Senior Advisor, People Strategic Initiatives

Employment Type: Full-time Regular  

City: Calgary, AB (YYC)  

Posting Open Date: 01/27/2026  

Posting Close Date: 02/10/2026    (Please note the posting will close at 11:59pm MST)

Why WestJet:

Every WestJet journey has the potential to enrich lives; a career with us is no exception. 

WestJet arrived on the Canadian airline scene in 1996 and changed the industry for the better. We made air travel more affordable for Canadians and now we're going global. 

Join us, this is where your career story takes off.

Overview of role:  

The Senior Advisor, People Strategic Initiatives is responsible for leading and delivering complex, high-impact People initiatives while building the enterprise capabilities required to sustain them. This role is designed for an experienced HR professional with a management-consulting mindset who excels at navigating ambiguous, high-stakes situations and bring structure, insight, and execution discipline to exciting workforce and organizational initiatives. 

Operating at the intersection of HR, enterprise strategy, and execution, this role owns and delivers discrete, cross-functional initiatives led by the People Planning & Analytics function, including post-merger integration, operating model design, and governance redesign. In parallel, the role helps mature the function by developing repeatable approaches, tools, and ways of working that improve how the People function operates and delivers change. 

Reporting to the Director, Planning & Analytics, this role partners closely with HR Business Partners, Finance, People Analytics, and enterprise stakeholders to align priorities, influence decisions, and ensure People-related initiatives deliver measurable business outcomes while advancing the maturity and effectiveness of the WestJet Group HR operating model. 

Key deliverables include:  

• Serve as a core leader within the People Planning & Analytics Centre of Excellence (CoE), acting as a senior practitioner who both delivers complex initiatives and builds the enterprise capabilities required to sustain them


• Lead and deliver high-impact, cross-functional People initiatives through the CoE, including post-merger integration, organizational and workforce design best practices, and operating model and governance redesign 


• Establish the function as the go-to capability for solving complex but exciting workforce and organizational initiatives, bringing structure, insight, and execution discipline to ambiguous, high-visibility programs


• Translate loosely defined business challenges into clear problem statements, diagnostic frameworks, solution options, and executable delivery plans that can be scaled and reused across the People function


• Define and embed function-led standards, methodologies, and governance for people planning, organizational design, and transformation initiatives, while adapting to business needs and priorities 


• Partner closely with People Analytics, Senior HR Business Partners, Finance, and other enterprise stakeholders to integrate data, insights, and business context into function-led initiatives


• Lead efforts to continuously mature the function, including developing and standardizing processes, templates, playbooks, and toolkits that enable repeatable, high-quality delivery across a wide range of People initiatives


• Establish knowledge management and information distribution means, including Sharepoint/Teams sites


• Coach and support HR leaders and initiative owners in applying frameworks and tools, strengthening execution capability across the People function


• Enhance the functions approach to problem solving, balancing analytical rigor with pragmatism to drive adoption and impact

Experience and qualifications:

• Undergraduate degree / equivalent education or job related experience


• Ability to traverse between strategic and tactical (strategy-to-execution) 


• Structured problem-solving and analytical thinking 


• Executive communication and storytelling 


• Stakeholder influence and cross-functional collaboration 


• Change leadership and organizational maturity building 

Please note: the position is based at WestJet headquarters in Calgary, with hybrid office and remote work. The successful candidate is expected to relocate to Calgary. Learn more about life in Calgary here: https://www.lifeincalgary.ca/  

The benefits of being a WestJetter:  

WestJet provides all WestJetters with a competitive total rewards package.  On top of that, we offer:   

• A fun and friendly culture with colleagues who work together to win  


• Travel privileges for you and your family, effective from your start date


• Savings and Benefit programs that are flexible to meet your specific needs  

Think we are a fit?  Apply now!  

About WestJet Group of Companies  

WestJet took to the skies in 1996 with just over 200 employees and three aircraft operating service to five destinations. Since then, WestJet has pioneered low-cost travel in Canada, cutting airfares in half, and increasing the flying population in Canada by more than 50 per cent. Following integration with Sunwing in 2025, more than 14,000 WestJetters support nearly 200 aircraft and connect guests to more than 100 destinations across North America, Central America, the Caribbean, Europe and Asia.
 
As a major Canadian employer that includes WestJet Airlines, Sunwing Vacations Group and WestJet Cargo, the WestJet Group is Canada’s leading low-cost airline and largest vacation provider, with a united purpose of providing affordable and accessible air and vacation travel to Canadians.   

Our Safety Promise  

At WestJet, the safety and security of our people and our guests is a core value and at the heart of what we do. As safety and security is a shared responsibility, it is expected that you will use safe work practices to ensure your well-being and the safety of others.  

WestJet recognizes that the use of Alcohol and Drugs can adversely impact a safe work environment and the well-being of others including guests, suppliers and the public, as well as place WestJet's operations at risk. All roles that are identified as safety sensitive are required to pass a Pre-Employment Alcohol and Drug Test as per WestJet's Alcohol and Drug Policy.   

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion 

We embrace what makes us each unique, and what makes us uniquely WestJet.  We welcome diverse skills, experiences, and backgrounds, and if you're passionate about this role, we encourage you to apply - even if you don't meet every qualification listed. WestJet is committed to inclusiveness, equity, and accessibility throughout the selection process. If you require accommodation at any stage, please contact our Talent Acquisition team at [email protected].  

We value the time and effort you put into your application.  Our recruitment process is highly competitive, and while every applicant will receive communication regarding their application status, only those selected to move forward will be contacted with next steps.  We encourage you to explore future opportunities with us if this role isn't the right fit at this time.

For more information about everything WestJet, please visit WestJet.com.  

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