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Sample position description and tips

The <Department> has an outstanding opportunity for a <Business title>.

Diversity Statement (for department): Diversity is a core value at Purdue University Fort Wayne and in the <Department>. We are passionate about building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable working and learning environment for all students, staff, and faculty. We believe every member on our team enriches our diversity by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and to discover, design and deliver solutions.

Tip: Your diversity statement should reflect the values and importance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) unique to your department/team. This is also an opportunity to highlight any specific DEI goals, issues, or initiatives in your department.

Position Purpose: Provide support to the Manager for Faculty Advancement and for work conducted on behalf of the <Department>. Integrate information from multiple sources in order to encourage agenda setting for meetings of the University Diversity Council. Coordinate events, planning, and programming for the Diversity Council and related to the PFW Diversity Blueprint, as well as for those related to staff recruitment and retention. Contribute to the work conducted on staff diversity recruiting and retention strategy-building for the University. Senate information for and maintain campus-wide inventories of diversity training/workshop providers and other diversity-related topics.

Tip: The position purpose should provide a high-level overview of why the position exists and briefly identify the most important priorities of the position. This is an opportunity to highlight any features or duties of the position specifically related to the DEI work of the department. For example, the position may require the individual to be highly knowledgeable about DEI best practices, or to work closely with marginalized populations and communities.

Position Complexities: This position requires an individual who is especially detail-oriented and has strong organizational skills. It requires an individual who is skilled at event planning and at producing event announcements and other marketing materials. The selected candidate should be comfortable with identifying and pursuing creative problem solving, as well as have the ability to effectively write and communicate in a concise manner to a variety of stakeholders.

Tip: The position complexities should speak to the unique responsibilities, scope, and challenges of the position. It provides an opportunity to highlight specific skills and competencies needed to be successful in the role.

Position Dimensions and Impact to the University: This position has specific duties that impact the University, including working with staff and faculty from across campus on diversity-related planning and responsibilities that are specific to the development and implementation of the University’s Diversity Council and Diversity Blueprint. In addition, the position has responsibilities of planning and coordinating the five annual meetings of the PFW Diversity Council. Additional job duties include coordinating programming-related activities related to the faculty/staff affinity groups.

Tip: This section should speak to the specific impact the position and your department has on the University. It is an opportunity to connect potential candidates to the mission and value of the position, and reiterate any features of the position that are related to any University-wide DEI goals and initiatives.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Diversity Blueprint Planning and Implementation Support (25%)

  • Coordinate meetings, materials, and stakeholders related to the development of the Diversity Blueprint; create event marketing materials for these meetings.
  • Coordinate work related to the Diversity and Inclusion Seed Grants, including collecting and organizing completed applications, scheduling meetings and preparing materials for application reviewers, and informing applicants about decisions.
  • Gather and effectively communicate on-campus resources available to assist units in meeting established diversity goals.
  • Organize events to advance the goals of the Diversity Blueprint and/or enhance diversity efforts administered by the Vice President/Chief Diversity Officer as needed.

Diversity Council Membership and Meeting Coordination (25%)

  • Manage the membership terms of and maintain contact with Diversity Council members.
  • Serve as point of contact for and effectively communicate with all Diversity Council members.
  • Interpret, analyze, and clearly communicate content created through small group discussions and activities.
  • Plan and coordinate the five annual meetings of the Diversity Council.

Staff Recruitment and Retention (25%)

  • Assist in identifying resources for the Staff Diversity Hiring Toolkit; update Toolkit resources and maintain the content of the Toolkit website.
  • Assemble resources and create handouts to supplement the Staff Diversity Hiring Toolkit.
  • Provide support on planning related to Faculty and Staff Diversity Hiring Workshops, as well as with requests for data and other hiring resources; coordinate workshop events and maintain registration lists, as necessary.
  • Coordinate meetings and activities for faculty/staff affinity groups; act as primary point of contact for the groups as well as oversee all affinity group budgets.
  • Design and create marketing materials to promote campus awareness of the
    affinity groups; design and create marketing materials for other position-related events or announcements.

Diversity Resources Coordination (25%)

  • Create and maintain database of individuals available campus-wide to provide training and workshops on diversity-related topics; serve as point of contact for campus inquiries on diversity training options.
  • Create, maintain, and disseminate database of individuals campus-wide who plan and/or coordinate diversity-related events to promote collaboration on those events.

Tip: Core responsibilities should be clear and concise. Include the specific functions and duties regularly performed with a percentage of time for each major function. Listing specific duties of each function is not necessary for job postings, but should be described in more detail in the position description.” Limit bullet points to 3 to 5 per function.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

  • Demonstrated commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working and learning environment
  • Two years of experience in diversity related programs OR equivalent education/experience
  • High school graduation or equivalent

Tip: Minimum requirements should only include “must haves” such as technical experience, base-level education, and certifications. These basic qualifications should be identified in your evaluation criteria matrix (ideally completed prior to posting the position). Listing a specific number of years of experience or education may create an unnecessary barrier in which quantity may be valued over quality. Refer to union contracts and check with compensation about years of experience requirements for specific roles. Limit or avoid using a specific number of years when possible. All positions should require the demonstrated commitment to value diversity and contribute to an inclusive working and learning environment.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

  • Proven writing skills, detail-orientation, ability to coordinate multiple ongoing events, and manage multiple email accounts.
  • Experience in event planning, coordinating meetings, designing marketing materials/event announcements, and working on diversity-related programs or initiatives.

Tip: Additional requirements should be added when there are specific skills, knowledge, and competencies needed to perform the core responsibilities of the position beyond the minimum requirements. Additional requirements may be transferable and do not have to be an “all or nothing” threshold, but should be essential to high performance and success in the role.

DESIRED:

  • Demonstrated proficiency in MS Word, Excel, SharePoint and Outlook
  • Project Management experience
  • Training/Facilitation skills
  • Bachelor’s degree

Tip: Desired requirements are not a necessity and should only be included if the “ideal” experience, and level of expertise is needed for optimal performance. Advance degrees can be listed as “desired”, but may create an unnecessary exclusion and limit the diversity of your applicant pool. When possible, limit your requirements to “must haves” and base-level education. The goal is not to lower your standards, but to eliminate unnecessary barriers and create more equitable and inclusive recruiting practices.

Equivalent education/experience can substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.

Tip: Education/Experience equivalent statements provide an option to be more inclusive when assessing for specific education and experience qualifications. The standard equivalency ratio is one year of experience for one year of education. However, to ensure all equivalencies are applied consistently, be sure to document equivalency options/ratios as part of the screening criteria. Partner with your HR recruiter, department HR representative and all search committee members to ensure everyone is clear on what equivalencies are acceptable to qualify an applicant for the position.

*Adapted from the University of Washington.