Director- Division for Access, Community, and Opportunity (DACO- 3 positions)

North Seattle College, Seattle Central College, and South Seattle College are looking to hire a Director for the Division for Access, Community, and Opportunity.

Salary Range for this position is $113,792 to $157,140 annually (depending on experience).

Opportunity is open until filled, first review of materials will begin December 1st, 2025.

Position Summary

This posting includes three openings, with one position located at each campus: North Seattle College, Seattle Central College, and South Seattle College. Please indicate your preferred campus location in your cover letter; if no preference is listed, your application may be reviewed for any of the three campuses.

Under the supervision of the Associate Vice Chancellor (AVC) of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (ACO), in consultation with each Seattle Colleges President, the Director for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (ACO) will provide support, direction, and leadership to students and employees as part of our campus evolving anti-bias anti-racist (ABAR) mission and commitment to intersectional justice. The Director serves as a member of the campus President's Cabinet and is the senior official responsible for the campus's objectives related to institutional equity, diversity, and inclusion for the main and all satellite campuses. In alignment with the District's ACO Strategic Plan, the Director will work closely and collaboratively with the AVC ACO and the Directors for ACO district-wide (South Seattle, North Seattle, and Seattle Central) to provide hands-on support and supervision that will move our campus communities forward in our process of becoming an anti-racist college. This will necessarily involve supporting existing and new initiatives that include and center BIPOC and other student voices, and building partnerships and collaborations with faculty, staff, and community members and groups to create a stronger network of support for students to access inside and outside of their college experience. This may also involve leading workshops or trainings and active involvement in committee work.

The Director will be responsible for allocation of resources and program results for ACO, and shares responsibility for the formulation and implementation of institutional policy related to ACO.

Seattle Colleges and the Seattle College District aspire to be actively anti-bias and anti-racist learning institutions. This aspiration is ongoing, evolving, and institution-wide, and requires deep personal and collective commitment and accountability.

This position supervises exempt, classified, student, and hourly employees.

This position is typically scheduled to work Monday through Friday 8:00AM to 5:00PM. The schedule may vary depending on program needs. May be required to work evenings and weekends as needed.

This position works 4 days in the office, Fridays are virtual.

About Us

We are a district of three distinct colleges: North Seattle College, Seattle Central College, and South Seattle College and five specialty training centers. Which makes us the largest and most diverse community college district in the state of Washington, we are leaders in change and innovation.

Seattle Colleges is committed to recruiting dedicated faculty and employees who together create a welcoming academic climate that reflects the diverse backgrounds of our community, including ethnicity, national origin, religion, race, gender, gender identity, age, status as a veteran or disabled veteran, disability, political status, and sexual orientation.

As a Seattle Colleges employee, you will gain access to a great benefits package including:

• Competitive Pay Rates
• Promotional Opportunities
• Great Medical, Dental, and Retirement plans
• Paid Sick and Vacation Leave
• Transportation benefits
• Tuition Waivers
• PEBB Wellness Plan
• Washington State Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)

Seattle Colleges staff and faculty also enjoy professional development opportunities and enrichment experiences in areas of their choice, including committee, workgroup, and affinity group opportunities.

Application Procedures:

• Attached current Resume
• Attached cover letter addressing how your background intersects with the job
  • Please indicate your preferred campus location(s) in your cover letter

Required application materials must be completed and submitted online

Notice to Applicants:
Please note that Seattle Colleges has moved to holding interviews virtually using video conference options such as Zoom or Teams. As such, if you are selected for an interview, please be prepared to hold your interview virtually.

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a regular basis. The employer will not sponsor applicants for work visas.

Seattle Colleges is unable to extend post-completion optional practical training (OPT) to F-1 students who receive STEM degrees.

What you will be working on:

