Director of Restorative Practices & Culture

Holyoke Community College is seeking a Director of Restorative Practices and Culture as a full-time salaried role reporting directly to the Vice President of People, Culture, and Equity. In this position, the director serves as a facilitator, mediator, program developer, coach, advocate for growth, healing, and cultural transformation on campus. Its primary purpose is to prevent conflict and wrongdoing from escalating and respond to wrongdoing after it occurs in a timely manner. Restorative practices focus on resolving conflict, repairing harm, and healing relationships. While primarily working with faculty and staff, the Director will collaborate with other cross-departmental units to facilitate its work such as the Director of Community Standards and Well-Being, Affirmative Action/Title IX, People and Talent (formerly Human Resources), academic departments, and deans to inform their work. This role focuses on fostering a positive and inclusive environment by addressing conflict, building relationships, and promoting accountability through restorative approaches. This role is not a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) role.   

Key responsibilities include driving sustainable systems change through context-specific projects and resources, supporting the core values and mission of the institution and using that as a tool that can drive mindset changes with individuals, and design learning activities, and curriculum development.

• Understanding higher education and its ecosystem, especially in a unionized environment, and including how to communicate using metrics and institutional language that appeals to a diverse group of individuals at Holyoke Community College.  
• A deep commitment to supporting students, faculty, and staff to adopt humanizing, healing-centered restorative practices within the institution.
• Strong knowledge of research-based restorative justice practices, and other effective strategies for improving climate and culture within the institution; use data to assess and improve restorative programming and outcomes for the institution.
• Create a comprehensive restorative practice program tailored to the college’s needs. Take a leadership role in managing the response and intervention system and make the appropriate decision for placement of cases for proper discharge of service and the ability to make decisions autonomously.
• Promote college-wide development of an equitable, accessible, and inclusive school community. 
• Provide leadership in implementing inclusive college-wide restorative practices, including training and support for staff and faculty members, students, and families.
• Understanding of higher education justice, laws, reform movements, state and federal regulatory guidelines, college policies, and key issues to address creatively to dismantle conflicts and provide healing in its aftermath.
• Develop programs, initiatives, and learning opportunities for the institution about conflict resolutions and social.
• Provide comfort and with a wide range of stakeholders both at the institutional level and the external community when warranted.
• Provide an assets-based framework for working with faculty, staff, and students from diverse cultural backgrounds towards a more just and equitable college community.
• Demonstrate understanding of the social, economic, and cultural systems of “people and culture” and how historical and contemporary structural injustices adversely affect some communities while benefiting others. Possess a strong ability to talk fearlessly about race, class, gender, sexuality, migration, ability, and other interpersonal and structural injustices.
• Demonstrate a deep commitment to HCC’s mission, strategic and equity plans, and its core values.
• Provide recommendations and feedback to the Vice President for People, Culture, and Equity regarding best practices in restorative practices; also collaborate with the Vice President of People, Culture, and Equity leadership to prioritize strategic and equity planning efforts. 
• Development of assessment measures to ensure if and how thoroughly goals are achieved.
• Serve on the college shared governance committees and other designated ad hoc, college standing committees, and professional organizations.
• Perform special projects and related responsibilities as initiated and requested.

REQUIRED:

• Master’s degree is required;
• Minimum of 3-5 years experience within applicable areas such as: human development, legal, human resources/employee relations, counseling with concentration in restorative practices/justice;
• Experience working with diverse communities to advance issues related to people, culture, and equity; 
• Demonstrate sufficient experience in areas of conflict resolution and management, skilled negotiation, dispute settlement, or change leadership;
• Strong written and oral interpersonal skills;
• Ability to work effectively with a diverse faculty, staff and student body.

EQUIVALENCY STATEMENT:   We welcome and encourage applicants who do not meet the qualifications as stated above, to put in writing precisely how their background and experience have prepared them for the responsibilities of this position. It is preferred that this document be uploaded separately from the resume, cover letter, and references. 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:  

• Organized labor, union, and collective bargaining experience;
• Over 5 year’s experience;
• Experience working in a higher education environment;
• Knowledge of management or leadership skillset;
• Bilingual.

Full-time, Non-Unit Professional position

Salary Range:  $85,599.66 - $92,655.79/year  (Grade 7) plus a comprehensive State benefits package

Hours:  37.5 hrs./week

Funding Source:  State

- All candidates must have legal authorization to work in the United States. HCC is not sponsoring H1B Visa. 
 - Pre-Employment Background check, including Criminal History will be conducted for all positions.