The Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC), a leader in cancer care, transdisciplinary research, and education, seeks a bold visionary and coalition builder to serve as the inaugural Associate Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (AD of DEI). The CCC includes the National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center, located in Winston-Salem, and the Levine Cancer Institute, located in Charlotte. The CCC is driven by the mission to reduce cancer incidence, morbidity, and mortality in the rural southeast Appalachia region of the United States, as well as nationally and internationally, through cutting-edge research and treatment, community education and outreach, and transdisciplinary training of next- generation biomedical scientists and healthcare providers
The AD of DEI will report to the CCC Director and play a vital role in leading the construction and implementation of the CCC’s DEI practices. As a member of the CCC senior leadership team and a faculty member in the Wake Forest University School of Medicine (WFSM), the AD will have an explicit focus on DEI. The AD will work in close partnership with the AD of Community Outreach and Engagement, the AD of Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination, and the AD of Clinical Research to advance equity and inclusion at the CCC. The AD of DEI will be supported by administrative, clinical, and academic champions of health equity and social justice within the CCC and across the enterprise. The AD of DEI will develop a vision that promotes and sustainably nurtures an environment that addresses roadblocks and opens pathways for all trainees, faculty, and staff to progress and thrive. By developing a diverse workforce and culture of inclusive excellence, the AD of DEI will help the CCC continue to deliver the transformative scientific discoveries and care innovation strategies of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist and WFSM for the prevention, detection, and treatment of cancer to improve patient outcomes and reduce the occurrence of cancer.
The AD of DEI will help elevate the CCC’s profile as a leader in health equity and a workforce representative of the community it serves well. The successful candidate will merge scholarship and research with a demonstrated record of accomplishments. The candidate’s academic accomplishments should be of a caliber to qualify as an Associate Professor or Full Professor, as this role will require primary faculty appointment within a WFSM department. As an active and visible member of the CCC and the broader community, the AD of DEI will be an advisor, mentor, resource, and partner to a network of accomplished and supportive healthcare professionals. The AD of DEI will foster a structural commitment centered on DEI best practices as well as track and report progress towards institutional goals. Efforts will be fueled by a culture of active learners, inclusive advancement, and social justice through exemplary cancer care.
While no single candidate will likely have all the ideal qualifications, candidates should possess many of the following qualifications and characteristics:
- Demonstrated record of cancer focus consistent with eligibility for CCC membership.
- Demonstrated experience successfully developing, and implementing evidence-based diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and programs at large, complex organizations.
- Proven ability to provide visionary strategic leadership; ability to attract a strong team, guide the implementation of a strategic plan, establish metrics, measure progress, and adapt as necessary as the organization and culture evolve.
- Proven ability to cultivate and shape a shared vision; ability to gain credibility with students, faculty, staff, and administrators; and commitment to working collaboratively with other senior executives.
- Outstanding command of the elements and dynamics of changing organizational culture, and the commitment to see the change through to completion; the passion, patience, and ability necessary to build a successful plan for the design, implementation, assessment, and evolution of key milestones over time.
- Ability to manage and influence change throughout the organization with effective relationship-building skills across all levels.
- Ability to engage stakeholders at all levels, including university and college leaders, leaders of the health system, public officials, and local groups, and form impactful coalitions, collaborations and partnerships.
- Ability to be a community collaborator and a convener working with judiciousness and diplomacy; the capacity to build bridges and foster consensus.
- Disciplined, data-oriented, analytical skills that can translate data into strategy and action plans.
- Demonstrated track record of success in partnering across all functions to develop and manage DEI strategies and programs that support engagement and all organizational goals.
- Record of leading large, complex, results-oriented projects, working in a matrixed environment, and handling multiple, and changing priorities simultaneously.
- Extensive knowledge in the field of diversity science, including an understanding of the complex histories, expressions, and needs of different identities and communities, unconscious bias, micro and macro aggressions, social justice, cultural humility, intersectionality, and how corollary systems of discrimination and oppression—racism, sexism, homophobia, classism, xenophobia, ableism—mutually reinforce one another.
- Ability and willingness to approach tasks with a spirit of collaboration in order to problem-solve with colleagues and partners with a focus on critical thinking, problem-solving, and troubleshooting with faculty, administrators, staff, and other team members.
- Embodiment of the CCC mission, vision, and values.
Applicants should send a current CV and letter of introduction to Renee Breer at renee@grantcooper.com.
