Equality at Jacobs

At Jacobs, we put people at the heart of our business. We have an unparalleled focus on inclusion, with a diverse team of visionaries, thinkers and doers. We embrace all perspectives, collaborating to make a positive impact.

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Speak up. Speak out.

Today is an opportunity to live our values by speaking up and speaking out against injustice. We're committed to driving and achieving real change – creating a tomorrow we can all be proud of, standing together as one.

Jacobs has launched a global Action Plan for Advancing Justice and Equality, which builds on Jacobs’ existing global inclusion and diversity strategy, TogetherBeyond℠, and sets actionable initiatives and measurable objectives in the company’s continuing efforts to address embedded and systemic racial inequities.

Employees initiated the development of the action plan with a team who collaborated alongside Jacobs’ Board of Directors and Executive Leadership Team to outline three key sets of commitments and specific, measurable actions with performance outcomes:

  1. Amplify culture of belonging
  2. Recruit, retain and advance Black employees based on merit
  3. Contribute to structural change in the broader society
Learn more

Advancing Justice and Equality

paper cutout of profiles of people in a diverse array of skin colors

(PDF, 1 MB)

external Download our Global Action Plan

“Here in the United States we have fought hard to ensure that our right to vote transcends gender, race, religion, and yes, even politics. Let’s use our voices as corporate leaders to speak up and speak out.”

Steve Demetriou

Steve Demetriou

Jacobs Chair and CEO

Our Greatest Privilege – And Most Important Right

At Jacobs, we encourage our employees to exercise their right to vote, and stand against efforts that prevent anyone from doing so.

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Choose to Challenge: Celebrating International Women’s Day

In celebration of International Women’s Day, EVP, Chief Strategy, Corporate Development & Communications Officer Marietta Hannigan shares the importance of celebrating women in the workplace and thoughts on how to #ChooseToChallenge the status quo.

external Read the blog

“It’s about steps big and small taken each day... each month... each year that will lead to a better future not only for ourselves and our colleagues today but for future generations of women in engineering and construction. We have an opportunity to Choose to Challenge... to speak up and advocate for women. And that’s exciting.”

Marietta Hannigan

Marietta Hannigan

Jacobs EVP, Chief Strategy, Corporate Development & Communications Officer

“Let’s continue to build momentum, speak up for the rights of our LGBTI+ employees and work to be the best allies we can to all those who face discrimination, injustice and hatred.”

Joanne Caruso

Joanne Caruso

Jacobs EVP, Chief Legal and Administrative Officer Executive Sponsor PRISM network

Creating a Culture Where Everyone Can Bring their Whole Self to Work

Jacobs is part of Human Rights Campaign's Business Coalition for the Equality Act, and once again one of America's "Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality" for a third year running.

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Enough. Is. Enough.

An important message of solidarity from Chair and CEO Steve Demetriou regarding the horrific acts of violence against Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islanders around the world.

Read the message

“We cannot afford to be neutral. We must commit to becoming anti-racists, active allies, and supporters of colleagues of all colors, identities and backgrounds.”

Steve Demetriou

Steve Demetriou

Jacobs Chair and CEO

“It was clear from our discussions with the Daughters of Rosie that they share our vision of inclusion and diversity.”

Steve Meininger

Jacobs VP, Global Operations Management and Facilities Services

Jacobs Initiates Strategic Partnership to Advance Gender Diversity in the Operations and Maintenance Industry

Our team is partnering with Daughters of Rosie to recruit and retain skilled, qualified female operators and technicians for our projects.

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Dallas Regional Chamber Q&A Series: Steve Demetriou

Expounding on our commitment to actionable initiatives and measurable objectives to address embedded and systemic racial inequalities, Chair and CEO Steve Demetriou participated in the Dallas Regional Chamber’s Q&A series to answer questions about Jacobs’ global Action Plan for Advancing Justice and Equality.

external Read the interview

“We have seen the benefits of a significant increase in gender diversity over the last several years and believe this next phase of our journey — delivering on the Justice and Equality action plan — is critical to our company’s success.”

