HR - Director of Labour Relations (Mon-Fri Days)

RainCity Housing operates on the stolen, unceded, ancestral, traditional homelands of the Xʷməθkwəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ Nations in so-called Vancouver, the q̓íc̓əy̓, qʼʷa:n̓ƛʼən̓, kʷikʷəƛ̓əm, qiqéyt, SEMYOME, Stó꞉lō, and sc̓əwaθən məsteyəxʷ Nations in so-called Lower Mainland, and the shíshálh in so-called Sunshine Coast.

THE ORGANIZATION - RAINCITY HOUSING SOCIETY
With a vision of providing a home for every person, RainCity Housing Society (“RainCity”) has a strong regional and provincial reputation for innovative and person-centred services. With programs located across BC’s lower mainland and Sunshine Coast, RainCity welcomes people into its housing and services on their terms and work with their choices, while building and maintaining partnerships with health and social service providers. Rather than seeing homelessness as one issue, RainCity recognizes the diversity of reasons people have become homeless and works to support them to move forward in their lives. As people’s choices about housing and support vary, RainCity provides a range of housing and support services, including shelters, transitional housing, long-term housing, housing for women-led families, and outreach-based housing programs. RainCity’s workplaces are inspiring, challenging and team-oriented. At its best, RainCity’s commitment to its mission and the communities its supports is outstanding. The RainCity community (employees and those it supports) is comprised of an increasingly diverse group of people. To support this change, the organisation is actively developing four key strategies:

• Anti-Racism and Cultural Safety
• Gender Identity and Expression
• Mental Health and Substance Use
• Wellness and Trauma

These strategies support RainCity’s focus on creating justice in its workspaces from the perspective of justice = equity + diversity + inclusion.

THE OPPORTUNITY - DIRECTOR OF LABOUR RELATIONS
Reporting to the VP, HR, the Director of Labour Relations (“Director”) is responsible for leading the development of the labour relations (“LR”) strategy and providing related advice, services, and initiatives for RainCity. Key duties include contributing to collective agreement negotiations with the Health Employers Association of BC (“HEABC”), interpretation of three collective agreements, overseeing and managing the grievance process, ensuring proper handling of workplace investigations, discipline and discharge processes, and proactively managing union relationships. The role encompasses leading, coaching and mentoring a team of four that includes two LR Specialists, a Workplace Conflict Resolution Specialist and an LR Coordinator.

RainCity has recently moved to an “HR Centres of Excellence” model, to create a supportive and responsive structure, and to provide higher levels of service and expertise, in response to the considerable growth that the organization has undergone. The Director of Labour Relations is a new role, one of four new Directors in the HR Centres of Excellence model, to provide expert guidance in RainCity’s complex, multi-union environment. This is an outstanding opportunity for a skilled LR leader to make an impact at one of BC’s most important supportive housing providers. The Director should be aligned with RainCity’s mission, vision, and values, and its trauma-informed, harm reduction approach; they should bring a high-level labour relations experience to build constructive relations with RainCity’s union partners, providing leadership to resolve ongoing issues and grievances, and also build labour relations capacity across the organization, serving as a key resource and trainer for frontline managers.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership

• Hire, train, mentor, manage, and develop the LR team; oversee and guide a team of LR specialists, ensuring effective collaboration and professional development;
• Collaborate with HR Leadership, Program Leadership, and the Raincity Senior Leadership team to ensure that labour relations strategies align with organizational goals and support various program objectives;
• Promote transparency and collaboration throughout the organization;
• Maintain and improve relationships with Union representatives;
• Ensure that the LR Department has the capacity to achieve its goals and that individual, HR department, and organizational objectives are met;
• Manage the day-to-day operations of the LR Department;
• Develop, maintain, and continually review/improve key metrics for the department; and
• Develop and implement strategies to promote a positive and inclusive work environment.

