APA has launched nationwide searches for two vitally important, executive-level positions—Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) and Chief Science Officer (CSO). These positions, with their shared emphasis on promoting science and equity/diversity/inclusion, reflect the core of APA’s mission and the foundation for our work to benefit society and improve people’s lives. (The position descriptions are linked below for your consideration.)
As you will see, the CDO position description draws upon our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Framework and the 2017 Council Diversity Work Group report. It clarifies that the primary responsibility of this position is to serve as the key architect for the Association’s plan to infuse EDI throughout APA and the field of psychology, as well as to benefit society at large. And, while EDI is the responsibility of the entire management team, the CDO is the key leader for advancing this work in the Association. Note that a PhD in psychology is preferred as an advanced degree, but not required, to draw upon a larger pool of otherwise qualified candidates.
The CSO position description highlights the critical role of this position as a champion for psychological science and leader for the development and implementation of a transformational science agenda. The focus is in large part to raise the visibility and utilization of psychological science by the public, to increase opportunities and careers in psychological science, and to engage with and promote APA’s value to the scientific community.