Introduction
This is a new assembled examination. The eligible list resulting from this examination will cancel any existing list and may last approximately one year, but can be extended. Applications must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing. Applications will only be accepted on-line.
Koya Partners is soliciting qualified applicants on behalf of Alameda County and this recruitment is being conducted pursuant to the Alameda County Civil Service Commission rules. Interested candidates should apply by November 10, 2023. Express interest in this role by filling out our Talent Profile.
DESCRIPTION
About the Community
Located on the east side of the Bay across from the San Francisco Peninsula, commonly referred to as the “East Bay,” the County of Alameda (County) is the geographic center of the San Francisco Bay Area. The region has been the fastest growing in the San Francisco Bay Area for more than two decades due to its desirable location, incredible diversity, ideal climate, broad economic base, welcoming communities, and business opportunities. The County itself is one of the most culturally diverse regions in the country, offering a variety of popular destinations including theatre, world-class symphony performances, dining, and many top-rated accommodations. The County is also home to many popular attractions, including The Oakland Museum, Chabot Space and Science Center, and the Livermore, Tri-Valley Wine Country and more, along with numerous parks, trails, and championship golf courses to enjoy. The University of California, Berkeley and California State University, East Bay are just two of the distinguished academic institutions in the area serving Northern California. Urban transportation options are extremely accessible including the Oakland International Airport, the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system, and the San Francisco Bay Ferry system.
About Alameda County
Alameda County is a major urban county that delivers a full spectrum of services, including general government and internal services, health care, social services, public works, criminal justice, and other public safety services for its community. Driven by a mission to enrich the lives of residents through visionary policies and accessible, responsive, and effective services, the County seeks to realize its vision is to be recognized as one of the best counties in which to live, work, and do business. With a growing population of over 1.7M million residents, Alameda County is the second largest county in the Bay Area and seventh largest in the state. Established in 1853, the County encompasses 14 cities including Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Dublin, Emeryville, Fremont, Hayward, Livermore, Newark, Oakland, Piedmont, Pleasanton, San Leandro, and Union City as well as 6 unincorporated communities and rural areas spanning a total of 738 square miles. With an annual budget of over $4 billion for the 2023-2024 fiscal year, Alameda County employs over 10,000 employees working in 21 different agencies and departments.
The Opportunity
Leading the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) office for Alameda County, the DEI Director will be a strategic, entrepreneurial leader who will clearly envision, build, and navigate the office’s scope, role, and collaboration across departments within the County. As the County moves to more deliberately embrace and advance diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, the DEI Director will lead the DEI team to implement strategies, initiatives and policies, partner with critical constituents to achieve transformational change, and manage and supervise the office of DEI programs, projects, and processes.
The Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate will be a visionary, relationship-oriented leader with the entrepreneurial spirit needed to craft foundational structures and programs to support a broad scope of departments and services within Alameda County. As the County’s key resource on diversity, equity, and inclusion practices and initiatives for all County staff, this leader will deftly navigate county-level agencies, build relationships across departments, and foster collaboration and cooperation among colleagues that will support successful implementation of new DEI initiatives.
The ideal candidate will demonstrate the following attributes and competencies:
VISIONARY & ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADERSHIP
- Develop foundational principles and practices for DEI efforts that enhance the understanding of County employees.
- Define and clearly communicate a scope of work with results-based metrics and foster organization-wide investment in resources dedicated to DEI programs and needs.
- Intentionally plan around the strategic intent of the County while keeping in mind larger future goals.
- Strong leadership skills, including experience on a Senior Leadership Team or other decision-making body in an organization. Comfortable speaking up at a meeting to ensure DEI issues are identified when policies are being discussed.
- Expert-level facilitation skills of difficult and complex subject matter that supports organizational culture change.
EXPERTISE IN DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION
- Deep knowledge of frameworks, models, and best practices around internal DEI practices and change management for staff at all levels.
- Experience developing and implementing organizational DEI concepts and the design, development, and implementation of DEI strategic plans, training, education programs, and accountability metrics on topics of (but not limited to) anti-racism, cultural competency, implicit bias, generational differences, gender differences, inclusive leadership, and building a climate of equity and inclusion.
