Human Resources Manager

Vaco by Highspring; Vaughan; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Vaco by Highspring seeks an experienced Human Resources Manager for a 14-month assignment to lead HR support across the United States and Canada. This hands-on role partners with leaders in Procurement, Legal, IT and Finance, and supports a smaller employee population within Customer Service, Operations, and a unionized warehouse environment.

The successful candidate will provide practical HR solutions, coach through complex employee matters, and ensure effective execution of key HR programs

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive HR experience in an HR Manager/HRBP/Senior HR Generalist role.
• Experience supporting multiple functions or client groups across US and Canada.
• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business Administration, or related field; 8+ years with HR certification in lieu of degree.
• HR certification such as CHRP/CHRL, CPHR, PHR, or SHRM-CP is an asset.
• Experience supporting employees and leaders across the United States and Canada.
• Working knowledge of US federal/state and Canadian federal/provincial employment laws.

Responsibilities

• Serve as trusted HR partner to leaders across US and Canadian client groups.
• Coach leaders on employee relations, performance management, workforce planning, compensation, leadership effectiveness, and engagement.
• Provide coaching and development to strengthen leadership and people-management capabilities.
• Support organizational changes and HR initiatives including communication and change management.
• Lead performance and talent management processes—reviews, succession planning, and development planning.
• Coach through performance, attendance, and corrective-action matters, including PIP.
• Partner with Talent Acquisition on workforce planning, recruitment, and selection.
• Support onboarding and employee integration and annual compensation processes.
• Manage employee relations from intake to resolution, including investigations and disciplinary actions.
• Advise leaders on policy application and leave of absence management.
• Maintain accurate HR records and HR documentation per requirements.
• Lead HR programs and employee engagement initiatives.

Skills

HR Manager

Employee relations

Performance mgmt

Talent management

Workforce planning

Union relations

Data analytics

MS Office

Education

HR degree

HR certification

Tools

HRIS systems

Microsoft Office

Job description

Our client is seeking an experienced, hands‑on Human Resources Manager for a 14‑month assignment to provide HR leadership and support to employees and leaders across the United States and Canada.

This is a broad, highly visible role serving as a trusted HR partner to leaders across Procurement, Legal, IT, and Finance, while also supporting smaller employee populations within Customer Service, Operations, and a unionized warehouse environment.

The successful candidate will work closely with leaders to understand business priorities, provide practical HR solutions, coach through complex employee matters, and ensure effective execution of key HR programs throughout the assignment.

Key Responsibilities

HR Business Partnership & Leadership Support

• Serve as a trusted HR partner to leaders across assigned U.S. and Canadian client groups.
• Coach and advise leaders on employee relations, performance management, workforce planning, compensation, leadership effectiveness, and employee engagement.
• Provide coaching and development support to strengthen leadership and people‑management capabilities.
• Support organizational changes and HR initiatives, including communication, change management, and adoption.

Talent & Performance Management

• Lead performance and talent management processes, including performance reviews, talent reviews, succession planning, and development planning.
• Coach leaders through performance, behavioural, attendance, and corrective‑action matters, including performance improvement plans.
• Partner with Talent Acquisition and business leaders on workforce planning, recruitment, and selection.
• Support onboarding and employee integration.
• Support annual compensation, recognition, and rewards processes.

Employee & Labour Relations

• Manage employee relations matters from intake through resolution, including investigations, performance and conduct concerns, disciplinary actions, documentation, and follow‑up.
• Advise leaders on employee relations decisions and consistent application of company policies.
• Manage day‑to‑day labour relations for a small unionized Canadian employee population, including collective agreement administration and grievances.
• Maintain constructive relationships with union representatives, employees, and leaders.

Employment Law & Compliance

• Provide HR guidance in accordance with applicable U.S. federal and state laws and Canadian federal and provincial employment and labour requirements.
• Manage leaves of absence, workplace accommodations, disability management, and return‑to‑work processes.
• Interpret and communicate HR policies and practices to leaders and employees.
• Maintain accurate employee records and HR documentation in accordance with company, legal, privacy, and recordkeeping requirements.

Payroll & HR Administration

• Prepare, review, and submit biweekly payroll reports and employee changes for assigned client groups.
• Partner with Payroll to resolve employee questions, discrepancies, and corrections.
• Maintain accurate employee information within HR systems.
• Support workforce reporting, including headcount, turnover, attendance, and other key people metrics.
• Use workforce data and analytics to identify trends and provide actionable recommendations.

Employee Engagement & HR Programs

• Lead employee engagement, recognition, and retention initiatives.
• Lead and participate in cross‑functional HR and business projects.
• Partner with the broader HR team to ensure consistent execution of HR programs and a positive employee experience.

What You’ll Bring:

• 5+ years of progressive HR experience, ideally in an HR Manager, HR Business Partner, or Senior HR Generalist capacity.
• Experience supporting multiple functions or client groups.
• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field preferred. In lieu of a degree, 8+ years of progressive HR experience with a recognized HR certification.
• HR certification such as CHRP/CHRL, CPHR, PHR, or SHRM‑CP is an asset.
• Experience supporting employees and leaders across both the United States and Canada strongly preferred.
• Working knowledge of U.S. federal/state and Canadian federal/provincial employment and labour requirements.
• Demonstrated experience with employee relations, workplace investigations, performance management, corrective action, leave administration, and organizational change.
• Labour relations experience, including collective agreement administration, grievances, and working with union representatives, is preferred.
• Experience with talent management, succession planning, leadership development, employee engagement, compensation, and workforce planning.
• Strong ability to coach and influence leaders, navigate complex people matters, and build trusted relationships across multiple levels.
• Excellent judgment, communication, problem‑solving, organization, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to quickly learn the business, establish credibility, and work independently with minimal supervision.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret workforce data and translate insights into practical recommendations.
• Proficiency with HR information systems and Microsoft Office.