Human Resources Business Partner

IWK Health; Halifax; On-site; CAD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

IWK Health is seeking a Human Resources Business Partner to support management in a dynamic unionized environment. This permanent position requires a strong HR background, excellent communication skills, and experience in navigating complex collective agreements. Join a respected health organization in Halifax and be part of a team that values diversity, inclusion, and professional growth.

Qualifications

• Minimum five years of HR consulting experience in a unionized environment.
• Knowledge of collective agreements and legislation relevant to HR.
• Ability to build strong relationships and handle sensitive information.

Responsibilities

• Support all levels of management with HR advice and coaching.
• Handle performance management and grievance processes.
• Implement workforce planning and organizational design.

Skills

Customer Service

Interpersonal Skills

Communication Skills

Consultative Skills

Analytical Thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources

Certificate in Human Resources Management

Tools

Microsoft Office

SAP

Job description

Job Title: Human Resources Business Partner

Company: IWK Health

Req ID: 204866

Department/Program: Labour Relations and HR Partnerships, People and Organization Development

Location: Halifax

Type of Employment: Permanent Hourly FT (100% FTE) x 1 position

Start Date: ASAP

Union Status: Non-Union

Compensation: $40.9539 - $51.1923 /hour

Closing Date: 23 June 2025 (Applications are accepted until 23:59 Atlantic Time)

This is not a designated position; however, preference will be given to qualified candidates who self-identify as Indigenous, Black/African Nova Scotians, Persons of Colour, Immigrants/Newcomers, Persons with Disabilities, and/or 2SLGBTQIA+. Please self-identify on your application.

IWK Health is a respected academic health sciences centre located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, providing tertiary and primary care for two million children, youth, adults, and families each year across the Atlantic region. We have a team of approximately 4000 employees, physicians, volunteers, and learners at sites across Nova Scotia. People build careers with IWK Health with our focus on training and mentorship opportunities. We recognize each other’s talent and celebrate our successes. We collaborate in modern facilities or virtually from home, align our work to our values, and enjoy access to enhanced benefits and wellness programs. We are proud to support our patients, families, and communities and are grateful for the generous donor support we receive.

Promoting an anti-racist environment and calling out discrimination as we work and provide care is important to us. We are located in Mi’kma’ki, the unceded and ancestral territory of the Mi’kmaq people. Working in Mi’kma’ki and providing care to those across Atlantic Canada is a shared privilege with the original inhabitants who have lived here for many thousands of years prior to colonization. There are 13 First Nation communities across Nova Scotia, and more than 50 historic African Nova Scotian communities who also have a long, deep, and complex history dating back over 400 years. We have the highest percentage of people with disabilities in the country. Nova Scotia has the highest proportion of transgender and non-binary people than any other province or territory in the country. We are active in our work to eliminate discrimination, but we have more work to do to build that trust, acknowledge our biases, and reduce the barriers our diverse communities face. We want IWK Health to be a safe and supportive space of equity and belonging in the care we provide and the employment we offer. We welcome all interested persons who self-identify as Indigenous, Black/African Nova Scotians, Persons of Colour, Immigrants/Newcomers, Persons with Disabilities, and 2SLGBTQIA+ to apply to support our goal for our workforce to be representative of the patients, families, and communities that we care for at all job levels.

The Opportunity

Reporting to the Manager, Labour Relations & HR Partnerships, the Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP) is a problem solver, change agent, and service-oriented business partner who coaches, consults, and supports all levels of management, including Managers, Directors, Senior Leadership and employees within our complex unionized and non-unionized environment. The HRBP has both an internal and external focus and must always be aware of the broader implications in the provincial health system of all decisions.

The HRBP builds strong relationships within the designated client groups, works collaboratively and leverages relationships with Subject Matter Experts (SME) across the IWK, and is committed to understanding the business and needs of clients. Key areas of focus for this position includes strategic consulting, coaching and advising leaders on employee and labour relations, performance management, performance development, progressive discipline, interpretation and application of the collective agreements and employment legislation, grievance and arbitration handling, administrative and respectful workplace investigations, technological changes, attendance management, collective bargaining, essential services planning, workforce planning, organizational design and succession planning.

Hours of Work

7.5 hour shifts; Monday to Friday, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm (Remote position; however, flexibility required to meet with clients on site as needed)

Your Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with a concentration in Human Resources or bachelor’s degree and a Certificate in Human Resources Management, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Minimum of five (5) years experience in a Human Resources consulting role within a highly unionized environment with multiple unions and/or collective agreements required; experience in a variety of human resource functional areas in a unionized environment will be considered; health care or government environment strongly preferred.

• Demonstrated knowledge of collective agreements, employment guides, and relevant legislation, Labour Code, Human Rights Act, Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPOP), and Occupational Health and Safety Act.

• Excellent customer service, interpersonal, communication skills (verbal and written), and relationship-building skills.

• Demonstrated consultative, influencing, and coaching skills.

• Effective work practice – accountable, dependable, flexible, persevering, and results-oriented.

• Effective research and analytical thinking skills.

• Effective facilitation and presentation skills.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, Access, PowerPoint), MS Internet Explorer, online recruitment systems, and SAP.

• Knowledge of health care issues and Human Resources trends.

• Demonstrated planning, organizational, prioritization, research, analytical, and time management skills.

• Demonstrated problem-solving and decision-making skills with the ability to handle confidential and sensitive information.

• Able to work in a busy environment with frequently changing priorities.

Thank you for your interest in IWK Health.

Please note that we only contact applicants selected for interview/testing. If we invite you to participate in an assessment process (such as an interview or testing), you have the right to request accommodation. Please discuss your needs when invited to the assessment process.

This is a Management/Non Union bargaining unit position. Preference is given to bargaining unit employees for unionized positions. Successful applicants changing unions, bargaining units, or employment status are advised to seek clarification regarding their seniority, benefits, and vacation entitlement and/or usage, prior to accepting the position.

An offer of employment is conditional upon the completion and satisfactory results of all applicable background checks and confirmation of credentials.