JOB OVERVIEW:
Taking direction from the Chief People & Diversity Officer, the Director, Inclusion & Diversity will develop and execute the initiatives required to achieve the senior leadership team’s workforce inclusion and diversity strategy, which supports business objectives and ensures an inclusive culture that delivers a competitive advantage for Darden.
The incumbent will partner with the HR Leadership Team to plan and execute workforce initiatives that promote inclusive leadership effectiveness and employee behaviors that will enhance recruitment, development, retention and engagement of top talent at Darden, and subsequently improve the guest experience.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Support and execute the Darden leadership team’s inclusion and diversity strategy:-
-Partner with the HR Leadership Team to embed inclusion and diversity practices into enterprise and brand talent management strategies, including but not limited to talent acquisition, talent review, training and development, reward and recognition, and succession planning
-Effectively lead direct report/s to deliver on the objectives of the inclusion and diversity strategy
-Conduct ongoing benchmarking and “best practice” identification and share with the CP&DO
-Provide feedback to the CP&DO regarding specific inclusion and diversity challenges in the business, including proposed solutions
-Recommend workforce initiatives to further enhance Darden’s inclusive culture
-Ensure effective guidance to employee resource groups that ensure a business-aligned approach to further promote inclusion and diversity education and awareness that improves employee engagement and retention
-Effectively deliver I&D-related training to people leaders and team members as needed
-Provide data and analysis on employee representation, retention, engagement, and other related metrics, including ongoing focus on assessing success of inclusion and diversity efforts
Support the Darden leadership team to position Darden externally as an employer of choice:-
-Identifies opportunities to develop Darden’s reputation as an inclusive workplace and employer
-Represent Darden externally with key stakeholder organizations, including but not limited to Executive Leadership Council, Out & Equal, Multicultural Foodservice and Hospitality Alliance, Florida Diversity Council and the Women’s Foodservice Forum
-Lead collection and collation of data to support industry and general business surveys, awards, reporting requirements and/or recognition opportunities
Other
-Act as a subject matter expert and thought partner on inclusion and diversity issues and solutions for brand and functional leadership
-Partner with Corporate Communications and the HR Leadership Team to ensure a unified strategy around internal and external messaging
-Develop, track and manage the inclusion and diversity budget, ensuring optimal ROI on initiatives and activities
REQUIRED SKILLS:
-Passion for inclusion and diversity - belief in the ability for an inclusive workplace to enhance and grow the business. Strong understanding of the benefits of an inclusive culture as a competitive advantage, and knowledgeable about trends in the practice of diversity
-Diversity and Inclusion knowledge and experience with an ability to leverage different practices for attracting, developing and retaining to drive business results
-Credible experience and knowledge in consumer-facing businesses is preferred, with a demonstrated ability to understand the needs of large, field-based hourly team members and management, as well as corporate teams
-Proven experience with influence-based implementation. The ability to collaborate with multiple stakeholders at all levels across a highly matrixed and geographically dispersed organization to execute workforce initiatives in a highly practical manner is essential
-Interpersonal & Communication Skills: Demonstrates highly effective verbal, written and presentation communication skills at all levels, with experience operating effectively in a highly matrixed environment. Possesses strong interpersonal skills and a high level of emotional intelligence to handle complex situations
-Project Management: Demonstrates the capability to achieve preferred outcomes on time and within budget through the application of project management principles and techniques
REQUIRED EDUCATION, TRAINING, EXPERIENCE AND OTHER KEY QUALIFICATIONS:
-Bachelor’s degree (or experience in lieu of qualifications), preferably in Human Resources (HR) or Organizational Development (OD)
-Progressive professional HR/OD or inclusion and diversity management experience, with demonstrated success leading inclusion and diversity practices and programs
-Experience with large scale multiple projects requiring collaboration of multiple functional groups required
Reports to: Chief People & Diversity Officer (CP&DO)
Direct Reports: Inclusion & Diversity Support (title TBD)
This summary is representative of the roles and responsibilities for this position as of this writing, all of which are subject to change from time to time without notice. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive list of activities, roles, or responsibilities required of the employee. Darden Restaurants, Inc. will provide reasonable accommodation to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the then-current essential functions of the job and invites current and prospective employees to engage in a dialogue regarding any need for accommodation.