The Compensation Range is the span between the minimum and maximum base salary for a position. The midpoint of the range is approximately halfway between the minimum and the maximum and represents an employee that possesses full job knowledge, qualifications and experience for the position. In the normal course, employees will be hired, transferred or promoted between the minimum and midpoint of the salary range for a job.
Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.
Job End Date
OngoingAt UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.
Job Summary
The Senior Manager, Human Resources, provides HR leadership, operational oversight, and expert guidance for all faculty and staff HR functions within the UBC Faculty of Science. Reporting to the Assistant Dean, HR, this role develops and implements Faculty-wide HR strategies, practices, and policies that align with collective agreements the Faculty of Science’s priorities, and the University’s strategic goals.
The Senior Manager serves as the primary Faculty-level advisor on recruitment, retention, performance management, compensation, workplace culture, and employment legislation, ensuring consistent, equitable, and compliant practices across 12 academic departments, 6 research institutes, and 3 cultural venues.
This position builds strong, productive relationships with faculty, staff, departmental leadership, and central HR units, fostering collaboration and trust across the Faculty and University. It provides direction, training, and best-practice guidance to HR and administrative staff, and recommends options and solutions for resolving complex HR matters. The Senior Manager is responsible for Dean’s-level approval of all faculty appointments (term, tenure-stream, etc.), working closely with departmental Administrators and Managers to ensure consistency and compliance with policies, collective agreements, immigration requirements, and equity, diversity, and inclusion principles. Acting as a key liaison between the Dean’s Office, departmental leadership, and campus-wide committees, the Senior Manager advances the Faculty’s mission by fostering respectful, safe, and collaborative workplaces while ensuring HR operations are efficient, transparent, and strategically aligned.
Organizational Status
The Faculty of Science is dedicated to advancing knowledge across the life, physical, earth, and computational sciences. It fosters interdisciplinary research and education, contributing to areas such as sustainability, biodiversity, human health, and artificial intelligence. The Faculty is comprised of 12 academic departments and institutes, 6 research institutes, and 3 cultural venues and employs approximately 3500 faculty, staff and student employees in a variety of positions and employment groups (both unionized and non-union). While day-to-day HR administration is managed at the unit level, operational oversight and guidance is provided by the Dean’s Office. In addition, UBC-wide activities, projects, and initiatives are governed, led and supported by the Dean’s Office.
Located in the Earth Sciences Building on UBC's Vancouver campus, the Dean's Office of the UBC Faculty of Science serves as the central administrative and strategic hub, overseeing the Faculty's academic, research, and operational activities. It provides leadership and consultative services across the academic departments, research institutes, and cultural venues, ensuring alignment with Science’s strategic objectives, and the Faculty's mission of improving the world through science.
This position works closely with the Assistant Dean, Human Resources, and other members of the Dean’s Office and Faculty’s leadership team. This role interacts frequently with Department Heads, Administrators, Managers, colleagues in other Faculties or VP portfolios, UBC central HR and Faculty Relations, and the Integrated Services Centre (ISC).
Work Performed
Leads the planning, development, and delivery of Faculty-wide HR strategies, programs, and initiatives in collaboration with the Assistant Dean, HR, ensuring alignment with Faculty of Science and university priorities.
Manages multiple concurrent HR initiatives and projects, including participation in institution-wide initiatives (e.g., Workday, hybrid work strategies, performance management platforms (GPS), and Workplace Experiences Survey).
Leads the Faculty of Science HR Community of Practice, creating a platform for sharing HR best practice, identifying training needs, and promoting collaboration and knowledge sharing within the Faculty.
Represents the Faculty on cross-campus committees, advocating for its needs and aligning department objectives with UBC policies and priorities.
Reviews and improves HR systems, processes, and procedures to ensure efficiency, compliance with collective agreements, and adherence to employment legislation.
Researches, recommends, and implements HR best practices based on Faculty strategic goals.
Gathers and analyzes HR metrics and trends to inform strategic planning, measure outcomes, and guide decision-making.
Collaborates with departmental leaders to foster safe, inclusive, and respectful workplaces and to implement HR initiatives aligned with unit goals.
Provides Faculty-level guidance on HR best practices in areas including faculty and staff recruitment and appointments, job changes, retention, retirement, succession planning, engagement strategies, compensation and salary administration, professional development, performance management, leave management, accommodations and employee/faculty relations.
Interprets and provides advice on faculty and staff collective agreements, employment legislation, and University/Faculty of Science policies to ensure fair, compliant, and consistent HR practices.
