Vice President, Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

The Wikimedia Foundation’s vision is to “imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge.” We feel obligated to not only cultivate an environment that is equitable and inclusive for our staff, but one that reflects the diversity of who we serve in communities all over the world. 

The VP, Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion plays a central and vital role in defining and evolving both culture and metrics at the Wikimedia Foundation. The position requires both big-picture, strategic thinking as well as on-the-ground operational skills to set targets and mobilize action in all aspects of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The Vice President is a critical thought partner with leadership and a key voice for DEI both within the Foundation, as well as externally, via speaking at public events, program facilitation, and participation in career fairs.

This position is critical to further advancing our overarching global DEI strategy as well as managing and evolving current programs. This Vice President will create meaningful Foundation-wide DEI policies and programs, managing the steady implementation of these policies against set goals. In addition, they will advise Foundation leadership on emerging DEI opportunities and challenges and disseminate best practices across the organization, all while championing and reflecting the Foundation’s values. Collaboration lies at the heart of our mission, and the VP of Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion will play a pivotal role in fostering collaboration among diverse teams and communities to ensure that our vision becomes a reality.

Leading a team, this role will also: 

• shepherd and advise our many employee resource groups (“ERGs”), 
• provide practical advisory services and assessments to Foundation staff and our broader movement community,
• analyze and report on quantitative and qualitative data to Foundation leadership and staff 
• create and manage programs that bring our vision of equity to life
• lead internal and external DEI communication strategies 
• recommend future DEI related projects and programs. 

This role will report to the Chief Talent and Culture Officer.

The Wikimedia Foundation is one part of the broader Wikimedia movement that comprises hundreds of affiliates and thousands of volunteers across the world.  There is energy and activity across the Wikimedia movement to advance DEI in ways that are contextually relevant to different regions of the world 

This role will have a primary focus on DEI efforts within the Foundation, while providing thought leadership and support to a thriving community of contributors, readers and partners.

Responsibilities:

Leadership & Management

• Create and implement a global DEI strategy that centers historically marginalized identities, increases cultural competence, and supports making the values of the Foundation more of a lived reality for our staff
• Manage a passionate team, support  their development, and provide strong direction
• Serve as a critical thought partner in examining and improving internal policies and setting metrics around data collection and performance management
• Manage the DEI budget to support programs and initiatives

Facilitation & Coaching

• Develop and lead training programs in support of advancing DEI within the organization and our external partners (community members, affiliates, grant committees, etc.)
• Provide coaching at the individual, group and team level and in a variety of formats and settings
• When needed, mediate conversations with compassion, empathy, and active listening, while maintaining confidentiality

Thought Leadership & Data Stewardship

• Advance global inclusion by advising on best practices to support our highly distributed workforce, particularly outside of the U.S., by identifying and removing barriers to full participation, ensuring staff demographic data is both inclusive and compliant with local regulations
• Understand and apply anti-racist organizational best practices and work across teams to ensure we advance in our commitments towards racial equity
• Use quantitative and qualitative data to measure and inform Foundation DEI efforts, including but not limited to our annual Diversity and Engagement survey
• Utilize data, reporting, and dashboards to advise senior leadership on DEI trends

Staff & Community Relations

• Collaborate with senior leadership across the Foundation to ensure DEI is embedded in our procedures, principles, and practices organization wide Support the overall direction of the Talent and Culture department in collaboration with department peers
• Manage and execute related departmental projects, and