Executive Director of Rights and Accountability

Executive Director of Rights and Accountability

Executive Director of Rights and Accountability

The Executive Director for Rights and Accountability serves as the strategic senior leader responsible for safeguarding the rights of all members of the University of Arizona community, particularly on matters related to Title IX, Title VI, and Title VII. The Executive Director provides university-wide leadership to help facilitate a climate free from all forms of discrimination and harassment. This role will serve as the principal advisor and subject matter expert to university senior leaders and the broader campus community on legal requirements, while developing active partnerships across colleges and divisions to support students and employees. Additionally, the Executive Director has operational oversight for the implementation of civil rights compliance and is charged with managing related institutional risk. The position leads the development, implementation, and monitoring of rights-related policies and grievance procedures to ensure prompt, fair, and legally sound resolution of all complaints.

This role provides strategic leadership for the University’s comprehensive rights and nondiscrimination efforts, with responsibility for ensuring full compliance with Title IX, Title VI, Title VII, and applicable state and federal laws. The position oversees the development and execution of an integrated institutional compliance framework that aligns rights and Title IX obligations with the University’s mission and strategic priorities. Serving as the principal advisor and subject matter expert to senior leadership, the role monitors emerging regulatory and legislative trends, assesses compliance risk, and translates complex legal requirements into clear, actionable guidance for university operations.

Beyond regulatory compliance, this position is charged with advancing the institution from a model of technical compliance to a sustained culture of rights and accountability. This includes designing and implementing long-term strategies informed by campus climate assessments, data analytics, and systemic risk analysis to proactively identify and address inequities. The role also serves as the University’s primary liaison to federal and state agencies—such as the Office for Civil Rights and the EEOC—leading institutional responses to audits, compliance reviews, and complex investigations while safeguarding the University’s integrity, accountability, and commitment to equity.

OutstandingU of A benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; lifeinsurance and disability programs; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; U of A/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified familymembers; retirement plans; accessto U of A recreation and cultural activities; and more!

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Duties & Responsibilities

Investigation, Resolution & Case Management

• Oversee a comprehensive grievance system to manage the timely, thorough, and fair investigation and resolution of all formal and informal complaints of sex-based misconduct and protected-class discrimination.
• Oversee and direct the implementation of appropriate measures and supportive services for all affected parties throughout the resolution process ensuring alignment with requirements and university objectives.
• Ensure that civil rights grievance and appeals processes are conducted with due process for all parties and comply with all legal requirements and University/Arizona Board of Regents policy.

Systemic Rights & Accountability Integrative Advocacy

• Oversee the maintenance of the executive-level dashboards and reporting metrics to monitor case activity, training effectiveness, and the success of prevention initiatives.
• Proactively chair cross-functional working groups (consisting of teams within Enterprise Risk Management, Compliance, Office of the General Counsel, Human Resources, and other units) to ensure a synchronized response to complex rights and accountability issues and to prevent "siloed" compliance efforts.
• Direct the continuous development, refinement, and implementation of all institutional policies and procedures related to discrimination, harassment, and retaliation for all University constituents.
• Oversee the lifecycle of university-wide policies related to non-discrimination and harassment, ensuring they are not only legally compliant but also reflect best practices in trauma-informed care and due process.

Strategic Oversight & Team Leadership

• Lead and manage staff (including both investigators and education/outreach specialists), fostering a culture of expertise, diplomacy, and superior judgment.