Human Resource Advisor

Location: Kingston, Ontario, Canada (Hybrid)

Prior to May 1, 2022, the University required all students, faculty, staff, and visitors (including contractors) to declare their COVID-19 vaccination status and provide proof that they were fully vaccinated or had an approved accommodation to engage in in-person University activities. These requirements were suspended effective May 1, 2022, but the University may reinstate them at any point.

Queen’s University is the Canadian research intensive university with a transformative student learning experience. Here the employment experience is as diverse as it is interesting. We have opportunities in multiple areas of globally recognized research, faculty administration, engineering & construction, athletics & recreation, power generation, corporate shared services, and many more.

We are committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace and welcome applications from individuals from equity seeking groups such as women, racialized/visible minorities, Indigenous/Aboriginal peoples, persons with a disability, persons who identify in the LGBTQ+ community and others who reflect the diversity of Canadian society.

Come work with us

Reporting to a Director, HR (Director) within the Client Service Team (CST), the HR Advisor is a skilled HR generalist responsible for advising on all aspects of the employment relationship for both employees and managers within assigned client portfolios. The HR Advisor is accountable for carrying out complex HR related duties in support of clients in all operational aspects of HR advisory services, ensuring that employment related issues are followed through to resolution in accordance with university policy and/or collective agreements, and legislative requirements. The HR Advisor will also provide recommendations and/or assistance to the Directors, as required. The HR Advisor is part of the CST where sharing ideas, open communication, accountability and partnership are promoted. This collaborative environment enables the CST to deliver comprehensive and responsive client strategic HR planning solutions to support the clients’ ability to achieve their operational goals and objectives.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Client Services:
• Acts as the primary HR contact providing strategic business partner support to clients in all
aspects of the employment relationship including: HR policies, collective agreements, payroll administration, benefits and pension eligibility and enrolment, compensation, training, performance management, attendance management, workplace accommodation, and employee relations issues.
• Provides clients with consultative guidance regarding HR best practice, legislation, university policies and collective agreement interpretation identifying precedent and risk management.
• Works closely with departmental directors, managers, and principal investigators advising on and participating in the development and implementation of strategic HR planning in pursuit of departmental and faculty goals.
• Assists client managers with the implementation of recommendations from organizational reviews; assists department representatives with organizational design issues and with determining potential impacts on positions and compensation.
• Provides guidance and coaching for managers on the performance review process; providing support with objectives setting, and assistance with performance development and improvement plans involving the Director’s, when appropriate.
• Provides technical support to clients on CareerQ and PeopleSoft issues, providing initial troubleshooting and diagnoses, and re-directs more complex matters appropriately.
• Facilitates New Staff Orientation sessions to onboard and familiarize cohorts of “New Staff” to the university. Makes recommendations regarding changes to the presentation content as required.
• Attends and chairs regular meetings with the CST. Assumes leadership of communicating and implementing procedural updates and changes to employment policy/practice within assigned portfolio of clients. Identifies continuous improvement opportunities and makes effective recommendations to CST processes/practices.
• Identifies trends and opportunities to enhance client service relationships.

Strategic Recruitment
• Leads clients through the full cycle of the recruitment process from the point that a vacancy is identified to the facilitation of the new hire onboarding process.
• Provides guidance on position summary and job posting development, advising clients on recruitment strategies, providing support and advice during the selection process, developing selection criteria/tools and screening resumes, interviewing job candidates and completing reference checks.
• Participates on search committees and/or providing Equity Representative services, where requested. Prepares and authorizes offers of employment in consultation with the hiring manager, and other HR specialists as needed.
• Provides guidance on strategic practices aimed at promoting equity, diversity, inclusion and indigeneity through all elements for the recruitment process.

Employee and Labour Relations
• Advises management on the appropriate strategies to use in managing labour and employee relations issues such as discipline, performance issues, workplace conflict, etc. and escalates as appropriate.
• Provides advice and support to managers with respect to university risks and obligations relating to employee terminations; performs severance calculations, drafts letters, and ensures proper documentation is in place.
• Completes preliminary inquiries for employee relations issues, gathering and documenting data from managers and employees and escalates appropriately.

Compensation and Job Evaluation
• Administers the job evaluation system(s) consistently and equitably. Interprets and applies policies with respect to job evaluation and salary administration. Evaluates, assesses and determines grade level and job classification. Identifies instances when position changes and classification decisions impact bargaining unit status, consults with the Directors and HR department specialists, as required.
• Ensures appropriate position management practice is followed and that process documentation is precise. Communicates assessment decisions, providing rationale and education as necessary.
• Advises on employee benefits plans and eligibility criteria. Provides direction to Human Resources Support Representatives (HRSR’s) through the benefits administration and documentation process. Works with the benefits analyst to resolve issues related to coverage, claims adjudication, eligibility, etc.

