Chief Culture Change Officer

About CDI

The Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI) is a non-partisan non-profit dedicated to equipping the next generation of Americans with the skills to communicate and collaborate across lines of difference. Since 2017, CDI has partnered with more than 150 colleges and universities nationwide, offering an evidence-based suite of programs designed to reach stakeholders at every level of a campus—from presidents to incoming students—to create campus cultures of inquiry and dialogue. CDI was co-founded by psychologist Jonathan Haidt, the bestselling author of The Righteous Mind and The Anxious Generation.

About the Role

Over the past three years, since launching its campus-wide strategy, CDI has rapidly grown to partnerships with more than 150 campuses across the country – ranging from Ivy League institutions to community colleges, and everything in between – to deliver programming that supports dialogue across differences. CDI is now embarking on a pivotal phase to deepen its work in supporting campuses in weaving the principles of inquiry and dialogue into their institutional fabric to create lasting cultural change.

The Chief Culture Change Officer will lead this new department, report to the Co-Founder & Executive Director, and serve on CDI’s executive leadership team. They will design and execute CDI’s strategy for large-scale culture-change engagements, oversee delivery across campuses and state systems, and build a high-performing team to drive this work nationally.

Responsibilities

Strategy, Systems, and Team Leadership

• Define and execute the long-term vision and strategy for CDI’s Campus Culture Change function, positioning it as a central driver of CDI’s mission and growth.
• Design scalable consulting models, frameworks, and systems to ensure consistent, high-quality delivery and measurable impact across campus partnerships.
• Build and lead a high-performing team, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous learning.

Institutional Partnerships and Consulting Delivery

• Lead high-impact consulting engagements with colleges, universities, and state systems—from initial scoping through execution—to help campuses build self-sustaining cultures of inquiry and dialogue.
• Serve as CDI’s lead consultant and senior advisor for high-profile institutional and higher ed system partnerships, engaging directly with senior university leaders on strategy and change management.

Management of Leadership Offerings

• Oversee the execution of CDI's Leadership Institute, an invite-only initiative that brings together teams of presidents and senior leaders from select campuses to develop and implement strategic change efforts.
• Partner with the Chief Impact Officer to identify and develop new offerings to support senior campus leadership.

CDI Leadership

• Serve as a key member of CDI’s executive team, contributing to organization-wide strategy, planning, and decision-making.
• Represent CDI as a thought leader through speaking engagements, op-eds, and external partnerships.

About You

• 10+ years leading large-scale culture change initiatives.
• 7+ years of consulting experience, including direct advisory work with senior leaders (presidents, provosts, deans, or equivalent).
• Proven record of success leading complex, multi-stakeholder culture change efforts from strategy through implementation.
• Demonstrated ability to build or scale a consulting practice, department, or comparable function.
• Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to engage senior executives and guide sensitive organizational conversations.
• Strong strategic and systems-thinking skills, with a track record of translating vision into measurable impact.
• Experience building and mentoring high-performing teams.
• Committed to CDI’s mission; passionate about helping campuses build cultures that promote dialogue across differences.
• Strong preference for candidates with experience working in or with higher education institutions or systems (5+ years).

• Compensation — $220,000 - $250,000 (base salary; no variable comp)
• A Mission-Driven Culture — we practice what we preach, so our work culture is characterized by intellectual humility, continuous improvement, and open-mindedness
• Remote-First — CDI was founded as a remote-first organization, and we work hard to maintain a strong team culture across vast distances
• Unlimited PTO — as well as 13 company holidays
• Remote Work Support — up to $500 reimbursed for home office equipment (like desks, chairs, or webcams) and up to $50/month reimbursed for home internet or cell phone expenses
• Other Benefits — employer-supported health, vision and dental plans, subsidized parental leave, 3% 401k match, short- and long-term disability insurance, life and AD&D insurance, $1,000 annual professional development budget

Proficient in English