Job Description
POSITION OVERVIEW:
The Director will be responsible for leading the Council Office of Racial Equity (CORE), located within the Council of the District of Columbia. CORE leads the DC Council’s commitment and strategy to be a diverse, antiracist, equitable, and inclusive policymaking organization. The Director must be an inspiring, collaborative, courageous, innovative, and visionary leader with outstanding
people and management skills.
Primarily, the Council Office of Racial Equity conducts Racial Equity Impact Assessments. A Racial Equity Impact Assessment (REIA) is a careful, organized, and public examination of how a proposed bill will affect different racial and ethnic groups. A REIA helps Councilmembers, staff, and the community make decisions about bills by answering one central question: “if this bill passes, how will it impact Black, Indigenous, and other residents of color in the District of Columbia?” The Racial Equity Achieves Results Amendment Act of 2020 requires the Council to perform Racial Equity Impact Assessments (REIAs) on legislation.
In addition to REIAs, CORE holds trainings for Council and provides additional research support to help create a District where race no longer predicts opportunities, outcomes, or the distribution of resources for residents, particularly for communities of color. CORE is housed within the Office of the Secretary. As part of a Council central office, CORE serves all thirteen Councilmembers.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
• Establishing strong working relationships with Council offices and staff, residents, community organizations, and other interested parties by contributing to mutually beneficial projects, identifying opportunities to collaborate, and staying informed of one another’s work;
• Managing and supporting CORE team members with day-to-day work and career development;
• Providing editing, writing, research, and analysis support to CORE team members in the construction of Racial Equity Impact Assessments across policy areas;
• Providing project management support for frequent deliverables and ongoing initiatives;
• Collaborating on a researched strategy to embed racial equity in all aspects of Council policymaking and operations with the community, CORE team, Council, and other stakeholders;
• Producing racial equity training materials and providing ongoing racial equity training for Council staff;
• Coordinating research and analyses and offering data-informed recommendations and policy advice.
SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:
• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in a field of study directly related to the functions and activities of the Council of the District of Columbia and CORE, such as public policy, public administration, historical research and comparative methods, law, DEI Studies, African American Studies, or other related fields.
• Strong understanding of structural and institutional racial inequity and proven ability to analyze programs and policies with a racial equity lens.
• Experience with racial equity initiatives in large organizations and drive to achieve racial equity alongside the District’s Black, Indigenous, and other residents of color.
• Experience and familiarity with DC Government including: DC Council’s legislative process, District government entities, and District government programs
• Experience with interpreting legislation and familiarity with the Code of the District of Columbia
• Five – seven years of management experience in or adjacent to the position’s context and field of work
• Experience with policy analysis including critically using and presenting policy research and administrative data in written analysis.
• Strong writing and editing skills with an eye for clarity, accessibility, rigor, and sensitivity in final publications
• Ability to work and make decisions both independently and collaboratively, manage multiple projects and priorities at once, creatively problem solve, and pay attention to details and the bigger picture
• Experience working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds
• Experience managing relationships with people inside and outside of government including: residents, community groups, government staff, the press, and elected officials
• Enthusiasm to lead and build a strong start-up team as it grows within an established institution
• Familiarity with the District’s history, current events, and landscape of community organizations
• Unwavering dedication to the District and its residents.
PERFORMANCE ENVIRONMENT
Incumbents of this position will be required to work in a high paced, team environment that can at times be stressful with minimal supervision. Occasional evening and weekend availability is required. All work is performed in an office setting. Regular recess periods and the cyclical nature of the Council’s legislative calendar provide opportunities to balance out periods of necessarily high-intensity work.
HOW TO APPLY
Qualified candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, and three professional references to: jobs@dccouncil.gov Please include “CORE Director” in the subject line.
NO PHONE CALLS, please. Applicants will only be notified if granted an interview. Selected applicants will be required to complete an interview questionnaire. Final interviews will be conducted by a panel.
DOMICILE REQUIREMENT
An appointee to the Excepted Service is required to be domiciled in the District of Columbia at the time of their appointment or become a domiciliary of the District of Columbia within 180 days of appointment and shall maintain such domicile during the period of appointment.
SALARY AND BENEFITS
The Council of the District of Columbia offers a compensation package that includes a competitive salary; medical, dental, and vision coverage; long- and short-term disability program; a 457(b) program with a 3% employer match and a 5% entirely employer funded contribution; 13 to 26 days of annual leave, (based on years of employment); 13 days of sick leave; 8 weeks of paid family leave; 11 paid holidays; subsidized public transportation and bikeshare discount.