Human Resources Manager

Location: Westlock, Alberta - approximately one hour north of Edmonton; commuting or relocation are both realistic.

• Relocation Assistance may be provided.

Job Type: Full-Time | Permanent

Pay: $89,141 - $118,854 annually

Work Arrangement: On-site at the Westlock County Administration Office

Application Deadline: September 18, 2026

What You Need (Must-Have)

• A Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources Management, Business Administration or Commerce.
• A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible Human Resources experience with broad generalist expertise and senior-level advisory responsibility.
• Clearly demonstrated labour-relations experience, including direct collective-bargaining experience and work in a unionized environment.
• Strong working knowledge of Alberta employment requirements, collective agreements, bargaining and grievance management, with the ability to interpret and apply legislation and policy in practical situations.

What Would Be an Asset

• Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR) designation.
• Municipal or broader public-sector Human Resources experience.

Why This Role Matters

HR at Westlock County is a broad, hands-on leadership function, not a narrow specialty. You will work directly with the CAO and leadership team to guide labour and employee relations, coach leaders, support employees, advance HR priorities and keep day-to-day people issues moving in a one-person HR function.

Is This Opportunity Right for You?

You enjoy broad generalist HR work and can move between strategic priorities and immediate employee or manager issues in the same day.

You can listen to someone who is frustrated or upset, remain calm and tactful, and still be firm when legislation, policy or organizational expectations require it.

You are comfortable working independently, researching what you do not know and bringing practical options and recommendations to the CAO.

You can manage frequent interruptions without losing track of commitments, and confidentiality, judgment and follow-through are non-negotiable for you.

What You Will Do

• Provide strategic and practical HR advice to leaders on workforce, employee, labour and organizational matters, helping them make informed and defensible people decisions.
• Lead employee and labour relations, including workplace concerns, performance and discipline matters, investigations, collective agreement issues and other sensitive employee situations.
  
• Guide workforce planning, recruitment and succession activities to help the County attract, develop and retain the people needed to deliver municipal services.
  Oversee HR policies, programs and practices, ensuring they remain practical, consistently applied and aligned with applicable legislation and organizational requirements.
  Provide leadership in compensation, benefits and performance management, using sound analysis and HR practice to support fair, sustainable and effective programs.
  Support organizational change, leadership effectiveness and workplace culture, balancing employee needs with operational requirements and the County's longer-term priorities.

What Success Looks Like

Strong performance in this role means leaders trust your advice, employees see HR as approachable and fair, and labour relations remain constructive. Priority work does not get lost in the day-to-day, HR practices improve at a pace the organization can absorb, and you are known for judgment, discretion, follow-through and practical solutions.

The Realities of the Role

This is a very busy one-person HR function with broad responsibility, frequent interruptions and no true slow period identified in the intake meeting.

The work regularly involves sensitive and confidential matters, competing urgent priorities and the need to shift quickly between strategic and hands-on HR work.

The organization includes long-tenured and newer employees with different personalities, communication styles and readiness for change; relationship management matters.

The role is primarily on-site with limited ad hoc remote flexibility once established. In a smaller organization, immediate vertical advancement may also be limited even though the scope and influence of the role are broad.

What Westlock County Offers

• Benefits – 80% ER/20% EE premiums
• LAPP Pension
• Employee Health and Wellness Program
  • Employees are eligible for $300/calendar year, prorated for half the year if hired after July
• Management employees receive 3 weeks of vacation to start
• 18 paid sick days available Jan 1st of each calendar year (up to 3 can be used as personal days, up to 7 can be used to care for an ill or injured family member, and medical/dental appointments can be taken as sick time and accounted for by the quarter hour). Note that new employees are prorated with 1.5 sick days/month for their first year
• Training and Development Program – approval of GM and CAO. 2 year return of service agreement required.
• Relocation Assistance may be provided.

Why Westlock County

Westlock County is a small municipal organization where people know one another, departments communicate closely and leaders are accessible. HR is relied upon as a trusted adviser to the CAO and leadership team, and the County has a constructive labour-relations foundation to build on. The Administration Office is in Westlock, approximately one hour north of Edmonton.

How to Apply

Apply online at www.preparedforduty.ca/careers. Submit your resume and cover letter. Applications for this competition are being managed by Prepared for Duty Recruitment Service Inc. on behalf of Westlock County.

What Happens Next

Applications will be reviewed by Prepared for Duty against the must-have requirements and the approved success profile. Selected candidates will be invited to a structured pre-screen conversation. Westlock County will determine who proceeds to interview, and finalist due diligence may include references and approved credential or background verification.

Prepared for Duty is working with Westlock County to support this recruitment.

www.preparedforduty.ca/careers

Questions? Contact Cindy Moretti, [email protected]