Steve Demetriou

Steve Demetriou

Jacobs Chair and CEO

“To help senior and frontline leaders initiate difficult conversations on race and discrimination with empathy, Jacobs developed a coaching tool that provides materials to guide teams in honestly addressing the topics.”

Sharon Jean-Baptiste

Sharon Jean-Baptiste

Jacobs Vice President, Mid-Atlantic Growth and Sales

Member Perspective: Sharon A. Jean-Baptiste, P.E. – The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia

In an article for the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, Sharon Jean-Baptiste outlines the steps businesses can take to speak out against injustice and commit to driving change for communities of color.

external Read the article

Reinventing our Tomorrow: 8 Positive Actions for Equality

Chair and CEO Steve Demetriou details eight actions Jacobs is taking to speak up, speak out.

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“As a company we are going to focus on doing our part to get this right, and then we will look more broadly at other things affecting our people and our communities.”

Steve Demetriou

Steve Demetriou

Jacobs Chair and CEO

“Pride month is a time to remind ourselves we can’t be complacent; that we must breathe together or not at all – to celebrate who we are and what we stand for; to remember the names of just a fraction of those we lost to hatred and inexcusable violence...”

Taggart Hansen

Co-Executive Sponsor of Harambee SVP, Deputy General Counsel and Internal Audit

Harambee & PRISM: Standing Strong Together

Co-Executive Sponsor of Harambee and SVP, Deputy General Counsel and Internal Audit Taggart Hansen shares how our Harambee and PRISM networks are standing together.

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Celebrating US Supreme Court's Landmark Decision as #OurJacobs

Jacobs Chief Legal and Administrative Officer and PRISM Executive Sponsor Joanne Caruso reflects on what yesterday’s milestone U.S. Supreme Court ruling echoes for equality and inclusion.

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“As we have all been seeing and discussing these past few weeks, there is so much more that still needs to be done to ensure basic and fundamental civil and human rights for all.”

Joanne Caruso

Joanne Caruso

Jacobs EVP, Chief Legal and Administrative Officer Executive Sponsor PRISM network

“This is our time to affect change. Turn rhetoric into action. Build a new platform as a nation. Create an equal and inclusive future for all.”

Steve Demetriou

Steve Demetriou

Jacobs Chair and CEO

Taking Action for Inclusion. Now.

Following up to his “speak up, speak out” message, Jacobs Chair and CEO Steve Demetriou shares positive actions for inclusive change.

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Speak Up. Speak Out.

I remember the day we adopted our son Reggie.  He was 14 years old. I couldn’t have been happier or prouder to call him son.  I also remember when I had to have ‘the talk’.  Because my son Reggie happens to be black.

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“Standing up for what is right is in our Jacobs culture. It’s who we are.”

Steve Demetriou

Steve Demetriou

Jacobs Chair and CEO

“At Jacobs, we are one global community. Since I started this role, I’ve said, “we are in this together.” And though this phrase has meant different things at different times, I truly mean it – we are in it together.”

Shelie Gustafson

Shelie Gustafson

Jacobs Chief People & Inclusion Officer

A Message from Chief People & Inclusion Officer Shelie Gustafson

Chief People & Inclusion Officer Shelie Gustafson shares reflections on Jacobs and our values.

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A Message from Jacobs’ Employee Network Groups

A joint statement from Harambee, ACE, Careers Network, Enlace, OneWorld, Prism, VetNet and Women’s Network.

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“Now more than ever before we must stand united against these inequalities and lay greater emphasis on calling out and eradicating all forms of discrimination where we see it.”

Employee Network leaders

Jacobs

We Live Inclusion

At Jacobs, we know that if we are inclusive, we’re more connected, and if we are diverse, we’re more creative. We continue to advance inclusion and diversity to create an environment where all employees can thrive.

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