Job Description:Are you a strategic labour relations professional who enjoys solving complex workplace challenges and influencing organizational success?
PURPOSE OF POSITIONFSRA is seeking a strategic and experienced
Senior Labour Relations Lead to provide enterprise-wide leadership and oversight of labour relations. As the organization's labour relations expert, this role ensures compliance with collective agreements and legislative requirements while fostering productive relationships with bargaining agents. Working closely with senior leaders, HR, and management, the successful candidate will lead collective bargaining, address complex change management and workplace issues, and support positive labour-management outcomes.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIESStrategic Labour Relations Leadership- Lead the development and execution of labour relations strategies that support organizational priorities, workforce objectives, and transformation initiatives.
- Provide expert advice to executives and senior leaders on complex labour relations matters, organizational change, workforce restructuring, and collective agreement interpretation.
- Build and maintain effective labour-management relationships while proactively identifying and mitigating organizational risk.
- Ensure compliance with collective agreements, labour and employment legislation, and public sector requirements.
Collective Bargaining and Dispute Resolution- Lead collective bargaining negotiations with AMAPCEO and OPSEU, including bargaining strategy, mandate development, and negotiations.
- Provide strategic oversight of grievances, mediations, arbitrations, and labour disputes to achieve timely and effective resolutions.
- Partner with HR, Finance, Compensation, and business leaders to assess labour relations impacts and risks.
Workplace Investigations- Provide strategic leadership and oversight for complex workplace investigations.
- Advise on investigation findings, disciplinary outcomes, corrective actions, and risk mitigation strategies.
- Identify trends and recommend initiatives to strengthen workplace culture and reduce organizational risk.
Analytics and Strategic Insights- Monitor and analyze labour relations metrics, trends, and emerging issues to support decision-making and enterprise risk management.
- Prepare executive briefings, reports, and recommendations to inform bargaining strategies, workforce planning, and organizational priorities.
Governance, Compliance and Capability Building- Lead the development and continuous improvement of labour relations policies, programs, and practices.
- Ensure organizational compliance with legislative, regulatory, and collective agreement obligations.
QUALIFICATIONS Education - Postsecondary degree in Human Resources, Industrial Relations, Business Administration, Law, or a related field, or a combination of education and experience deemed equivalent.
- CHRL designation, master's degree, or related advanced credential, an asset.
Experience- 7-10 years of progressive labour relations experience in unionized environments, preferably within the broader public sector, including in grievance management, arbitration, mediation, and dispute resolution
- Experience as lead spokesperson or or principal advisor during collective bargaining negotiations.
- Experience supporting organizational change initiatives in unionized settings.
Knowledge and Skills - Strategic labour relations expertise: Deep expertise in collective bargaining, grievance administration, dispute resolution, labour relations strategy, and the interpretation of collective agreements, legislation, policies, and precedent.
- Public sector governance and accountability: Strong knowledge of Ontario labour and employment legislation (including the Employment Standards Act, Human Rights Code, Occupational Health and Safety Act, Pay Equity Act) public sector governance, accountability frameworks, the operating context of a regulated public organization and public sector labour relations practices.
- Negotiation, influence, and conflict resolution: Exceptional ability to lead negotiations, influence outcomes, resolve complex workplace issues, and support constructive labour-management relationships; to facilitate settlement discussions with union representatives to resolve grievances before escalation to arbitration.
- Risk assessment and sound judgment: Advanced analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills to assess organizational risk and develop balanced, defensible, and sustainable solutions; to evaluate grievance trends, precedent, operational impacts, and legal risk
- Relationship building and stakeholder management: Proven ability to build trust and credibility with unions, leaders, employees, HR partners, and stakeholders at all levels through regular labour-management dialogue to identify issues early and support collaborative problem solving.
- Communication: Outstanding communication to provide candid advice and lead sensitive or challenging conversations; to brief senior leaders on complex labour relations issues and provide clear recommendations where decisions are sensitive.
- Change and conflict management: Ability to lead management and employees through organizational change, workplace transitions, and conflict resolution while maintaining positive labour relations; to support workforce transition initiatives by identifying labour relations risks, communication needs, and mitigation strategies.
- Accountability, integrity, and results orientation: Demonstrated political acuity, judgment, discretion and commitment to achieving practical labour relations outcomes aligned with organizational objectives; to manage confidential employee and union matters with discretion while ensuring timely, fair, and well-documented resolutions.
Please note that this position will close at 12AM on the expiry date
Compensation Range:$106,462.00
$159,692.00
Employment Type:Regular
Scheduled Weekly Hours:36.25
