Director, Shared Services and Labour Relations
Application deadline: June 12th, 2026
About Aboriginal Legal Services
Aboriginal Legal Services is the leading Indigenous organization in Ontario dedicated to justice for Indigenous communities. Established in 1990, ALS provides legal assistance, culturally based justice alternatives, and advocacy to Indigenous people across Southern Ontario and the near north. Our programs are rooted in Indigenous community knowledge and the principle that justice alternatives are most effective when they are community-controlled and culturally grounded.
Leadership Model
ALS is led by a senior leadership team of three directors, each responsible for a distinct portfolio, reporting to the Board of Directors. This shared governance structure reflects ALS’s values of collective accountability and ensures that operational, programmatic, and legal advocacy decisions are made collaboratively at the leadership level.
Position Summary
This role provides leadership over ALS’s shared services and labour relations functions. You will set direction for finance, human resources, IT, facilities, and organizational administration, working through senior managers and staff who handle day-to-day operations. You will serve as the Employer’s chief negotiator at the bargaining table and the final decision-maker on grievance escalation, workplace investigations, and dispute resolution. You will present financial and human resources reporting to the Board and ensure that the governance framework for finance, administration, and labour relations supports informed Board decision-making.
This is a full-time, permanent non-union management position based in Toronto with in-office attendance as determined by ALS. The role requires attendance at Board or committee meetings and may require work outside regular business hours for bargaining, mediations, arbitrations, investigations, and urgent operational matters.
Reporting Relationships and Key Working Relationships|
Reports to the Board of Directors. Works as part of the senior leadership team alongside the Director of Programs and the Director of Legal Advocacy. All three directors share accountability for organizational health and strategic direction.
The Finance Officer and the Manager of People and Operations report directly to this position. Both lead the day-to-day operations of their respective areas. This director sets priorities, approves key decisions, and holds both accountable for results.
Shared Services (60%): Strategic Leadership: Finance & HR & Third Party Operations
The shared services portfolio combines oversight of finance and HR with direct management of IT, facilities, vendors, and compliance.
- Provide direction for ALS's finance and human resources functions, working through the Finance Officer and the Manager of People and Operations.
- Manage and maintain the organization's operations with third-party service providers, including IT, facilities operations, and vendor management directly. Set service standards and ensure compliance and consistent service delivery across all programs. This includes vendor performance and risk controls, renewals, access management, and follow-up on recurring issues
- Work closely with the Director of Programs and the Director of Legal Advocacy to align shared service priorities, address cross-functional operational issues, and support stable service delivery across ALS.
- Maintain and strengthen ALS’s financial governance framework.
- Implement, review, and update financial procedures and related policies on a regular cycle, including annual or bi-annual review as needed.
- Oversee the annual budgeting cycle and in-year forecasting process. Approve budgets prepared by the Finance Officer in collaboration with program managers. Review and challenge variance reports and ensure they drive timely decisions.
- Maintain the organizational policy cycle: identify gaps, direct updates, ensure dissemination, and monitor compliance across the organization.
- Assess and redesign administrative and financial processes where current systems are not meeting organizational needs. Tighten approval workflows, reduce manual work, and strengthen documentation and controls.
- Contribute to organizational priorities as they arise.
- Present financial and human resources reporting to the Board of Directors. Ensure reporting is timely, accurate, and supports informed governance decisions.
Collective Bargaining and Labour Relations (40%)
The labour relations portfolio is intensive during bargaining and active disputes but cyclical by nature.
- Serve as the Employer's chief negotiator at the bargaining table and lead the bargaining team.
- Set bargaining objectives and priorities with the Board and the senior leadership team. Project the financial impact of proposals and counterproposals.
- Direct the development of proposals and manage table strategy through negotiations.
- Bring agreements to ratification and oversee implementation of MOAs, LOUs, and mid-term agreements.
- Serve as the Employer’s final escalation authority for matters under the collective agreement. This includes Step 2 grievance responses, mediation, and arbitration strategy (Article 11), and formal workplace violence, harassment, lateral violence and discrimination complaints (Article 5).
- Manage grievance and dispute timelines at the escalation level. Convene required meetings, issue written responses, and lead settlement and arbitration strategy in coordination with legal counsel.
- Make final decisions on investigation outcomes and corrective actions. Ensure follow-through on implementation.
- Maintain the official precedent record: settlements, MOAs, LOUs, agreed interpretations, and arbitration outcomes. Use this record to ensure consistency in agreement administration across ALS.
Qualifications
Required:
· Minimum six to seven years of progressive, practical experience in a unionized environment, including direct responsibility for labour relations and organizational administration at a senior level.
· Financial acumen sufficient to oversee a multi-program, multi-funder budget in a non-profit context. Able to read and challenge financial reports, approve budgets, identify control weaknesses, and direct the redesign of financial processes and systems.
· Strong analytical reasoning and sound decision-making in complex situations where competing interests are at play.
· Demonstrated ability to influence, build consensus, and move decisions forward across multiple stakeholders, including Board members, union representatives, and program leaders.
· Knowledge of Ontario employment and labour legislation,
· Experience presenting financial and operational reporting to a Board of Directors or equivalent governance body.
Preferred:
· Experience working in or with Indigenous communities and organizations, with an understanding of Indigenous governance, community accountability, and culturally grounded service delivery.
· Experience in a non-profit or community-based organization with multiple funding streams and reporting requirements.
· Post-secondary education in business administration, Finance, Human Resources, Law, labour relations, public administration, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
· Strong judgment in employer-side labour relations in a unionized environment. Ability to read, interpret, and challenge budgets, forecasts, variance reports, and financial controls. Ability to present clearly and credibly to a Board or committee. Ability to manage confidential, contentious, and high-risk matters with discretion. Ability to work across director-level portfolios and resolve cross-functional issues collaboratively.
Compensation and Details
· Salary range: $115,000 to $150,000, commensurate with experience.
· Benefits: 100% employer-paid comprehensive health and dental benefits,
· Pension Plan
To apply:
To apply to this job posting, please submit your application with “Director, Shared Services and Labour Relations” in the subject line to [email protected] or fax it to (416) 408-1568
Pay: $115,000.00-$150,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental care
- Disability insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Extended health care
- Life insurance
- Mileage reimbursement
- Paid time off
- RRSP match
- Vision care
Work Location: In person
