding of DEI analytics, including how to drive impact in recruitment, talent, and inclusion metrics.
• Experience demonstrating sound judgment and working with confidential or highly sensitive subject matter.
• Ability to manage multiple concurrent projects and drive them to completion using project/program management tools.
• Excellent written, verbal communication, and interpersonal skills.

Applicants must meet the minimum qualification requirement by the final filing date unless otherwise noted.

HOW TO APPLY

This is a confidential process and will be handled accordingly throughout the various stages of the process. References will not be contacted until mutual interest has been established.

This position will be considered “open” until final selection is made. Candidates must apply by August 30, 2021, for first consideration. Electronic submittals to SF-HSHS-CEO@berkeleysearch.com are strongly preferred and should include a comprehensive resume.

Candidates may receive additional requests for information. Only the most highly qualified candidates will be invited to interview. Interviews may commence in September 2021. Detailed background checks and offer to the top ranked finalist is anticipated in October 2021. This timeframe is preliminary and subject to change.

Confidential inquiries and questions regarding this career opportunity should be directed to Toni Rodriguez at Berkeley Search Consultants trodriguez@berkeleysearch.com.

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT:  All City and County of San Francisco employees are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment.  For details on how it is applicable to your employment, please click here.