Labour Relations Advisor

Surrey Police Service; Surrey; On-site; CAD 116,000 - 136,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Extended health and dental

Municipal Pension Plan

RRSP/TFSA matching

Professional development

Job summary

Surrey Police Service in Surrey, BC, invites an experienced Labour Relations Advisor to join the HR team. Reporting to the HR Advisory Services Manager, you will advise management on a broad range of labour and employee relations matters within a unionized environment, lead investigations, manage grievances, and support performance, attendance, and disciplinary processes.

The ideal candidate has public-sector experience, a degree in HR, 5–7 years in labour relations, and a willingness to obtain

Qualifications

• Progressive labour relations experience in a highly unionized public-sector environment.
• Experience leading workplace investigations and grievance administration.
• Knowledge of collective agreement interpretation and labor law principles.
• Experience supporting collective bargaining and arbitration preparation.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain relationships with union representatives to support collaboration.
• Provide expert advice on interpretation and application of collective agreements and policies.
• Lead workplace investigations from start to finish and draft findings and recommendations.
• Lead the grievance process from review through resolution and draft settlements.
• Support performance, attendance, and accommodation processes.
• Participate in labour-management meetings and support bargaining activities as needed.
• Maintain labour relations records and monitor legislative changes.
• Collaborate with Abilities Management on fitness for duty and accommodations.
• Lead key recruitments as required by HR team.

Skills

Labour relations

Workplace investigations

Grievance administration

Collective agreement interpretation

Arbitration preparation

Public-sector experience

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources or related field

CPHR designation preferred

Police security clearance polygraph

Job description

Surrey Police Service

Labour Relations Advisor

Regular Full-Time | Exempt

Surrey Police Service (SPS) is Surrey’s new municipal police agency. On November 29, 2024, SPS became the police of jurisdiction, and assumed responsibility and command for policing and law enforcement in Surrey. SPS is working to redefine policing with innovative new approaches and community-based solutions. It’s an exciting time as SPS continues to expand our team with talented people who want to help shape the future of policing in Surrey. To date we’ve hired over 700 police officers and over 550 civilian support staff and will grow to be one of the largest independent police services in Canada. Since day one, SPS has been intentional about building a culture that is inclusive, respectful and supportive, with a strong focus on employee wellness and career development.

Position Overview

SPS has an exciting opportunity for an experienced Labour Relations Advisor to join the Human Resources team within the HR and Support Division. Reporting to the HR Advisory Services Manager, this role serves as a trusted advisor to management on a broad range of labour and employee relations matters within a complex, unionized environment. The Labour Relations Advisor is responsible for leading workplace investigations, managing grievances, interpreting and applying collective agreements, providing strategic labour relations advice, and supporting performance, attendance, accommodation, and disciplinary processes. The ideal candidate brings significant experience working in a public-sector or other highly unionized environment and is confident managing complex labour relations matters with a high degree of independence.

Schedule / Hours of Work

This is an on-site position with an anticipated schedule of Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (PST). SPS supports flexibility where operationally feasible, and hours may vary based on operational needs.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain an effective working relationship with union representatives to support a collaborative approach to labour relations
• Provide expert advice and guidance to managers on the interpretation and application of collective agreements, employment legislation, labour law principles, and organizational policies.
• Conduct workplace investigations from start to finish, including preparing findings and recommendations reports and issuing discipline where appropriate
• Lead the grievance process from initial review through resolution, including conducting investigations, assessing risk, developing strategy, representing the employer's interests, and drafting settlement agreements where appropriate.
• Act as an investigator for Respectful Workplace complaints
• Lead and support managers through performance management and attendance management processes
• Participate in regular labour management meetings with the respective Union(s)
• Support collective bargaining activities through research, proposal development, costing, issue analysis, and participation in negotiations as required.
• Maintain accurate records of labour relations files and activities to ensure compliance and consistency across the organization.
• Monitor legislative changes and ensure HR practices and policies remain compliant with labour laws.
• Support and work collaboratively with the Abilities Management team on employee medical files related to fitness for duty and workplace accommodations.
• Support other HR functions as required by the broader HR team, including leading key recruitments

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

As the successful incumbent, you are highly organized and solutions-focused with an ability to think critically and efficiently. You will thrive in a fast-paced and collaborative environment with an ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with clients, team members, the union and key stakeholders. You have a proven talent for researching, analyzing, and synthesizing data with great attention to detail. You are someone who enjoys taking initiative, working independently, and applying sound judgment to deliver results.

Qualifications

• An undergraduate degree in Human Resources or a related field.
• Five (5) to seven (7) years of progressive labour relations experience in a highly unionized public-sector, municipal, Crown corporation, police, or similar environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading workplace investigations, grievance administration, collective agreement interpretation, and complex labour relations matters.
• Experience supporting collective bargaining, arbitration preparation, and labour-management partnerships is considered a strong asset.
• A CPHR designation is preferred. An equivalent combination of experience and education may be considered.
• All applicants must obtain and maintain the required police security clearance throughout their employment with SPS, which includes a mandatory polygraph examination.

Benefits & Compensation

Surrey Police Service offers a comprehensive benefits package, including extended health and dental coverage, a defined benefit pension through the Municipal Pension Plan, RRSP/TFSA matching, generous vacation entitlements, and ongoing professional development. Employees benefit from short-term and long-term disability coverage, and travel and life insurance. SPS also provides an annual Lifestyle Spending Account (covering a broad range of eligible health, wellness, fitness, family, and professional development expenses etc.), and discounted access to City of Surrey recreation facilities. With a strong focus on well-being, career growth, and work-life balance, SPS is committed to fostering a supportive and rewarding workplace Note – The aforementioned benefits only apply to eligible full-time positions within SPS.

• This is an exempt position.
• The salary range is $115,640 to 136,047 per year (pay grade P2).