Associate Director, Human Rights Response & Community Care

Brock University is located on the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe peoples, many of whom continue to live and work here today. This territory is covered by the Upper Canada Treaties and is within the land protected by the Dish with One Spoon Wampum Agreement. 

We are one of Canada’s outstanding comprehensive universities, where excellence and innovation thrive!  Brock has been recognized as a Top Employer in Hamilton-Niagara for seven consecutive years. We have been ranked #3 as Canada’s Best Employers and top 10 as one of Canada’s Best Employers for Diversity. For 2025, Brock has been proudly recognized as one of Canada’s Top Employers for Company Culture, ranked seventh by Forbes in partnership with Statista. At Brock, you will find a welcoming, inclusive community and an exciting range of meaningful career opportunities.  

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Post End Date:

October 29, 2025 at 11:59 PMThis job advertisement is to fill an existing vacancy in the Administrative Professional (Employee Group)

About The Role:

Reporting to the Associate Vice-President, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, the Associate Director, Human Rights Response and Community Care provides strategic leadership in advancing the University’s response to human rights concerns and strengthening a culture of respect, accessibility, and community care across the institution. The position is responsible for complex, high-level, and systemic human rights cases, guiding institutional compliance with the Ontario Human Rights Code (OHRC), and ensuring that all processes are trauma-informed, survivor-centred, and legally sound. 

The Associate Director, Human Rights Response and Community Care leads institutional initiatives that embed human rights principles into policy, education, and practice. This includes developing and implementing a Human Rights Institutional Enhancement Strategy aligned with Brock’s Strategic Plan, Scarborough Charter, and Dimensions Charter; reporting on progress through annual reports and dashboards; and building institutional capacity to prevent and address systemic inequities. 

The Associate Director, Human Rights Response and Community Care supervises a team of professionals, ensuring consistency, collaboration, and excellence across human rights and gendered and sexual violence portfolios. The position also provides strategic advice to senior leadership, deans, and unit heads on human rights–related issues and institutional responses, while also engaging equity-deserving groups, student associations, and community partners in advancing a culture of accountability and inclusion. 

The Associate Director, Human Rights Response and Community Care will:  

• Provide strategic advice to senior administration, deans, and unit leaders on complex human rights and sexual violence matters; 
• Operationalize human rights and sexual violence-related initiatives and processes to foster an organizational culture aligned with Brock’s mission, vision, and values; 
• Provide leadership on human rights and sexual violence policy, shaping institutional direction through expert analysis of best practices and emerging trends; 
• Develop, implement, and oversee the delivery of integrated human rights and equity policies and programs that promote a respectful work and learning environment; 
• Oversee the administration of complaint functions under the Harassment and Discrimination Policy, the Sexual Violence Policy, and related procedures; 
• Provide institutional leadership on the resolution of complex, sensitive, and high-level human rights and sexual violence cases; 
• Provide strategic oversight and conduct informal resolution processes, including restorative and mediated approaches; 
• Develop and oversee a framework to assess human rights and sexual violence training needs across the University, ensuring ongoing effectiveness and improvement; 
• Lead the design and delivery of training and development programs to enhance organizational culture around human rights and equity; 
• Develop a framework and key performance indicators to measure institutional progress in human rights and sexual violence; 
• Contribute to the strategic planning and organizational development of the Human Rights & Community Care office; 
• Pursue and secure external funding opportunities and grants to support human rights education and community care initiatives; 
• Serve as a visible campus leader for human rights and community care, representing Brock at sectoral, provincial, and national forums. 

Please note this position may occasionally require travelling to events and meetings off campus and/or outside of regular business hours, including evenings and weekends to support operational needs.

Key Skills And Experience:

• An advanced degree in a related field or discipline or the equivalent of education and experience; 
• Experience in a senior position, administering human rights policies and practices, or in an administrative setting in a complex environment; 
• Experience in dispute resolution, including the handling of complex, sensitive human rights complaints to successful conclusion; 
• Comprehensive knowledge of relevant legislation, theory and practice (including AODA, Ontario Human Rights Code, Occupational Health & Safety Act, Sexual Violence and Harassment Action Plan Act, Employment Equity Act/Federal Contractors Program, and other relevant human rights legislation); 
• Ability to act with honesty, integrity, and credibility while upholding neutrality, impartiality, and human rights principles; 
• Experience designing and delivering education and outreach programming in a post-secondary or community context;   
• Experience collecting, analyzing, and reporting on human rights–related data, metrics, and climate surveys;   
• Proven ability to secure external funding or partnerships in support of human rights or community care initiatives;   
• Promotes and embodies inclusivity and respect within the workplace and the broader community with the ability to establish effective working relationships with others; 
• Effective leadership, supervisory, interpersonal and communication (oral and written) skills;   
• Ability to negotiate solutions that balance the interests of all parties within a human rights framework; 
• Excellent public speaking, instructional and group facilitation skills; 
• Ability to analyze problems and challenges with perceptiveness and insight, having the capacity for flexible and innovative thinking. 

Preferred Or Asset Skills:

• Professional designation as a lawyer (human rights or labour & employment); 
• Experience in a unionized university environment;  
• Certification or training in alternative dispute resolution and/or investigations; 
• Knowledge of University operations/mission/priorities (in order to understand and meet organizational needs), Faculties and bi-cameral system. 

Salary And Total Rewards:

• Job Grade O, Salary Scale ($89,090-$144,470); 
• Target Hiring Range: $89,090-$105,000; 
• This is a permanent position that includes:   
• Health & Dental Benefits: Comprehensive extended health, dental, and vision coverage. 
• Pension Plan: Enrollment eligibility in the Brock University Pension Plan. 
• Vacation: Up to 3 weeks per year, in addition to university holidays. 
• Flexible Work Arrangements: Hybrid work schedule available. 
• Professional Development: Eligibility for the Brock Tuition Waiver Program. 

*The final salary is based on experience, internal equity, and budget considerations within the target hiring range. 

We are committed to offering flexible work arrangements where possible as outlined in our Flexible Work Arrangement Policy. As a student-centered organization, all employees are required to work on campus as needed.

Brock University is committed to creating a respectful and equitable workplace. We strive to foster a culture of diversity and inclusion in our work and learning environments. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals and actively encourage applications from women, people with disabilities, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, Indigenous Peoples, people who identify as Black, African and/or Caribbean, as racialized and/or as from ethnic and cultural minority groups, and other underrepresented demographic groups at Brock and in the Niagara region. Brock also recognizes intersectionality and the interconnected identities, histories, and experiences of these aforementioned groups.

We are committed to inclusive and barrier-free recruitment, and we accommodate the needs of applicants throughout all stages of the recruitment process, as outlined in our Employment Accommodation Policy and consistent with the requirements of the Ontario Human Rights Code. Please contact talent@brocku.ca  if you require a disability related accommodation so we can ensure your participation needs are met.

Brock University does not use AI Technology at any stage of the recruitment process.

We appreciate all applications received. Candidates that are selected for an interview will be contacted.

Learn more about Brock University by visiting www.brocku.ca.