Human Resources Specialist

Human Resources Specialist
Full-Time - Permanent

For more than 155 years, The Bishop Strachan School has empowered talented girls to grow into fearless women, equipped with intellectual curiosity, adaptability, and compassion to navigate the world. We inspire our students to discover their purpose, build confidence, and express themselves with a strong, independent voice. As an inclusive, non-profit institution, we are dedicated to educating students from Junior Kindergarten through Grade 12. We are now also almost two years into our strategic plan. Launched in January 2023, we set out to educate more female leaders and we have made a great deal of progress since that launch. Check out what we have achieved by going here. Join BSS and be a part of inspiring girls to be fearless and educating them to be leaders.

The HR Specialist operates at the intersection of strategic DEI and operational HR excellence, fostering a culture where employee diversity is viewed as a primary driver of student success. Working in close collaboration with the Dean of Inclusive Excellence and Global Citizenship and the HR Manager, the Specialist bridges the gap between student-facing equity goals and the professional lived experience of all employees. This role is responsible for onboarding frameworks, supporting school-wide policy documentation, and mediating interpersonal conflicts through restorative practices. By prioritizing psychological safety, legal integrity, and equitable internal processes, the HR Specialist ensures the school functions as a community of collective efficacy where every staff member has the structural support necessary to thrive.

What You’ll Do:

Inclusive Excellence

• Acts as the primary HR advocate for diversity across all spectrums (socio-economic, race, age, religion, etc.), ensuring these lenses are applied to internal processes.
• Works hand-in-hand with the Dean of Inclusive Excellence and Global Citizenship to align employee culture with student-facing equity goals.
• Together with the Dean of Inclusive Excellence and Global Citizenship, designs and executes a visual roadmap for staff professional learning around belonging and inclusion, to build collective efficacy in this area.
• Implements, leads, and acts as a neutral third party in restorative practices to resolve workplace conflicts, build trust, and strengthen relationships.
• Proactively identifies and supports employees who may feel isolated in their role or departments.
• Networks across other independent schools.

Onboarding, Policies and General

• Collaborates with school leaders to develop and standardize onboarding frameworks, ensuring they have the tools and training necessary to welcome and retain new talent effectively.
• Trains and supports Vice Principals and Admin Leaders on how to effectively onboard their specific teams, ensuring consistency across the school.
• Organizes new hire training.
• Oversees the Peer Connector mentorship program, including matching, resource development, and tracking the program's impact on new hire success.
• Facilitates restorative practices, fosters dialogue, works with protocols to build teams and solve problems collaboratively.
• Supports the documentation and review of school policies, ensuring they are not only legally compliant but also empathetic to the lived experiences of a diverse workforce.
• Maintain an up-to-date understanding of Ontario labour laws and human rights legislation to ensure all school practices remain exemplary and inclusive.
• Collaborates with the broader HR team on recruitment, benefits communication, and general employee lifecycle initiatives.
• Authentically embeds inclusion and belonging into all processes.
• Commits to the Staff Growth Process.
• Participates in professional learning and growth.

*This is a general description and should not be construed as all inclusive.

Who You Are:

• Experience in an HR team, with a proven track record in equity work.
• Deep understanding of employment law, policy writing, and project management.
• Coaches with a deep-seated equity mindset and a consistent focus on culturally responsive practices.
• Possesses the emotional intelligence necessary to navigate sensitive, confidential, and high-stakes conversations with tact.
• Demonstrates strong intrapersonal awareness and interpersonal agility.
• Highly proficient in both written and spoken communication, including formal presentation delivery.
• Skilled in guiding groups and facilitating complex discussions effectively.
• Demonstrated success working collaboratively on initiatives and projects.
• Ability to work at a strategic level and promote ideas, but also be detail-oriented.
• Proven organizational skills with the ability to prioritize, multi-task and problem-solve in a fast-paced environment.
• A growth mindset of continuous improvement and learning.
• Culturally competent with a positive attitude toward cultural uniqueness and a readiness to accept and respect others.
• Demonstrated commitment to valuing diversity and supporting an equitable, inclusive working and learning environment.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.

Why Work at BSS?
At BSS, we value and recognize the following core competencies in our employees; trust and integrity, collaboration, flexibility and adaptability, initiative, community focused and strong communication skills. Our employees are lifelong learners and apply these core competencies in all aspects of the school environment.

Salary Range: $70,000 - $77,000

Additionally, BSS offers a competitive total compensation package that includes:

• Extensive health and dental benefits package
• Robust pension plan with up to 8% match
• Lunch provided everyday!
• Use of on-site fitness center
• Professional Learning opportunities
• And a chance to be part of a great community!

BSS Values Diversity:
BSS is committed to fostering an inclusive, diverse and respectful environment. We believe that diversity in our school fosters a rich, inclusive and creative environment. We are actively engaged in building a more diverse school and encourage all qualified applicants to apply.

How to Apply:
Interested applicants should visit our website and click Apply Now.

We are committed to providing an accessible experience and an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, beginning with the recruitment process. If you have restrictions that need to be accommodated to fully participate in any phase of the recruitment process, please contact the HR Admin at 416-483-4325, ext. 1920 or by email at hradmin@bss.on.ca. All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.

Please note, this is an existing vacancy at the school. We thank all candidates for their applications; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.