Job Opportunity – 25.003 – Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Lead (1 Position)

Title: Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Lead (500-19C) (permanent)

Work Location:

People & Culture Division
OPSEU/SEFPO Head Office,
100 Lesmill Road, Toronto, ON. M3B 3P8

Reporting to: Administrator, People and Culture Division

Start Date: To be determined.

Search Type: Open to all – staff, members and the community

Ontario Public Service Employees Union/Syndicat des employés de la fonction publique de l’Ontario

OPSEU/SEFPO has an incredibly talented, knowledgeable, and dedicated workforce that provides the highest level of support to its diverse membership. OPSEU /SEFPO is striving to be an organization which reflects the communities we serve and to promote a diverse, anti-racist, inclusive, accessible, merit-based, respectful and equitable workplace.

OPSEU/SEFPO represents approximately 180,000 members across Ontario. They are full-and part-time workers, as diverse a group as you could imagine. OPSEU/SEFPO’s members work for the Ontario government, inside community colleges, for the LCBO, in the health care and education sectors, and they are employed in a wide range of community agencies within the broader public sector.

It is within this context that OPSEU/SEFPO welcomes applications for one permanent position noted below. OPSEU/SEFPO supports employment equity and encourages applications from racialized individuals, people with disabilities, Indigenous, as well as people from a diversity of ethnic and cultural origins, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions.

Candidates must have a demonstrated ability to foster an inclusive union culture and to advance equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessible programs, strategies, and principles.

Role Overview:

Reporting to the Administrator, People and Culture Division, the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Lead is responsible for developing and implementing policies, programs and initiatives that will foster an environment where employees feel valued and respected. They develop and lead an integrated approach to equity, diversity and inclusion in line with the organization’s values and behaviours and best practice.

They will also be providing operational support and strategic advice to the management and staff for a wide range of HR matters, including interpretation and administration of the collective agreements, employee and labour relations, recruitment, learning and development, organizational and workforce planning, change management, employee engagement, talent management and succession planning.

Note: These are in office positions with ability to work from home one day a week.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

As the subject matter expert, responsible for creating and implementing organization-wide plans to promote equity, diversity and inclusiveness with the OPSEU/SEFPO workplace and ensure EDI is embedded in all aspects of the employee lifecycle.
Design and implement EDI strategies, frameworks and action plans.
Analyzes and advises on legislative advancements related to employee equity and diversity.
Plan and facilitate trainings to OPSEU/SEFPO staff on equity, diversity and inclusion.
Promotes staff employee equity and diversity principles by providing advice and recommendations to OPSEU/SEFPO’s Senior Leadership team.
Research and benchmarks employee equity best practices.
Review and update OPSEU/SEFPO’s staff employee equity and diversity policies/directives.
Manages Employee Equity Resource Groups including providing support for initiatives activities, agendas and communication plans from the groups.
Provide advice related to confidential labour relations matters and bargaining on Employee Equity, Diversity and Inclusion issues.
Partner with team members to diversify OPSEU/SEFPO’s recruitment strategy.
Research, investigate and make recommendations on wide variety of labour and employee relations matters including grievances, complaints, collective bargaining matters and trends.
Support the development and implementation of an HR Plan that prioritizes the processes, programs, and initiatives critical to the organization’s success and supports the organization to deliver on its mission while ensuring an organizational culture of inclusiveness, transparency, accountability, teamwork, and innovation.
Track the progress and impacts of the EDI strategies, frame works and action plans.
Provide consultative support and advice to leadership on a variety of operational and strategic Human Resources (HR) matters including but not limited to recruitment, attendance management, return to workplace, performance supports, grievance management, learning and development, and employee recognition.
Support the organization’s training and development initiatives to improve and build organizational capacity.
Participate in workplace committees.
Develop and implement HR policies, procedures, and programs in collaboration with team members.
Monitor and review changes in Provincial and Federal legislation and regulations related to HR/LR including Employment Standards Act, Occupational Health and Safety Act, etc.
Other duties as assigned.

Note: The roles within the People and Culture Division are interchangeable and the successful incumbent maybe assigned to other HR duties and responsibilities as required.

Qualifications:

The following qualifications will be used as guidelines:

An undergraduate degree/diploma in Human Resources Management, Diversity Studies, Human Rights, Social Justice or a related discipline, and five years of related work experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience
Completion of a recognized Human Resources designation(s) or other accreditation is considered an asset.
Knowledge of applicable employment legislation, regulations and policies.
Strong knowledge of the Ontario Human Rights Code, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, anti-racism, decolonization, anti-oppression, truth and reconciliation, intersectionality, equity, and accessibility, as well as how to apply these concepts in an organizational setting.
Experience working with diverse and systemically marginalized communities and collaborating on program development and/or projects.
Demonstrated progressive experience developing, implementing, and evaluating strategies and initiatives that address disproportionality and disparity.
Demonstrates culture competency and ability to work with diverse groups of people.
Demonstrated knowledge of HR issues and best practices.
Understanding of and commitment to labour movement and social democratic philosophy.
Experience in conducting workplace investigations into employee misconduct or violation of company policies.
Experience handling employee grievances, disputes and complaints.
Experience in developing and leading impactful HR projects inclusive of EDI principles.
Experience in facilitating and managing learning and development programs and training.
Project management, change management, and organization skills. Must possess the ability to take initiative and work independently.
Interpersonal skills with a proven ability to facilitate sensitive conversations with tact and diplomacy.
Active listening, empathy, coaching and conflict management skills.
Communication and presentation skills. Ability to present data, reports and presentations to senior leaders, executive board members and to staff members.
Ability to plan and think strategically.
Critical thinking and analytical skills for complex problem solving.
Collaboration, influence and negotiation skills.
Proficient in using MS Office Suite and HR Information Systems.
Vision, strategic thinking, and a willingness to instigate change.

Remuneration

Annual salary of $166,904, a comprehensive fully employer funded benefits package along with a defined benefit pension plan.

Application Submission:

Required: Applicants must complete the two-step submission process noted below. Failure to do so may result in disqualification from consideration.

Complete this OPSEU/SEFPO Job Applicant Survey.

All applications must be sent in as a Word document or as a PDF. Please send your cover letter and resume to AdministratorPAC@opseu.org quoting “#25.003 Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Lead (500-19C), no later than January 30, 2025, by midnight. (Eastern Time).

Please advise in your email if you require disability related accommodation to participate in this competition.