Director, Human Resources

COGIR Real Estate; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 130,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Cogir Senior Living seeks a high-impact HR leader specialized in labour relations to oversee regional HR operations through a team of HR Business Partners. Reporting to the National VP of Human Resources, you will shape labour relations strategy and ensure compliant, business-aligned people practices across Cogir’s sites and support offices.

You will partner with Operations Leadership, Legal, and Communications to drive performance, mitigate risk, and support organizational transformation across

Qualifications

• University degree in Human Resources or Labour Relations.
• 10+ years of progressive HR/Labour Relations experience in a unionized, multi-site environment.
• Extensive experience leading collective bargaining and acting as chief spokesperson.
• Deep expertise in grievance management, arbitration preparation, and collective agreement administration.
• Strong knowledge of employment, labour, human rights, and health & safety legislation.
• Proven experience leading and developing HR Business Partners.
• Exceptional influencing, coaching, and stakeholder management skills.
• Highly operational, solutions-oriented, and comfortable in fast-paced environments.
• Ability and willingness to travel.

Responsibilities

• Act as the primary HR partner for Support Office, providing direct HR guidance and support to department leaders and employees.
• Partner closely with Talent Acquisition to support hiring, workforce planning, and organizational design for corporate functions
• Provide advice and direction on employee relations matters including performance management, investigations, progressive discipline, and terminations
• Ensure consistent application of HR policies, practices, and legislation across corporate departments
• Support leaders with ongoing people matters, team effectiveness, and organizational changes
• Lead collective bargaining, negotiations, conciliation, and interest arbitration as chief spokesperson
• Provide expert guidance on collective agreement interpretation, grievance strategy, progressive discipline, and terminations
• Oversee mediations, rights arbitrations, labour board matters, human rights complaints, and tribunal proceedings in partnership with Legal
• Develop and elevate your HRBP team to a high standard of execution
• Develop tools, training, and processes to strengthen labour relations practices across regions
• Respond to union organizing activities, certifications, and related proceedings
• Oversee pay equity compliance and related submissions where applicable
• Lead and mentor a team of HR Business Partners supporting multi-site operations
• Accelerate post-acquisition integration (culture, practices, leadership)
• Ensure consistent execution of HR programs, policies, investigations, disability management, and health & safety compliance
• Provide oversight and guidance on complex workplace investigations and sensitive employee matters
• Oversee performance management, talent review, succession planning, and engagement action planning across region.
• Act as the primary HR partner to senior Operations leaders
• Work closely with Legal and Communications on high-risk, high-impact matters
• Use workforce metrics and trends to proactively identify risks and opportunities
• Support organizational change initiatives including acquisitions, divestitures, and restructuring
• Ensure compliance with provincial and federal employment and labour legislation

Skills

Labour relations leadership

Collective bargaining

Grievance management

Arbitration preparation

Stakeholder management

Travel willingness

Education

University degree in HR or Labour Relations

Job description

Description

Cogir Senior Living manages retirement residences across the country. We offer a range of senior living options including independent living, assisted living and memory care.

For over 25 years, we have dedicated every day to the happiness of retirees.

Human Focus – Creativity - Excellence

We’re seeking individuals with a purpose and passion for life and who are looking for meaningful work that will make a real difference. Join our team today!

This is a Hybrid position with the expectation to be in the office minimum of 3 days a week.

Position Summary

At Cogir, we do more than operate senior living residences across Canada and USA. We create living environments.

With 16,000 employees across Canada, a strong entrepreneurial culture, and two head offices based in Montreal, Québec and Mississauga, Ontario, we are evolving rapidly. Accelerated growth, recent acquisitions, and operational transformation are shaping our next chapter of excellence. Our values: Human focus, Creativity and Excellence.

We are looking for a high-impact HR leader specialized in labour relations, someone who combines strategic firmness with human intelligence.

You will be at the heart of operational stability and performance. Reporting to the National VP of Human Resources, the Director of Human Resources is a senior HR leader responsible for overseeing regional HR operations through a team of 5 HR Business Partners while serving as the organization’s subject matter expert in Labour Relations.

This role partners closely with Operations Leadership, Legal, and Communications to ensure consistent, compliant, and business-aligned people practice across Cogir’s retirement sites and support office.

This position is highly operational in nature, balancing hands‑on labour relations leadership with strategic HR oversight to drive performance, mitigate risk, and support operational excellence.

Key Responsibilities

Support Office & Corporate HR Leadership

• Act as the primary HR partner for Support Office, providing direct HR guidance and support to department leaders and employees.
• Partner closely with Talent Acquisition to support hiring, workforce planning, and organizational design for corporate functions
• Provide advice and direction on employee relations matters including performance management, investigations, progressive discipline, and terminations
• Ensure consistent application of HR policies, practices, and legislation across corporate departments
• Support leaders with ongoing people matters, team effectiveness, and organizational changes

Labour Relations Leadership

• Lead collective bargaining, negotiations, conciliation, and interest arbitration as chief spokesperson
• Provide expert guidance on collective agreement interpretation, grievance strategy, progressive discipline, and terminations
• Oversee mediations, rights arbitrations, labour board matters, human rights complaints, and tribunal proceedings in partnership with Legal
• Develop and elevate your HRBP team to a high standard of execution
• Develop tools, training, and processes to strengthen labour relations practices across regions
• Respond to union organizing activities, certifications, and related proceedings
• Oversee pay equity compliance and related submissions where applicable

HR Operational Oversight

• Lead and mentor a team of HR Business Partners supporting multi-site operations
• Accelerate post-acquisition integration (culture, practices, leadership)
• Ensure consistent execution of HR programs, policies, investigations, disability management, and health & safety compliance
• Provide oversight and guidance on complex workplace investigations and sensitive employee matters
• Oversee performance management, talent review, succession planning, and engagement action planning across region.

Business Partnership & Strategy

• Act as the primary HR partner to senior Operations leaders
• Work closely with Legal and Communications on high-risk, high-impact matters
• Use workforce metrics and trends to proactively identify risks and opportunities
• Support organizational change initiatives including acquisitions, divestitures, and restructuring
• Ensure compliance with provincial and federal employment and labour legislation

Qualifications

• University degree in Human Resources or Labour Relations.
• 10+ years of progressive HR/Labour Relations experience in a unionized, multi-site environment
• Extensive experience leading collective bargaining and acting as chief spokesperson
• Deep expertise in grievance management, arbitration preparation, and collective agreement administration
• Strong knowledge of employment, labour, human rights, and health & safety legislation
• Proven experience leading and developing HR Business Partners
• Exceptional influencing, coaching, and stakeholder management skills
• Highly operational, solutions-oriented, and comfortable in fast-paced environments
• Ability and willingness to travel

Salary Range: $130,000 - $160,000

Cogir is committed to ensuring that all employment practices are inclusive. As an organization we are committed to providing and arranging accommodation for candidates upon request.

Actual compensation will be determined based on relevant factors such as skills, experience, location, and internal equity, and is expected to fall within the posted range.