University of California, Berkeley
Director of Tribal Affairs (0224U), Government & Community Affairs #83347
University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States, 94709
Director of Tribal Affairs (0224U), Government & Community Affairs
At the University of California, Berkeley, we are dedicated to fostering a community where everyone feels welcome and can thrive. Our culture of openness, freedom, and belonging make it a special place for students, faculty, and staff. As a world‑leading institution, Berkeley is known for its academic and research excellence, public mission, diverse student body, and commitment to equity and social justice. Since our founding in 1868, we have driven innovation, creating global intellectual, economic, and social value.
We are looking for applicants who reflect California’s diversity and want to be part of an inclusive, equity‑focused community that views education as a matter of social justice. Please consider whether your values align with our Guiding Values and Principles, Principles of Community, and Strategic Plan. At UC Berkeley, we believe that learning is a fundamental part of working, and we provide space for supportive colleague communities via numerous employee resource groups. Our goal is for everyone on the Berkeley campus to feel supported and equipped to realize their full potential. We actively support this by providing all of our full‑time staff employees with at least 80 hours (10 days) of paid time per year to engage in professional development activities.
Departmental Overview UC Berkeley recognizes that every member of our community has benefited from living, working, and occupying the ancestral territories of California Native Nations. Consistent with our values of community and diversity, the University has a responsibility to acknowledge and make visible its role in the injuries committed against California Native Nations. In this way the University seeks to prioritize respect for both the historic culture and the contemporary presence of Native Americans throughout California and on its campus by striving to hold UC Berkeley more accountable to the needs of American Indian and Alaska Native Nations and Native Hawaiian Organizations. Given the unique history of the state of California and UC Berkeley’s role as the flagship land grant institution of the UC system, it is imperative that the university include tribal needs and perspectives within the fabric of the institution. The Office of Government and Community Relations within the Office of the Chancellor will house the Office of Tribal Relations. The Director of Tribal Relations will lead UC Berkeley’s efforts to build, repair, and nurture relationships with sovereign Native Nations and serve as an ambassador between the campus and tribal communities.
This position will be reviewed on January 5, 2026.
Responsibilities
Tribal Consultation
Serve as campus ambassador to all Native Nations and Indigenous Peoples, including both federally recognized and non‑federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes as well as Native Hawaiian Organizations.
Promote and foster better relationships between campus and Native Nations and Indigenous Peoples by engaging in transparent and consistent communications.
Connect Native American/American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian peoples with campus units, including libraries and archives, reserves, and research units, and help identify and establish relationships and partnerships.
Develop an outreach and implementation plan that centers on making visible and honoring the history and celebrating the continued existence and flourishing of Native Nations in California, and particularly the Tribes whose ancestral homelands are the territories within which Berkeley occupies and utilizes.
Internal Coordination and Strategy Setting
Strategize with key campus experts, including but not limited to the following units:
Native American Student Development Office
American Indian Graduate Program
Undergraduate Admissions Native American Outreach Coordinator
Native American Community Center
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) Implementation Committee
NAGPRA Repatriation Coordinator
Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology, the California Language Archives, the Bancroft Library, and other libraries and repositories holding items of Native heritage
Native and Indigenous Staff and Faculty Council
Joseph A. Myers Center for Research on Native American Issues
Council of Deans
Lawrence Hall of Science and the ottoy initiative
Berkeley Natural Reserve System
Co‑Chair the Chancellor’s Native American Advisory Council.
Advise the Chancellor, Vice Chancellor for Research, Assistant Chancellor, and other senior leaders on internal and external strategy as it relates to Native American communities.
Create and oversee implementation of campus‑wide practices and policies, including:
Tribal engagement and consultation policies and guidance
Protocol for receiving tribal leadership and facilitation of tribal leaders’ visits
Research policies and practices as pertaining to Native Nation communities, traditional knowledge, and intellectual property rights
Establish and guide campus strategy and practices to ensure an inclusive climate and support a thriving community of Native American/American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian students, staff, and faculty, including:
Engage with the Chancellor’s NAGPRA designee, Campus NAGPRA Implementation Committee, and the campus NAGPRA repatriation coordinator to understand NAGPRA progress and communicate feedback and concerns from Native Nation communities.