Employee and Labour Relations Management

• Ensure effective administration of all collective bargaining agreements for Raincity;
• Provide input and participate in union negotiations as necessary;
• Develop and oversee the Raincity LR strategy to ensure effective interaction with unions; • Address grievances under collective agreements by providing advice; interpret collective bargaining agreements;
• Oversee and resolve complex employee and LR cases, including complaints, disputes, and conflict resolution;
• Develop strategies and processes to manage ambiguous and escalated employee relations issues while exercising discretion and independent judgment;
• Investigate and resolve employee complaints and concerns, including those related to discrimination, harassment, and retaliation;
• Ensure compliance with labour laws and regulations, including WorkSafeBC, BC Employment Standards, Personal Information and Privacy Act, and BC Human Rights Code; • Provide guidance and support to HR Centers of Excellence (COEs), operations leadership, and HR Business Partners (HRBPs) on labour relations matters;
• Develop and conduct training programs for employees and management on labour relations and conflict resolution topics;
• Collaborate with HR and other departments to ensure consistency and alignment of employee and labour relations policies and practices;
• Collaborate with external legal teams on employment litigation while managing outside legal counsel and other professional costs and fees to ensure effective resource use; and
• Keep the organization's senior leadership informed of significant labor decisions, legislation, and regulatory rulings that may affect the organization's business or policies.

Fiscal Responsibility

• Assist with conducting annual HR planning and budgeting within the appropriate guidelines of funding donors, and sponsors;
• Develop and implement an LR budget;
• Continually monitor and evaluate budget and report on any unforeseen variances; and
• Ensure that the internal audits are conducted with efficiency and effectiveness, while maintaining productivity and continuity within the department.

Strategic Planning & Risk Management

• Monitor labour practices and ensure employees and employments practices comply with regulatory and legal requirements;
• Create a strategic plan for the LR Department, ensure individual work plans and goals align to the strategic plan and objectives;
• Analyze current labour related risks and identify potential risks that may affect Raincity;
• Educate the senior leadership about the most significant labour risks to Raincity; ensure that Directors understand the risks that might affect their departments;
• Create a business continuity plan to limit risks; and
• Build risk awareness amongst staff by providing support and training.

THE PERSON
The Director of LR should be a proactive leader who is well experienced with the nuances of overseeing an LR department in a complex organization focused on service delivery. As a person, their commitment to social justice will assist them in serving as a trusted advisor who informs key initiatives and enables sound operational and high-level decision-making. Possessing an inclusive leadership style, they build engagement with staff by leveraging the considerable expertise and strength that exists across the organization. The Director should be decisive and possess sufficient business acumen to help RainCity realize ambitious projects, providing expert LR guidance and building LR capacity with frontline managers and across the organization.

Professional and Personal Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, IR, business, or related field;
• MBA or master’s degree in HR, IR, other related field preferred;
• 10+ years of progressive HR Generalist or HR Business Partner experience with at least 5 years of dedicated experience in LR;
• Experience in a management position, preferably in a HR department; leading, managing and developing staff; preparing and managing annual budgets;
• Expert knowledge of labour and employment laws, leading LR in a unionized context, conducting workplace investigations; mediation and arbitration experience required;
• Experience working with the BCNU, HSP and BCGEU collective agreements is an asset;
• Experience working in a complex non-profit or public sector organization is an asset; and • Experience working with organizations that support marginalized people and communities is desirable.

Critical Skills

• Excellent problem-solving, organizational, and time-management skills and the ability to maintain a team -focused attitude;
• An understanding of specific labour relations needs related to an organization’s collective bargaining agreement(s) and strategy;
• Strength in situation leadership, judgment, problem-solving, strategic thinking, and cultural competency;
• Demonstrated experience working in a fast-paced environment;
• Ability to make difficult decisions and deal with the pressures of leadership;
• Excellent written, verbal, and communication skills (including analysis, interpretation, and reasoning), with an ability to listen actively and to communicate effectively throughout all levels of the organization;
• Ability to be both strategic and execution focused;
• Strong understanding of human behavior, business management, labour relations and strategy;
• Demonstrated ability to build strong relationships across key groups with an array of needs, including the ability to listen and offer proactive and practical solutions to employee concerns;
• Demonstrated personal and professional commitment to and experience in advancing equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging;
• Strong ethical standards and a high level of integrity;
• Proactive, with a strong sense of urgency and the ability to manage multiple priorities;
• Ability and comfort working in multi-cultural and diverse environment;
• Dealing with large amounts of data and sensitive information; and
• Ability to use tact and good judgment in dealing with sensitive and complex issues.

Competencies and Personal Characteristics

Leadership

– Achieves desired organizational results by encouraging and supporting the contribution of others; a proactive and positive team player who acts with a sense of urgency and leads by example; sets and communicates clear goals.

Accountable

– Holds self and others accountable for responsibilities; focuses on results and measuring attainment of outcomes in a business focus.

Strategic

– Develops a plan in support of organizational strategic direction. Demonstrates an understanding of the link between one’s job responsibilities and overall organizational goals.

