Vice President, Human Resources

The Opportunity
This is a pivotal moment to join Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s executive leadership team. We are seeking an experienced and visionary Vice President, Human Resources (VP HR) to guide KPU through a period of significant change and renewal. Reporting directly to the President and Vice Chancellor, the VP Human Resources is a trusted advisor and key member of the executive team — shaping the future of KPU’s workforce, advancing organizational strategy, and fostering a strong, inclusive workplace culture.
The VP Human Resources provides executive leadership across various positions – Director, HR Systems & Talent Development; the Director, Labour Relations; and the Director, Workforce Advisory & Compensation, as well as the Manager, Campus Security Operations and the Manager, Emergency Planning. This role is both strategic and hands-on, offering the opportunity to influence KPU’s people strategy and support student success, community engagement, and institutional priorities.

As VP Human Resources, you will:

Serve as a trusted advisor to the President, Board, and senior leadership, guiding people strategies that align with KPU’s mission and long-term priorities.

Champion the employee experience, shaping programs and practices that strengthen engagement, learning, well-being, and a sense of belonging across KPU.

Lead transformation by modernizing HR practices, introducing innovative approaches, and helping the university evolve through times of change.

Provide strategic and operational leadership across all HR functions — including labour relations, recruitment, retention, compensation, organizational development, and employee experience.

Working collaboratively with the Office of General Counsel and other institutional partners to identify and manage legal and organizational risk.

Provide strategic leadership in complex employment, Human Rights, workplace investigations, regulatory, and labour relations matters, including collective bargaining, grievances, conflict resolution, and building strong, collaborative union relationships.

Provide oversight and direction for Risk and Campus Safety & Security, ensuring a safe and supportive environment for students, faculty, and staff.

Foster equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation in all aspects of HR strategy and institutional culture.

Build strong relationships with faculty, staff, and unions, fostering collaboration, trust, and effective resolution of complex issues in a unionized environment.

Oversee, support and mentor a diverse HR leadership team, in order to achieve departmental and institutional goals.

Strengthen connections with the communities KPU serves and collaborate with peer post-secondary institutions across BC and Canada to share expertise and advance best practices.

Influence institution-wide priorities as part of KPU’s executive leadership team, contributing to a student-focused, community-driven, and inclusive university.

What You Bring
You are a seasoned HR executive who thrives in complex environments and sees opportunity in times of change. You bring both strategic foresight and operational expertise, with a track record of leading transformation, building strong teams, and fostering inclusive workplaces in a complex unionized environment. You are trusted for your integrity, sound judgment, and ability to inspire confidence at every level of an organization.

We’re looking for someone who:

Holds a graduate degree in a relevant discipline and has at least 10 years of senior HR leadership experience, ideally in the public sector or post-secondary.

Has a proven ability to lead change, modernize practices, and guide teams through transition.

Is confident advising Presidents, Boards, and senior leaders on sensitive HR…