Assistant Vice President

Job DetailJob Title:Assistant Vice President Department:60001-One UConn Location:Farmington FTE%:1 Shift Search #:2026-502 Closing Date: Recruiter:Scerra, Ryan D. Additional Links: Assistant Vice President Inclusion and Health Equity This position is slated to start in June 2026 Office for Inclusion and Civil Rights at UConn Health UConn Health and the University of Connecticut are pleased to invite inquiries, nominations, and applications for the role of Assistant Vice President (AVP) for Diversity, Inclusion, and Health Equity at UConn Health. This is an executive position that reports dually to the chief executive officer and executive vice president for health affairs at UConn Health and the vice president for the Office of Inclusion and Civil Rights at University of Connecticut and UConn Health. The AVP will be responsible for providing transformative leadership, vision, and direction for critical diversity, inclusion, and health equity efforts in UConn Health's pursuit of organizational excellence. UConn Health is a vibrant, integrated academic health center that is entering an era of unprecedented growth in all four areas of its mission: academics, research, clinical care, and community engagement. The AVP will work closely with academic, research, clinical care leaders, and community leaders to identify and advance diversity, equity, and inclusion strategic priorities for students, trainees, faculty, staff, patients, families and health equity strategic priorities for the communities we serve. This work will align with and further advance UConn Health's mission of helping people and communities achieve and maintain healthy lives and restoring wellness/health to maximum attainable levels. The AVP will utilize proven methodologies; innovative programming; and a data-informed, analytics-based approach to drive a culture of transformation, evaluation, assessment, and accountability. Key Responsibilities: Leadership & Strategy Serve as a member of UConn Health's senior leadership team and as a strategic advisor to the CEO, VP for Inclusion and Civil Rights, and other executive leaders. Define and implement institutional diversity, equity, inclusion, and health equity priorities. Develop, monitor, and evaluate performance metrics to ensure transparency and accountability in DEI and health equity initiatives. Cultivate an inclusive climate that supports the academic, research, clinical, and community missions of UConn Health. Compliance & Accountability Lead UConn Health's equity compliance efforts, including EEO/AA compliance and related reporting. Ensure adherence to laws, regulations, and accreditation standards relevant to teaching, research, and clinical care. Establish systems of evaluation and assessment for DEI and health equity initiatives. Community & Engagement Serve as a visible and trusted leader within the community, fostering authentic partnerships and co-creation with stakeholders. Improve recruitment, retention, advancement, and success of individuals from underrepresented groups. Enhance communication, engagement, and collaboration across internal and external stakeholders. Innovation & Resource Development Leverage data, proven methodologies, and innovative programming to drive progress in DEI and health equity. Identify exemplary practices, align resources, and encourage cross-organizational collaboration. Secure and manage external funding through grants, fundraising, and third-party sources to expand initiatives. Key Opportunities and Priorities In the first three years, the AVP will: Define and articulate UConn Health's diversity, equity, inclusion, and health equity values. Integrate these principles into the institution's service philosophy and organizational culture. Establish and monitor measurable outcomes that reduce disparities and improve equity in healthcare delivery, education, and research. Expand educational and training opportunities for students, faculty, staff, and healthcare professionals. Partner with community stakeholders to co-create strategies that address root causes of health inequities. Required Qualifications Advanced degree (Master's or higher) in a relevant field. Demonstrated experience leading diversity, equity, inclusion, and health equity initiatives in healthcare or higher education. Experience in strategic planning, budget management, and staff supervision. Knowledge of public health principles and community engagement practices. Proven ability to collaborate across complex organizations and engage effectively with diverse constituencies. Record of integrity, professionalism, sound judgment, and commitment to transparent leadership. Preferred Qualifications Seven or more years of management experience at the leadership level within an academic medical center or institution of higher education (ideally, previous experience in healthcare related to clinical care, public health practice, research, teaching and/or training). Individual record of significant contributions in the areas of biomedical research, clinical or public health practice, health disparities/health inequities research or related fields. Demonstrated knowledge of the challenges and opportunities for diversity, equity and inclusion innovations in classroom education and clinical training. Demonstrated experience working with populations who often lack opportunity and access in education and/or health care settings. Awareness of the historical origins and persistence of structural factors that disadvantage populations in health care and higher education that are drivers of disparities. Documented history of successfully developing, implementing and advancing strategic diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in a highly matrixed organization. Demonstrated experience in addressing complex root cause upstream drivers of health disparities facing communities and creating strategies and action plans to address, assess, and evaluate deployed interventions. Experience developing, implementing and overseeing innovative diversity and inclusion training and education programs for a variety of constituencies. Effective project management, organization and analytical skills. Evidence of collaborative work with students, faculty, staff or other constituents at the university level and in other settings (, peer institutions). Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to foster collaboration. A doctoral or other terminal degree in health professions or a related field and experience working effectively in an academic health center is preferred.