• Operationalize organizational and access, community, and opportunity (ACO) strategies, enabling the ACO team to achieve business goals
• Provide leadership for the development and implementation of proactive initiatives to promote equity, diversity and inclusion in support of Seattle Colleges mission and values
• Provide strategic leadership in the development of culturally specific and culturally responsive policy and service delivery models, as well as standardized guidelines and criteria addressing equity programs and initiatives to ensure Seattle Colleges is a leader in delivering equitable service to students and our community; Develop, or direct the development of, documented policies and procedures relating to access, community, and opportunity through a racial equity lens
• Oversee the identification and planning of professional development programs to raise awareness and develop best practices to cultivate a culture of respect and that helps build a welcoming and inclusive culture within the Colleges
• Act as a consultant to programs to ensure alignment and collaboration among different services (e.g. Instruction, Advising, Financial Aid, etc.) to support the needs of the students that we serve.
• Track, trend, and report metrics that will measure the effectiveness of diversity initiatives; Determine methods that will strategically utilize the data to meet goals, targets, and gauge change in culture with continuous improvement
• Collaborate with stakeholders, including faculty and staff, to develop programming that meets the goals of the department and District. May include active co-creation and partnership with committees planning retreats and Professional Development Days for Instruction and Student Services
• Demonstrate, model, and coach practices of cultural humility and intercultural engagement, including an awareness, sensitivity, understanding of historically disadvantaged populations and relative power and privilege, and create an educational environment that affirms commitment to racial equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and community building to foster a sense of belonging
• Develop and maintain effective relationships and partnerships with community-based organizations and entities. Foster and maintain relationships with college and community partners that provide services that support student retention, benefit student health and well-being, and provide opportunities for academic and professional growth. May include K-12 systems, colleges, and universities; tribal communities; industry apprenticeship partners; and business, civic, cultural, social, and religious organizations
• Serve as a confidential sounding board and consult with College and District leadership. Assist with developing new relationships, new opportunities for collaboration, and mobilization of resources that are mutually beneficial
• Develop equity and inclusion initiatives, and lead, facilitate, partner, and participate in trainings and events to help strengthen and build campus community and collective learning, especially as related to ABAR practices and understanding
• Consult with and assist faculty in their efforts to enhance educational objectives to emphasize access, community, and opportunity in the curriculum and co-curriculum and promote the enhancement of educational programs to reflect pluralistic values and goals
• Facilitate and strengthen community building and networks for students and employees that are affirming of their unique intersectional identities and support student success and completion. Responsibilities may include overseeing programs to support student and employee sense of belonging, including student peer mentoring programs or employee affinity groups
• Oversee Student Center to serve the needs of BIPOC and other historically underserved students as a base to strengthen a sense of belonging for students and employees
• Assist and partner with Human Resources to strengthen the College's efforts to recruit and retain traditionally underrepresented students, staff, board, and faculty, including actively supporting the practice of Inclusion Advocates on search committees, and promoting programs that encourage a sense of belonging, such as peer mentoring
• Collaborate with AVC ACO and Office of Institutional Effectiveness to continuously evaluate ACO programming and assess and respond to evolving needs. Gather and synthesize data and provide regular reports of progress on initiatives and impact of services, and summaries that highlight program accomplishments, challenges, and opportunities
• Monitor trends and best practices in higher education pertaining to inclusivity, multiculturalism, and centering student voices
• Engage in shared governance in campus groups and committees, including district-wide efforts to build an anti-racist institution focused on action to advance access, retention, and success for our most marginalized and vulnerable students and employees
• Help the College develop additional opportunities for innovative research, teaching, and engagement, including indigenous research methodologies to center and partner with those whose experiences we seek to understand
• Recruit, hire, advise, train, schedule, and supervise Office of ACO staff and student workers. Provide mentorship to faculty, staff, and students, including Office of ACO staff and students. May include working flexibly in multiple modalities (i.e., in person, hybrid, and remote) and helping Office of ACO employees and students to shift modalities as needed in meetings, trainings, and other events
• Plan, forecast, monitor, and administer purchasing, payroll, and center budgets and program costs; establish and achieve yearly departmental goals, and generate publications and required departmental documentation
• Initiate and facilitate a campus ACO advisory council to provide consultation to the President's Cabinet and the AVC ACO
• Initiate and facilitate monthly meetings of the campus Bias Incident Report Support Team (BIRST)

This description is not intended to cover every aspect of this job, we are a team that works together to meet the needs of those we serve, and every member of the team is expected to contribute, even beyond the specific responsibilities listed in this posting.

What you bring as a candidate: (Any Equivalent Combination of Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education and Experience)

• Bachelor's degree in social sciences, education, human services, college student personnel, counseling psychology, student development or related field, OR equivalent education/experience and three (3) or more years of progressively responsible experience
• Holistic understanding of social justice and ABAR practices in education, through lived experiences and demonstrated ABAR-centered leadership in team roles, mentorship, and/or in their communities
• Experience with creating, coordinating, and managing demonstrably successful programs, trainings, and/or professional development that promote a more inclusive campus or organizational climate/culture
• Strong critical thinking and communication skills -both verbal and in writing - and a strong service orientation and interpersonal skills to meet the needs of a diverse population of underrepresented, marginalized, and vulnerable students, employees, and community members
• Demonstrated leadership experience in building, facilitating, and maintaining strong interpersonal and mentoring relationships and collaborative teams
• Demonstrated awareness, understanding, and lived experience with historically disadvantaged populations, and creation or support of educational environments that affirm institutional commitments to equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and community
• Experience flexibly working in multiple modalities (i.e., in person, hybrid, and remote)
• Commitment to the educational role and philosophy of an open access community college and a demonstrated history of adaptive and emergent leadership that materially addresses intersectional elements of equity, diversity, inclusion, community, and accessibility

Physical Demands and Disability Accommodation

Persons with disabilities have the right to reasonable accommodation in all aspects of employment with Seattle Colleges. This includes, but is not limited to, recruitment, application, interviewing, hiring, training, termination, conditions of employment, and any other employer-supported activities. Applicants requesting accommodation should contact Human Resources.

Office Setting:

Seattle Colleges follows the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and provides the following information as a guideline for applicants:

• Ability to operate office equipment, receive and interpret data, and prepare various materials
• Ability to exchange information with supervisors, lead, co-workers, and students
• Ability to provide 1:1 support, present to small groups, and work at a computer exercising repetitive hand motion
• Work is performed primarily in office settings with frequent interruptions and encounters noises typical of these settings

Notice of Non-Discrimination Statement

Seattle Colleges is committed to the concept and practice of equal opportunity for all its students, employees, and applicants in education, employment, services and contracts, and does not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity, color, age, national origin, religion, creed, marital status, sex, pregnancy, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, status as an honorably discharged veteran or disabled veteran or military status, political affiliation or belief, citizenship/status as a lawfully admitted immigrant authorized to work in the United States, or presence of any physical, sensory, or mental disability. In addition, reasonable accommodation will be made for known physical or mental limitations for all otherwise qualified persons with disabilities. Further, the Seattle Colleges is committed to ensure that all employees and students work and learn in an environment that fosters mutual respect and professionalism, free from all forms of "bullying" behaviors, including "cyberbullying."

Students, employees, and applicants at Seattle Colleges can reach the Title IX Coordinator or ADA/Section 504 Coordinator for questions about discrimination, harassment or grievance procedures.

Background Check Statement

Prior to a new hire, a background check including criminal record history will be conducted. Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment but will be considered in determining the applicant's suitability and competence to perform in the position. In addition to the background check, candidates will complete Sexual Misconduct Disclosure Form WA HB 2327 as required.