Overall Support
• Supports HR departmental projects and initiatives such as annual salary review process, training programs, policy and program implementation, and business process reviews.
• Provides work direction and technical/functional guidance to the HRSR’s work activities.
• Provides support to the Directors, as required.
• Provides back-up support for other HR Advisors.
• Works closely with other HR departmental units to provide effective and comprehensive HR support to clients.
• Undertakes other duties in support of the position and / or department, as required

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
• Post-secondary degree in Human Resources, Business Administration or other related area.
• 3 to 5 years of HR generalist work experience, preferably in a unionized environment.
• Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) designation, is preferred.
• Comprehensive knowledge of Employment Standards, Human Rights, Occupational Health and Safety, and other applicable employment legislation. Familiarity with University policies and procedures, collective agreements and organizational structure, considered an asset.
• Previous experience working with HR information systems and recruitment management systems, considered an asset.
• Satisfactory criminal record check, is required.
• Consideration may be given to an equivalent combination of education and experience.

SPECIAL SKILLS:
• Ability to think and act strategically, creatively and dynamically in a high pressure, client-oriented work environment.
• Ability to quickly develop and grow effective, productive and professional work relationships with the capability to gain credibility across all levels of an organization.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills combined with an ability to adjust communication style for the audience.
• Understanding of and familiarity with unionized environments with an ability to interpret and administer collective agreements effectively.
• Strong facilitation skills with the ability to deliver a wide variety of presentations to diverse populations.
• Excellent writing and editing skills.
• Ability to influence without direct authority using analytical and effective solution focus problem solving skills.
• Efficient organizational and planning skills to manage a demanding schedule of conflicting priorities and deadlines. Ability to work in a collaborative team environment while being able to problem solve independently.
• Demonstrated commitment to promoting and fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment.
• Ability to professionally manage sensitive situations and treat matters confidentially, demonstrating tact and diplomacy consistently using sound judgement to determine when to appropriately escalate matters to the Directors.
• Adaptability to respond to changing client needs and HR department requirements.
• Effective analytical and research skills.
• Able to effectively deliver presentations to diverse audiences.
• Computer skills including advanced knowledge of word processing, database, data retrieval, spreadsheet software, etc.

DECISION MAKING:
• Evaluates and recommends an effective course of action to management on the university’s application and administration of policies, collective agreements and related procedures based on established interpretations, past practices and / or legal precedent.
• Understands how interpretation can create precedent and have long-term consequences for the university. Determines when to involve HR department specialists and Directors.
• Uses judgment to identify more complex matters that should be referred to appropriate HR specialist / Director and ensures comprehensive background information is collected and shared.
• Recommends solutions pertaining to strategic HR planning and appropriate course of action to achieve operational/process efficiency considering operational and systemic impacts of process changes. Determines when to involve organizational development and learning specialists.
• Analyzes and assesses recruitment initiatives, supporting departments/faculties in defining goals and objectives. Formulates and recommends recruitment strategies. Determines when to involve the Recruitment Specialist.
• Determines structure and content of complex employment related letters for several distinct employment groups/classifications.
• Determines priority of job evaluation requests in accordance with client service standards and the most effective means of communication (phone/email/face-to-face) based on client needs and complexity of the request.
• Decides how best to advise and what recommendations to make to clients regarding sensitive job evaluation, organizational design and other compensation matters.
• Makes recommendations on job description content. Determines grade level, employee classification status and step placement based on judgement/interpretation and application of established guidelines.
• Assists with determining content and delivery method for employee training sessions and presentations (PeopleSoft, RMS, New Staff Orientation, etc.).
• Determines eligibility related to various HR programs (such as benefits, childcare and tuition applications).
• Makes decisions regarding HRSR work activities as pertaining to the documentation process and administration of benefits.
• Makes recommendations to continually improve the quality and effectiveness of HR processes and client service.
• Prioritizes own work within confined timeframes and with minimal supervision.

The University invites applications from all qualified individuals. Queen’s is committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace and welcomes applications from women, visible minorities, Aboriginal Peoples, persons with disabilities, and persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity. In accordance with Canadian Immigration requirements, priority will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

The University provides support in its recruitment processes to applicants with disabilities, including accommodation that takes into account an applicant's accessibility needs. Candidates requiring accommodation during the recruitment process are asked to contact Human Resources at hradmin@queensu.ca .