Vice President, Human Resources in Surrey

Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) is Canada's only polytechnic university, proudly serving the South Fraser region for more than 40 years. With campuses in Surrey, Richmond, Langley, and Cloverdale, KPU is deeply connected to the communities it serves and to the diverse cultures, backgrounds, and lived experiences of its students. Through academic excellence, applied learning, innovation, and strong industry and community partnerships, KPU prepares students for meaningful futures.

As an open-access university, KPU is powered by the people who live and work here. We believe every employee plays a meaningful role in supporting student learning and success. We are honoured to carry the name of the Kwantlen First Nation and are committed to equity, inclusion, reconciliation, and respectful relationships. As one of BC's Top Employers, KPU is dedicated to fostering a supportive, inclusive, and engaged workplace where employees feel valued, connected to purpose, and empowered to make an impact.

This is a pivotal moment to join Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s executive leadership team. We are seeking an experienced and visionary Vice President, Human Resources (VP HR) to guide KPU through a period of significant change and renewal. Reporting directly to the President and Vice Chancellor, the VP Human Resources is a trusted advisor and key member of the executive team - shaping the future of KPU's workforce, advancing organizational strategy, and fostering a strong, inclusive workplace culture.

The VP Human Resources provides executive leadership across various positions – Director, HR Systems & Talent Development; the Director, Labour Relations; and the Director, Workforce Advisory & Compensation, as well as the Manager, Campus Security Operations and the Manager, Emergency Planning. This role is both strategic and hands-on, offering the opportunity to influence KPU’s people strategy and support student success, community engagement, and institutional priorities.

As VP Human Resources, You Will:

• Serve as a trusted advisor to the President, Board, and senior leadership, guiding people strategies that align with KPU’s mission and long-term priorities.
• Champion the employee experience, shaping programs and practices that strengthen engagement, learning, well-being, and a sense of belonging across KPU.
• Lead transformation by modernizing HR practices, introducing innovative approaches, and helping the university evolve through times of change.
• Provide strategic and operational leadership across all HR functions - including labour relations, recruitment, retention, compensation, organizational development, and employee experience.
• Work collaboratively with the Office of General Counsel and other institutional partners to identify and manage legal and organizational risk.
• Provide strategic leadership in complex employment, Human Rights, workplace investigations, regulatory, and labour relations matters, including collective bargaining, grievances, conflict resolution, and building strong, collaborative union relationships.
• Provide oversight and direction for Risk and Campus Safety & Security, ensuring a safe and supportive environment for students, faculty, and staff.
• Foster equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation in all aspects of HR strategy and institutional culture.
• Build strong relationships with faculty, staff, and unions, fostering collaboration, trust, and effective resolution of complex issues in a unionized environment.
• Oversee, support and mentor a diverse HR leadership team, in order to achieve departmental and institutional goals.
• Strengthen connections with the communities KPU serves and collaborate with peer post-secondary institutions across BC and Canada to share expertise and advance best practices.
• Influence institution-wide priorities as part of KPU's executive leadership team, contributing to a student-focused, community-driven, and inclusive university.

What You Bring:

• You are a seasoned HR executive who thrives in complex environments and sees opportunity in times of change.
• You bring both strategic foresight and operational expertise, with a track record of leading transformation, building strong teams, and fostering inclusive workplaces in a complex unionized environment.
• You are trusted for your integrity, sound judgment, and ability to inspire confidence at every level of an organization.

We’re Looking For Someone Who:

• Holds a graduate degree in a relevant discipline and has at least 10 years of senior HR leadership experience, ideally in the public sector or post-secondary.
• Has a proven ability to lead change, modernize practices, and guide teams through transition.
• Is confident advising Presidents, Boards, and senior leaders on sensitive HR and organizational matters.
• Builds credibility through integrity, consistency, transparency, and fairness.
• Demonstrates strong emotional intelligence: listens, engages, and fosters a respectful, inclusive work environment.
• Is deeply committed to advancing equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation, and to creating a workplace where all employees feel valued and supported.
• Brings extensive labour relations experience, including collective bargaining, grievances, and arbitration.
• Has experience developing and empowering high-performing teams, balancing accountability with collaboration and service excellence.
• Brings resilience, adaptability, and the ability to make sound decisions in a complex, unionized environment.

The Location: KPU is a multi-campus institution. The Human Resources offices are located at the Langley campus; however, this position will be based primarily at the Surrey Main campus.

Total Rewards: As a part of our total rewards offerings, KPU also offers extended health and dental benefits, healthcare spending account, generous vacation package, defined pension plan, parenthood top-up, sick leave, long-term disability, life insurance, professional development days, tuition waiver, in-house training & development, inter-campus transportation, and more!

Note to Applicants: Kwantlen Polytechnic University welcomes and encourages applications from equity‑deserving groups and diverse experiences including, but not limited to, Indigenous people, racialized people, people with disabilities, and members of the 2S/LGBTQIA+ community. If there are any barriers that you are experiencing or an accommodation that we can provide to support you through the application process, please reach out to us at talentacquisition@kpu.ca.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University is committed to protecting the safety and welfare of employees, students, and the general public, and upholding the reputation and integrity of the University. For this reason, final applicants will be asked to undergo a background check. We thank all applicants for their interest in employment with KPU. Only candidates who are legally eligible to work in Canada will be considered; only those selected for an interview will be contacted.