Engage with the Chancellor’s NAGPRA designee, Campus NAGPRA Implementation Committee, and the campus NAGPRA repatriation coordinator to understand NAGPRA progress and communicate feedback and concerns from Native Nation communities.
External Relations
Engage with the California Native American Heritage Commission to build relationships and ensure open communication between the campus and the commission.
Serve as campus liaison with government entities and tribal governments on Native American issues.
Required Qualifications
Extensive expertise and experience working with Native Nations (particularly California Native Nations), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Organizations.
Knowledge of tribal protocols, cultures, histories, sovereignty, and government relations, particularly for California Native Nations, but also for American Indian/Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian people.
Expert knowledge and understanding of issues in higher education and campus specific issues, especially as they relate to the Native American/American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian communities.
Demonstrated knowledge, experience and extensive skills in diplomacy, tribal consultation and building bridges to achieve institutional goals and objectives, and advancing positive relationships among communities that may have differing views and interests.
Expert level written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, including attentive listening skills and skills to ascertain constituency perception.
Expert skill to quickly identify and develop strategies to effectively communicate the institution’s message to Native Nations and organizations, and vice versa.
Expert level analytical and decision‑making skills, sound judgment and highly developed political acumen.
Expert skill to recognize potential areas of constituency concern and skill to effectively address, resolve and/or mitigate problems or issues.
Ability to communicate across cultural lines to include interpretation of research and policy between the university and tribal governments.
Bachelor’s degree in a related area and/or equivalent experience/training.
Preferred Qualifications
Expert knowledge of the legislative and political process, and expert skill to correctly and appropriately read, interpret, understand and respond to proposed legislation, including writing effective position statements and drafting proposed legislation.
Salary & Benefits The budgeted salary range for this position is $156,000.00–$185,000.00. For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the university, please visit the University of California’s Compensation & Benefits website.
How to Apply To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter.
Equal Employment Opportunity The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.
#J-18808-Ljbffr
We are looking for applicants who reflect California’s diversity and want to be part of an inclusive, equity‑focused community that views education as a matter of social justice. Please consider whether your values align with our Guiding Values and Principles, Principles of Community, and Strategic Plan. At UC Berkeley, we believe that learning is a fundamental part of working, and we provide space for supportive colleague communities via numerous employee resource groups. Our goal is for everyone on the Berkeley campus to feel supported and equipped to realize their full potential. We actively support this by providing all of our full‑time staff employees with at least 80 hours (10 days) of paid time per year to engage in professional development activities.
Departmental Overview UC Berkeley recognizes that every member of our community has benefited from living, working, and occupying the ancestral territories of California Native Nations. Consistent with our values of community and diversity, the University has a responsibility to acknowledge and make visible its role in the injuries committed against California Native Nations. In this way the University seeks to prioritize respect for both the historic culture and the contemporary presence of Native Americans throughout California and on its campus by striving to hold UC Berkeley more accountable to the needs of American Indian and Alaska Native Nations and Native Hawaiian Organizations. Given the unique history of the state of California and UC Berkeley’s role as the flagship land grant institution of the UC system, it is imperative that the university include tribal needs and perspectives within the fabric of the institution. The Office of Government and Community Relations within the Office of the Chancellor will house the Office of Tribal Relations. The Director of Tribal Relations will lead UC Berkeley’s efforts to build, repair, and nurture relationships with sovereign Native Nations and serve as an ambassador between the campus and tribal communities.
This position will be reviewed on January 5, 2026.
Responsibilities
Tribal Consultation
Serve as campus ambassador to all Native Nations and Indigenous Peoples, including both federally recognized and non‑federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes as well as Native Hawaiian Organizations.
