Reporting to the Associate Vice-President, Faculty Planning and Policy, the Director, Faculty Relations is responsible for providing advice, guidance and support on collegial processes and academic recruitment. The Director, Faculty Relations is accountable for providing strategic advice and guidance to University and Faculty Leadership on matters relating to academic employment. The position is also responsible for analyzing trends in and establishing best practices for faculty relations issues and providing expertise and guidance to University Leadership and decision-makers in matters of faculty discipline, grievances, arbitrations. The Director, Faculty Relations is the University lead for faculty compensation negotiations, FAUW Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) interpretation, application, and compliance.

Academic Recruitment, Employment, Tenure and Promotion

• Provides advice, expertise and guidance on a wide range of matters, including: recruitment processes, academic job postings, employment agreements, tenure and promotion, and sabbaticals
• Liaises with the University Tenure and Promotion Committee on behalf of the AVP, Faculty Planning and Policy and provides expert advice for decision making.

Compensation Negotiations

• Provides professional advice and support with respect to the official interpretation, application and administration of the Faculty MOA, employment legislation and University policy
• Leads in supporting and is the primary contact for Faculty contract and compensation negotiations
• Reviews, assesses, and evaluates the impact of changes to the Faculty MOA and employment legislation, including recommending and leading the implementation of appropriate action for resolution of potential issues

Grievances, Arbitration and Dispute Resolution

• Independently develops appropriate negotiating strategies and advises University leadership on a variety of issues including policy and MOA interpretation and disputes
• Establishes best practices for faculty relations issues pertaining to grievance/arbitration and investigates alternate approaches to conflict resolution and problem-solving methodologies
• Liaises with legal counsel, as appropriate and as directed, to identify options for resolution of issues and disputes and guides University leadership through the resolution process
• Provides guidance to University Leadership on the appropriateness of faculty disciplinary and non-disciplinary actions
• Provides expert advice in grievance investigations and monitors grievance activity to identify underlying issues

Communication

• Serves as the principal resource for University Leadership, Deans, Chairs, and employees working with Faculty in responding to questions and queries distinct to Faculty and their role at the University
• Responsible for preparing reports and communication on faculty relations matters
• Performs routine updates as required under the Faculty MOA and communicates with the Faculty Association and other campus stakeholders
• Analyzes existing policies and guidelines on a wide range of academic matters related to academic policy in order to make recommendations for and support the development of new and revisions of existing policies and guidelines
• Works in partnership with the Office of the Provost, Legal and Immigration Services, Secretariat, and Human Resources to ensure that faculty relations activities are coordinated and escalated to University Leadership as required

Training and Development

• Develops and delivers programming and resource materials for Faculty, Academic Administrators, and Staff pertaining to academic processes and the academic life cycle
• Provides expert advice and guidance with respect to interpretation and application of the MOA to ensure a positive work environment is maintained; and preserves a positive working relationship with the Faculty Association of the University of Waterloo (FAUW) and other related units

Committees

• Responsible for supporting the Associate Vice-President’s committee work where it intersects with the Faculty MOA
• Leads and serves on University Committees as appropriate

• University degree (Business Administration, Industrial Relations or Human Resources) or equivalent work experience in a related field
• Master’s degree or LLB with specialization in Labour Law is strongly preferred
• 8-10 years of progressive executive level experience in the post-secondary sector, a strong background in Faculty/Labour Relations with extensive experience managing collective agreements, academic processes and the academic life cycle
• Significant experience managing and developing staff
• Significant exposure to academic life cycle processes
• Outstanding communication skills for negotiating and resolving conflict with high levels of tact and diplomacy
• Demonstrated ability in the areas of compensation negotiations, arbitration and labour dispute
• Significant exposure to conflict and human rights, dispute resolution, policy development and demonstrated experience with ADR techniques
• Sound judgement and excellent decision-making skills
• Ability to build and foster relationships with employee group representatives and management stakeholders
• Depth of knowledge of grievance and arbitration processes

The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is co-ordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.

The University values the diverse and intersectional identities of its students, faculty, and staff. The University regards equity and diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to accessibility for all employees. The University of Waterloo seeks applicants who embrace our values of equity, anti-racism and inclusion.  As such, we encourage applications from candidates who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including applicants who identify as First Nations, Métis and/or Inuk (Inuit), Black, racialized, a person with a disability, women and/or 2SLGBTQ+.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

The University of Waterloo is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. If you have any application, interview, or workplace accommodation requests, please contact Human Resources at hrhelp@uwaterloo.ca  or 519-888-4567, ext. 45935.