Director, Employee and Labour Relations

Job Description Sinai Health is looking for a Director of Employee & Labour Relations to lead their multi-site organization. As the Director, Employee & Labour Relations, you will provide strategic leadership and expert guidance on labour and employment matters, including legal compliance, risk mitigation, and the resolution of complex workforce issues. You will support and strengthen leadership capability across the organization, foster effective and collaborative labour relations, and contribute to a stable and respectful work environment that enables safe, high-quality patient care. You will lead a high-performing multidisciplinary team, providing direction, coaching, and oversight while building and modernizing the enterprise Employee Labour Relations function. With significant autonomy, you will have the opportunity to build, evolve, and mature the function, shaping strategy, processes, and operating models to meet the current and future needs of Sinai Health. Is this you? You are a senior employee and labour relations leader ready to make a meaningful enterprise impact within a complex, multi-site academic health science centre. At Sinai Health, ELR is a strategic function central to organizational performance, leadership effectiveness, and the delivery of integrated, high-quality care. As a trusted advisor to executive leadership, you shape the direction of employee and labour relations, influencing high-stakes decisions, mitigating enterprise risk, and ensuring a principled, consistent approach across a highly unionized environment. You bring deep expertise in complex labour relations, negotiations, arbitrations, and litigation, representing Sinai Health with confidence and credibility in sensitive and visible matters. You lead with a modernization and transformation mindset, evolving enterprise-wide ELR frameworks, strengthening leader capability, and advancing a culture of accountability, respect, and psychological safety. You see complexity as an opportunity to build, mature, and elevate the function to meet the needs of a diverse and evolving workforce. Your ability to influence, align, and drive enterprise change positions you as a key partner to Sinai Health leadership, advancing workforce strategy, leadership effectiveness, and organizational excellence. RESPONSIBILITIES: Strategy & Leadership In close partnership with the Senior Director, Human Resources & Safety, and as a key member of the HR leadership team, sets and advances the strategic priorities for the Employee & Labour Relations (ELR) portfolio, ensuring strong alignment with Sinai Health’s People Plan and overall Strategic Plan. Provides expert, consistent, and principled guidance to senior and executive leadership, enabling the effective resolution of complex employee relations matters, including situations requiring corrective action or progressive discipline. Partners with the Senior Director, Human Resources & Safety and executive teams to brief senior leaders on significant employee and labour relations issues, respectful workplace developments, legislative changes, jurisprudence, and emerging organizational risks. Investigates and analyzes complex people and labour relations matters, presenting strategic options and recommendations to senior and executive leadership through written and in-person briefings. Ensures follow-up through enterprise-wide communications, updates, and implementation guidance to maintain alignment and consistency across the organization. Operations Management Builds a high performance team ensuring optimized performance, development, recruitment, retention and resource allocation; Builds internal capacity and enables leaders across Sinai Health to make informed decisions and achieve operational goals by: Building confidence of leaders and managers in employee and labour relations knowledge and application Leveraging information management tools to capture institutional knowledge and support informed and contextual decision-making Enhancing collaborative and consistent approaches across employee groups Developing policies, tools and training to support enhanced leadership competency Researches, negotiates and strategizes as Chief Spokesperson for Sinai Health during collective bargaining process (ONA, OPSEU, NOWU, CUPE, OPAA); advises management and OHA on negotiated contract changes and assist with strategic implementation Manages sensitive public situations with the potential for significant impact on Sinai Health’s reputation Takes a lead in supporting complex staffing redesign Provides leadership, guidance and approval on all proposals for mediation settlements, grievance responses, and letters of understanding Provides direction to team members in terms of outreach to third party representatives e.g. external and opposing counsel, arbitrators, mediators, etc. Quality & Performance Improvement Ensures existing human resources policies, procedures, standards and practices that are consistent with the principles of fairness and equity and aligned to current legislative requirements (Employment Standards Act, Ontario Human Rights Code, Occupational Health and Safety Act, Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, Hospital Labour Disputes Arbitration Act, Ontario Labour Relations Act, Public Sector Labour Transition Act, etc.); recommends revisions/modifications and/or new policies as required Proactively assesses and forecasts implications of current and potential issues; ensures ongoing research into precedents and case law, trends and employment related awards/cases Analyzes and strategically utilizes key performance indicators to provide metrics and contextual information in the discussion with clients and in the formulation of resolution strategies Conducts in-depth cost analysis to assess to inform strategies and recommendations Perform other duties consistent with the job classification as required Job Requirements Requirements: Mandatory: Successful completion of a Master’s degree in a related field from an accredited educational institution (e.g. human resources, industrial relations, LLB, etc.) preferred 7 years of experience in a related role, preferably in a hospital employee and labour relations management role Applicants with proven equivalent and related training and experience may also be considered Preferred: Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) Skills and Knowledge: Extensive knowledge of Human Resources related legislation, e.g. Ontario Human Rights Code, Employment Standards Act, Labour Relations Act, Workplace Safety & Insurance Act, etc. Proven advanced dispute resolution skills, demonstrating confidence when confronting difficult situations; proven capability in conflict mediation and resolution Proven ability to effectively lead, manage and develop a team of HR professionals Solid understanding of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation and facilitating operational planning at the program and department level Proven experience supporting operational planning within a complex unionized environment Strong project and change management skills; models collaborative, cross-portfolio engagement to build consensus and to create solutions to complex issues Highly effective communicator with the ability to clearly and concisely articulate ideas, concepts and proposals High degree of judgment, political sensitivity and strong negotiation skills Proficient using Microsoft Office Suite and Human Resources Information Systems Effective critical thinking and strong analytical, decision-making, and problem-solving skills with ability to generate innovative solutions for complex issues Experience and knowledge of the transition/translation of strategic plans to operating plans Excellent networking and relationship building skills with both internal and external stakeholders High ethical standards, promotes inclusiveness and recognizes and respects the value of diversity and inclusion within our community and our workforce Proven demonstration of workplace excellence shown by commitment to strong job performance and attendance