Human Resources Specialist

at  Western University

CLASSIFICATION & REGULAR HOURS

Hours per Week: 35
Salary Grade: 14
Please note, this is a temporary full-time opportunity with a contract end date of January 19, 2026.

ABOUT US

Facilities Management fosters safe, inclusive and vibrant environments that inspire community engagement, life-bettering research and the pursuit of academic excellence.
Facilities Management is responsible for the planning, development, engineering, construction, operation, maintenance and stewardship of all the buildings, infrastructure, sites and services within Western’s campus community. FM departments include the AVP’s office, Facilities Development & Engineering, Power Plant, Business Operations, Sustainability, Building Services, Facilities Operations and Parking & Visitor Services. Our integrated team provides exceptional service in creating and maintaining Western’s facilities and in serving the community.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

• Undergraduate degree in Human Resources, Business, Labour Relations, or Psychology
• Human Resource professional designation (completed or working towards) is preferred
• Professional courses in conflict resolution, decolonization, EDI, accessibility, or other relevant subjects preferred

Experience:

• 5 years of progressive experience working in an HR environment, including recruitment
• Experience working in a unionized environment is preferred

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• In-depth knowledge of Human Resources statute, principles and practices and of the Employment Standards Act, and other relevant legislation
• Well-defined sense of diplomacy and professional decorum, including conflict resolution, interpersonal, and people management skills.
• Possesses a reputation for resourcefulness with a strong sense of accountability and initiative.
• Ability to understand client needs and expectations and provide excellent service-level directly and indirectly to satisfy expectations.
• Demonstrated ability to evolve knowledge and professional development to adapt to ongoing changes in industry and workforce climate.
• Knowledge of technical and legislative issues related to employment and labour relations.
• Detail-oriented with an ability to function and process information with high levels of accuracy.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and confidence dealing with all levels of an organization.
• Ability to establish and build healthy working relations and partnerships within a diverse community of staff, peers, union leaders, and external parties.
• Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills with the ability to coach team members.
• Ability to remain resilient, calm, work well under pressure, and use good judgment in assessing difficult situations.
• Creative problem solving skills and sound professional judgement, especially regarding confidential/sensitive matters.
• Proven ability to take initiative and champion a project from conception through implementation and evaluation.
• Ability to handle diverse and emotional situations with empathy and neutrality.
• Ability to work under pressure and balancing multiple projects, each having their own timelines and constraints, and respond effectively to rapidly changing priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to support continuous process improvement.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively as a member of the team to achieve departmental goals

The Human Resources (HR) Specialist is responsible for the development and implementation of a broad range of human resources processes and strategies to ensure highly efficient, client-focused and responsive services are delivered within Facilities Management (“FM”) under the direction of the Manager, Human Resources. The HR Specialist works with leaders, union executives, and staff to resolve matters as they arise and proactively adapts FM’s human resources tools, practices, and processes to align with the University of Western Ontario’s (“University”) objectives, FM’s objectives, applicable legislation, collective agreements, best practices, and relevant workplace needs.