Director, Employee and Labour Relations

NAIT (Northern Alberta Institute of Technology); Edmonton; On-site; CAD 137,000 - 182,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits package

Flexible work environment

Paid vacation time and holidays

Hybrid work arrangements (where role/n

Remote positions within Canada

Job summary

NAIT is seeking a Director, Employee & Labour Relations to provide strategic leadership for labour and employee relations, workforce risk, and ability management, while fostering productive relationships with unions and leaders.

Reporting to the Associate Vice President, Human Resources, this role leads an institution-facing portfolio, guiding investigations, performance management, and organizational change with fair, consistent, and sustainable outcomes.

Qualifications

• Degree in HR, Labour Relations, Industrial Relations or related field.
• Senior leadership experience in a complex, unionized HR environment.
• Experience advising executives on complex workplace matters and organizational responses.
• Experience leading teams, budgets, and cross-functional initiatives.
• Familiarity with HR technology and workforce analytics is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Define strategic direction for employee and labour relations and lead an integrated plan.
• Lead the full collective bargaining cycle from mandate to implementation.
• Build constructive relationships with unions, employees, leaders and HR partners.
• Advise executives on complex workplace matters, investigations, and change management.
• Oversee portfolio budgets, external resources, and use of digital tools and AI.

Skills

Labour relations

Negotiation

Strategic thinking

Stakeholder management

Data analysis

Education

Degree in HR/IR

Tools

Workday

Job description

Ready to start your next chapter with NAIT?

At NAIT, we’re passionate about building a team of talented, dedicated professionals who share our commitment to excellence and innovation. Your skills and experience can shape the future of education and make a real impact in our community.

About The Opportunity

Help shape a future where NAIT's employee and labour relations practices strengthen trust, support organizational stability, and help people and teams thrive. Reporting to the Associate Vice President, Human Resources, the Director, Employee & Labour Relations is a member of the HR Leadership Team and leads an institution-facing Employee & Labour Relations portfolio. The Director provides strategic leadership for labour and employee relations, collective bargaining, workforce risk, and ability management while fostering productive relationships between employees, leaders, unions, and the institution. The Director serves as a trusted advisor to executive and senior leaders, helping navigate complex workplace matters and translating institutional priorities into practical action that advances the NAIT Effect. Success in this role requires a credible, principled, and forward-looking leader who combines sound judgment with strong relationship-building skills, thrives in complex environments, and is committed to achieving fair, consistent, and sustainable outcomes for employees and the organization.

Key Responsibilities

• Define the strategic direction for employee and labour relations and lead an integrated labour relations plan aligned with institutional priorities.
• Establish clear governance, decision-making roles, escalation protocols, case standards, service expectations, and measures of success.
• Lead the full collective bargaining cycle, including mandate development, costing, scenario planning, approvals, team roles, communications, contingency planning, ratification, implementation, and lessons learned.
• Build and sustain constructive relationships with unions, employees, leaders, and HR partners through regular dialogue, reliable follow-through, and early issue resolution.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to executive and senior leaders on complex employee and labour relations matters, including investigations, grievances, performance management, accommodations, organizational change, workforce risk, and labour disruption planning.
• Build leader capability through education, coaching, and guidance related to collective agreement administration, performance management, accommodations, investigations, grievance management, and organizational readiness.
• Provide strategic leadership for employee relations, employee wellbeing, and ability management programs, ensuring fair, consistent, timely, and human-centred outcomes, including WCB claims, disability management, accommodations, and sustainable return-to-work planning.
• Collaborate across Human Resources and with leaders on talent management initiatives, including workforce planning, succession management, performance, retention, and leadership development.
• Lead a team of professional consultants and ability management professionals; align resources with priorities and foster accountability, sound judgment, collaboration, and exceptional performance.
• Represent NAIT with unions, legal counsel, government, post-secondary networks, and sector partners while maintaining credibility in sensitive and high-stakes environments.
• Represent NAIT's interests in employment-related legal matters, working closely with internal and external legal counsel as required.
• Lead NAIT's response to matters before the Alberta Labour Relations Board, including applications, complaints, hearings, and related legal strategy.
• Oversee portfolio budgets, external legal and consulting resources, confidential information, and the responsible use of digital tools, automation, and AI.

Skills & Abilities

• Advanced knowledge of employee and labour relations practices within a complex, unionized environment.
• Deep understanding of Alberta labour and employment legislation, human rights, privacy, occupational health and safety requirements, and relevant labour relations jurisprudence.
• Demonstrated ability to assess organizational and legal risk and develop practical, balanced solutions to complex issues.
• Strong strategic thinking, sound judgment, resilience, emotional intelligence, and political acuity.
• Exceptional negotiation, consultation, facilitation, relationship-building, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Strong communication and executive presentation skills, with the ability to influence and build credibility across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity, competing priorities, and sensitive situations while maintaining constructive working relationships.
• Strong analytical capability and experience using data and evidence to support decision-making, continuous improvement, and organizational outcomes.

Qualifications

• A degree in Human Resources, Labour Relations, Industrial Relations, Business, Law, or a related discipline is required. A related graduate degree or professional designation is considered an asset. Equivalent combinations of education and experience will be considered.
• Progressive senior leadership experience in human resources within a complex, unionized environment, including collective bargaining, employee and labour relations, and workforce risk management.
• Experience advising senior and executive leaders on complex workplace matters and leading organizational responses to employee and labour relations challenges.
• Experience leading and developing high-performing professional teams while managing budgets, external resources, and cross-functional initiatives.
• Familiarity with Workday and experience using HR technology, workforce analytics, and case management systems are assets.
• Public-sector or post-secondary experience is considered an asset.

Remuneration:

Refer to salary range noted on posting, plus a comprehensive benefits package.

The compensation range for this job posting is : $137,462.37 - $182,117.48

Applicants with education credentials earned outside of Canada should have their credentials evaluated by a recognized agency in Canada - Foreign Credential Validation against Canadian Standards - Canada.ca.

NAIT is committed to a transparent, fair, and human-centered hiring experience. All candidates are assessed directly by our recruitment and hiring teams.

About NAIT

We are known as one of Alberta’s top employers. Being part of a community that makes a difference in the lives of students, staff, industry clients and partners, NAIT’s culture reflects our shared values of respect, collaboration, celebration, creativity, and accountability.

People are what make NAIT great, and we prioritize the employee experience. For eligible positions, we offer benefits and unique perks focusing on health and wellness, work-life balance, recognition, and professional and personal growth. In addition to excellent vacation time, eligible employees receive paid time off between Christmas and New Year’s.

NAIT supports a flexible work environment, enabling staff to request approval for on-campus, off-site, or hybrid work arrangements based on the nature of the role. Please note that remote positions require employees to reside within Canada.

NAIT is committed to fostering a safe environment that supports equity and cultivates inclusion through our Centre for Community and Belonging (CCB). We are a proud partner of the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion. While we encourage all qualified applicants to apply, only those being considered will be contacted. If you require any assistance or accommodations please connect with us at [e-mail].