Manager, Strategic Business Partner Services

Overview

Simon Fraser University is a leading research university, advancing an inclusive and sustainable future. Our purpose – the essence of SFU – is to create and connect knowledge, learning and community for deeper understanding and meaningful impact. We are committed to fostering excellence, innovation, belonging and community in all that we do.

The People and Organization Development division of People Strategies is responsible for the development of long-term strategy such as the People Plan, a holistic long-term plan that engages and supports employees to transform the SFU experience. This Office encompasses Learning and Development, Organizational Health and Well-Being, HR operations and administrative services and overall HR Strategic Business Partner Services team.

The Strategic Business Partner (SBP) Services team provides proactive HR support, working closely with leaders and their units to deeply understand their unique needs. As the primary point of contact for leaders across SFU, they offer a broad range of HR guidance and support, exercising sound judgment in recognizing when to engage specialized expertise from various HR Centers of Excellence.

The Manager, SBP Services is a trusted advisor and strategic partner to senior leaders, aligning human resources strategies with the long-term goals of the University. This role builds influential relationships with executive leadership and senior leaders across assigned portfolios, providing expert guidance on workforce planning, talent management, employee relations, organizational change, and HR best practices to drive organizational effectiveness.

With a strong focus on special projects, this Manager position leads and delivers initiatives that support the SBP team and broader institutional priorities, while also providing portfolio coverage as required. By leveraging HR analytics, fostering leadership development, and ensuring the consistent application of policies and collective agreements, the role enhances the employee experience and supports a culture of equity, inclusion, and continuous improvement.

The Manager leads, develops, and empowers a team of HR professionals to deliver integrated, high-quality HR services, promoting consistency, operational excellence, and a responsive HR function that meets the evolving needs of the University.

We are seeking an experienced Strategic Human Resource Business Partner with strong project management and change leadership skills to provide expert guidance and proactive support to diverse academic and administrative client groups within a complex, unionized environment.

The successful candidate will partner with leaders and our centres of excellence to develop and implement people strategies aligned with institutional goals, lead cross-functional HR projects, and contribute to continuous improvement within the SBP function.

If you excel at building trusted relationships, leading impactful projects, and creating practical, people-centred HR solutions, we encourage you to apply.

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Human Resources or a related discipline, a professional Human Resources designation (CPHR or CHRP) is an asset and ten years of related experience in human resources, demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of HR best practices in a complex unionized environment, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.

• Excellent organizational, strategic planning and project management skills.
• Excellent knowledge of multiple Human Resource disciplines, including organizational design, compensation practices, employee and union relations, equity, diversity and inclusion and performance management.
• Ability to align HR strategies with institutional goals and provide forward-thinking recommendations to leadership.
• Ability to interpret, utilize and track data for a range of ‘people’ metrics from Human Resources Management Systems (e.g.: People Soft).
• Experience leading a team and the ability to influence, inspire, persuade, coach and communicate with diverse stakeholders who have varying interests and needs.
• Ability to build collaborative…