Consultant, Labour Relations

JOB SUMMARY

Serving in a consultative and advisory capacity, you are responsible for providing leadership, expert advice and guidance to city management and staff on labour relations matters, consistent with city objectives, past/current practices, current policies, relevant collective agreements and case law. You provide support through the complaint/grievance/arbitration processes, facilitate training seminars and presentations to develop labour relations knowledge and enhance competency of city staff in managing labour relations issues, and contribute to the collective bargaining processes.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Completion of 4 year university degree in Industrial Relations, Law, Business or Public Administration, Commerce or other related field

Minimum of 5 years of related experience in the Human Resources field, with specific experience managing labour relations issues and interpreting/administering collective agreements, preferably in a municipal setting

CERTIFICATIONS AND LICENCES

KNOWLEDGE

• General knowledge of organizational structures of the City of Ottawa, municipal operations and departmental business requirements 
• Knowledge of the function, objectives, principles and practices of public personnel and labour relations management and administration within unionized work environments
• Knowledge of standard and generally accepted human resource policies and procedures dealing with labour relations, recruitment/staffing/compensation and salary administration
• Knowledge of standard employment contract language, and generally accepted contract interpretation and application
• Knowledge of relevant labour and employment-related legislation 
• Legislation, trends, policies, regulations, issues, principles and procedures related to the collective bargaining process in the public sector 
• Principles and practices of collective bargaining including negotiations, conflict resolution, conciliation, mediation and interest arbitration procedures
• Collective bargaining process, including conciliation, mediation and interest arbitration 
• Labour relations issues, both internal to the corporation and in the public sector in general 
• Relationship management between union/management officials 
• Dispute resolution techniques, systems and processes
• Knowledge of investigative methods, techniques and practices
• Knowledge of interviewing and negotiation processes/procedures
• Adult education principles and practices
• Computer applications, including MS Office,  SAP or others used in the work unit 

COMPETENCIES, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Work independently with minimal direction, and collaboratively with other labour relations and departmental staff
• Possess organizational skills and flexibility to plan, organize and prioritize own work and to deal effectively with multiple demands, shifting/conflicting priorities, pressures and deadlines in an complex, unionized work environment
• Conduct research on labour relations issues, investigate/define issues, assess complex information, analyze results, present findings and make recommendations 
• Able to consult with internal corporate clients and provide problem solving advice and guidance on labour relations matters 
• Administer and process union/employer disputes conclusively and expeditiously 
• Possess collaborative skills to build and maintain positive workplace relationships, often in an adversarial climate, to gain acceptance and co-operation from employees, city and union officials and representatives 
• Communicate effectively and persuasively, both orally and in writing, to all levels within the corporation 
• Possess negotiation skills with an interest in developing full negotiating capabilities for collective bargaining 
• Prepare and deliver professional presentations and training
• Maintain and secure detailed documentation, records and files
• Must be able to travel to work locations as required by the job
• Demonstrates tact , diplomacy, sound judgment and discretion in protecting the privacy, confidentiality and security of personal and proprietary information
• Demonstrates perceptive abilities in identifying issues, and initiative and creativity in achieving results
• Thorough and attentive to detail
• Able to deal with difficult individuals and situations