Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP), Human Resources and Organizational Development

Laurentian University/Université Laurentienne; Northeastern Ontario; On-site; CAD 94,000 - 117,000; Full time

Job summary

Laurentian University is seeking a Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP) to manage employee relations, disability accommodations, and recruitment within a highly unionized environment. You will lead investigations, support MOA development, and advise managers on collective agreements and legislation.

Reporting to the Director, Service and Talent Management, you will champion a compliant, inclusive workplace while coordinating with union representatives and university leadership to ensure

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business administration, commerce, human resources, psychology or related field.
• Three to five years of experience in human resources and/or labor relations in a highly unionized organization.
• CHRP or CHRL designation in progress is preferred.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated problem-solving, attention to detail, and conflict resolution skills.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills; ability to meet deadlines.
• Excellent analytical and critical thinking skills.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience with institutional records, retention policies, and data integrity.
• Proven ability to work independently with minimal supervision, take initiative, and collaborate within a team.
• Discretion and sound judgment when managing confidential data.
• Knowledge of collective bargaining processes and experience with collective agreements/unionized environment.
• Experience with employment-related legislation (ESA, OHSA, Human Rights, AODA) and knowledge of changes.
• Fluent in both official languages, French and English.

Responsibilities

• Develop strong connections with university leaders to provide strategic compliance advice regarding policies, legislation, and collective agreements.
• Serve as the primary contact for managers seeking guidance on employee issues.
• Oversee investigations into employment matters and coordinate with managers and the Union.
• Handle grievance files from initiation to resolution and draft MOAs with the Union.
• Advise managers on interpreting collective agreements and policies to ensure compliance.
• Lead bi-weekly meetings with the Union to discuss ongoing issues and alignment.
• Lead a committee to promote open communication between management and labor representatives.
• Assist with disability management, accommodations, return-to-work programs, and RTW meetings.
• Review, edit, and sign employment contracts ensuring accuracy and compliance.
• Create and deliver workshops on administering collective agreements and HR best practices.
• Collaborate with budget, payroll, and finance to address HR-related issues and improve processes.
• Contribute to continuous improvements in HR services and recruitment practices.
• Maintain HR service model consistency with leadership.
• Generate regular reports to unions as required by the collective agreement.

Skills

Verbal and written communication

Problem solving

Analytical thinking

Time management

Discretion and judgment

Independent work

Team collaboration

Conflict resolution

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business administration, commerce, human resources, psychology or related field

Job description

Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP), Human Resources and Organizational Development

Position No.: JOBPOST-2026-001358

Salary: $ 94,005 - $ 117,188 per year

Competition ends: Tuesday, September 29th at 4:30 pm

Reporting to the Director, Service and Talent Management, the Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP) manages employee and labor relations, ensuring compliance with collective agreements and legal standards while fostering a positive organizational culture. This role involves overseeing grievance investigations, disability management, and general HR services, ultimately contributing to a supportive and inclusive work environment.

Labour Relations

• Develop strong connections with university leaders to provide strategic compliance advice regarding policies, legislation, and collective agreements. Serve as the primary contact for managers seeking guidance on employee issues.
• Collaborate with university leaders and labor partners to proactively identify, prevent, and resolve issues, fostering constructive relationships.
• Oversee investigations into employment matters. When allegations arise, the HRBP collaborates with managers and the Union to conduct fact-finding investigations and determine appropriate actions.
• Handle grievance files from initiation to resolution, including liaising with stakeholders and attending mediation or arbitration hearings. Create and manage Memorandums of Agreement (MOAs) to resolve issues without arbitration, working with the Union to draft and finalize agreements.
• Assist managers with best practices and interpretations of collective agreements and policies, ensuring compliance with legislation. Managers consult the HRBP for clarification on unionized and non-unionized employee agreements.
• Ensure adherence to all legislative, collective agreement, and policy obligations of the university.
• Hold bi-weekly meetings with the Union to discuss ongoing issues and align on concerns, facilitating communication between management and union representatives.
• Lead a committee that promotes open communication between management and labor representatives, addressing workplace issues and enhancing employee satisfaction. This committee serves as a platform for improving communication, addressing workplace changes, and facilitating resolutions to issues across the university.

Disability/Accommodation Management

• Assist the HR Specialist (HRS) and HR Assistant (HRA) in managing disability files and facilitating communication about employee accommodations, absences, and return-to-work programs.
• Advise managers on identifying and implementing workplace accommodations for employees with disabilities, ensuring compliance with relevant legislation and collective agreements.
• Recognize when an employee's performance or behavioral issues may be linked to a medical condition or disability.
• Collaborate with the HRS and HRA to evaluate and implement suitable accommodations for employees affected by disabilities. The HRBP will engage the union when necessary and lead return-to-work (RTW) meetings to align with any restrictions or Gradual Return to Work (GRTW) requests.
• Guide managers in addressing performance and behavioral issues while ensuring compliance with disability accommodation obligations.

Recruitment, Talent Acquisition & Staffing Planning

• Review, edit, and sign all employment contracts to ensure accuracy and compliance with policies, collective agreements, terms, conditions, and legislation.
• Create and deliver workshops and training sessions for stakeholders on administering collective agreements and HR best practices.
• Work with departments like budget, payroll, and finance to address HR-related issues, identify gaps, and update processes related to employee records, recruiting, training, job classification, and compensation.
• Propose and contribute to continuous improvements in HR services and processes.
• Collaborate with the leadership team to maintain a consistent human resource service model.
• Ensure recruitment and compensation practices comply with collective agreement provisions, job evaluation administration, and relevant policies. Support the development and training for new managers.
• Create and submit regular reports to the unions as required by the collective agreement, ensuring timely and accurate information.

Other Duties

• Perform other duties within the professional scope and skill level of the position, in full compliance with applicable legislation, university policies, and collective agreements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business administration, commerce, human resources, psychology or related field
• Three (3) to five (5) years of experience in human resources and/or labor relations coupled with proven knowledge of applicable employment legislation within a highly unionized organization.
• A Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) or Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) designation in progress is preferred.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated problem-solving, attention to detail, and conflict resolution skills.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills; ability to meet deadlines.
• Excellent analytical and critical thinking skills.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience in managing institutional records, adhering to retention policies, and ensuring data integrity.
• Proven ability to work independently with minimal supervision, take initiative, and collaborate effectively within a team environment
• Proven discretion and sound judgment when managing highly confidential business, financial, or personnel data.
• Knowledge of the collective bargaining process and experience working with collective agreements / unionized environment.
• Experience with employment-related legislation (ESA, OHSA, Human Rights, AODA) and maintains up-to-date knowledge of changes to legislation.
• Specific experience in unionized environments, including contract negotiations, grievance handling, and interpreting collective agreements.
• Ability to work fluently (verbal and written) in both official languages, French and English, is required.

Applications are being accepted to fill an active vacancy within the University.

The official University hours of operation shall be from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, during, and including, the months from September to April, and from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m Monday through Friday during and including May to August., amounting to thirty-three and three-quarter (33.75) hours per week.

At Laurentian University, we recognize that work-life balance is essential for both personal well-being and professional success. Our policy offers employees some flexibility to better balance personal needs while maintaining effective service delivery.

Laurentian University is an inclusive and welcoming community committed to employment equity. Applications are encouraged from members of equity-seeking communities including women, racialized and Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, and persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities/expressions. Laurentian University’s bilingualism policy provides a provision regarding the language requirement for persons self-identifying as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.

Laurentian University is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free experience to applicants with accessibility needs. Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage during the recruitment process. Please contact Human Resources for more information ([e-mail]).