Promote and foster better relationships between campus and Native Nations and Indigenous Peoples by engaging in transparent and consistent communications.
Connect Native American/American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian peoples with campus units, including libraries and archives, reserves, and research units, and help identify and establish relationships and partnerships.
Develop an outreach and implementation plan that centers on making visible and honoring the history and celebrating the continued existence and flourishing of Native Nations in California, and particularly the Tribes whose ancestral homelands are the territories within which Berkeley occupies and utilizes.
Internal Coordination and Strategy Setting
Strategize with key campus experts, including but not limited to the following units:
Native American Student Development Office
American Indian Graduate Program
Undergraduate Admissions Native American Outreach Coordinator
Native American Community Center
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) Implementation Committee
NAGPRA Repatriation Coordinator
Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology, the California Language Archives, the Bancroft Library, and other libraries and repositories holding items of Native heritage
Native and Indigenous Staff and Faculty Council
Joseph A. Myers Center for Research on Native American Issues
Council of Deans
Lawrence Hall of Science and the ottoy initiative
Berkeley Natural Reserve System
Co‑Chair the Chancellor’s Native American Advisory Council.
Advise the Chancellor, Vice Chancellor for Research, Assistant Chancellor, and other senior leaders on internal and external strategy as it relates to Native American communities.
Create and oversee implementation of campus‑wide practices and policies, including:
Tribal engagement and consultation policies and guidance
Protocol for receiving tribal leadership and facilitation of tribal leaders’ visits
Research policies and practices as pertaining to Native Nation communities, traditional knowledge, and intellectual property rights
Establish and guide campus strategy and practices to ensure an inclusive climate and support a thriving community of Native American/American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian students, staff, and faculty, including:
Engage with the Chancellor’s NAGPRA designee, Campus NAGPRA Implementation Committee, and the campus NAGPRA repatriation coordinator to understand NAGPRA progress and communicate feedback and concerns from Native Nation communities.
Engage with the Chancellor’s NAGPRA designee, Campus NAGPRA Implementation Committee, and the campus NAGPRA repatriation coordinator to understand NAGPRA progress and communicate feedback and concerns from Native Nation communities.
External Relations
Engage with the California Native American Heritage Commission to build relationships and ensure open communication between the campus and the commission.
Serve as campus liaison with government entities and tribal governments on Native American issues.
Required Qualifications
Extensive expertise and experience working with Native Nations (particularly California Native Nations), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Organizations.
Knowledge of tribal protocols, cultures, histories, sovereignty, and government relations, particularly for California Native Nations, but also for American Indian/Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian people.
Expert knowledge and understanding of issues in higher education and campus specific issues, especially as they relate to the Native American/American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian communities.
Demonstrated knowledge, experience and extensive skills in diplomacy, tribal consultation and building bridges to achieve institutional goals and objectives, and advancing positive relationships among communities that may have differing views and interests.
Expert level written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, including attentive listening skills and skills to ascertain constituency perception.
Expert skill to quickly identify and develop strategies to effectively communicate the institution’s message to Native Nations and organizations, and vice versa.
Expert level analytical and decision‑making skills, sound judgment and highly developed political acumen.
Expert skill to recognize potential areas of constituency concern and skill to effectively address, resolve and/or mitigate problems or issues.
Ability to communicate across cultural lines to include interpretation of research and policy between the university and tribal governments.
Bachelor’s degree in a related area and/or equivalent experience/training.
Preferred Qualifications
Expert knowledge of the legislative and political process, and expert skill to correctly and appropriately read, interpret, understand and respond to proposed legislation, including writing effective position statements and drafting proposed legislation.
Salary & Benefits The budgeted salary range for this position is $156,000.00–$185,000.00. For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the university, please visit the University of California’s Compensation & Benefits website.
How to Apply To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter.
Equal Employment Opportunity The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.
#J-18808-Ljbffr