Director, Employment Relationship Strategy

Toronto Police Service; Toronto; On-site; CAD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

The Toronto Police Service (TPS) is a large, complex municipal police organization serving nearly three million residents in a diverse city. TPS seeks an executive to lead the Employment Relationship Strategy, shaping the employee value proposition and how TPS engages with its workforce, bargaining associations, and the TPS Board.

Reporting to the Chief Administrative Officer, the Director will oversee workforce strategy, employee relations, compensation, governance, and health and safety,

Qualifications

• Senior leadership experience in labour relations, employee relations, and workforce planning in a large unionized environment.
• Experience designing and implementing employment strategies and governance.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic advice to senior management and TPSB on employment-related matters.
• Oversee units handling workforce strategy, employee relations, compensation, and governance.
• Drive modernization initiatives and data-driven HR operations across the Service.

Job description

The Toronto Police Service (TPS) is one of the largest and most complex municipal police organizations in the world, serving nearly three million residents in one of North America's most diverse and dynamic cities. As Canada's largest municipal police service and the fourth-largest municipal police service in North America, TPS employs more than 7,500 uniform and civilian members who work together to deliver public safety, advance police reform, and strengthen community trust. At a pivotal moment of modernization and transformation, TPS offers a unique opportunity for an accomplished executive to help shape the future of employment relationships within a globally recognized public sector organization.

As part of a newly designed human resources structure, TPS has established a dedicated leadership portfolio focused on designing, managing and enabling the Service’s employment relationship with its workforce. Reporting to the Chief Administrative Officer, the Director, Employment Relationship Strategy is responsible for leading the Service’s employment strategy. This position will shape the employee value proposition and how the Service engages with its employees and other key groups, including bargaining associations, external partners and the Toronto Police Service Board (TPSB).

The Employment Relationship Strategy portfolio is one of two complementary HR leadership portfolios, alongside Talent & Development. The Director will work closely with the Chief Superintendent of Talent & Development.

In this pivotal role, you will provide strategic advice and guidance to senior management, Command Officers, the Chief of Police, and TPSB on a broad range of employment-related matters. You will oversee multiple units responsible for key human resources functions including workforce strategy and design, employee and labour relations, HR partnerships and governance, compensation and benefits, occupational health and safety, abilities management, employee wellbeing, and the delivery of employee services and systems. You will also drive modernization initiatives that strengthen service delivery through technology, analytics, governance, and continuous process improvement.

The successful candidate will be responsible for developing and implementing enterprise-wide employment relationship strategies that support organizational effectiveness, operational readiness, and police reform initiatives. Working closely with leaders across the Service, you will ensure compliant, client-focused and data-driven HR operations while fostering a respectful, inclusive and high-performing workplace culture. The role includes budget oversight, policy development, risk management, and maintaining strong relationship management with stakeholders.

The ideal candidate is a strategic and politically astute human resources executive with exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, capable of building credibility and trust across a complex organization. You bring significant senior leadership experience in labour relations, employee relations, workforce planning, HR operations, and organizational change within a large, unionized environment. Experience leading modernization initiatives and service delivery improvements, combined with sound judgment and a collaborative leadership style, will position you for success in this important role.

We thank all those who express an interest, however only those chosen for further development will be contacted.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Toronto Police Service is an equal opportunity employer. In accordance with the Accessible Canada Act, 2019 and all applicable provincial accessibility standards, upon request, accommodation will be provided by both Odgers and Toronto Police Service throughout the recruitment, selection and/or assessment process to applicants with disabilities.

Odgers is deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all the work that we do. As part of our efforts to better understand our ability to reach as broad a pool of candidates as possible for our searches, our DEI team would like to encourage you to take a moment and access our Self-Declaration Form.