Director, Office of Equity and Engagement

Allegheny County Department of Human Services•Pittsburgh, PA

About The Position

At the Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS), our mission is to improve the well-being of the County’s most vulnerable residents. DHS operates, influences, and funds essential services worth more than $1 billion annually, supporting over 200,000 residents each year across child welfare, family strengthening and youth programs, behavioral health, homelessness, intellectual disability services, and aging programs. DHS is seeking a mission-driven leader who will convene community stakeholders and DHS leadership to identify inequities, co-design solutions, and publicly track progress. The role blends relationship building, systems change, and data-informed practice to move DHS toward a more responsive, accountable, and equitable service ecosystem. This position reports to the Director of the Department of Human Services (DHS) and oversees a team of 7 staff. The Director will elevate authentic engagement and co-governance with residents, providers, and partners, embedding racial equity in how we listen, design, fund, and deliver services. They will be responsible for leading DHS’s shift from one-way “outreach” to two-way partnership, ensuring community voice drives decisions and measurable improvements in disparities in access and outcomes across human services (e.g., child welfare, behavioral health, housing, economic supports). The ideal candidate is a leader who is committed to advancing a vision of equity that is participatory, measurable, and transformative. They will have a proven track record leading large-scale community engagement/co-governance with measurable equity impacts in complex systems (government, nonprofit, healthcare, or education). They have lived experience or substantial work with historically marginalized communities strongly preferred; multilingual a plus. They have a deep understanding of racial equity and anti-oppression frameworks and how they translate into service delivery and organizational change. The ideal candidate will bring humility, curiosity, and adaptability to complex, evolving work. They will seek to build trust and bridges across differences—internally and externally. They will be comfortable navigating institutional constraints while championing bold, equity-centered change.

Requirements

A Bachelor’s in a relevant field such as Public Administration, Social Work, Public Policy, Education, Organizational Development, Sociology, Ethnic Studies, or another closely related discipline.
Five years of leadership experience in a complex enterprise in racial equity, organizational transformation, or systems change including responsibility for staff management and results delivery.
Proven track record leading large-scale community engagement/co-governance with measurable equity impacts in complex systems (government, nonprofit, healthcare, or education).
Deep understanding of racial equity and anti-oppression frameworks and how they translate into service delivery and organizational change.
Demonstrated experience leading large-scale organizational change initiatives, including shifting policies, practices, and resource allocation in complex systems.
Proven ability to move from community input to institutional adoption and sustained practice change.
Demonstrated experience partnering with analytics teams to interpret disparities data, set targets, and tell the story of change.
Demonstrated experience managing budgets and allocating resources across complex initiatives.

Nice To Haves

An advanced degree in Community Engagement, Public Administration, or a related discipline is preferred.
Additional certification or specialized training in: Racial equity and anti-oppression frameworks (e.g., Racial Equity Institute, People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond)
Additional certification or specialized training in: Facilitation and organizational development (e.g., intergroup dialogue, human-centered design, restorative practices)
Additional certification or specialized training in: Equity-centered data analysis and evaluation (e.g., Results-Based Accountability, equity audits)
Additional certification or specialized training in: Public engagement and participatory governance
Lived experience or substantial work with historically marginalized communities strongly preferred; multilingual a plus.

Responsibilities

Design and lead a countywide engagement strategy that centers residents most impacted by inequities, with ongoing listening sessions, community advisory structures, and co-design labs (not one-off events).
Build durable relationships with grassroots leaders, faith and cultural organizations, immigrant/refugee coalitions, providers, and youth/family advocates; resource community participation (e.g., stipends, childcare, language access, accessibility).
Establish clear feedback loops (what we heard / what we’re doing) and publish public-facing updates on commitments and progress.
Partner with DHS leadership to translate community priorities into policy and practice changes in contracting, program design, and service delivery.
Ensure language access, cultural responsiveness, trauma-informed approaches, and disability inclusion are built into every engagement and DHS frontline interaction.
Coach executives and managers on shared-power practices (co-facilitation, participatory budgeting/input on funding priorities, community review of materials).
Work with analytics/program teams to identify gaps (access, timeliness, outcomes), set disparity-reduction targets, and monitor progress via dashboards and equity scorecards.
Conduct root-cause analyses (quant + qual) and incubate pilots; scale what works in partnership with communities and providers.
Publish regular progress reports connecting engagement to measurable changes (e.g., reduced wait times for LEP households, improved permanency outcomes).
Expand equity-informed engagement skills across DHS (e.g., community-led facilitation, plain-language communication, participatory design, data storytelling).
Strengthen inclusive hiring and advancement with HR (diverse pipelines, community-based recruitment, equitable performance systems).
Support ERGs, affinity/cohort learning, and leadership development that aligns internal culture with external engagement.
Oversee clear, multilingual communications (print, digital, social) that meet community information needs; ensure materials are plain-language and accessible.
Create a community engagement calendar and partner toolkits so information reaches trusted messengers where people live, work, worship, and gather.