Senior Labour Relations Advisor; Hybrid

Position: Senior Labour Relations Advisor (Hybrid)
The Calgary Board of Education (CBE) is the largest school board in western Canada with over 144,000 students and 16,000 employees. Our mission:
Each student, in keeping with their individual abilities and gifts, will complete high school with a foundation of learning necessary to thrive in life, work and continued learning. We pride ourselves in the values we hold. Students come first. Learning is our central purpose. Public education serves the common good. The CBE encourages an inclusive and equitable workplace, which supports our diverse student and employee community.

We encourage all applicants to join our dynamic, diverse, and collaborative culture and welcome applications from all qualified individuals.
When you apply to the CBE, you can feel good about serving our future leaders and contributing to student success.
Competition Info  Calendar:
This is a year-round position and is eligible to participate in the organization's Earned Days Off (EDO) program, providing additional scheduled time off from June to August in accordance with program guidelines.
Salary:
Exempt Grade SP1 $ 118,200 - $144,100 annually
FTE: 1.0 - 35 hours per week
What does this role look like?  Purpose  The purpose of this job is to provide strategic and operational advice to leaders and employees on all aspects of labour relations. This includes leading collective bargaining and union negotiations, fostering strong management-union relationships, and ensuring the consistent interpretation and application of collective agreements. The role also involves advising on grievance resolution, arbitrations, and other labour disputes, while working collaboratively with leaders, legal counsel, and internal partners such as HR and Senior HR Advisors to support effective and aligned labour relations practices.
Accountability  This job is accountable for leading collective bargaining, managing grievances, and preparing for arbitration within a complex unionized environment. It serves as the primary liaison on labour relations matters, fostering constructive relationships with union representatives. The role ensures expert interpretation and application of collective agreements, labour legislation, and organizational policies, while working closely with HR and Senior HR Advisors to maintain aligned and consistent labour relations practices.

Additionally, it supports the development of labour strategies, contributes to policy design, and plays a key role in identifying and mitigating labour relations risks.
What will you do?  Major Responsibilities    Key Strategic Business Partner:  In a complex unionized environment, Labour Relations Advisor leads collective bargaining, grievance management, and arbitration preparation, ensuring fair and effective resolution of labour matters. It serves as the primary liaison on all labour relations issues, fostering constructive relationships with union representatives. The position provides expert interpretation and application of collective agreements, relevant legislation, and internal policies, while collaborating closely with HR and Senior HR Advisors to ensure consistent and aligned labour practices.

Additionally, it supports the development of labour relations strategies, contributes to policy design, and proactively mitigates associated risks.
Lead the planning, coordination, and execution of collective bargaining processes, including strategy development, proposal drafting, and negotiations.
Serve as the primary liaison with union representatives, supporting constructive relationships and timely resolution of labour relations matters.
Interpret and advise on collective agreement provisions, employment legislation, and organizational policies, working collaboratively with HR and Senior HR Advisors to ensure consistent messaging and application.
Manage the grievance process, including early resolution efforts, formal stages, and arbitration preparation and representation, in consultation with HR partners and legal counsel.
Collaborate with HR and COEs to provide integrated labour and employee relations support, particularly in complex or high-risk matters.
Partner with HR Advisors to coach and support leaders in understanding their labour relations responsibilities and navigating unionized environments.
Support capacity building by contributing to the development and delivery of training for leaders and HR teams on labour relations topics.
Provide expert advice on the labour relations implications of HR initiatives,…