Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Chief Diversity Officer

🎯 Role Definition

The Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) is a senior executive responsible for defining and executing the organization's diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) strategy, partnering with the CEO, HR, business leaders, and external stakeholders to embed inclusive practices into talent, policies, products, and culture. The CDO builds data-informed programs, leads change management and communications, ensures legal and regulatory compliance related to equal employment and accessibility, and measures program impact using workforce analytics and business metrics.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Senior Director / VP of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Head of Talent, Talent Strategy, or Organizational Development
Senior HR Business Partner or Global HR Leader

Advancement To:

Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO)
Chief People & Culture Officer
C-suite roles with enterprise strategy or corporate social responsibility remit

Lateral Moves:

Head of Global Talent & Leadership Development
Head of Organizational Effectiveness
VP of Corporate Social Responsibility / Sustainability

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop, articulate and operationalize a multi-year, enterprise DEIB strategy aligned to business objectives, executive priorities, and measurable outcomes; present strategy and progress to the CEO and Board of Directors regularly to secure sponsorship and accountability.
Lead development and execution of workforce representation goals and action plans (recruitment, retention, promotion) to increase diversity across all levels, with targeted plans for leadership pipelines, early-career programs, and underrepresented groups.
Design, own and track DEIB metrics and scorecards (representation, hiring funnel, promotion equity, retention differential, pay equity, inclusive engagement scores) using HRIS, People Analytics and business data to report progress and recommend course corrections.
Partner with Talent Acquisition to embed inclusive hiring practices — structured interviews, diverse slates, unbiased assessment tools, recruiter training and sourcing strategies — to reduce bias and improve candidate diversity.
Drive pay equity analysis and remediation programs in collaboration with Compensation & Benefits and Finance; create transparent frameworks and governance for compensation, promotion and bonus decisions.
Develop and scale inclusive leadership development, sponsorship and mentoring programs to expand leadership readiness for underrepresented talent and mitigate attrition in critical roles.
Create enterprise-wide learning and development programs on unconscious bias, inclusive leadership, microaggressions, allyship, anti-racism and cultural competency; evaluate learning effectiveness and behavioral change.
Oversee employee resource groups (ERGs), employee networks and inclusion councils; provide executive sponsorship, governance guidance, budget oversight and alignment with business goals.
Build and manage cross-functional governance structures (DEIB council, business unit leads, metrics committee) to ensure accountability, decision-making and resource allocation for DEIB initiatives.
Integrate DEIB into talent processes (performance management, succession planning, leadership scorecards), policies and employee lifecycle touchpoints to ensure sustainable, systemic change.
Lead supplier diversity and vendor inclusion programs — set targets, build supplier pipelines, track spend, and collaborate with procurement to expand diverse supplier participation.
Ensure compliance with anti-discrimination laws, accessibility regulations (ADA), industry-specific obligations (OFCCP, EEO) and reporting requirements; partner with Legal to manage risk and respond to complaints or investigations.
Oversee employee experience and inclusion surveys, analyze results by demographic cohorts, synthesize insights for leaders and recommend prioritized action plans to improve belonging and engagement.
Champion equitable product/service design and marketing practices by collaborating with product, research and marketing teams to eliminate bias and expand market access for diverse communities.
Lead crisis response and sensitive incident management for discrimination or harassment allegations; coordinate investigations, communications and remediation plans to protect employees and organizational reputation.
Set and manage the DEIB budget, staffing, vendor relationships, and program investments; recruit, mentor and lead a high-performing DEIB team to execute strategy across regions and business units.
Partner with Communications to craft internal and external narratives about DEIB progress, commitments and impact; publicize metrics, awards and community partnerships to strengthen employer brand and stakeholder trust.
Establish external partnerships with universities, community organizations, professional associations, minority-serving institutions and advocacy groups to build talent pipelines and community engagement.
Conduct organizational assessments, audits and benchmarking against industry best practices to identify structural barriers and prioritize initiatives based on impact and feasibility.
Drive intersectional and inclusive policies for parental leave, flexible work, religious accommodations, accessibility, pay transparency and benefits design to support diverse employee needs.
Advise on mergers, acquisitions and reorganizations to ensure DEIB due diligence, integration plans and retention strategies that preserve inclusion gains and minimize attrition.
Lead data governance for demographic and self-identification data, ensuring ethical collection, privacy, consent practices and secure handling to enable sound analytics while protecting employee confidentiality.
Develop and report ESG/CSR-related DEI disclosures and progress (sustainability reporting, corporate responsibility reports, DEI public commitments) in coordination with Investor Relations and Sustainability teams.
Coach and counsel senior executives on inclusive leadership behaviors, culture change practices and accountability mechanisms; embed DEIB expectations into executive performance plans and incentive structures.