- Possess understanding of, sensitivity to, and respect for diverse racial, socioeconomic, ethnic, academic, religious, and cultural backgrounds, as well as various staff identities, e.g. gender identity, sexuality, and disability.
RELATIONSHIP BUILDING & LEADING THROUGH INFLUENCE
- Successfully navigate across departments and their politics with a high level of emotional intelligence and fluency.
- Demonstrate high emotional quotient and build and maintain trust, credibility, and engagement across a broad and diverse constituency.
- A creative and thoughtful problem solver with an openness to understanding and attempting multiple approaches amidst changing priorities.
AN EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATOR AND COLLABORATOR
- Able to effectively communicate complex concepts and tailor messages to a range of different audiences through varied written and verbal formats, including presentations, group facilitation, and consulting engagements.
- Flexible in adapting to organizational and departmental cultures while continuing to move work and partnerships forward across multiple projects.
- Create and sustain positive, respectful, and productive working relationships with Board members, staff, colleagues, and other constituents.
- An active listener who seeks to build consensus whenever possible through two-way communication methods that are open, honest, clear, respectful, and professional.
IN ADDITION, THE IDEAL CANDIDATE WILL POSSESS THE FOLLOWING ATTRIBUTES AND COMPETENCIES:
- Successfully prepare accurate, thorough, and well-organized detailed information.
- Take initiative to ensure timely compliance with deadlines and the resolution of pending matters.
- Maintain tact, discretion, and confidentiality.
Click here to view the recruitment brochure.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
The equivalent of two (2) years of full-time experience in the class of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Deputy Director in the Alameda County classified service.
OR
Education:
Possession of a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university with a major in either business administration, social welfare, human resources administration, public administration, psychology, or a field closely related to the position.
AND
Experience:
The equivalent of four (4) or more years of professional human resources or related diversity, equity, and inclusion experience working in a senior management/executive level in a public or private setting.
Substitution:
Four (4) additional years of professional human resources or related diversity, equity, and inclusion experience working in a senior management/executive level in a public or private setting will substitute for the bachelor’s degree requirement.
NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
NOTE: The level and scope of the following knowledge and abilities are related to duties listed under the “Example of Duties” section of this specification.
Knowledge of:
- Creating culturally competent training programs that develop skills and competencies of employees at all levels of the organization.
- Researching, designing, developing, implementing, and evaluating training for diversity, equity, and inclusion classes/programs.
- Management principles, practices, and guidelines.
- Organizational DEI concepts and best practices, change management, the design, development, and implementation of DEI strategic plans.
- Understanding County culture and ability to work well within the structure.
- Development of Results Based Accountability metrics for measuring the effectiveness of DEI initiatives.
- Excellent writing, public speaking, facilitation, organizational and analytical skills.
- Proficient use of computers, office automation, and other department-specific computer applications and technology.
- Presentation, group facilitation, communication, and consulting skills.
- Project management, including experience managing multiple, concurrent projects.
Ability to:
- Demonstrate high emotional quotient and build and maintain trust, credibility, and engagement across a broad and diverse constituency.
- Successfully prepare accurate, thorough, and well-organized detailed information.
- Take initiative to ensure timely compliance with deadlines and the resolution of pending matters.
- Maintain tact, discretion, and confidentiality.
EXAMINATION COMPONENTS
The examination will consist of the following steps:
- A review of applicants' applications to verify possession of minimum requirements.
- Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process; review of candidates’ work experience and background to select the best qualified applicants to continue in the process which may involve an interview with Koya Partners*.
- Those candidates scoring highest on the screening for best qualified will move on to the next step in the examination process, an oral interview which will be weighted as 100% of the candidate's final examination score. The oral interview may contain situational exercises.
Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit. Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position.
Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position, in which case, the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position. Other recruitments may be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies, or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work. Candidates must attain a qualifying rating on each portion of this examination.
We reserve the right to make changes to the announced examination components.
RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PLAN
The County will inform applicants, via email and with reasonable notice in advance, of any examination process that will require their attendance. The following dates are tentative and subject to change based on operational needs.
