Director of the Center for Inclusive Excellence

OverviewThe director of the Center for Inclusive Excellence (CIE) will play a key role in positioning the Carlson School of Management as a research, education, and outreach hub to foster a more welcoming, inclusive community. Through an equity-minded approach, the director will refine and expand CIE's five-pillar model of inclusive excellence, ensuring that CIE remains a valuable resource for students, faculty, and staff as well as external partners. Reporting to the Executive Director of Wellbeing, Empowerment, and Belonging, the director will lead strategic initiatives in the areas of research, education, and outreach through events, programming, and workshops that engage key audiences and build partnerships to enhance diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) across the Carlson School community. These efforts will also drive fundraising and sponsorships to ensure CIE's long-term future as a self-sustaining entity.ResponsibilitiesResearch Facilitation (20%)Partner with faculty champions to support faculty members across all academic departments in pursuing academic and practitioner-oriented research and thought leadership on critical DEIB topics in business and management.Determine research projects and issues CIE can support through its resources (time, people, money), including in submitting competitive grant proposals to public and private funding agencies.Enhance opportunities for cross-disciplinary research collaborations to advance knowledge of critical DEIB issues in business and management.In partnership with content experts both internal and external to the Carlson School, develop, create, and disseminate documentation of DEIB best practices, case materials, and other resource materials for students, faculty, staff, and external partners.Education (20%)Develop new and lead ongoing opportunities for faculty and staff, as well as students when appropriate, to learn about DEIB topics, trends, and challenges.Enhance existing Diversity Community of Practice.Develop efforts to lead and coach Carlson School faculty and staff on best practices, helping them incorporate inclusivity into teaching, leadership, and student engagement.Ensure mutually beneficial information sharing between faculty, staff, and students with the business community to create more equity within the school as well as outside it.Conduct needs assessments for internal and external stakeholders to identify areas where DEIB interventions are most needed.Outreach and Community Engagement (20%)Build and maintain long-term relationships with local communities, nonprofit organizations, and corporate partners to promote DEIB initiatives.Host annual conference on DEIB in business, bringing together researchers, business leaders, and students to collaborate towards more inclusive business practices.Develop ongoing series of events, programs, and/or competitions to allow diversity leaders in organizations to offer insights into advancing inclusive business practices.Ensure activities are accessible to a wide range of audiences, incorporating feedback from students, staff, faculty, and community members.Oversee logistical planning for events, including budget management, speaker coordination, and participant engagement.Develop post-event evaluations and reports to measure impact and reach.Support and actively participate in leadership of community-wide efforts to support DEIB in Minnesota.Advise and connect students, alumni, and the business community with resources to enable their DEIB efforts.Represent CIE and Carlson School in meetings, conferences, and public forums to elevate Carlson's role as a DEI leader in higher education and business.Center Leadership, Management, and Fundraising (40%):LeadershipSet mission, vision, and short- and long-term plans and annual goals for CIE.Lead the strategic development of the five-pillar model, ensuring it remains relevant and adaptable to evolving DEIB needs and is integrated into CIE's activities as well as across the school's community.Monitor and assess the effectiveness of CIE through regular reviews, tracking of trends impacting mission delivery, and incorporating feedback to foster a mindset of continuous improvement.Align the framework's goals with the school's long-term DEIB objectives and University-wide initiatives, presenting progress to leadership, faculty, and external partners.ManagementMonitor, manage, and execute fiduciary responsibilities for funds allocated to CIE and its programs and initiatives.Strategically allocate funding to highest-need mission activities.Recruit and manage the CIE staff, student workers, and partners.Collaborate with Carlson School Marketing and Communications staff to design, create, and distribute communication and reports on behalf of CIE.FundraisingCollaborate with the school's Institutional Advancement professionals to raise funding for CIE and enhance its visibility and impact.Secure all long-term and short-term funding from individual, corporate, and foundation benefactors to support existing and proposed programs, including proposal preparation and stewardship reporting.Track and communicate the impact of CIE for leadership and benefactors.Act as the primary liaison between the school and corporate/foundation sponsors, securing commitments for collaborative programs, volunteers, and funding to deliver initiatives in support of CIE's mission.Identify and develop relationships with alumni/supporters to complete engagement opportunities for CIE.Recruit and manage an advisory board of DEIB leaders from business, government, and community organizations, which offers advice, support, and networking to maximize the effectiveness of CIE programming.Required QualificationsBA/BS degree in a relevant field (e.g., Diversity & Inclusion, Organizational Development, Higher Education, Business)Minimum of 10 years of progressive leadership experience in DEIB, with demonstrated impact.Experience with fundraising, grant writing, or securing corporate/foundation partnerships.Strong understanding of inclusive excellence frameworks and equity-minded organizational leadership.Preferred QualificationsMaster's or PhD degree in a relevant fieldProven ability to plan, execute, and facilitate impactful events and programs.Research or industry expertise in the development, attainment, assessment and reporting of strategic goals focused on DEIB.Excellent verbal and written communication skills, specifically as it relates to communicating to a variety of internal and external stakeholders about DEIB; demonstrated expertise building collaborations.Knowledge of the organizational environment of higher education and large research universities.Experience in community engagement, consensus-building, and working with diverse stakeholder groups.A strong sense of optimism, entrepreneurship, and the willingness to explore innovative ways of creating change.

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