This new position at Arabella is an exciting opportunity for someone to shape both employee engagement and internal diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging work at Arabella and within the social sector. Reporting to the Head of DEI, this position will develop, implement, and oversee strategies to continuously improve employee engagement, and support ongoing diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging across Arabella. This position’s overall responsibilities will be to focus inward on Arabella’s most important asset, our people. Partnering with the Head of DEI, Head of Culture and Talent, and senior leaders across the firm, the Senior Director of Employee Engagement and Belonging will liaise between staff, team leads, and executive leadership to align all Arabellans, continue to support the ongoing work of building strong relationships, and drive a people first culture where every Arabellan can thrive.

The person who fills this role should be deeply committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, with a clear sense of their areas of deep knowledge and areas of growth. This role will require someone who has a deep commitment to both individual and collective employee satisfaction, be well versed in creating and delivering diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging related trainings, is a masterful facilitator, coach, communicator, and truth-teller. They should be excited about the complexity and ambiguity that comes from juggling multiple projects, walking alongside people in their lived experience at Arabella, and working across teams, projects, and personalities on a regular basis. Ultimately, this person must have a passion for supporting Arabella’s dynamic culture, building inclusive communities, and modeling how to live into Arabella’s values of being bold, finding a way, creating together, and doing good better.

Employee Engagement (40-50%)

Arabella Advisors helps foundations, philanthropists and investors who are serious about impact achieve the greatest good with their resources. We work on issues ranging from the social and economic advancement of women and girls, and conservation of our climate and planet, to reducing poverty and inequity in the United States and around the world. Our staff members are mission-driven and action-oriented, and have a unique combination of experience in philanthropy, business, nonprofits, government, finance, law, and other fields. We combine creative, strategic thinking with knowledge and networks developed through decades of hands-on experience. The fastest-growing philanthropic advisory firm in the nation, Arabella is also a certified B Corporation.

This role will be part of the firm’s diversity, equity and inclusion function and report to the Head DEI. The diversity, equity, and inclusion team is organized to support both the critical internal DEI work, and our equity and impact driven client facing work as well. Our team supports Arabellans and clients alike in their equity journeys by building individual and collective diversity, equity, and inclusion related competency and capacity. Together, we work with some of the most passionate and dedicated people that enable some of the world’s most impactful changemakers.

Advancing DEI within our firm and in our work with partners is critical to our mission. To be effective partners to philanthropists, nonprofits, and communities impacted by philanthropic dollars, we need to have a highly diverse staff, a workplace where individuals are encouraged to retain their uniqueness and can feel a sense of belonging, and a nuanced understanding of the racial, ethnic, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, and other disparities that undergird the issues we engage in and the interactions we have with one another. For us, equity means that our staff members, our clients, and the people they serve can experience the same level of success, no matter their starting place. We expect all our employees to share this commitment, and always seek ways to improve how well we live these values. Click here to learn more about DEI at Arabella and read our official DEI statement.

This is a full-time position. We offer a competitive and holistic total rewards package that includes salary, bonus, and benefits. Our base salaries are based on a blend of similar sized organizations from different sectors, including nonprofits, foundations, and professional service firms. They are also based on local market rates and differentiated by geography.

All full-time staff are eligible for our generous benefits package on their first day of employment:

While this position must be based in Washington, DC, Chicago, IL, Durham, NC or San Francisco, CA, please note that all Arabella Advisors’ offices have reopened, and we work in a hybrid environment.

We reopened our offices in Summer of 2022 and work with a hybrid workplace strategy to ensure continued flexibility for our staff, while deepening our strong culture rooted in collaboration and in-person interactions between colleagues. We expect that after their initial onboarding, all Arabellans will have the choice of two hybrid schedules. Our hybrid schedule options include Flex-based, with 1-2 days per week in the office, or Office-based, with 3+ days per week in the office (or more if preferred) and the remaining days working at home/remotely. We will make reasonable accommodations under the guidelines of the Americans With Disabilities Act.

To center the safety and well-being of its employees, Arabella Advisors requires that any employee who is required to conduct in-person activities for their job must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 within four weeks of their start date.  This position may require candidates to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Accommodations may be sought and approved in accordance with the law.

We are committed to having a passion-driven, inclusive, transparent, collaborative, healthy, and fun culture. We invite you to visit our careers page to learn more.

Submit a resume and a one-page cover letter online. The cover letter should address why you’re excited to work at Arabella and why you’re qualified for this specific job.

Arabella Advisors is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to racial equity. If we can make the application process easier through accommodation in the recruitment process, please let us know.

We encourage you to read (or listen to) our DEI statement prior to applying.  We make a particular effort to recruit people of color and members of marginalized groups to apply for open positions. Once you have applied, we welcome your feedback on how you have experienced our values around DEI in the recruitment process.

While Arabella is open to individuals from various locations applying to join our team, please note that we generally are unable to pay for relocation expenses, and, except in rare circumstances considered on a case-by-case basis, all applicants must already be legally eligible to work in the United States at the time of application to be considered for this position.

We will review applications as they are received and look forward to hearing from you.