Human Resources Manager
Part-Time Contract Position (3 days/week) – Maternity Leave Coverage
For over 50 years Nellie's has been providing shelter and support for marginalized women and their children in the Greater Toronto Area. Nellie's breaks the cycle of gender-based oppression through our unwavering commitment to offering a safe refuge for women and their children fleeing violence, poverty, and homelessness. Beyond safe housing, we empower women with advocacy, strength and support-based programming, enabling them to create a new path for life, free from the barriers of violence and oppression.
Our core operations involve our 44-bed emergency shelter for women and their children who are homeless or escaping violent situations. In addition to our shelter, Nellie's operates Community Support and Outreach programs that provides after care support and follow-up services to women and their children after they leave the shelter, as well as transitional housing support for women living in the community who are homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless.
Reporting directly to the Executive Director, you will provide essential continuity and leadership as the acting Human Resources Manager during a maternity leave absence. This position ensures that core HR functions, active labour relations processes, and day-to-day support for our dedicated team remain seamless, compliant, and deeply grounded in our core values.
Nellie's is committed to the development of an agency that reflects the women it serves. This position is open to all women*. Woman* signifies anyone who self-identifies as female, femme and/or woman. This includes transwomen, cisgender women, non-binary people who identify as femme or female presenting. Applications from equity seeking groups are strongly encouraged.
Key Responsibilities
Labour Relations & Union Administration
- Act as the primary management liaison for the Union, prioritizing a transparent, collaborative, and stable union-management relationship during the transition and contract term.
- Administer, interpret, and ensure consistent application of the Collective Agreement, balancing the execution of management rights with strict adherence to the agency’s AR/AO and trauma-informed frameworks.
- Manage the full lifecycle of active and emerging grievances, from leading initial step meetings and restorative conflict resolution through to preparing strategic documentation and briefs for potential mediation or arbitration.
- Chair and serve as the lead management representative in scheduled Labour-Management Committee (LMC) meetings, maintaining momentum on existing joint initiatives and addressing systemic workplace concerns proactively before they escalate.
- Provide continuous, pragmatic coaching and advisory support to frontline supervisors and the leadership team regarding collective agreement compliance, progressive discipline, attendance management, and the unionized implications of any operational shifts.
- Actively monitor the labour relations climate within the shelter and community programs, advising the Executive Director on risk mitigation strategies and potential labour disruptions to ensure uninterrupted service delivery.
Recruitment & Onboarding
- Execute the full-cycle recruitment process for any vacancies arising during the contract term, ensuring all hiring practices remain deeply rooted in Nellie's Anti-Racist/Anti-Oppressive (AR/AO) framework.
- Draft, present, and administer comprehensive offer letters, ensuring operational transparency, equity, and strict alignment with collective bargaining parameters.
- Ensure seamless onboarding and orientation execution for incoming cohorts, integrating them into the agency’s culture and operational protocols from day one.
Policy Compliance & Implementation
- Act as the primary steward for newly established organizational policies, driving the active implementation and staff adoption of recent comprehensive updates.
- Provide clear, accessible guidance to both management and frontline staff on policy interpretation, ensuring operational protocols are applied consistently and equitably across the organization.
- Ensure continuous agency compliance with the Employment Standards Act (ESA), Ontario Human Rights Code (OHRC), and the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), including taking the lead on mandatory annual reviews of workplace violence and harassment programs.
- Monitor external legislative changes and non-profit sector trends during the contract term, advising the Executive Director on any necessary ad-hoc policy adjustments to maintain legal, ethical, and operational integrity.
Employee Relations
- Lead and manage complex workplace investigations (e.g., harassment, code of conduct violations, or health and safety incidents) from end-to-end, ensuring procedural fairness, strict confidentiality, and the application of a trauma-informed and AR/AO lens.
- Facilitate conflict resolution and mediation between staff members, utilizing restorative approaches to rebuild trust, de-escalate tensions, and maintain a psychologically safe shelter environment.
- Manage complex employee leaves (including sick leaves, WSIB claims, and statutory leaves), actively coordinating safe, supportive, and legally compliant Return-to-Work (RTW) and medical accommodation plans.
- Provide actionable, risk-mitigated recommendations to the Executive Director regarding sensitive employee relations matters to ensure organizational stability during the contract term.
Employee Engagement & Workplace Culture
- Sustain established retention and engagement initiatives tailored to the social services sector, actively supporting staff against compassion fatigue and professional burnout.
- Champion a healthy workplace culture by promoting existing mental health resources and psychological safety initiatives for both frontline shelter and community outreach teams.
Leadership & Ad-Hoc Responsibilities
- Act as a strategic HR partner, reporting directly to the Executive Director to support ongoing organizational goals and leadership decisions during the contract term.
- Oversee, mentor, and provide day-to-day direction to the HR Assistant, ensuring the smooth execution of administrative HR tasks and departmental workflows.
- Manage ad-hoc requests, emergent special projects, and other related responsibilities as assigned by the Executive Director to support the agency's evolving operational needs.
Qualifications
- Degree or diploma in Human Resources Management, Industrial Relations, or a related field.
- Minimum 3–5 years of progressive HR management experience, ideally within a non-profit, shelter, or community social services sector.
- Demonstrated experience operating within a unionized environment, including direct application of Collective Agreements and leading formal grievance processes.
- Proven experience in a supervisory capacity, with the ability to effectively mentor and manage administrative staff (e.g., HR Assistant).
- Strong background in applying Anti-Racism/Anti-Oppression (AR/AO) and trauma-informed frameworks to core HR functions.
- Proven ability to step into in-progress HR initiatives, including policy implementation and seasonal onboarding.
- Exceptional communication, conflict de-escalation, and restorative mediation skills.
- Proficiency in HR Information Systems (HRIS), digital tracking databases, and Microsoft Office Suite.
- A satisfactory Vulnerable Sector Police Record Check is required prior to employment.
Hours: 21 hrs/week (3 days/week in-office)
Contract Duration:12 Months - Maternity Leave Coverage
Salary: $35 Hourly
Date of Posting: June 19th, 2026
Deadline of Applications: Until position is filled.
Please email your application to [email protected]. Only those candidates who will be interviewed will be contacted. The successful candidate will be required to obtain a clear vulnerable sector check. Nellie's is a unionized workplace with the Workers United Canada Council; please note this management position is excluded from the bargaining unit.
Job Types: Full-time, Fixed term contract
Contract length: 12 months
Pay: $35.00 per hour
Work Location: In person
