Human Resources Manager

When you join the City of Guelph, you join a team of over 2000 employees who deliver services the community relies on every day. Together, we are bringing to life Guelph’s vision of an inclusive, connected, and prosperous city where we look after each other and our environment. As a single tier municipality, we offer a variety of occupations and career specialities within our organization. Guided by the goals and objectives of the Future Guelph Strategic Plan and committed to the Corporate Values of integrity, service, inclusion, wellness and learning, the candidate will aid in the achievement of the Community Vision for an inclusive, connected, prosperous city.

What We Offer

We offer competitive wages and comprehensive benefits to meet the needs of our diverse employees. Many of our positions offer

• Paid vacation days, increasing with years of service
• Paid personal days;
• Hybrid and flexible work arrangements;
• Defined benefit pension plan with OMERS, including 100-per-cent employer matching;
• Extended health and dental benefits, including Health Care Spending Account;
• Employee and Family Assistance Program;
• Parental leave top up program;
• Learning and development opportunities including tuition assistance
• Employee recognition programs.
  
  
  

Our workforce is our greatest asset, and we are committed to fostering a collaborative and inclusive work environment. The General Manager, Human Resources plays a key strategic role in overseeing the development of programs, policies and practices to support the City’s Future Guelph Strategic Plan objective to be an employer of choice. This role oversees a full range of human resource (HR) programs and services in the areas of talent acquisition, employee and labour relations, compensation, payroll and benefits, organizational development, health, safety and wellness, HR systems, performance management, workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion. The General Manager, Human Resources, reporting to the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, Corporate Services (Deputy CAO), will also be expected to engage and work collaboratively with other leaders in the organization to review and implement strategic organizational projects and programs with a people-first focus.

Key Duties And Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Establish long-term strategic direction for the Human Resources department consistent with the vision, mission, corporate values, and strategic objectives of the Corporation.
• Develop and nurture a work environment that is inclusive, respectful, and motivating for staff, where engaged employees are enabled to deliver high quality public service and grow their careers with the City.
• Provide leadership in attracting, engaging and retaining skilled talent through best practice and benchmarking against comparable public sector organizations.
• Provide thought leadership and strategic guidance to the Deputy CAO and the Executive Team on Human Resources matters, including but not limited to areas of professional standards, employment legislation, and organizational data analysis relating to change management and organizational development, acting as a key decision-making partner.
• Build and strengthen relationships across departments, with union groups, and with external partners to foster a collaborative workplace culture, align with business objectives, and support the City's overall goals. Oversee and support the development and implementation of progressive policies, procedures, and programs.
• Position the HR department as a customer-centric partner, showcasing its ability to drive business results and enhance the employee experience.
• Strategically lead the Corporation in all labour relations matters, including collective bargaining initiatives, ensuring engagement and collaboration with key internal stakeholders.
• Maintain, develop and/or enhance partnerships across the organization, including with union groups, to understand and support business needs consistent with the vision, mission, corporate values, and strategic objectives of the Corporation.
• Cultivate a culture of performance, accountability, and innovation to empower staff at all levels of the organization to deliver excellent service to internal customers, and the City’s residents and businesses.
• Support the building of trust and confidence in City government through good service experiences by playing a pivotal role in building a more service-focused, performance-driven and digitally enabled workplace. Drive programs that empower employees to excel in their roles and improve service experiences for people who live, visit and work in Guelph.
• Support programs that ensure employees are accountable, recognized and rewarded for their contributions to the City’s mission vision and values and support City departments and teams in their efforts to improve organization design, adapt to change, enhance employee engagement, and improve service for internal and external customers.
  
