Job Summary
The Director, Labour Relations (LR) is responsible for enabling LR business strategies at CN. The individual acts as the contact and subject matter expert to senior leaders in the application, interpretation, and bargaining of collective agreements for the respective business units. The individual directs LR processes such as bargaining strategy, negotiations, consultation, field LR, and grievances and arbitration.
Main Responsibilities
- Institute and direct the organization’s negotiations mandate in alignment with executive level instructions and endorsements
- Act as Chief Negotiator and negotiate with Union leaders
- Provide advice and guidance to senior executives on the direction and impact of negotiations
- Collaborate with senior executives and other stakeholders to mitigate risks related to LR matters and act as a strategic partner in the analysis of complex business issues
- Develop winning strategies to achieve business outcomes
- Participate in the development of LR programs, policies, and procedures to ensure they are within the established long-term direction and policy framework for Human Resources (HR) and the business as well as ensure their general understanding by employees
- Monitor the effectiveness of these programs and make adjustments as required
- Establish, promote, and maintain an effective working relationship with all Union leaders for the purpose of resolving problems within the terms of the collective agreements
- Re-evaluate and challenge existing contract interpretations to adjust to changing conditions to help achieve business objectives
- Provide advice and technical expertise to business leaders on critical LR matters
- Promote the personal development of team members toward the achievement of their personal and professional aspirations, encourage job-related training and developmental assignments
- Collaborate with HR on critical staff issues in alignment with CN’s strategy concerning purpose and culture
- Establish business partnerships and alliances across the organization by finding common interests and mutually beneficial grounds to improve efficiency
- Review analyses, identifying key issues in complex situations and uncovering critical issues or trends
- Take a strategic and sustainable view when formulating recommendations to ensure alignment with financial and operational goals
Working Conditions
The role has standard working conditions in an office environment with a regular workweek from Monday to Friday. Due to the nature of the role, the incumbent must be able to meet tight deadlines, handle pressure, and stress. The position requires travel (25-30%) across Canada.
Requirements
Experience
- Minimum 10 years of experience in Labour Relations or a combination of Labour Relations and relevant Human Resources experience in a highly unionized environment
o Minimum 3 years of experience leading a team
o Experience leading collective bargaining for a large employer
o Experience as Chief Spokesperson at the bargaining table
o Experience achieving collective agreement
o Experience developing plans, objectives, and initiatives to achieve and promote the behaviors, culture, and capabilities needed to achieve business strategies and organizational goals
o Experience as a strategic partner, building influential relationships with key stakeholders across a large organization
Education/Certification/Designation
- Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources, Labour Relations, or equivalent
- Master’s Degree*
- Any designation for these above would be considered as an asset
Competencies
- Inspires others with impactful communications and adapts to the audience
- Collaborates with key internal stakeholders to enable higher productivity
- Deals with pressure and change by staying calm to quickly adapt to changes
- Influences by translating expertise into practical business outcomes
- Shows initiative and empowers others to raise CN’s collective game
- Knows the business and stays current with industry trends to elevate expertise and work
- Fosters diverse representation and diversity of thought and experience as a strategic advantage
- Continuously innovates to create value, without compromising on safety and quality
- Fluently bilingual both written and verbal (English, French)*
- Any skills/attributes for these above would be considered as an asset
Technical Skills/Knowledge
- Knowledge of LR principles, including collective bargaining and grievance management
- Knowledge of employment legislation including Canada Labour Code, Canadian Human Rights Act or US Railway Labor Code and US LR laws that are geographically specific
- Knowledge of conflict resolution
- Negotiations skills
- Change management
About CN
As a leading North American transportation and logistics company, CN is a true backbone of the economy. With a team of approximately 25,000 railroaders, our focus is on moving both our company and the economy forward. We transport US$200 billion worth of goods annually for a wide range of business sectors from resource to manufactured products to consumer goods, across a 20,000-mile network spanning Canada and mid-America. CN is the only Canadian company listed in the Transportation and Transportation Infrastructure sector of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI). Launched in 1999, the DJSI World represents the gold standard for corporate sustainability. At CN, we work as ONE TEAM, focused on safety, sustainability and our customers, providing operational and supply chain excellence to deliver results.
CN is an employment equity employer and we encourage all qualified candidates to apply. We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only candidates under consideration will be contacted. Please monitor your email on a regular basis, as communication is primarily made through email.
Apply Now
To help us with our recruitment effort, please indicate your email/cover letter where (vacanciesincanada.ca) you saw this job posting.