Investigates complex or sensitive HR issues, recommending solutions in collaboration with administrators, Faculty Relations, UBC HR, and other central units.
Advises Heads, Directors, and Administrators on recruitment, retention, spousal appointments, and access to university support programs, such as housing and childcare. Provides guidance on immigration matters for faculty appointments, ensuring current policies and guidelines are communicated and followed.
Manages the tenure-stream faculty recruitment process, from advertisement review to offer approval, ensuring compliance with Faculty of Science and UBC policies, collective agreements, immigration requirements, and EDI principles. Collaborates with other Faculties for joint appointments and negotiating and developing Memorandums of Agreement.
Oversees all ongoing and term faculty HR matters, including appointments, reappointments, job changes, salary administration, retirements, benefit eligibility, and honoraria. Provides information, advice, and recommendations to units regarding the interpretation of collective agreements and other agreements, policies, and legislation governing conditions of employment as they may overlap in determining appropriate appointment. Provides approval on behalf of the Dean, as needed.
For appointment recommendations that are not in compliance with UBC and FoS policies, the Senior HR Manager, must investigate, consult with Departments/Institutes, make recommendations and work closely with Departments/Institutes to resolve non-compliance issues.
Provide advice to managers on how to conduct performance reviews for individual performance goals, and advises on managing employee performance concerns.
Develop and deliver Faculty-wide HR training on best practices including recruitment and performance management.
Guides managers on staffing strategies, succession planning, engagement, and professional development.
Provides considerable judgement on carrying out assignments related to restructuring, reclassification, change management, graduated return-to-work processes and accommodations required to remain at work, advising departments with complex cases as needed.
Manages the annual staff and faculty merit, PSA and CPI salary increase processes, including liaising with other Faculties for joint appointments.
Acts as a liaison with central UBC units (Faculty Relations, Payroll, ISC) to address and resolve HR matters.
Provides ad hoc training to new and existing departmental HR staff and Administrators on Workday HR processes as needed. Approves assignment of HR security roles in the Faculty, and ensures efficient HR transactions across all Science units.
Participates in University and Faculty of Science projects, working groups, and committees concerning HR policies and procedures.
Performs other related duties as required, including providing back-up support to other members of the HR Team.
Consequence of Error/Judgement
This position requires accurate advice and information provided in a timely manner, and makes decisions regarding the development and implementation of comprehensive policies, procedures, and systems having broad impact across the Departments in the Faculty of Science. Poor working relationships may hinder effectiveness of operational activities and activities, or negatively impact trust and employee morale.
Advice provided by this position is used in making managerial and policy decisions at a strategic and senior level. Accuracy and consistency are critical as the information provided supports decisions with long-term impact. Decisions and recommendations may have legal, financial, contractual and operational implications for the University and its employees. Errors, inappropriate advice, and/or failure to accurately assess needs, can have financial and legal implications to University and the Faculty of Science. Misinterpretations of policy or collective agreements can be precedent setting and lead to appeals and grievances, and may negatively impact the reputation of the Dean’s Office and the Faculty as a whole.
Supervision Received
This role reports to the Assistant Dean, Human Resources, and may also receive work direction from the Dean or Associate Deans.
Supervision Given
Provides guidance, advice, and direction to Faculty of Science Administrators and HR/Admin staff across the Faculty. Works closely with other members of the HR team in the Dean’s Office and may provide work direction to the Assistant Manager, Dean’s Office.
Minimum Qualifications
Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Minimum of five to seven years of related experience, or the equivalent combination of education and experience
- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own
- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion
Preferred Qualifications
Degree in Business Administration or Human Resource Management preferred; CPHR designation and academic environment experience an asset.
Extensive HR experience in complex, unionized settings with thorough knowledge of HR best practices, intercultural understanding strategies, and relevant provincial/federal employment legislation (e.g., discrimination, bullying and harassment).
Proven experience in building and maintaining effective working relationships with diverse teams, departments, union/association representatives, and central HR units.
Strong interpersonal, communication, facilitation, and presentation skills; ability to coach, influence, and advise effectively.
Skilled in problem-solving, conflict resolution, and process improvement; able to analyze issues, identify solutions, and make sound decisions with tact, discretion, and maintain confidentiality.
Highly organized and detail-oriented, with ability to manage multiple priorities under pressure while adapting to changing needs.
Demonstrated ability to motivate colleagues, lead meetings, deliver training, and foster collaboration in a respectful, inclusive manner.
Ability to establish and maintain supportive working relationships with leaders, faculty and staff in the Faculty of Science.
Proficient with office software; Workday system experience an asset.