Director, HR Partnerships

SAIT • Calgary, AB

6d • CA$175,000 - CA$195,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

SAIT is seeking a strategic, transformation-oriented leader to join our Office of Human Resources as Director, HR Partnerships. Reporting to the AVP, Human Resources, you will shape, evolve, and elevate the HR Business Partner (HRBP) model, serving as a trusted executive advisor and driving major organizational impact. This is a critical role that requires exceptional leadership, coaching, and mentorship to scale a high-capability HRBP team. Balancing business-partnering impact with progressive labour relations, you will work closely with executive and senior leaders to enable future-ready workforce strategies, foster collaborative union relationships, and deliver data-informed, people-centered solutions.

Requirements

• Post-secondary degree in Human Resources, Industrial Relations, Business, or a related field (or equivalent combination of education and experience).
• 10 or more years of progressive HR leadership experience, with a proven track record of coaching, transforming, and mentoring HR Business Partners.
• Demonstrated expertise in leading high-performing teams and navigating complex labour relations, collective bargaining, and agreement interpretation.
• Strong knowledge of relevant employment and labour legislation and best practices.
• Demonstrated ability to navigate confidential and high-risk matters with sound judgement, diplomacy, and professionalism.

Nice To Haves

• Professional designation (e.g., CPHR or equivalent).
• Experience in post-secondary, public sector, or other unionized environments with multiple stakeholder groups.
• Experience strengthening HR operating models (e.g., HRBP practice standards, service design, governance, analytics/metrics).
• Demonstrated commitment and capability to advance equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging in people practices.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of Strategic HR Business Partners and Advisors.
• Build team capability in strategic advising, labour relations, consultation, and relationship management.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, and service excellence.
• Elevate HRBP Capability: Lead, coach, and mentor the HRBP team, evolving their focus from operational execution into high-influence internal management consultants.
• Drive Business Impact: Partner with senior executives to translate institutional priorities into agile talent strategies, succession frameworks, and change-resilient organizational design.
• Workforce Intelligence: Synthesize human capital analytics and predictive data to forecast talent trends, advise leadership on workforce planning, and proactively mitigate risk.
• Enterprise Leadership: Serve as a key member of the HR Leadership Team, driving enterprise-wide HR strategies that align with SAIT’s long-term vision.
• Lead and develop the HRBP team to deliver integrated, consistent, and scalable advisory services and setting expectations for strategic, enterprise-focused partnership, and building capability within the HRBP team to deliver high-value support to leaders.
• Partner with leaders on strategic workforce planning, succession planning, and talent strategies to support future-ready teams.
• Use data and trends to identify workforce risks/opportunities and recommend practical solutions.
• LR Coaching & Capability: Build deep collective agreement expertise across the team, actively mentoring HRBPs on practical interpretation to ensure consistent, fair, and compliant outcomes.
• Progressive Bargaining: Lead SAIT’s labour relations strategy, overseeing collective bargaining preparation and execution to balance compliance with modern workplace flexibility.
• Constructive Partnerships: Cultivate collaborative, solution-oriented union-management relationships, navigating grievances, dispute resolution, and legal risks with strategic diplomacy.
• Complex Case Counsel: Provide expert guidance on high-risk employee relations, investigations, human rights, and performance matters, managing external counsel and associated budgets.
• Provide expert guidance on investigations, performance management, complex case management, grievances, and dispute resolution.
• Oversee SAIT’s approach to labour-related disputes, ensuring fair, consistent, and compliant practices.
• Partner with internal stakeholders and, when needed, manage engagement with external counsel and related budgets.
• Ensure alignment with employment and labour legislation, collective agreement obligations, and SAIT policies.
• Contribute to policy development and continuous improvement for HR governance, frameworks, and practice standards.

Benefits

• Generous time off to pursue other passions and support your wellbeing
• SAIT paid premiums for medical, dental, and vision benefits so you, and your family, are well supported
• Benefits supporting mental health and access to Greenshield + for virtual therapy at a reduced rate
• Access to a Health Spending or Taxable Spending Account
• Professional development opportunities through our Free Seat Program, tuition support, access to LinkedIn Learning and discounted Continuing Education & Professional Studies courses
• Defined Benefit pension through LAPP to help you retire with confidence
• Excellent dining options on campus
• Free access to our fitness facilities and group fitness classes

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director