Job Details

Join to apply for the Chief Equity Officer (Director I) role at City of Portland.

The Position

Job Appointment: Full Time, At Will. This position is exempt from Civil Service and is an "At Will" position. It serves at the discretion of the hiring authority, subject to City of Portland Human Resources Administrative Rules and Portland City Charter and Code.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8 am-5 pm. Work hours will vary to meet business needs during crises or critical events.

Work Location: Employee will report to the Portland Building, 1120 SW 5th Ave, Portland, Or 97204 for in-person work. Please note, leadership positions may require more presence in the office. Remote work must be performed within Oregon or Washington.

This is a manager/supervisor position. Beginning April 2025 all manager and supervisor positions will be expected to report to their worksites full time. Alternate schedules may be available, but the typical work schedule is Monday through Friday, with occasional after-hours work required to support critical projects or address system issues. Remote workdays remain an option, to accommodate travel, or occasionally focus on major work projects.

Position Summary

The City of Portland transitioned to a new mayor-council form of government on January 1, 2025. The inaugural Chief Equity Officer will play a pivotal role in aligning efforts, standards, and strategies across the evolving organizational structure. Key responsibilities include setting equity standards, overseeing accountability measures, supporting compliance, and building organizational capacity across bureaus. The Chief Equity Officer is an at-will position, reporting directly to the City Administrator.

This role will also serve as an important leader to internal equity practitioners and others responsible for ensuring regulatory compliance and addressing disparities related to race, sexual orientation, language access, gender identity, and disability. The Chief Equity Officer will lead and directly manage the Office of Equity and Human Rights team and work focused on equity policy and practice, equity training and education, Civil Rights Title VI and Equity, language access, ADA Title II and Disability Equity, and LGBTQIA2S+ Equity.

The Chief Equity Officer will work at the executive level and citywide, providing direction to equity practitioners and guidance to City Leadership, other Officers, Service Area and Bureau Leaders, and developing relationships with community stakeholders. The officer will help unify fragmented equity efforts, strengthening accountability to leadership, employees, and community members.

To Qualify

Applicants should specifically address and demonstrate in their cover letter and résumé how their education, training, and/or experience meet the following minimum qualifications:

• Experience leading and enacting structural and/or operational changes in systems with ability to navigate and implement changes in large, complex organizational environments.
• Knowledge of the foundational concepts and nuances of equity practices, including an understanding of best practices, policy development, and core functions.
• Experience and demonstrated effectiveness in operationalizing policies, practices, and initiatives at the system level or program level to achieve more equitable outcomes and results, understanding and incorporating the complexities of intersectionality.
• Knowledge of Local, State, and Federal regulations and policies, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Language Access, and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
• Experience as an equity practitioner, including having lived experience with inequitable practices or outcomes and/or experience working with or advocating for marginalized communities experiencing inequities.
• Ability to exercise collaborative leadership and contribute to sound decision-making, with experience working with cross-functional teams, jurisdictional partners, and community leaders to operationalize plans and achieve equitable outcomes in a high-pressure, fast-moving, political environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience with large-scale and dynamic change management.
• Minimum 4 years' experience in a supervisory position.
• Experience working in the public sector.
• Track record of developing and implementing innovative approaches to advance equity.
• Demonstrated success as a senior leader in a large, complex organization.

Application Material

Please click APPLY to submit your application via the City of Portland's online portal. You will need to attach a cover letter, resume, and an Equity and Anti-Racism Statement.

City Of Portland's Equity Commitment

For applicants who meet the qualifications of this position, in accordance with the adoption of the Charles Jordan Standard and the City of Portland's commitment to equity, the highest qualified minority candidates, highest qualified candidates identifying as female, and highest qualified candidates who identify as a person with a disability will be included in the final interview process.