Senior Manager, Equity & Belonging

About JFF:   

Jobs for the Future (JFF) drives transformation of the American workforce and education systems to achieve equitable economic advancement for all.  

About the position:  

Reporting to the Senior Director, People, Culture & Equity, the Senior Manager, Equity & Belonging is a new role in a 15-member and growing People & Culture team that supports JFF’s emerging diversity, equity and inclusion function and efforts. Over the last several years, JFF has made investments that deepen our commitment to equity externally in the field and in our internal practices. JFF recently completed a three-year DEI strategic plan.  

The Senior Manager, Equity & Belonging, will play a critical operational role in building, strengthening, and executing a DEI strategy that aligns with JFF's workplace culture and values. They will serve as a valued partner to the Senior Director to create and implement DEI initiatives designed to ensure that all employees can cultivate a sense of belonging. They will act as a skilled project manager, with a keen ability to work with diverse stakeholders to move an agenda forward.  

What you’ll do: 

• Support the Senior Director to manage JFF’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Advisory Council (DEIAC), a cross-section of JFF staff who steward JFF’s DEI efforts, working closely with CEO, and others across JFF  
• Serve as project manager for the DEIAC and ensure the council’s efforts align to the DEI strategic plan and related staff engagement efforts to attract and retain talent, and promote an inclusive workplace 

• Support affinity group strategy and development, including overall approach and implementing policies and tools that advance affinity group initiatives  
• Collaborate and form relationships with affinity group leaders and executive sponsors to deepen a sense of belonging, community, and inclusion both within their groups and across JFF 
• Support the Senior Director to provide capacity building across JFF for a variety of DEI-related topics (e.g., racial equity, anti-bias, gender expansiveness and inclusivity, managing across difference, and others); Serve as the project lead on the planning and delivery of DEI-focused capacity building and training, including researching, vetting, and liaising with external parties 
• Enable DEI goals across all People & Culture functions and strategies (recruitment, retention and engagement, learning and development, wellbeing), in partnership with other JFF People & Culture leads 
• Support the implementation and project management of JFF’s three-year DEI strategic plan and road map 

• Begin the first phase of JFF’s new DEI strategy through key projects and initiatives, including affinity groups and other belonging programs, working with key People & Culture partners, including the Senior Manager, Employee Experience 
• Lead the existing DEI events committee, acting as a key connection between the DEIAC, affinity groups, and the events committee on DEI-related events, remembrances, and speaker series 
• Prepare communications to amplify JFF’s DEI efforts (e.g., drafting talking points and creating decks for all staff meetings and team presentations, provide newsletter support for DEI events, organization-wide updates, campaigns, hosting learning hours) 
• Partner with the Senior Analyst, People Data & Systems to analyze and report on data to highlight JFF’s DEI strengths and opportunities and inform the strategy and building of systems 
• Partner with JFF’s Talent Acquisition (TA) team to ensure recruiting and onboarding communication, materials, scripts and conversations use inclusive language and reflect JFF’s commitment to inclusivity and belonging 

Who you are:    

• You possess 5-7 years of professional experience in HR DEI, Learning & Development, program or project management, or other relevant experiences; experience starting and expanding program(s) a plus 
• You possess passion for JFF’s mission and can apply the core values to all areas of your work 
• You are analytical and synthesize complex information to drive strategic decisions 
• You bring a consultative approach and have experience building the capacity of others through training and/or other adult learning methods 

• You are highly organized and know how to manage and prioritize multiple projects; you create clear and effective systems and processes to support your work and that of the organization to drive results  
• You are adept at communicating, verbally and in writing, with the ability to engage a wide range of stakeholders at varying levels of seniority  
• You work effectively with staff with diverse and intersectional identities and steward an organizational culture that is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion 
• You lead with curiosity, empathy and compassion and possess the ability to handle sensitive DEI issues 
• You are a skilled relationship builder who understands that people are at the core of JFF's work – internally and externally  

• You are resourceful and able to identify problems and drive innovation while navigating existing policies and procedures  
• You hold high standards for confidentiality, place a premium on service orientation and contribute to positive and collaborative cultures and teams 

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at JFF:  

JFF is committed to sustaining a diverse community with a work environment that is welcoming, respectful, and encouraging to all. JFF fosters a culture of inclusion that celebrates and cultivates diversity along multiple dimensions, including race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, national origin, socioeconomic status, religion, ability, culture, and experience.  

We pride ourselves in promoting diversity, equity & inclusion by developing sustainable opportunities for individuals who have dealt with multiple barriers to personal and professional successes. As a part to our commitment to DEI, people impacted by the criminal legal system, people of color, people who identify as LGBTQ+ , and people with disabilities are highly encouraged to apply. 

Positions at JFF are not eligible for employer-visa sponsorship or open to F-1 student visa holders.  

All JFF employees are required to be fully up to date on their vaccinations against COVID-19, unless a medical or religious exemption has been requested and a reasonable accommodation approved.   

JFF offers a competitive salary and benefits package, commensurate with experience and skills.