Human Rights and Equity Advisor

**Human Rights and Equity Advisor**
1 - Contract Position
North Bay, Ontario
(Non-Union - 12 Month contract position)
$132,660 annual salary

The Human Rights and Equity Advisor HREA will assume leadership responsibilities and collaborate with the senior staff of the board in transformational work to expand cultures of respect for human rights and equity, and champion the identification and elimination of systemic barriers to further promote a culture of respect for human rights and equity. This contract is a shared position between both the Near North District School Board and the Conseil scolaire public du Nord-est de l’Ontario, which will report directly to the Directors of Education of each School Board.

Through leadership, education and training, relationship building, and participating in system level decision making, the Human Rights and Equity Advisor (HREA) supports each Board to identify and address systemically based human rights and equity issues and build the Boards’ capacity to ensure compliance with the Ontario Human Rights Code. The HREA will lead the implementation of Ontario’s Education Equity Action Plan in support of each Board’s Strategic Priorities in the areas of Excellence in Teaching and Learning, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Community and Well-being, while working to build and enhance a culture of respect for the principles of human rights and equity throughout areas served.

**Summary of Duties**:
provide leadership in the collaborative development of an inclusive, diverse, equitable and accessible strategy to fully integrate human rights and equity policy principles into every aspect of the work of the Board through data collection, policy reform, building the capacity of staff and students, improving outreach and engagement and effectively resolving incidents and complaints;
through leadership, education and training, relationship building, and participating in system level decision making, the HREA supports each Board to identify and address systemically based human rights and equity issues and build their capacity to ensure compliance with the Ontario Human Rights Code;
using their expertise and proven experience in human rights investigations, complaint resolution and restorative justice, the HREA oversees each Board’s internal human rights complaints procedure;
provide education and information on human rights issues, including providing for human rights compliance training to senior staff;
work with senior administration to identify and respond to human rights and equity related risks;
provide guidance and advice to each Board on its strategic priorities in all areas toward fostering a culture free of harassment and discrimination;
develop, coordinate, provide guidance on and implement plans, policies and procedures related to human rights, including any employment and educational equity plans;
assist and guide appropriate senior staff in effectively conducting all mediated and dispute resolutions, and formal investigations of human rights cases and Code-based workplace harassment complaints
implement, update or establish the human rights complaints procedure to address claims of discrimination by students, families, staff and other stakeholders;
establish an accessible web presence, and work with staff to ensure the complaints procedure is widely communicated and accessible to all students, families, staff and communities of the Board;
provide training to superintendents, school administrators, managers, and other senior level staff on how to respond to complaints;
develop metrics, tools, surveys, etc., to identify gaps in human rights knowledge/awareness across the system, and assess outcomes of targeted information campaigns, professional learning and staff training activities to guide future planning;
enhance the collection, analysis and use of data to identify and address systemic organizational and attitudinal barriers across the programs, services and functions, including supporting each Board to meet its responsibilities under Ontario’s Data Standards for the Identification and Monitoring of Systemic Racism;
support equitable teaching and learning for all students, including promoting culturally responsive and relevant pedagogy.

**Qualifications**:
University degree related to equity studies, diversity and inclusion, human rights, human resources, law or social work;
Three (3) - five (5) years’ experience in human rights investigations, complaint resolution, and restorative justice;
superior understanding of the Ontario Human Rights Code and human rights case law and emerging trends and issues;
Experience in designing and delivering human rights education and training programs, including conducting training on complaints resolution, investigation, report writing, etc.;
Knowledge of Ontario’s publicly funded schools and education employment equity issues;
Demonstrated experience providing advice and expertise on human rights related strategic po