Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) Specialist

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) Specialist

Organizational Development and Talent Management

Full-Time Administration – Band 09

$76,029 - $85,500 per annum – 37.50 hours/week

Canadore College – North Bay, ON

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Monday, August 26, 2024 - 12:00 p.m. 

Reporting to the Director, Organizational Development and Talent Management (ODTM), the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) Specialist will work on enhancing campus culture by identifying systemic barriers and providing recommendations for continued positive, inclusive, and accepting environments with a commitment to continuous improvements and enhanced equity, diversity, and inclusion capacity.

The Specialist will work to address the personal, structural, and cultural barriers to change and will provide regular consultation, transparent communication, and meaningful opportunities for campus community engagement in IDEA skill-building activities and overall organization inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility capacity enhancement. Consultation will include research, assessment, and evaluation to inform planning and decision-making.  The Specialist will organize, strategize, and implement activities for all college stakeholders in support of realizing IDEA goals and will be primarily responsible for guiding a distributed IDEA approach that mobilizes all college stakeholders in realizing strategic IDEA objectives.

The incumbent will provide coordination and leadership to enacting and realizing the Canadore College EDI framework and plan and provide overall strategy and guidance to IDEA outcomes at the College consistent with the mission, vision and commitment to its 5 Pillars; Student Success, Program, and Service Excellence, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Connection to Community and Sustainability.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Project Leadership / Management

• Facilitate the development and implementation of strategies and programs to advance Canadore’s commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility practices for the college community
• Inventory existing and established activities, plan to fill gaps and develop and implement the IDEA roadmap and effective programs to demonstrate the College’s continued commitment
• Serve as the face and voice for the College’s commitment to IDEA, both internally and externally, finding meaningful ways to promote the organization’s progress
• Lead the college in an ongoing process to identify and make recommendations to eliminate systemic barriers and inequities in the community system
• Develop tools to measure and monitor the effectiveness of programs and initiatives
• Establish Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility learning resources/initiatives for the Canadore Community (including both staff and student voices in IDEA activities)
• Maintain IDEA framework and annual scorecard
• Assist with the formulation and administration of IDEA budgets for College initiatives

Relationship Management

• Act as key point of contact with individuals across the organization; be a visible and inspiring leader and champion by relaying key messages and communicating regularly with internal stakeholders
• Partner with internal stakeholders and identify opportunities to embed IDEA and belonging through all facets of the college community
• Support the cultivation and embed IDEA champions across the community and provide support, encouragement, and expertise necessary to strengthen the commitment
• Work closely with the Office of Access and Inclusion to develop communication materials including an event calendar and associated communications
• Facilitate working groups and coordinate reporting and measurement of outcomes
• Work to build strong relationships with staff, students, community members, groups, and communities affiliated with the College

Human Resources Services

• Build and deliver employee programs, policies, and services that demonstrate IDEA as a positive employment differentiator to help the College attract and retain diverse talent
• Collaborate with the ODTM department to identify opportunities and tactical measures to integrate IDEA initiatives in talent acquisition processes
• Support ongoing initiatives across all aspects of the employee experience (recruitment and selection, training and education, succession planning, etc.) to foster a more diverse and inclusive workplace
• Collaborate with existing departments, associations, and clubs, to develop metrics for measuring the effectiveness of IDEA initiatives and provide meaningful data to key stakeholders to create insight and opinion
• Identify training opportunities and other events to promote and advance IDEA initiatives
• Collect, research, analyse and evaluate data to report on progress, and provide recommendations for improving employee programs, policies, and practices including responding to provincial requirements including workforce census data reports
• Work with baseline IDEA training metrics for all employees and People Leaders (e.g.: cultural safety, unconscious bias, AODA, and other related IDEA programming)

Accessibility and Compliance

• Create and lead the College’s accessibility strategy in partnership with the Director of ODTM, and the Director of Student Experience & Success
• Outlines objectives, timeframes, progress reports, and requirements for legislative compliance
• Provide information on legal requirements to be met by the College and ensure updating of multi-year plans
• Ensure all Accessibility Ontario (AODA) policies, practices and programs are documented, administered, and implemented in accordance with legislative requirements
• Support the College with the preparation of legislative compliance reports for internal use, compliance reviews, and annual reports
• Support IDEA-related audits by collaborating with other College departments ( eg: facilities, health and safety, etc.)
• Investigate Respectful Workplace complaints/concerns and work with all parties to resolve in a good way

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Successful completion of an Undergraduate Degree in a relevant field coupled with experience in Human Resources, Business Management, Law, Communications, etc.
• Certification and/or specialized training in Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility
• Minimum five (5) years of progressive experience developing IDEA initiatives and training plans, experience working with program/project processes
• Experience championing, leading, and executing large-scale initiatives to drive organizational and transformative change
• Thorough understanding of IDEA principles and best practices
• Experience and understanding of applicable Canadian legislation such as Human Rights, Health and Safety, Employment Standards, and Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act
• Advanced public speaking and facilitation skills with the ability to communicate with all levels of staff and stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability to deliver results on strategic objectives through effective planning, team management, and problem-solving
• Passionate about connecting with and learning from diverse communities; commitment to anti-racism, inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility
• Collaborative and creative problem solver, ability to understand and enable diverse viewpoints and approaches
• Excellent interpersonal skills, communication (verbal and written), and collaboration skills to advocate and influence change
• Demonstrated superior judgment, tact, and diplomacy required to address sensitive topics and effectively manage relationships
• Understanding and awareness of market and competitive trends and goals related to both internal and external stakeholders
• Ability to manage multiple priorities with changing deadlines
• Familiarity with performance measurement and program evaluation as an asset
• Exceptional analytical and quantitative skills, with the ability to dig deeply into ambiguous or counterintuitive data to decompose and identify diverse segments
• Possess a sincere, demonstrated empathetic connection and understanding of underrepresented groups (Black, People with varying physical abilities, People of Color, 2SLGBTQ+, Indigenous, Neurodivergent individuals)
• Demonstrated resilience and tolerance for change/ambiguity, ability to cope with change finding ways to advance work and projects.
• Willing to travel/work between College campuses as required and occasional travel to offsite meetings
• Must be able to reliably commute and/or relocate to North Bay, ON, required

Applications will be accepted by the Organizational Development and Talent Management Department through our Career Portal until 12:00 p.m., on the closing date. While we thank all applicants, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Canadore College is committed to inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility.