OxHR - Head of EDI

Head of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Oxford HR | Candidate Pack

About Oxford HR

Oxford HR is a global leadership consultancy dedicated to searching for and supporting remarkable leaders in purpose-led organisations.

In particular, we work with clients in climate and conservation, education and health, and across the international development landscape. We identify, support and promote the leaders, thinkers, and doers that can help our clients make a real difference. Oxford HR is an ambitious, fast-growing, and multicultural firm with a strong commitment to championing diversity.

Our hubs are in the UK (Oxford and London), Europe (Amsterdam), Africa (Nairobi, Kenya), and Asia (Singapore) with associate consultants and researchers across Canada, Bolivia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Belgium, India, Morocco, France, the Netherlands, South Africa, Senegal, and Australia.

We currently have around 90 staff and Associates. This has doubled in size in the past twelve months and we expect this rapid growth to continue.

As an organisation we are aiming to become B-Corp certified, and our culture is based on openness and transparency.

Profile Summary

We employ around 40 people with a similar number working as Associates or freelancers for us and have over 90 people in our current community, double the size of twelve months ago and likely to double again in the coming year. As such, we have introduced this new role, to help us embrace and embed EDI principles across the business and position us as a trusted partner with our for-purpose sector clients.

The successful candidate will have the unique opportunity to influence and help shape our internal EDI practices, as well as develop a range of products to better enable us to partner with our

clients as an advisor. This will include providing training, facilitating conversations, assisting in policy design, and implementing and monitoring change management programmes.

You will work alongside a team of Leadership Experts that specialise in organisational development, HR, coaching, facilitation, and psychometric assessments, top team development, and you will be able to leverage their expertise in the delivery of your work. We focus on guiding clients at an organisation, team, and individual level, and seek to initiate positive and impactful change.

Oxford HR is undergoing a period of rapid growth through the establishment of hubs over the past three years in Nairobi, Amsterdam, and most recently Singapore in addition to its founding base in Oxford, UK.

The Role

Job Title: Head of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)

Reporting to: Reporting to the Director of Leadership and Change

Location: Remote / hybrid working within +/- 2 hours GMT

Salary: USD $60,000 depending on the location

The role is focused on developing and managing all EDI-related internal activities and client services offered by Oxford HR.

Key Responsibilities

Internal facing (40% of your time)

• Establishing a robust internal EDI function in the business, building on our current work and foundations that are seamlessly integrated with our HR function, and into our wider company culture.

• Promoting awareness and knowledge of EDI issues across the business through keeping up with and contributing to best practice on the topics globally.

• Experienced in the EDI space, with knowledge of key global and regional trends for organisational effectiveness.

• Continuously developing, reviewing, and auditing current internal EDI policies and practices globally and developing and implementing a plan to frequently review, improve and adapt these.

External facing (60% of your time)

• Designing and delivering a range of effective, interesting, and innovative EDI-focused services for our globally dispersed clients.

• Co-developing, implementing, and continuously reviewing business plans for our external EDI work.

• Contribute to external events, conferences, workshops and debates virtually and in person to promote our EDI work.

• Establishing a wide network of global associate EDI specialists and in time, creating an internal permanent team.

Person Specification and Qualifications

Essential

• Strong, demonstrable experience and interest in equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI).

• Credible background in designing and delivering services related to equity, diversity, and inclusion within a global setting.

• Keen interest in embedding EDI into mainstream, ‘business as usual’ activities and a sophisticated understanding of and approach to operationalising EDI that translates into practical action throughout all areas of Oxford HR, both internally and client-facing.

• A strong, demonstrable interest and or experience in the for-purpose sector.

Desirable

• Experience working successfully in a fast-growing SME

• Training in the social sciences (psychology, sociology, anthropology, or the like), and specialised training in EDI.

Personal Attributes

• A consultative, empathetic approach to colleagues, clients, and other stakeholders

• Ideally, experience working or living internationally e.g. in Sub-Saharan Africa or Asia

• Flexible and agile; able to pivot and adapt quickly to changing dynamics and requests

• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to interact with colleagues of diverse backgrounds and cultures

• Able to work well with autonomy

• Reflective thinker and proactive problem solver

• Strong communication, writing, and numerical skills

• Excellent presentation and public speaking skills

• Structured, well-organised, and detailed approach to work

• An entrepreneurial and commercial mindset – willing to work against a budget

How to Apply

To apply for this post, click on the “Apply” button in the job landing page and complete our online application form.

Please provide a CV and statement, which should be prepared before applying as they will be requested in the application process. The statement should be no more than 2 pages long and explain why you are interested in this post and how your skills and experience make you a good fit. Please relate your skills and experience to the person specification.

Closing Date

1st May 2023

Selection Process

All candidates will receive feedback. Shortlisted candidates may be required to undertake additional assessments and tasks prior to the final interview.

Diversity and Inclusion Policy

Equality and diversity are at the core of Oxford HR’s values. Staff are expected to work collectively and individually to promote a constructive and sensitive approach to others from a variety of backgrounds, where the work of others is valued and respected.

Queries

If you have any queries on any aspect of the appointment process, need additional information, or would like to have an informal discussion, please email oxfordhr-edi-lead@ oxfordhr.com

Oxford HR Values

Oxford HR’s values are aligned with those of the international development sector.

We are trusted to appoint leaders who are not only technically competent but who are also aligned in terms of the organisation’s culture and goals and committed to supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the priorities in the Agenda 2030. More specifically we believe in:

Continuous improvement – we measure and evaluate what we do, get feedback and improve uponit. We use technology to support our work and ensure our team are constantly learning and developing their skills. We innovate wherever we can to secure our approach is the best possible for any project we undertake. We’re open to criticism. We’re naturally curious.

Collective and personal expertise – we believe no one person has a monopoly on the right answer and ensure we work collectively on our projects and challenges. We share knowledge and focus on disseminating ideas and expertise across the whole organisation. We hire people who are steepedin the backgrounds they’re delivering services in, who are professional and resourceful, and constantly eager to learn and committed to their own personal development.

Care – for our staff, our associates, our clients and candidates and for the sectors we work in. We work globally, across many cultures and constantly strive for a culturally sensitive response in all our projects. Our culture is non-hierarchical, and we regard staff and associates as equal parts of our Oxford HR family.

Cultural sensitivity – we recognise the under representation of certain minority groups in leadership roles and want to challenge that wherever we can. We relish having a diverse workforce.

Ethical and transparent – we uphold principles of ethical recruitment including openness and transparency in our dealings with candidates and clients.