People Relations Manager

Your Opportunity:

Are you an experienced HR leader who thrives in complexity, leads with integrity and translates organizational needs into decisive action? Do you bring strong expertise in employee and labour relations, sound business acumen and the ability to guide teams through change with clarity and confidence? Covenant Health is seeking a dynamic Manager, People Relations to provide operational leadership to a team within a complex, multi-unionized healthcare environment. Reporting to the Corporate Director, Talent Acquisition & People Relations, this role is accountable for advancing a modern, responsive and values-driven People Relations function. This position will oversee the resolution of complex workplace matters, including investigations, while also shaping the evolution of our people relations practices, moving to a model of proactive, innovative and strategic partnerships. The ideal candidate will guide the team in standardizing practices to achieve excellence while modernizing the People Relations function to meet evolving organizational needs. They will champion continuous improvement and ensure practices are consistent, evidence-informed, legally sound and ethically grounded across the organization. The successful candidate will be a trusted and action-oriented leader who can navigate ambiguity, balance competing priorities and make timely, risk-informed decisions. They will provide principled advice to senior leaders, build productive stakeholder relationships and deliver recommendations aligned with Covenant Health’s Mission, Vision and Values. They will also foster psychological safety and develop a high-performing team that is accountable, resilient and adaptable in a fast-paced environment. Please note: This is a hybrid position which requires you to work both remotely as well as onsite within Edmonton.

Description:

The Manager, People Relations leads, coaches and develops an assigned team of People Relations Consultants and Advisors. As one of two Managers, this position works collaboratively with the other Manager to provide aligned leadership across the department. Each Manager is accountable for their team and portfolio while sharing responsibility for consistent practices, coordinated service delivery and the effectiveness of the People Relations function. This includes setting priorities, allocating resources and monitoring workloads. The Manager provides guidance and escalation support for complex or high-risk employee and labour relations matters, including investigations, grievances, complaints, performance management and disciplinary action. They oversee fair and timely resolutions and review reports and recommendations to ensure they are thorough, evidence-informed, legally sound and aligned with policies, collective agreements and ethical standards. Collaborating with senior leaders, operational partners, unions and other stakeholders, the Manager translates complex matters into practical, risk-informed recommendations. They apply sound judgment and business acumen when considering operational, workforce, financial and reputational implications. The Manager leads initiatives to standardize and modernize People Relations practices, optimize work processes and improve service consistency, responsiveness and effectiveness. They use workforce trends, organizational insights and service data to identify risks, set priorities and develop proactive solutions. The Manager also provides education on investigations, conflict resolution, labour legislation and employee relations practices; champions Covenant Health’s Mission, Vision and Values; and performs other duties within the scope of the role. This is a non-unionized position.