Manager, Employee Relations

OverviewFord of Canada Windsor manufacturing operations strive to be a technical center of excellence, forging a rich history as the birthplace of the automotive industry in Canada, today producing engines and components for Ford’s most important and iconic vehicles.The RoleIf you are looking to become part of a dynamic, capable Human Resources team and demonstrate your leadership skills, this team embraces our past and is committed to delivering our future, daily. As part of the manufacturing Human Resources leadership team you will help us attract, retain and develop top talent to deliver our bold vision and future as an industry leader. You will play a vital role in advancing a winning, collaborative culture that engages and empowers diverse views to work together as a broad team of professionals to deliver extraordinary results. We’re seeking change leaders, talent strategists, culture architects, and employee advocates who embrace each challenge as an opportunity to demonstrate human resources leadership effectiveness and business partnership to enable our teams to perform at their very best. This role reports to the Director, Employee Relations, Windsor Site Operations, Ford of Canada Manufacturing, and will provide strategic Human Resources partnership to Operations leadership.You will work directly with senior leadership to develop and direct a Human Resources portfolio of services that enables delivery of the organization’s goals, fosters a positive and ethical work environment, and you will partner with Human Resources leadership and peers to design and deliver solutions to optimize talent and the employee experience in your organization.ResponsibilitiesYOUR IMPACTBuilds strong relationships with the leadership team within their customer group to identify solutions that drive sustainable cultural change and support the achievement of business objectives.Creates development plans, provides recognition, coaching and mentoring, and manages performance documentation and evaluations to support organizational goals for their team.Executes and consults on talent management responsibilities, including performance management, talent development, succession planning, Personnel Development Committee activities, compensation planning, disciplinary action, terminations, recruitment, pay decisions, and other personnel actions.Executes programs and services within their customer group to positively impact both the hourly and salaried employee life cycles.Fosters a positive and inclusive hourly and salary employee experience through proactive initiatives based on feedback from surveys, suggestions, and open-door policies.Supports Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives to boost engagement and address areas for improvement; executes a strategic people plan to drive recognition events and planning.Conducts daily floor walks to build positive relationships, ensure Human Resources availability, and enable proactive response to early warning indicators.Leverages lean methodology and tools for problem solving in collaboration with internal departments, external vendors, auditors, and consultants to drive effective change management programs; actively engages in plant Kaizen events and is Green Belt certified in Six Sigma practices.Develops an understanding of plant operations to provide informed consulting to plant leadership and offer strategic guidance on HR matters aligned with business objectives.Partners with local communications staff to implement an integrated communications strategy that creates an informed employee population and drives two-way communication across all shifts.Ensures compliance with employment laws, regulations, and company policies.Oversees interactions with local governmental agencies and coordinates charitable activities to support the plant's community engagement efforts.Understands the organization’s structure and composition; monitors key workforce metrics to identify risks and mitigation actions; develops narratives and recommendations for operating leaders to drive deliberate people decisions.Collaborates with customer group and relevant union representatives to ensure correct implementation and interpretation of the collective agreement terms, addressing inquiries and grievances, and resolving union-related issues fairly and consistently.Conducts investigations within their assigned customer group to address disciplinary issues, grievances, and arbitration matters in a timely and effective manner.Works with safety and occupational health teams to address health and wellness concerns, conduct safety audits, implement wellness programs, and continuously improve safety performance.Labour RelationsManages resolution of employee union issues with fairness and consistency; participates in preparing collective bargaining agreements and negotiations with employee unions.Distributes and assigns all casework and grievances to the team and guides investigations/responses to ethics and compliance concerns.Oversees payroll and attendance tracking processes; identifies root causes of payroll and attendance concerns; has a comprehensive understanding of leaves, Employment Standards Act, and WSIB.Drives the talent management process for hourly employees to support skilled trades hiring, internal and external hourly hiring strategies, upskilling, transferring, and retirement management.QualificationsMinimum RequirementsBachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development, or related discipline. Candidates may be asked to provide proof of degree; if obtained outside Canada, an Education Credential Assessment showing Canadian equivalency is required.Five (5) or more years of experience in a Human Resources management role with strong leadership and interpersonal skills.Must be able to travel outside of Canada.Preferred RequirementsMaster’s degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development or related discipline.Eight (8) or more years of HR management experience in a manufacturing HR/Labour Relations setting.CHRP/CHRL certification.Ability to effectively engage with all employees; in-depth experience in manufacturing processes.Excellent communication and problem-solving skills, including Six Sigma.Proven ability to lead, empower and develop employees; strong conflict management and analytical skills.Ford of Canada is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to a culturally diverse workforce. Accommodations for applicants with disabilities are available upon request. Please inform Human Resources of any accommodation needs.Candidates for this position must be legally entitled to work in Canada. Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited does not sponsor work permit applications. #J-18808-Ljbffr