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RECRUITMENT PLAN
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Deadline
for Filing
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5:00
p.m., Friday, November 10, 2023
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Review
of Applications for Minimum Qualifications
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December 1, 2023
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Civil Service Oral Interview Examination
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Week
of January 22, 2024
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SELECTION PLAN
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Department Hiring Interviews
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Week
of January 29, 2024
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Reference
Checks
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By February 16, 2024
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Job
Offer
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By February 23, 2024
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WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED RECRUITMENT & SELECTION PLAN
Alameda County and the Human Resource Services Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination and/or selection process to accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities and/or medical conditions in accordance/compliance with the State Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Alameda County’s Reasonable Accommodation Policy and applicable statutes. To request an accommodation due to a disability/medical condition during this or other phases of the examination/selection process, please contact the assigned Human Resources Representative listed on the job announcement before the last date of filing. Alameda County requires applicants to provide supporting documentation to substantiate a request for reasonable accommodation. In order to qualify for a reasonable accommodation, applicants must have a disability/medical condition pursuant to the ADA, FEHA and applicable statutes.
For more information regarding our Reasonable Accommodation procedures, please visit our website, www.acgov.org/hrs.
BENEFITS
Alameda County offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that affords wide-ranging health care options to meet the different needs of a diverse workforce and their families. We also sponsor many different employee discount, fitness and health screening programs focused on overall well being. These benefits include but are not limited to*:
For your Health & Well-Being
- Medical – HMO & PPO Plans
- Dental – HMO & PPO Plans
- Vision or Vision Reimbursement
- Share the Savings
- Basic Life Insurance
- Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage for eligible employees)
- Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance
- County Allowance Credit
- Flexible Spending Accounts - Health FSA, Dependent Care and Adoption Assistance
- Short-Term Disability Insurance
- Long-Term Disability Insurance
- Voluntary Benefits - Accident Insurance, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity and Legal Services
- Employee Assistance Program
For your Financial Future
- Retirement Plan - (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
- Deferred Compensation Plan (457 Plan or Roth Plan)
For your Work/Life Balance
- 12 paid holidays
- Floating Holidays
- Vacation and sick leave accrual
- Vacation purchase program
- Management Paid Leave**
- Catastrophic Sick Leave
- Group Auto/Home Insurance
- Pet Insurance
- Commuter Benefits Program
- Guaranteed Ride Home
- Employee Wellness Program (e.g. At Work Fitness, Incentive Based Programs, Gym Membership Discounts)
- Employee Discount Program (e.g. theme parks, cell phone, etc.)
- Child Care Resources
- 1st United Services Credit Union
*Eligibility is determined by Alameda County and offerings may vary by collective bargaining agreement. This provides a brief summary of the benefits offered and can be subject to change.
** Non-exempt management employees are entitled to up to three days of management paid leave. Exempt management employees are entitled to up to seven days of management paid leave.
Conclusion
All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Notices will be sent from Noreply@jobaps.com. Please add @jobaps.com and Noreply@jobaps.com as accepted addresses to any email blocking or spam filtering program you may use. If you do not do this, your email blocking or spam filtering program may block receipt of the notices regarding your application for recruitments. You are also strongly advised to regularly log into your County of Alameda online application account to check for notices that may have been sent to you. All email notices that will be sent to you will also be kept in your personal online application account. You will be able to view all of your notices in your online application account by clicking on the 'My applications' button on the Current Job Openings page and clicking on the link 'last notice sent' for the respective recruitment.
Please take the steps recommended above to ensure you do not miss any notices about a recruitment for which you have applied. The County of Alameda is not responsible for notices that are not read, received or accessed by any applicant for a County recruitment.
NOTE: All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box NoReply@jobaps.com are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. If you have questions, please go to our website at www.acgov.org/hrs. You may also contact the Human Resources Analyst listed on the job announcement for the recruitment for which you have applied.
Sam Gee, HR Division Manager
Human Resource Services Department, County of Alameda
Samson.Gee@acgov.org
DISASTER SERVICE WORKER
All Alameda County employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law. Employment with the County requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect. Employees are required to report to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
Alameda County has a diverse workforce, that is representative of the communities we serve, and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance and business need. Alameda County does not discriminate in employment on the basis of, race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors protected under federal, state and local law. Alameda County celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive, and welcoming workplace environment.
