Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Lead #2307-200900-02

The City of Charlotte is the largest municipality in North Carolina and the 17th largest city in the United States, with a total population of more than 872,498 citizens. A major commerce center, Charlotte hosts several of the nation’s largest banks and technology companies.

Also known as the Queen City, Charlotte is home to the Carolina Panthers, the Charlotte Hornets and the NASCAR Hall of Fame. We work hard to ensure that the community will be a winning city for everyone – a truly remarkable place to live, work, learn and play. Join us in helping to keep our City thriving, ensuring upward mobility and advancement in the workplace.

The City of Charlotte and Charlotte Area Transit System’s (CATS) People and Organization Development Division is seeking a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB) Lead designed to play a critical role in fostering a diverse, equitable and inclusive work environment.  This position will be responsible for developing and implementing strategies, initiatives and programs that promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and a sense of belonging within CATS and the City. The primary objective of this position supports the creation of an environment and workplace where all employees feel valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives and talents.  A successful incumbent has a demonstrated knowledge of DEIB best practices, theories, and policies with proven experience driving and implementing programs throughout an organization.

This position will report to the CATS Workforce Development Manager.

• Develops strategies and process to ensure integration of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging best practices throughout the department.
• Utilizes a dynamic and collaborative approach to DEIB with a broad understanding of the long-term strategy to efficiently support the business to introduce, promote and implement DEIB initiatives, programs, and trainings.

• Develops, implements and monitors DEIB programs and initiatives.
• Facilitates and delivers training sessions, workshops, and educational materials to promote awareness and understand of DEIB topics among employees at all levels.
• Acts as a resource for employees and leaders providing guidance, support, and assistance on DEIB matters.
• Partners with CATS Human Resources as needed, when employee relations concerns arise surrounding discrimination, harassment, or bias to ensure a fair and inclusive resolution process.

• Partners with City and CATS leaders to understand and execute the City of Charlotte and CATS’ DEIB strategies, particularly as it relates to current and future needs. Collaborates with City and CATS Human Resources, Workforce Development and Talent Acquisition teams to collaborate on processes, share best practices and carry out initiatives related to DEIB efforts.
• Fosters relationships and partners with internal and external stakeholders, community groups, and organizations to advance CATS DEIB goals.
• Serves as department lead for Employee Resource Groups (ERG) and Infinity groups developed within the City and Department.
• Reviews existing policies and procedures to identify areas for improvement and make recommendations to ensure alignment with DEIB principles.

• Identifies and maintains a calendar of all heritage, cultural and identity recognitions ensuring an inclusive promotion of events, heritage, and identity acknowledgement throughout the year.
• Develops and partners with City Human Resources and CATS Communication divisions to execute internal communication strategies to raise awareness and engage employees in DEIB efforts.
• Champions a high-performance environment, meeting metrics and goals, and fostering an inclusive work environment while serving as a mentor and model to the talent acquisition team.

• Responsible for CATS EEOC annual reporting.
• Collects and analyzes data related to workforce diversity, representation, and inclusion metrics.
• Identifies trends, gaps and areas of improvement and presents findings to Senior Leadership.
• Utilizes data-driven insights to develop targeted strategies and initiatives.
• As a part of your responsibility to support the CATS Safety Culture, report safety concerns and issues through the various methods established by CATS as outlined in the ASP.
• Performs other related duties as required.

• Considerable knowledge of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging principles, theories, policies, and best practices.
• Considerable knowledge of relevant laws, regulations, and compliance requirements read to DEIB.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple initiatives simultaneously.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Self-starter with strong decision-making skills and the ability to effectively communicate and interact with all levels of the company, clearly expressing ideas and concepts, both verbally and in writing.
• Intermediate level proficiency skills with Microsoft Word, Excel, Teams, and Outlook.
• Demonstrated ability to develop, and implement DEIB programs, initiatives, and training.
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships with stakeholders at all levels.
• Ability to provide professional leadership, direction, and guidance to staff and drive projects to completion and on schedule, to scope, and within budget.
• Ability to plan, develop, implement, and administer goals, organize, and supervise effective and efficient work programs. 
• Ability to identify and analyze problems, provide alternatives, and identify solutions in support of established goals, and project consequences of proposed actions.
• Ability to actively pursue and develop new ideas, methods, and procedures to meet changing situations.
• Ability to prepare and present clear and concise reports, correspondence, and other written materials. 
• Ability to prepare correspondence, reports, and analyze data with recommendations.
• Ability to work independently with limited supervision.
• Ability to remain adaptable and resilient to all situations with an optimistic outlook and cast a positive shadow that is aligned with our culture and Core Values

• CWDP Certification (Certified Workforce Development Professional)
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Certifications or Trainings
• SHRM – CP/SCP or PHR/SPHR

Requires a high school diploma or equivalent with seven years of experience or a two-year college degree with five years’ experience or a Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development, Organizational Psychology, Sociology, or related field with three years’ experience; or a master's degree with one years of experience.

Must have 2-3 years of direct experience in DEIB, diversity management, or a related field with strong knowledge of DEIB principles, theories, and best practices.  Strong oral, written communication, interpersonal, and team skills combined with effective communication strategies. Must be proficient in Microsoft Office, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

The City’s Background Check Policy requires background checks to be conducted on final internal or external candidate(s) applying for any position with the City of Charlotte. The type of information that will be collected as part of a background check includes, but is not limited to: reference checks, social security verification, education verification, criminal conviction record check, and, if applicable, a credit history check, sex offender registry and motor vehicle records check.

Background checks must be in compliance with all federal and state statutes, such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The checks must be consistent with the guidelines set forth by these laws requiring organizations to obtain a candidate’s written authorization before obtaining a criminal background report, motor vehicle records check or credit report; and to properly store and dispose of information derived from such reports.

Final candidates must pass a pre-employment drug-screening test and physical examination. During the selection process, candidates may be asked to take a skills test, and/or participate in other assessments.

The City of Charlotte is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Apply online.

Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job.

You are welcome to visit the City of Charlotte Human Resources Department lobby where we have workstations available. Our office is located at 700 East 4th Street, Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28202. Our hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (EST), excluding official City holidays.

Anyone seeking an accommodation to apply for a job may call (704) 336-2285 for assistance or you may email questions to CityHrJobPostingsNotify@ci.charlotte.nc.us.

The City of Charlotte provides a comprehensive benefits package to all employees.

Click here to learn more about the City of Charlotte’s benefits.

The City of Charlotte is a drug and alcohol-free workplace.