Competition Number: REQ 7332

TITLE: Senior Labour Relations Advisor

DIVISION: People & Culture

SALARY: Payband 10, $92,900 to $109,265 annually

HOURS PER WEEK: 37.5

LOCATION: 230 Richmond Street East

WORK MODALITY: Hybrid

STATUS: Full Time Admin

VACANCY: Replacement

EFFECTIVE DATE: Immediately

CLOSING DATE: Open until filled.

Position Description:

Reporting to the Senior Manager of Labour Relations, the SeniorLabour Relations Advisor provides authoritative leadership for the Polytechnic,exercising independent professional judgment to determine and implementresponses to complex, high-risk labour relations matters.

The role functions as a senior subject matter expert on theinterpretation, application, and administration of collective agreements,employment policies, and legislation, while establishing the Polytechnic'sposition in grievances, arbitrations, workload compliance, and strike-relatedissues with significant financial, legal, or precedent-setting risks. Theincumbent holds institutional accountability for labour relations systems,processes, and compliance, including grievance and arbitration frameworks, settlementand workload administration, financial controls, reporting, and strikecontingency planning, ensuring consistency and defensibility across theorganization.

Additionally, the Senior Labour Relations Advisor leadsinvestigations, grievance strategy, settlements, and arbitration preparation,serves as the primary liaison with unions, legal counsel, and senior managementon sensitive matters, and plays a key role in collective bargainingpreparation, strike readiness, and providing strategic guidance to protectCollege interests.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic Labour Relations Leadership
  
  • Provides strategic labour relations leadership by establishing institutional labour relations positions, advising senior leadership on emerging risks and compliance issues, and analyzing trends to identify risks and recommend preventative strategies.
• Contract Administration, Grievances, and Arbitration
  
  • Exercises independent judgement in interpreting and applying Academic and Support Staff collective agreements and related legislation, and leads the Polytechnic's response to grievances, mediations, and arbitrations, including strategy development, settlement authority, and hearing preparation.
  • Acts as the Polytechnic's principal representative in advanced grievance and arbitration matters, instructs and manages external legal counsel, and leads settlement discussions, determining institutional positions and authorizing Memoranda of Settlement.
  • Advises senior management on discipline and discharge matters with heightened legal or reputational risk, and conducts or directs complex investigations into workplace misconduct, harassment, and collective agreement violations, providing defensible recommendations.
• Labour Relations Systems, Compliance, and Financial Accountability
  
  • Has institutional accountability for the design, governance, accuracy, and integrity of labour relations systems and records, and ensures Polytechnic compliance with collective agreement obligations, employment stability fund entitlements, reporting requirements, and settlement implementation.
  • Oversees labour relations financial processes, including union billing, legal invoices, ESF (Employment Stability Fund) calculations, settlement payments, and strike-related expenditures, while identifying and mitigating financial and legal risks arising from errors in administration or compliance.
• Polytechnic-Union Relations and Committees
  
  • Determines and articulates the Polytechnic's labour relations position in Union/Polytechnic Committees and other joint forums, resolves escalated or complex matters, maintains senior-level relationships with OPSEU and sector stakeholders, and ensures consistent application of institutional labour relations positions across departments.
• Other duties as assigned.

Educational and Experience Requirements:

• Post-graduate degree in Labour Relations, Industrial Relations, Human Resources, Education or related discipline.
• Minimum seven (7) years of significant labour relations experience in a complex unionized environment, preferably post-secondary, including grievance arbitration, collective bargaining support, and high-risk labour relations matters.

Skills andAttributes:

• Knowledge of HR and academic systems such as Banner, SWF (Standard Workload Form), Faculty Assignment Database, and Partial Load Registry are an asset.
• Solid case management, planning, and coordinating skills, along with the ability to prioritize competing deadlines.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, teamwork, and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to uphold the Polytechnic's priorities on diversity and equity.
• Able to travel to various campuses.

Interview process may consist of a practical skills component.

Notes:

• The Polytechnic requires proof of degrees, credentials, or equivalencies from accredited regional or federal post-secondary institutions and/or their international equivalents. Credentials may require validation at the time of interviews or offer.