Director, People & Culture

MaRS Discovery District; Toronto; On-site; CAD 130,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

MaRS Discovery District is seeking a Director of People and Culture to lead HR strategies and operational excellence. This role involves collaborating with leadership on organizational design, talent management, and fostering an inclusive workplace culture. The ideal candidate has extensive experience in HR and is committed to driving change within a vibrant, innovative sector in Toronto.

Benefits

15% discretionary incentive

Extended healthcare benefits

Lifestyle spending account

GRRSP matching

Paid time-off

Qualifications

• 10 years in People and Culture roles with deep knowledge.
• 3+ years leading a team.
• Experience in tech start-ups or non-profit sectors is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Works with senior leaders on business strategy to align with MaRS values.
• Oversees design and development of innovative people programs.
• Leads day-to-day HR operations including payroll and compliance.

Skills

Employee Relations

Talent Management

Compensation

Benefits

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

HR Systems management

Data-based decision-making

Relationship Management

Conflict Management facilitation

Strategy design

Education

Undergraduate degree

Master's degree in HR or MBA

Coaching designation

CHRP (Certified Human Resources Professional)

Job description

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About MaRS

MaRS Discovery District (@MaRSDD) in Toronto is one of the world’s largest urban innovation hubs.

About MaRS

MaRS Discovery District (@MaRSDD) in Toronto is one of the world’s largest urban innovation hubs.

MaRS supports promising high-growth companies to scale their businesses globally, while tackling key societal challenges in areas such as Health, Cleantech, Finance, Transportation, AI, and others. In addition to helping start-ups launch, grow and scale, the MaRS community is dedicated to cross-disciplinary collaboration, commercialization of discoveries, and driving ideas to impact.

MaRS is the place where you can play a meaningful role in our innovation economy.

We understand qualifications on a job posting can be daunting. If you're passionate about the role and believe you can make a meaningful impact, we want to hear from you, even if you don't meet every listed qualification. We’re always looking for great talent to join our team on planet MaRS.

We actively encourage all candidates, including equity-deserving communities, including those who identify as BIPOC, racialized, women, people with disabilities, and people with diverse gender identities, expressions and sexual orientations.

We want you to be comfortable being your most authentic self throughout our recruitment process. Please reach out to [e-mail] if there’s anything we can do to make your experience more accessible and inclusive, including accommodations. Include 'Accessibility Request' in your subject line.

About The Position

The Director of People and Culture reports to the CEO and works with senior leaders and their teams to enable their business strategy in ways that align with MaRS values and mission. This role leads a team that delivers operational excellence, cultivates exceptional employee experiences, and delivers innovative programs.

Key Responsibilities

Business Partner

• Works alongside senior leadership to understand their business strategy, identify the people implications and enable business outcomes by:
• Designing effective organization structures with clear roles and responsibilities, and ensuring competitive, equitable compensation practices
• Leading workforce planning to manage headcount, talent acquisition, turnover and ongoing organizational development
• Managing employee relations and supporting leaders on performance management in ways that align with the MaRS values
• Trusted advisor to leaders to support and elevate their leadership capability
• Collaborating with other corporate functions to remove barriers and accelerate decisions
  

People Programs & Initiatives

• Oversee the team responsible for the design, development and implementation of innovative people programs that promote the MaRS values including:
• Performance Management – Goal setting, Performance Check-ins, Year End Reflection
• Total Rewards – base pay, variable pay, benefits programs, wellbeing
• Employee Experience – flexible workplace practices, productivity
• Employee Engagement survey and action planning
• Succession planning - leadership and critical roles
• Career Development - Learning & Leadership Development
• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Belonging
• Other organizational design and development initiatives, as needed
  

People Operations

• Leads the team who manages the day to day operations including: Payroll, Benefits administration, HRIS and analytics with a constant focus on automation and process simplification
• Ensures legislative compliance with progressive policies
• Oversees relationship management and is the escalation point for several vendors and contract negotiations (e.g. BambooHR, Pivotal Payroll. Canada Life, League, Telus Health, RBC)
  
  

Team Management

• Leads a team of three
• Manages departmental budget
• Defines the team’s strategy, objectives and key results and coaches for performance
• Coaches team members to learn, grow and develop their careers
• A mentor to many across the organization at all levels to facilitate career development and growth
  
  

Talent Ecosystem

The Successful Candidate May Have The Opportunity To

• Activate connections for MaRS with the broader ecosystem to bring best practices forward to drive innovation and help ventures and partners grow, scale and thrive
• Contribute to articles and media content
• Participate on panels and public speaking engagements, as appropriate
• Serve as an advisor to select high potential companies on talent-related topics
  
  

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree, or equivalent work experience
• Master’s degree – MIRHR, MBA, etc., nice to have
• Coaching designation, an asset
• CHRP, an asset
• 10 years working in People and Culture with deep domain knowledge in employee relations, talent management, compensation, benefits, talent acquisition, performance management, engagement, diversity, equity and inclusion,
• 3+ years leading a team
• Experience working at a technology start-up or early growth company, an asset
• Experience working at a not-for profit or charitable organization, an asset
• Employee Relations
• Strong consulting, advisory and influencing skills
• Relationship Management
• Payroll process oversight and compliance
• Strategy design, change enablement and communications
• Conflict Management facilitation
• Data-based decision-making and talent analytics
• Strong knowledge in Ontario compliance and legislation (e.g. Employment Standards, Occupational Health and Safety, AODA, etc.)
• Coaching skills
• Financial acumen
• HR Systems management and implementation
  
  

Applications will close at 5pm EDT on July 11, 2025.

Applicants must be legally eligible to work in Canada and reside in Ontario.

Salary Range: $130,000 - $150,000, up to a 15% discretionary incentive, extended healthcare benefits, lifestyle spending account, GRRSP matching, and paid time-off.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Director

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Other

• Industries

  Business Consulting and Services

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