As the Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) , you will join the S&C Human Resources Leader team as an instrumental leader in driving S&C’s DE&I strategy and goals. This position reports directly to the Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO). You will play a critical role in developing and executing the DE&I strategy, building partnerships with key cross-functional partners including Marketing & Communications, Supplier Diversity, and all members of the Leadership Team, and ensuring the growth and success of S&C’s Employee Resource Groups. The ideal candidate will be committed to supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion, and have experience building foundational DE&I programs that positively impact S&C team member’s sense of belonging. We are looking for a candidate with a breadth of experience and deep understanding of DEI learning and development strategies and initiatives. The ideal candidate will excel in achieving results, building trust and consensus through consulting with various audiences (team members, affinity groups and community leaders) and influencing our leadership and staff. They will inspire as a leader, thought partner, and agent of change, comfortable with ambiguity and constant change.

Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership

• The Director of DE&I is an evangelist for the DE&I vision and is a leader in effectively integrating our mission across People Operations, the business, our customers, and external communities.
• Drive institutional programming for new people leaders, employee development programs, apprenticeship/mentorship programs, culture enriching programs, etc.
• Facilitate thought provoking discussions with S&C and lead strategy sessions.
• Continuously measure the impact of initiatives to inform decision making.
• Manage global DE&I budget.
• Design and launch company-wide DE&I governance model including a DE&I council.

Cross Functional Business Units

• Serve as advisor and collaborator with cross-functional leaders and partners.
• Lead as an advocate, mentor, and resource to all employees.
• Partner with Talent Acquisition and other HR leaders on strategic efforts to attract and hire a diverse workforce while driving inclusion and building a sense of belonging.
• Use data to inform decisions and act as a consultant for all aspects of the employee lifecycle, including recruiting, onboarding, performance management, organizational planning, L&D, leadership development, etc.
• Own relationships with external partners to grow our impact in the communities we serve.

Industry Intelligence and Voice of DE&I

• Use industry and academic insights to remain at the forefront of emerging trends and solutions. You will keep your finger on the pulse of the latest research and use that to advise the strategic direction for the team and company.
• Research and provide competitive insights from both an employment and business perspective.
• Build and implement a communications strategy to provide direction on improving internal and external channels.
• Bring a narrative approach and use powerful storytelling to build impact.

Operations and Initiatives Oversight

• Serve as the strategic and operational partner to the CHRO, HRLT and DE&I team for DE&I initiatives. This includes:
  • Crafting and implementing the DE&I strategy
  • Directing and advising cross-functional programs to deliver impact.
  • Orchestrate and present at events supporting the DE&I strategy across partnerships both with internal and external communities.

Qualifications:

• Proven success collaborating, establishing rapport, and delivering with impact through your strong interpersonal skills.
• Proven track record in practicing effective DE&I change management within a midsized to large organization.
• Experience overseeing and analyzing company demographics, assessing trends, and providing data-informed insights.
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills with experience in multiple communication modes, including social media.
• Experience identifying and implementing standard methodologies with a command of DE&I concepts, challenges, and opportunities.
• Experience working with and advising executive leaders to drive transformational change and adoption.
• Creative thinking and the ability to articulate a vision and operational priorities to teams across the organization.
• Experience in scoping, designing, and implementing DE&I programs at scale.
• Experience working as a HR Business Partner is a plus.
• Master's degree or equivalent practical experience.
• Flexibility to travel as needed.

S&C is a global company providing equipment and services for electric power systems. Founded in 1911, the Chicago-based company designs and manufactures switching and protection products for electric power transmission and distribution. S&C’s Engineering teams design solutions for a portfolio of products for a wide range of customers including electric utilities and industrial/commercial power users. S&C offers broad opportunities for advancement, excellent education and training programs, a challenging work environment, and a strong package of pay and benefits.

The Human Energy of S&C has been built on the principles of integrity, enthusiasm, and sustained energy. These are the traits that S&C has always looked for and found when seeking people to join our 100% employee-owned team. S&C would not be where it is today without the diversity of our team members and business partners. We consider our diversity to be a core strength of our company, and we aspire to align our team-member demographics with the populations in which we live and work. To realize this vision, we seek to facilitate the career development of minorities, women and all team members through events hosted by our Inclusion, Diversity, Engagement and Awareness (I.D.E.A.) Group, Women’s Empowerment Group and other S&C affinity groups.