HR Assistant

Dalhousie University; Truro; Hybrid; CAD 50,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Agriculture in Truro, NS seeks an HR Assistant to provide comprehensive administrative and human resources support. You will coordinate recruitment and employee lifecycle processes, prepare HR documentation, monitor appointments, and support the Dean’s Office.

Reporting to the Director, Finance and Administration, the role requires in-person campus work and engagement with university policies, procedures, and timelines to ensure efficient HR services.

Qualifications

• Statement interpretation and application of policies, procedures, and collective agreements.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines with discretion.
• Strong attention to detail and handling confidential employee information.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and administer hiring, extension, termination, and employee maintenance processes for faculty, staff, researchers, students, and senior leaders within the Faculty of Agriculture.
• Prepare, process, and maintain accurate HR documentation while ensuring compliance with university policies, procedures, and timelines.
• Manage recruitment activities through PeopleAdmin, including job postings, search committee coordination, interview scheduling, and onboarding support.
• Monitor temporary, term, and student appointments, proactively coordinating extensions, end-of-term actions, and employee status changes.
• Administer building and card access requests, maintain faculty listservs, and ensure employee access and communication records remain current and accurate.
• Provide reception and administrative support for the Dean’s Office, including front-line service, meeting and event coordination, and backup support for administrative team members.

Skills

Policy interpretation

Attention to detail

Confidential information handling

Education

Business/Administrative Professional diploma

Job description

Salary $27.60 - $34.94 per hour ($50,232 - $63,584 per annum, 35 hours per week)

Classification

Classification C5

Provisional Statement

This is a provisional classification. Formal regular review classification procedures may be initiated at any time by the incumbent or supervisor after the incumbent has worked a minimum of six months in the role.

Dalhousie University is Atlantic Canada’s leading research-intensive university and a driver of the region’s intellectual, social and economic development. Located in the heart of Halifax, Nova Scotia, with an Agricultural Campus in Truro/Bible Hill, Dalhousie is a truly national and international university, with more than half of our almost 21,000 students coming from outside of the province. Our 6,000 faculty and staff foster a vibrant, purpose-driven community, that celebrated 200 years of academic excellence in 2018.

Job Summary

The Faculty of Agriculture, Dalhousie University is a small research-intensive campus located in Truro, NS. Offering technical, undergraduate and graduate programs in agriculture, environment and related life and social science disciplines, the Faculty of Agriculture educates future leaders and generates knowledge and innovative solutions for healthy, sustainable societies.
Reporting to the Director, Finance and Administration, the HR Assistant , provides comprehensive administrative and human resources support for the Faculty of Agriculture by coordinating recruitment and employee lifecycle processes, preparing HR documentation, monitoring appointments, managing access and communication systems, and delivering front-line administrative support to the Dean’s Office.

Key Responsibilities

• Coordinate and administer hiring, extension, termination, and employee maintenance processes for faculty, staff, researchers, students, and senior leaders within the Faculty of Agriculture.
• Prepare, process, and maintain accurate human resources documentation while ensuring compliance with university policies, procedures, and timelines.
• Manage recruitment activities through PeopleAdmin, including job postings, search committee coordination, interview scheduling, and onboarding support.
• Monitor temporary, term, and student appointments, proactively coordinating extensions, end-of-term actions, and employee status changes.
• Administer building and card access requests, maintain faculty listservs, and ensure employee access and communication records remain current and accurate.
• Provide reception and administrative support for the Dean’s Office, including front-line service, meeting and event coordination, and backup support for administrative team members.

Note

Due to operational requirements, the successful applicant is required to work in-person on campus.

Required Qualifications

• Business/Administrative Professional diploma plus approximately three to five years of related work experience (or equivalent combination of training and experience).
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and apply policies, procedures, and collective agreements while managing multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Strong attention to detail and experience handling confidential and sensitive employee information.

Assets

• Human Resources training, education, or related certification.
• Experience supporting recruitment, onboarding, and employee lifecycle processes.
• Experience using HR information systems, applicant tracking systems, or database management tools.

The successful candidate is expected to demonstrate proficiency in Dalhousie’s core competencies, in particular:

• Respect & Inclusion
• Adaptability
• Knowledge & Thinking Skills
• Communication
• Service

Additional Information

Dalhousie University supports a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Our total compensation package includes a defined benefit pension plan, health and dental plans, a health spending account, an employee and family assistance program and a tuition assistance program.

Application Consideration

Non-probationary bargaining unit employees ( NSGEU local 77) are given priority consideration. All other applications will be considered when there is no qualified candidate from the bargaining unit.
We sincerely appreciate all applications and note that only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted directly by the hiring department or People and Culture.

Diversity Statement

Dalhousie University commits to achieving inclusive excellence through continually championing equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. The university encourages applications from Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island (especially Mi’kmaq), persons of Black/African descent (especially African Nova Scotians), and members of other racialized groups, persons with disabilities, women, persons identifying as members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, and all candidates who would contribute to the diversity of our community. In accordance with our Employment Equity Policy, preference will be given in hiring processes to candidates who self-identify as members of one or more of the equity-deserving groups listed above. For more information, including details related to our Employment Equity Policy and Plan and definitions of equity-deserving groups please review our Employment Equity information. If you require any support for the purpose of accommodation, such as technical aids or alternative arrangements, please let us know of these needs and how we can be of assistance. Dalhousie University is committed to ensuring all candidates have full, fair, and equitable participation in the hiring process. Our complete Accommodation Policy can be viewed here .

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

Documents Needed to Apply

• Required Documents: Résumé / Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Optional Documents: Cover Letter