Director Labour Relations, Occupational Health & Safety; Legal Counsel

Job Overview

At CAMH, people are at the centre of what we do. As the largest academic mental health hospital in Canada, CAMH provides care and treatment to patients with mental health and addiction illnesses, while also being an advocate and leading global research. The People & Experience department is central to advancing our mission and to supporting an engaged, high‑performing workforce that enables world‑leading mental health care, research and education.

People and Experience is responsible for labour relations, employee relations, health and safety, as well as talent acquisition, training and development, performance management, workforce planning, compliance and regulatory issues, succession planning, organisational culture and change management, total rewards, and workforce mental health, amongst other functions.

Reporting into the Vice‑President, People & Experience, the Director of Labour Relations & Occupational Health & Safety & Legal Counsel will provide strategic leadership across labour relations, employee relations, occupational health and safety, disability management and labour and employment law compliance functions. With approximately 80% of staff unionised, the role will oversee complex employee and labour relations matters, including grievance and arbitration hearings, lead bargaining strategy, manage workplace safety strategy, claims and accommodation programs, and ensure regulatory compliance while managing organisational risk.

The Director will lead multidisciplinary teams and cross‑functional initiatives that support workforce effectiveness, organisational change and a safe, inclusive, and compliant workplace. The Director will work closely with other portfolio areas and with the other two directors to ensure CAMH remains a safe, inclusive, and high‑performing workplace aligned with our mission and values.

You are a strategic, systems‑minded leader with the ability to navigate complexity, influence at all levels and deliver results in a highly unionised healthcare setting.

• Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) or Juris Doctor from an accredited institution is required.
• Membership in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario (LSO) is required.
• Minimum of 6–10 years of progressive experience in labour relations leadership, occupational health & safety and employment law in unionised environments (healthcare preferred) or equivalent private practice and/or in‑house counsel experience.
• Deep expertise in collective bargaining, grievance/arbitration management and related litigation, and labour strategy.
• Demonstrated experience and understanding of occupational health and safety law and principles.
• Proven ability to advise and influence senior leadership and manage multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience with OHS programs, disability management, and return‑to‑work initiatives.
• Ability to balance organisational priorities through alignment of frontline teams, peer leadership and executives to advance CAMH mission, goals and objectives.
• Experience in a multi‑unionised or public sector setting preferred.
• High performer adept at building productive working relationships with multiple stakeholders.
• Experience conducting workplace investigations and preparing defensible reports for arbitrations and civil actions.
• Experience representing employers at arbitration hearings and with tribunals and courts.
• Strong understanding of change management principles and experience implementing people‑related change.
• Judgement, discretion, critical thinking and analytical skills at a superior level.
• Track record of building and sustaining collaborative, high‑performing teams; ability to lead with vision, set ambitious goals, innovate, improve and promote accountability.
• Expertise in employment and labour legislation in Ontario and knowledge of labour law across Canada.
• Extensive experience preparing legal documents and responses to statements of claim, human rights complaints, matters before the Ontario Labour Relations Board, the Ministry of Labour, etc.
• Excellent communicator with exceptional oral and written skills.
• Familiarity with the healthcare sector and understanding of…