Justice Department To Hire First Chief Diversity Officer

The Department of Justice posted a job opening for a chief diversity officer who would be tasked with leading the agency’s equity and inclusion initiatives.

“The Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) will … lead and coordinate the Department’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) initiatives,” states the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) job post. “The CDO will work to ensure that DEIA remains a priority in the Department and provide an organizational channel for Department-wide accountability.”

The DOJ will accept applications for this permanent appointment, which has an annual salary ranging from $144,128 to $172,500, until Sept. 3. The person who is chosen will be the agency’s first-ever chief diversity officer, Fox News reported.

The official will co-chair the DOJ’s Diversity Management Advisory Council, established during the Obama administration in 2010. The Advisory Council coordinates and monitors department-wide diversity efforts.

A chief diversity officer will also ensure the DOJ follows the requirements set out in the DEIA in the Federal Workforce executive order that President Joe Biden signed in January 2020, shortly after taking office.

“This Executive Order establishes an ambitious, whole-of-government initiative that will take a systematic approach to embedding DEIA in Federal hiring and employment practices,” the White House said.

“Today’s Executive Order will help develop a Federal workforce that looks like America where qualified people from every background and walk of life have an equal opportunity to serve our Nation,” the statement continued.

Biden’s executive order mandates that all federal government agencies ensure “pay equity” regardless of gender and race. The order notes that “pay inequity disproportionately affects women of color.” The order also expands LGBTQ+ workers’ access to “comprehensive gender-affirming health care.”

The chief diversity officer will work closely with Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Human Resources and Administration Catherine Emerson to coordinate DOJ diversity initiatives.