Employee Relations Manager – Investigations & Conflict Resolution

Seaspan Seeking Employee Relations Manager – Investigations & Conflict Resolution for immediate hire. Accepting applications from all groups. The Employee Relations Manager – Investigations & Conflict Resolution provides expertise in the direction, coordination, implementation, and administration of employee relations & labour relations strategies with a focus on investigations & conflict resolution. The role is accountable for employment and respect in the workplace investigations and will lead the investigation and/or conflict resolution process, gathering and analyzing evidence, making factual findings, and executing on the preparation of objectives summaries and/or reports. The role is accountable for providing guidance to ensure efficient and effective resolution of complex investigations while maintaining confidentiality.

Note: Due to business needs, this position is required to be fully on-site based at 50 Pemberton Avenue, North Vancouver.

What you’ll do

• Manage and conduct comprehensive investigations regarding allegations of misconduct or wrongdoing for unionized and non-unionized staff across the organization. Reviews and analyzes situations with a focus on fact-finding, procedural fairness, timeliness, and attention to detail.
• Provide conflict resolution services with a view to resolving workplace concerns employees bring forward. Conflict resolution service may entail options discussion, facilitation of dialogue, conflict coaching, shuttle diplomacy and referrals. The handling of conflict resolution cases is guided by principles of confidentiality, neutrality and impartiality.
• Partner with external counsel as needed on complex investigations.
• Provide investigation case and issue trend data and actionable feedback to HRBP teams and the executive team to reduce overall risk in the organization.
• Conduct ER metrics and trend analysis with proactive recommendations on policies and programs to address cases, trends, and/or topics.
• Drive the evolution and improvement of the framework (process, tools, guides, etc.) for managing investigations and claims, conducting and appropriately reporting and documenting employee relations investigations.
• Conduct case management for ER cases and grievances, including completing in a timely, but thorough manner and case entry/tracking.
• Identify areas of opportunity for compliance education and training for managers and business managers and partner with COEs to develop and deliver training, as needed.
• Contribute to various HR Projects and guide project team in adhering to data and process compliance.
• Assist in the development, roll out, interpretation and updating of ER processes/programs to global organization.
• Coach and influence HR Business Partners on interventions required for people, managers, and teams on preventing employee relations risks.
• Help promote knowledge, understanding, and compliance regarding company policy and relevant employment laws through coaching, presentations, and training to build capacity, enabling leaders to constructively address conflicts.
• Testify and provide evidence regarding investigations in legal procedures, including arbitration, BC and Canadian Human Rights Tribunal hearings.

What you’ll bring

• Degree or diploma in a related discipline such as industrial relations, employee relations, law, human resources or investigations. A Master’s degree in a related discipline is considered an asset.
• 10-15 years’ recent experience working in a complex unionized organization conducting a variety of workplace investigations (e.g., collusion, theft, workplace harassment, respect in the workplace, etc.). Experience as a labour and employment lawyer and/or an HR and Labour Relations practitioner is preferred.
• Extensive experience developing investigation plans, drafting detailed and comprehensive workplace investigation reports, and communicating investigative findings.
• Strong conflict resolution skills with the ability to work with all parties in a dispute, manage emotions, help them to communicate their needs to one another and find a mutually acceptable way to resolve their difficulties.
• Strong understanding of systemic barriers related to the workplace investigations, including knowledge of all forms of racism and all forms of discrimination and harassment.
• Formidable ability to conduct well-reasoned, unbiased research, summarize results, and provide user-friendly information and data reports to support investigations, projects and initiatives.
• Excellent presentation and communication skills and ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with various levels of staff within the organization, including testifying/presenting evidence in arbitration or other hearings.
• Highly developed interpersonal skills with the ability to effectively develop and cultivate productive working relationships with staff at all levels of the organization, including Senior Management/Executive, Legal and Union officials.
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage complex competing interests and concurrent investigations in a detail-oriented environment ensuring confidentiality.
• Ability to exercise sound judgement, integrity, discretion and political acumen while applying a broad perspective requiring an integrated knowledge of human resource management, related disciplines and business processes.
• Knowledge of employment and related legislation (e.g., British Columbia Labour Relations Code, Occupational Health and Safety Act, Workers Compensation Act, Human Rights Code, Employment Standards Act, Canada Labour Code ), equity principles, contractual obligations and sound human resource practices.

Why you’ll love working here

• This is a full-time, permanent position. With multiple operations and long-term projects, Seaspan employees enjoy job stability as we look ahead to build ships for decades to come.
• In addition to an annual bonus and pension plan matching, this role provides you a very competitive salary in line with the successful candidate’s experience.
• We also provide a best-in-class health and wellness benefits package for this position, including such things as full health care (e.g. unlimited physiotherapy), dental, vision, life insurance, medical leave coverage, parental leave coverage, childcare benefit partnership, Personal Spending Account, and an Employee Family Assistance Program (EFAP).
• Free on-site gym.
• Parking is included and to assist those that are using transit, we operate a complimentary shuttle bus Monday through Friday with various pick up and drop off points around North Vancouver.

The estimated salary for this position is $121,500 – $148,500. In determining final salary, Seaspan considers many factors including the successful Candidate’s skillset and experience as well as position location and internal equity. The final base salary offer will be at the Company’s sole discretion and presented as part of a competitive total compensation package.

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