  
  

Department Management

• Establish the long-term strategic direction for the department consistent with the Future Guelph Strategic Plan and the service area business direction.
• Respond verbally and in writing regarding issues related to the department’s service delivery from members of Council, the general public, media, other staff, departments, and customers.
• Recommend staff reports and presentations to the Deputy CAO, communicating information and recommending program changes.
• Provide strategic leadership and guidance to support, and at times directly lead, effective employee and labour relations strategies and enable constructive union-management relationships throughout bargaining, arbitration, mediation, grievances and other legal processes and proceedings.
• Ensure the effective and efficient operation of the department and explore opportunities to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery.
• Provide leadership to staff within the department by fostering positive relationships; establish objectives and evaluate performance of HR department managers; monitor results and provide coaching, training and development opportunities as needed.
• Work collaboratively with other leaders in the organization to ensure that the activities and programs of the department align with organizational development initiatives and strategies, and are applied consistently throughout the organization.
• Ensure the Corporation is compliant with all legislated requirements, including Employment Standards, Labour Relations, Health and Safety, Human Rights, and Pay Equity.
  
  
  

Performance Monitoring and Measurement

• Establish the annual work plan for the department and for staff and evaluate performance; monitor results and provide coaching, training and development opportunities as needed.
• Monitor the department’s metrics against established departmental key performance indicators and industry best practices and initiate corrective action as required.
• Establish and grow a quality assurance program to monitor the delivery of services to the corporation, ensure timely communication to stakeholders, and follow up on complaints/inquiries and initiate corrective action where required.
  
  
  

Financial Management

• Responsible for the preparation, presentation, and management, including budget monitoring, of the department’s capital and operating budgets.
• Responsible for corporate compensation and benefits budget management and related strategy and contemplation of enhancements or reviews of such budgets, processes and programs.
• Consolidate and review departmental annual work plans and capital and operating budgets for the department with recommendations to the Deputy CAO.
• Monitor and report budget variances to the Deputy CAO and Finance and implement corrective action as required.
• Ensure compliance with all City policies and by-laws for purchasing and tendering of HR related goods and services.
• Review calls for tender and purchase requisitions requiring approval for the department on contracted services in accordance with established policies.
  
  
  

Qualifications and requirements

• University degree in Business, Human Resources, Industrial Relations or a related discipline.
• Extensive human resources experience at a senior leader level in a large, complex unionized environment, providing guidance and support to senior leadership on strategic organizational initiatives and a broad range of HR practices.
• Experience leading highly engaged, diverse, and innovative teams focused on achieving strategic business objectives through collaboration, learning, continuous improvement, change management and technology. Demonstrated ability to deliver on the long-term, strategic vision of the department and organization.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation, including, but not limited to, the Ontario Human Rights Code, the Labour Relations Act, the Employment Standards Act, the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and other applicable legislation.
• Knowledge of socio-cultural, labour market trends, and HR best practices to inform organizational development strategies, measure their effectiveness, ensuring a collaborative and inclusive work environment for diverse teams and the organization.
• Leadership skills acquired through extensive experience leading and motivating staff in a municipal or public sector or equivalent industry.
• Demonstrated political acumen, professionalism, and ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality.
• Excellent interpersonal, conflict resolution, mediation, and negotiation skills along with a customer focused approach to delivery of services.
• Ability to successfully manage budgets and achieve performance targets.
• Ability to set priorities, solve problems, and meet deadlines under pressure.
• Ability to effectively communicate with employees, leaders, Council, stakeholders, and the general public, to build trust, foster open dialogue, and promote inclusivity.
• Ability to initiate, lead, and implement progressive and proactive human resources policies and programs.
• A professional Human Resources designation (CHRL/CHRE) is an asset.
• Candidates with an equivalent combination of education, credentials, and experience may be considered.
  
  
  

Hours of work

35 hours per week, Monday to Friday, between the hours of 830 a.m. and 430 p.m. This position is eligible for hybrid and flexible work arrangement options (as per current corporate policy).

Pay/Salary

Non-Union Grade 11 $166,129.60 to $207,662.00

How To Apply

To apply for this position, please visit boyden.thriveapp.ly/job/2552. For more information, please contact [email protected] and state the title of the position in the subject line of your e-mail.

The City of Guelph is an equal opportunity employer which values diversity in the workplace. We are therefore happy to accommodate any individual needs in keeping with the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. If you require an accommodation in order to participate in the hiring process, please contact us to make your needs known in advance.

We thank all applicants for their interest, however only those under serious consideration for the General Manager, Human Resources role will be contacted.