Secondary Functions

Provide subject matter expertise to HR, Legal, Talent, Procurement and Business Unit leaders on policy interpretation and inclusive practices.
Review job families, competencies and job descriptions to eliminate biased language and ensure inclusive role design and career ladders.
Support talent mobility initiatives and return-to-work programs focused on diverse talent cohorts and career re-entry candidates.
Maintain vendor and consultant relationships for DEIB assessments, training, pay equity tools and diverse sourcing platforms; evaluate ROI and vendor performance.
Monitor legislative, regulatory and cultural changes related to workplace equity and advise leadership on implications and proactive steps.
Advise employee communications teams on inclusive language, ceremonial recognition (e.g., heritage months), and accessibility best practices for events and materials.
Facilitate cross-functional working groups to prototype and scale inclusive programs and tools, leveraging agile piloting and rapid iteration.
Provide coaching and investigative support in sensitive workplace investigations and remediation plans when partnered with People Experience and Legal.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Strategic DEIB program design and execution — proven ability to create enterprise DEIB roadmaps with measurable KPIs and multi-year milestones.
Workforce analytics and people data fluency — experience with HRIS (Workday, SAP SuccessFactors), BI tools (Tableau, Power BI), statistical analysis and demographic reporting.
Pay equity analytics and compensation design — ability to run regression analyses, interpret pay gaps and recommend remediation that aligns with compensation philosophy.
Inclusive recruitment and sourcing strategies — experience building diverse pipelines, implementing structured interviews and bias-mitigation tools.
Change management and organizational development — certifications or demonstrated experience leading transformational culture initiatives at scale.
Policy development and legal/regulatory knowledge — working knowledge of EEO, ADA, OFCCP, local labor laws and global compliance realities.
Learning design and facilitation — ability to design adult-learning experiences, workshops, leader coaching, and measure behavioral change.
Vendor and program procurement — experience selecting and managing training vendors, analytics partners, and supplier diversity platforms.
Project, program and budget management — strong capability in planning large cross-functional programs, setting milestones, and managing budgets.
Data governance and privacy — familiarity with GDPR, CCPA considerations for demographic data and responsible handling of sensitive employee information.
External partnership management — experience building academic, nonprofit and community relationships to grow pipelines and employer brand.

Soft Skills

Executive presence and strategic influence — proven ability to influence C-suite and Board-level stakeholders and drive organizational accountability.
Cultural intelligence and empathy — demonstrates deep sensitivity to intersecting identities and the ability to build trust across diverse groups.
Persuasive communication and storytelling — capable of translating data into compelling narratives for internal and external audiences.
Collaborative facilitation and stakeholder management — skilled at convening cross-functional teams to co-create pragmatic solutions.
Resilience and political acumen — able to navigate complex organizational dynamics, resistance to change, and ambiguous environments.
Coaching and people development — strong mentor and coach for leaders and DEIB practitioners.
Conflict resolution and mediation — experience handling sensitive conversations, disputes and restorative practices.
Analytical curiosity and problem solving — uses qualitative and quantitative data to drive decisions and continuous improvement.
Integrity and discretion — maintains confidentiality and impartiality when managing sensitive employee matters.
Adaptability and learning orientation — stays current on DEIB research, legal developments and evolving best practices.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Organizational Psychology, Business Administration, Public Policy, Sociology, or related field.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree (M.A., M.S.) or MBA in Organizational Development, HR, Social Policy, Public Administration, or related discipline; advanced DEI certificates or executive education preferred.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Human Resources Management
Organizational Psychology / Behavior
Business Administration / Strategy
Sociology / Social Justice / Ethnic Studies
Public Policy / Law
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion certifications and executive programs

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

10+ years of progressive experience in DEI, HR, talent, or organizational development roles with increasing leadership responsibility.

Preferred:

12–20+ years with demonstrated success leading enterprise-wide DEI strategy, managing cross-functional programs and teams, and reporting to C-suite and/or Board.
Proven experience driving measurable improvements in representation, pay equity, inclusion scores, and supplier diversity across multiple geographies or business units.
Prior experience managing budgets, vendor relationships, and public-facing DEI commitments; demonstrated ability to operate both strategically and operationally.
Experience in regulated industries or multi-national organizations is a plus.