Chief diversity officer

Location: Delhi, NY Category: Administration Posted On: Tue Sep 16 2025 Job Description:

The Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) reports directly to the President of SUNY Delhi and serves as a member of the President's Cabinet. The CDO will be a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) leader, working to catalyze, facilitate, and evaluate institutional and organizational change initiatives. The CDO will lead and coordinate a range of efforts to assure that equity, diversity, and inclusion are authentically reflected in campus practices, policies, community, culture, and measures of excellence. The CDO will function as an active collaborator, bringing together members of the university community to build relationships, facilitate dialogues and promote essential interactions that promote and sustain institutional change.

The CDO will engage the campus in and deepen connections to its values of diversity, inclusion and equity, and identify opportunities for university-wide participation and collaboration in this shared work; develop and implement processes and strategies to effectively communicate SUNY Delhi's plans and policies on diversity and the importance and advantages of a culture that welcomes, values, supports, and affirms each member of its community. The CDO will support efforts to develop and augment existing tools for monitoring progress, maintaining accountability, ensuring compliance with policies, setting goals, surveying, and measuring the success of inclusion and diversity efforts.

Primary responsibilities include:

• Serves as a Special Assistant to the President, overseeing the design and implementation of initiatives leading to new policies, procedures, and programs with college-wide impact that address internal and external issues.

• Serves as a thought leader and trusted partner, ensuring a system- and campus-wide commitment to effective diversity, inclusion, and belonging programs.

• Collaborates with key departments and offices on campus regarding diversity issues, complex faculty related issues, grievances and/or complaints, including: SUNY System, SUNY Legal Counsel, Human Resources, Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Public Safety, Res Life, CADI, Access and Equity Services, EOP, Athletics and MOSAIC.

• Serves as the primary liaison to the Chief Diversity Officer of the State University of New York and attends meeting of the State University of New York Chief Diversity Officer Council. Represents the College on various committees and programs designed to address issues of college compliance, diversity, and underrepresented groups.

• Co-develops and assists in the delivery of foundational DEI training and education for students, faculty, and staff.

• Consults with college leadership on further training needs of their faculty and staff.

• Serves as a resource on diversity recruitment, outreach, admissions, and retention for prospective students, faculty, and staff.

• Supports inclusive excellence through curriculum development, faculty and staff recruitment, DEI training, professional development, and retention programs.

• Assists in developing methods and tools to assess and evaluate diversity and inclusion strategies across campus.

Job Requirements:

SUNY Delhi seeks a dynamic and passionate transformative leader who will develop and implement university-wide initiatives to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. The successful candidate must possess:

• A master's degree, JD, or other terminal degree from an accredited university.

• A minimum of two years of progressively responsible leadership experience supervising the work of others, with a track record of building programs and partnerships and specific experience in addressing intersecting dimensions of diversity including racial and ethnic, physical ability, socioeconomic, religious, sexual orientation, and gender expression.

• Knowledge of diversity, equity, and inclusion best practices and Title IX, Title II, Title VI, Title VII and other federal legislation concerning equity, and the capacity to engage with the specific legal requirements of the State of New York.

• Knowledge of contemporary issues of access, social justice, equity, inclusion, diversity, and institutional racism, including the current scholarship and best practices that inform and address these issues.

• Demonstrated ability to manage crises related to systemic and structural racism and other DEI challenges.

Preferred Qualifications

• An earned doctorate from an accredited university.

• Success as a thought leader and intellectual catalyst on diversity and thorough knowledge of research and best practices around promoting inclusion in a higher education setting.

• Five to ten years of progressively responsible leadership experience.

• Experience in policy development and in leading substantive change in culture, practices, and policies, preferably in a public university setting;

• Experience in leading institutional initiatives, building programs with impact, working with faculty, staff, and students within university shared governance and collective bargaining environments.

• Experience establishing new organizational units/functions with clear and well-defined goals and performance indicators for success.

• Comfort and sophistication with data and analytical tools that support decision making.

• Proven ability to provide visionary strategic leadership; experience guiding the implementation of a strategic plan, establishing metrics, measuring progress, and adapting as necessary.

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and an ability to inspire and influence others.

• Cultural awareness, agility, and emotional intelligence; ability to build trust and credibility, collaborate with a wide variety of stakeholders.

• Dedication to the mission of the State University of New York (SUNY) system, which is one of the most ethnically and racially diverse university systems in the U.S.

Additional Information:

• Starting date: ASAP

• Work schedule: Full-Time. Calendar Year, 12 months

• Salary: $115,000-130,000 based on experience

• Reports to: President's Office

• This position offers full New York State Management Confidential ( benefits which are among the most comprehensive in the country with an excellent fringe benefits package

• Click here for more Information for Prospective Employees (

SUNY Delhi has a strong commitment to Affirmative Action and Cultural Diversity. The College welcomes responses from women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans.

SUNY Delhi is committed to providing a safe and productive learning and living community for our students and employees. To achieve that goal, we conduct background investigations for all final candidates being considered for employment. Any offer of employment is contingent on the successful completion of the background check.

If you need a disability-related accommodation, please contact [email protected]

Clery Statement

Applicants interested in positions may access the Annual Security Report ( (ASR) for SUNY Delhi online. The ASR contains information on campus security policies and certain campus crime statistics. Crime statistics are reported in accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. Applicants may request a hard copy of the ASR by contacting the SUNY Delhi University Police Department at 607-746-4700.