Human Resources Business Partner

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

Job summary

A major health institution in Halifax is seeking a Human Resources Business Partner to provide strategic consulting and support in a complex environment. The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor’s degree, at least five years of HR consulting experience in a unionized setting, and excellent interpersonal and communication skills. This temporary full-time position offers a competitive salary and flexible working hours, with opportunities for professional growth and collaboration in a supportive environment.

Benefits

Enhanced benefits and wellness programs

Training and mentorship opportunities

Qualifications

• Minimum of five years of experience in a Human Resources consulting role in a unionized environment.
• Demonstrated knowledge of collective agreements and relevant legislation.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic consulting and HR support to management.
• Advise on employee and labour relations and performance management.
• Handle grievance and arbitration processes.

Skills

Excellent customer service

Interpersonal skills

Analytical thinking

Coaching skills

Communication skills

Proficiency in Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources or related field

Tools

SAP

Job description

Job Title: Human Resources Business Partner

Company: IWK Health

Req ID: 209977

Department/Program: Labour Relations and HR Partnerships, People Services

Location: Halifax

Type of Employment: Temporary Hourly FT long-assignment (100% FTE) for 18 months with the possibility of extension x 1 position(s)

Start Date: ASAP

Union Status: Non-union, Management/Non-Union Bargaining Unit

Compensation: $40.9539 - $51.1923 /hour

Closing Date: 15 January 2026 (Applications are accepted until 23:59 Atlantic Time)

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 that 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 proportions of transgender and non-binary people of 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 (Hybrid position with 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 of 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 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.