Director, Office Of Multicultural Affairs

The Director of Multicultural Affairs provides visionary leadership for the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) and its team. This role is responsible for developing and implementing effective strategies to promote inclusion and equity for historically underrepresented students on campus. The Director fosters a culture of collaboration and care to ensure the success, engagement, well-being and retention of historically underrepresented student populations.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Visionary Leadership: Lead and supervise all operations for the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA), including strategic planning and visioning for the future, inspiring the team to contribute to a more inclusive and equitable campus environment.

Advocacy and Education on Racial Equity: Serve as a liaison to spread awareness, provide education, and advocate on racial equity issues to create an inclusive campus climate and equitable outcomes.

Student Support and Crisis Management: Provide information, advocacy, and referrals for students and families regarding personal and academic issues; manage crises as they arise.

Collaborative Coordination Across University Units: Work with various university offices/units through coordinated care to support student success, including specific collaboration with various resource centers and programs.

Retention and Affinity Program Oversight: Oversee robust retention efforts through programs that elevate affinity needs and close success gaps. Engage in grant writing and fundraising to support the efforts of Office of Multicultural Affairs.

Cultural Education Program Management: Oversee and manage teams to provide education through cultural heritage programs addressing aspects of racial equity.

Team and Process Development: Serve on the Social Justice Center Leadership Team with colleagues from the LGBT Resource Center, the Center for Women and Gender Equity, and Military and Veteran Resource Center, creating policies, procedures, and processes for the units.

Assessment and Reporting: Facilitate assessment, evaluation, and annual reporting for the OMA.

Policy Development and Institutional Engagement: Serve on various committees to create inclusive and proactive campus policies and coordinate institutional responses to bias.

Facilitate holistic student development. Ensure that the Office of Multicultural Affairs attends to the multiple and intersecting identities of students to create a place of radical welcome. This may include gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, class status, and racial and ethnic identities, as examples.

Required Qualifications:

• Master's degree in higher education/student affairs, multicultural studies, social work, or related field.

• Minimum of five to seven (5-7) years of related experience and/or training or equivalent combination.

• Experience managing and supervising teams.

• Budget, grant writing implementation, and assessment experience.

• Experience directing programming efforts from design to assessment.

• Ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously.

• Experience managing websites and social media platforms.

• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, interpersonal communication, and organizational skills.

• Understanding of and commitment to issues of diversity, gender equity, oppression, intersectionality, and social justice.

• Ability to work with students in crisis using a trauma-informed lens and familiarity with best practices in this area.

• A high degree of confidentiality, discretion, judgment, collaboration, and the ability to build strong relationships.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Minimum of three (3) years of experience in event planning or managing programs.

• Higher education experience.

• Experience related to retention in higher education.

• Familiarity with and/or experience building intersectional support structures for students.

• Experience developing and delivering diversity, equity, and inclusion education, workshops, and training.

Working Conditions:

A physical office space in Allendale with meeting across the University in Allendale or downtown Grand Rapids. Community event attendance to other campuses, such as Traverse City, or other locations in Michigan. Some nights or weekends are required.

Salary: $75,000-$85,000, commensurate with experience

Campus: Allendale

How to Apply: Apply online at GVSU Careers. Attach a cover letter and resume to the online application. If you need assistance, call Human Resources at 616-331-2215.

Application Deadline: Application review begins May 8. The posting may be closed at any time at the discretion of the University.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Must have the physical stamina to work long hours and/or more than 5 days per week. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The information contained in this job description is for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act as amended by the ADA Amendment Act (2008), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and other applicable federal and state laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability. GVSU will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. See www.gvsu.edu/affirmative/. TDD Callers: Call Michigan Relay Center at 711 (in State) or 1-800-833-7833 (out of State).

Grand Valley State University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer, which includes providing equal opportunity for racial and ethnic minorities, women, protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. University policy extends protections to additional identities.