REI Director
Ben & Jerry’s is looking for a Racial Equity and Inclusion Director to join our senior leadership team who has a passion for building a workplace in which everyone can thrive across identity, position, and background. Building on work begun over the past several years, the REI Director will lead Ben & Jerry’s global organization in shaping and operationalizing strategies to achieve our organization-wide racial equity commitments. Ben & Jerry’s is founded on the sustainable concept of Linked Prosperity. That is how we strive to be a true purpose-led organization, and our long-standing 3-Part Mission is reflected in all our goals -- Social Mission: We drive innovative ways to improve the quality of life locally, nationally and internationally specifically on Social & Racial Justice, Climate Justice and Economic Justice; Product Mission: We innovate, make and distribute the finest quality natural ice cream and euphoric concoctions – with a commitment to business practices that respect and regenerate the earth and environment; Economic Mission: We operate our company for sustainable, profitable financial growth – increasing value for stakeholders and expanding opportunities for all. Over the past three years we have embarked on an internal journey toward more fully embodying antiracism1 within our company and across our value network. This journey has included educating ourselves about implicit bias and systemic racism, and working with external partners to assess opportunities to build racial equity strategies into the company’s structure and operations. The REI Director will serve as a thought leader partnering with other senior leaders and the independent board to further develop and implement racial equity strategies which eliminate systemic marginalization. The REI Director will be committed to applying their skills to building and sustaining an organization grounded in inclusive, anti-racist practices. The REI Director will serve as an advocate and ally, working toward shared power with Black, Indigenous and all People of Color and allocating resources with the goal of dismantling racism both internally and externally. Responsibilities include:
- Oversight and partnership with senior leadership team and leaders on initiatives now underway through the organization to implement high-impact racial equity centered organizational change strategies, using a Results-Based Accountability approach, focused on workplace culture and practice, our network of independent scoop shops, and suppliers.
- Leading the ongoing development of existing and new initiatives to achieve Ben & Jerry’s racial equity commitments, including more fully extending these commitments in locally relevant ways across Ben & Jerry’s global presence.
- Working to align and integrate local and global racial equity initiatives across all aspects of the business into an intentionally cohesive framework of programs, services, policies and processes driving a long-range agenda with racial equity principles for every aspect of our 3-part mission across the business.
- Lead strategic engagement with Ben & Jerry’s Board of Directors to build a multi-year roadmap and establish metrics to measure progress against key commitments and results
- Facilitating engagement in and shared ownership of racial equity throughout the Ben & Jerry’s community.
- Ensuring transparency and accountability for a robust set of actions supported by research, best practice, and Black, Indigenous and all People of Color voices.
- Partner with the People Mission function, integrating REI principles across all People Mission programs including talent acquisition, performance management, people experience, learning, rewards, people operations and professional development practices that are grounded in anti-racist methodologies.
- Provide guidance and support to individuals, functions as well as local and global programs to identify policies, practices and other factors that result in racially inequitable outcomes and explore and implement data driven practices and interventions which lead to equitable outcomes.
- Support development of a platform for evolving content and tools for growth, learning and collaboration which encourages relevant, courageous and respectful dialogue and fosters awareness and appreciation of the value of racial equity and inclusion, and empowers individuals to take action in their respective roles.
- Serve as a model and culture carrier, modeling servant leadership and a learning orientation, and designing and operationalizing inclusive ways of leading and achieving goals
CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS:
- Extensive experience serving as an organizational leader, with a track record of commitment to anti-racist practices
- Exceptional strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, with the maturity and flexibility to work effectively with stakeholders at all levels from a range of disciplines
- Proven success coaching and mentoring others, acknowledging and addressing traditional power dynamics, effectively working with teams so that they meet goals and grow professionally, serving as a coach and mentor to staff in a range of functional areas
- Experience managing and deploying equity budget with associated impact in accordance with economic mission through and across the business
- Desired financial fluency experience within economic mission of a for profit organization
- Excellent project management skills, with the ability to identify and recommend process improvements, system overhauls, and solutions to improve efficiency and effectiveness
- Collaborative approach to executive leadership, and the ability to work effectively with cross functional teams to meet goals and drive growth, impact, and organizational performance