Integrity and Honesty

– Demonstrates a resolute commitment to and respect for the spirit behind the rules and core values of the organization, setting an example of professionalism and ethical propriety.

Influential and Collaborative

– Has an open and consistent approach to working with others and possesses strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to build relationships and develop/maintain partnerships, obtaining stakeholder agreement.

Creativity and Innovation

– Develops new insights into situations; questions conventional approaches; encourages new ideas; designs and implements new or cutting-edge programs/processes.

 Effective Working Relationships

– Treats colleagues, and stakeholders with respect; resolves conflicts in a timely manner, negotiates effectively, and provides effective feedback to colleagues/employees.

Communication

– Clearly presents written and verbal information; writes with clarity and purpose; communicates effectively in both positive and negative circumstances; listens well.

People Development

– Fosters learning and development of others through coaching, managing performance and mentoring; has a genuine desire to develop others and help them succeed; formally and informally recognizes deserving staff and colleagues.

People Focused

– Anticipates and attends to the needs of internal and external partners of the organization; keeps resident and individual’s interests in the forefront.

COMPENSATION
A competitive compensation package will be provided including an attractive base salary and excellent benefits, including participation in the Municipal Pension Plan. The salary range is $125,000-$150,000; further details will be discussed in a personal interview. FOR

INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
If you're interested in this position, please send your resume and cover letter to vancouver@leadersinternational.com 

Please submit both a cover letter and resume to apply, describing your suitability for this position. We thank all applicants in advance for their interest. As part of the application process, you may be asked a short set of questions to provide further information about your experience and availability. Please note, only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.

Diversity
RainCity Housing serves a diverse group of people, and we need a staff group that reflects this diversity. People of diverse backgrounds and cultures are encouraged to apply.

As we work towards building a diverse staff team, we are particularly seeking applicants who identify as being Indigenous, Black, People of Colour, applicants with personal lived expertise, and 2SLGBTQ+ identified people.

Inclusion and creating a safer space
We are committed to making our organization a safer place for our staff, with steps taken to create space for learning and unlearning. RainCity’s department of Indigenous Cultural Services was created with the purpose to acknowledge the unique history and service needs of our Indigenous staff and tenants in respect to accessing culturally relevant and culturally sensitive care and support. RainCity’s Black Affinity Group was formed to provide support for Black staff by creating a safe space to support each other, network, debrief, and to heal from the impact of harm endured. Candidates are welcome to self-identifying in their cover letters as Black, First nations, Métis, or Inuit.

All of our employees are expected to develop and exhibit skills to contribute to safety in the workplace, including demonstrating anti-racism knowledge and skills to support racialized communities, including knowledge of Canada’s historical and on-going colonialism and its impact on Indigenous peoples, and commitment to learn and uphold the Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action and BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. Employees are also expected to demonstrate anti-discrimination knowledge and skills to support equity seeking groups, including the 2SLGBTQA+ community, people who use drugs and alcohol, people living with mental health issues and sex workers.

Inclusivity and support for people with differing abilities
In our efforts to provide a barrier-free workplace, we invite you to let us know of any adjustments or accommodations that might be needed for you to participate in the interview or selection process by sending an email to hr.inbox@raincityhousing.org.

If you're having any difficulty creating an account or submitting your resume: Please email dfrecruitingsupport@raincityhousing.org for assistance.

Do you want to improve your chances of joining RainCity? Be sure to include a cover letter letting us know why the work that we do is important to you, and how your experiences make you a good fit for this role.

Do you need additional support with your application? Connect with our partners for assistance:

• ACCESS Futures provides free employment support for Indigenous people and can assist with career advising, resume and cover letter writing, and funding for training: https://www.accessfutures.com/employment-services
  
• PRISM Employment Support Service (ESS) provides free strengths-based, trauma-informed employment support program for 2SLGBTQIA+ people, including coaching sessions, workshops, personal counselling sessions, and financial assistance for transit, occupational training, clothing, and childcare: https://qmunity.ca/employment/
  
• WorkBC provides free employment services to all job seekers, providing with support in resume and cover letter writing, training, and financial support for childcare and transportation costs: https://www.workbc.ca/discover-employment-services/workbc-centres/employment-services
  
• MOSAIC provides free employment support for refugees, immigrants, and racialized women, with services in career readiness training, mentoring, and peer groups: https://mosaicbc.org/our-services/employment-services/

We are a Union

RainCity Housing is a unionized workplace. Along with the union, we support the principles of the Human Rights Code of BC. We promote a workplace that treats both staff and the people accessing services with dignity and respect.