Labour Relations & Disability Management Senior Advisor

LABOUR RELATIONS AND DISABILITY MANAGEMENT SENIOR ADVISOR

Regular Full Time (Exempt)

About Us

One of BC’s Top Employers, the City of Coquitlam offers meaningful career opportunities to make a difference within the local community. As one of British Columbia’s largest and most dynamic municipalities, Coquitlam is home to a diverse and rapidly evolving community of more than 170,000 residents.

Located in the heart of Metro Vancouver, Coquitlam combines established neighbourhoods, emerging urban centres, rapid-transit connectivity and significant new community development with extensive parks, trails and natural areas. The City is experiencing substantial growth and transformation while continuing to focus on thoughtful city building, sustainable service delivery and an exceptional quality of life.

Our brand is built on managing our resources in a responsible and sustainable manner while supporting a vibrant, growing regional urban centre. We envision a bright future in Coquitlam that we hope includes you.

About You / What We Are Looking For

The City of Coquitlam is seeking an experienced and relationship-focused labour relations professional to join our Human Resources team as Labour Relations and Disability Management Senior Advisor.

Reporting to the Manager, Labour Relations and HR Strategy, you will provide practical advice and hands-on support on workplace investigations, collective agreement interpretation and sensitive employee matters. Working closely with managers, HR colleagues and union representatives, you will help resolve concerns, support consistent decisions and build constructive working relationships across the organization.

You bring experience in labour relations, navigating workplace issues in a unionized environment, assessing information carefully and helping leaders understand their options. You are comfortable conducting investigations, preparing clear documentation and recommendations, and following matters through to resolution.

Alongside this work, you will contribute to the City’s disability management activities, supporting medical leave, accommodation and return-to-work processes in collaboration with HR colleagues. Experience in this area is an asset, and we also welcome strong labour relations practitioners who are ready to broaden their expertise.

This is an opportunity to deepen your labour relations practice, take on meaningful responsibility and expand your skills within a collaborative municipal HR team.

Main Responsibilities

• Provide advice and guidance to managers and HR colleagues on collective agreement interpretation and administration, employee relations, discipline, performance management and workplace conflict.
• Conduct workplace investigations, including planning interviews, gathering and assessing information, documenting findings and preparing clear recommendations.
• Support grievance handling and dispute resolution through research, file preparation, meetings and recommended responses, working with the Manager on complex or sensitive matters.
• Build and maintain constructive relationships with union representatives, operational leaders and HR colleagues, helping address concerns early and identify workable resolutions.
• Research labour relations issues, relevant decisions and established practices to support consistent advice and well-supported recommendations.
• Prepare investigation reports, correspondence, meeting summaries and other documentation, maintaining accurate and confidential case records.
• Support disability management activities related to medical leaves, workplace accommodations and return-to-work planning, working collaboratively with employees, managers and HR colleagues.
• Help address labour relations questions arising from attendance, leave and accommodation matters, recognizing when additional expertise or direction is required.
• Support managers in applying collective agreements, HR policies and established procedures, explaining requirements clearly and helping build confidence in workplace decision-making.
• Identify recurring issues and opportunities to improve case administration, documentation and labour relations processes, contributing to policy and procedure updates as required.

Minimum Qualifications

• A university degree in Labour Relations, Industrial Relations, Human Resources, Business Administration or a related discipline, or an equivalent combination of relevant education, training and experience.
• Approximately five years of progressive human resources experience, including substantial hands-on labour relations responsibility in a complex unionized environment.
• Demonstrated experience interpreting and administering collective agreements and advising managers on employee relations, discipline, performance management and workplace concerns.
• Experience conducting workplace investigations, assessing information objectively and preparing findings and recommendations.
• Working knowledge of applicable labour relations, employment and human rights legislation, with the ability to apply that knowledge to practical workplace situations.
• Strong research, analytical and written communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear correspondence, reports and confidential case documentation.
• Demonstrated ability to build productive relationships with managers, union representatives, employees and HR colleagues, using sound judgment and effective conflict resolution skills.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and sensitive files with discretion, accuracy and consistent follow-through.
• Ability and willingness to develop further expertise in disability management, workplace accommodation and return-to-work processes.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in municipal government, the broader public sector or a similarly complex environment with multiple collective agreements.
• Experience supporting grievance resolution and preparing files for mediation, arbitration or other formal proceedings.
• Experience with disability management, medical leave administration, workplace accommodations or return-to-work coordination.
• A Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR) designation, or progress toward the designation.
• Additional training in workplace investigations, labour relations, conflict resolution or disability management.
• Experience coaching managers or delivering practical guidance and training on labour relations topics.

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate combines strong labour relations skills with curiosity, sound judgment and a practical approach to resolving workplace issues.

You listen carefully, ask thoughtful questions and distinguish between assumptions and evidence. When conducting an investigation or reviewing a sensitive matter, you bring structure, objectivity and care to the process. Your recommendations are clear, balanced and grounded in the information available.

You build credibility through reliable advice and follow-through. Managers trust you to understand their operational needs, and union representatives recognize your willingness to engage respectfully and work through difficult issues. You can have direct conversations while remaining composed and professional.

You take ownership of your work and recognize when a matter calls for the Manager’s involvement or additional expertise. You work well with colleagues, share information appropriately and help ensure that connected workplace issues receive a coordinated response.

You are also motivated to expand your practice. You bring a strong labour relations foundation and an interest in developing the disability management knowledge needed to support employees and the organization effectively.

Why Work With Us

• Apply your labour relations expertise. Take on meaningful work involving investigations, collective agreement administration and sensitive workplace matters.
• Broaden your professional practice. Build experience in disability management, accommodation and return-to-work processes alongside your labour relations portfolio.
• Work in partnership with leaders. Help managers navigate challenging situations and make thoughtful, consistent workplace decisions.
• Build relationships with lasting value. Work constructively with HR colleagues, operational teams and union representatives across a diverse municipal organization.
• Contribute to better HR services. Help strengthen the tools, documentation and processes that support effective advice and timely resolution.
• Make a public service contribution. Support the people whose work makes Coquitlam a welcoming, connected and thriving community.
• Join a recognized employer. Be part of an organization recognized as one of BC’s Top Employers, with opportunities for professional growth and meaningful contribution.

What We Offer:

This is an excluded position with an annual salary range of (Band 5) $131,057 – $147,420 (2026 Rates). The rate of pay will be determined based on a variety of factors including qualifications, knowledge, experience and skills.

This is an opportunity to join a progressive and growing municipality and an accomplished executive team committed to serving a diverse and evolving community. The City supports continuous learning and leadership development and provides opportunities for employees at all levels of the organization to grow professionally and contribute meaningfully to public service.

The City offers a comprehensive total rewards package, including an attractive vacation and extended benefits program and participation in the Municipal Pension Plan. There is also an opportunity to participate in the City’s earned day off/flex day program. The position is based in Coquitlam, with flexible and hybrid work options available in alignment with the responsibilities and operational requirements of this senior leadership role.

Accessibility / Equal Opportunity Employer

The City of Coquitlam is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer working towards enhancing equitable practices in our recruitment and retention processes. As an organization we are committed to creating an inclusive work environment to support our growing and diverse work force. To learn more about what equity, diversity, and inclusion means, and the City’s efforts in support of these principles, please visit coquitlam.ca/edi for more information.

If at any time during the application or recruitment process you require additional assistance or an accommodation, please contact our team for confidential support. Staff can also provide in-person support if required.

Applicants under consideration may be required to undergo and submit an acceptable police information check.

Good people make Coquitlam great, sign up for career alerts through our recruitment portal to stay up to date about opportunities within our team, or follow us on LinkedIn to learn more about how #YouCouldWorkHere too!

Please apply online at www.coquitlam.ca/careers by 11:55 pm on November 23, 2026.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.