Interim Executive Advisor, People & Culture

LHH Knightsbridge; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 90,000 - 120,000; Part time

Job summary

Lee Hecht Harrison Knightsbridge Corp. in Downtown Toronto seeks an Interim Executive Advisor, People & Culture to support the CHRO and executive team during a period of organizational evolution.

The role is 4-6 months, part-time (3 days a week), with a hybrid work arrangement. You will bring senior HR leadership experience, expertise in organizational design and change management, and a proven ability to lead complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives in not-for-profit settings, including union

Qualifications

• Senior human resources leader with strategic impact.
• Deep expertise in organizational design and workforce transformation.
• Proven track record leading complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives.
• Experience operating effectively in unionized environments.
• Demonstrated success guiding executive teams through organizational change.
• Exceptional stakeholder management, facilitation and influencing skills.
• Experience in not-for-profit, healthcare or mission-driven settings is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Advise the CHRO on organizational and workforce transformation priorities.
• Act as a trusted advisor and hands-on project leader for priority initiatives.
• Develop organizational design options and future-state models.
• Lead change management planning and implementation in collaboration with leadership.
• Engage stakeholders and ensure alignment with collective agreement obligations.

Skills

Senior HR Leadership

Organizational Design

Workforce Transformation

Change Management

Stakeholder Management

Unionized Environments

Executive Collaboration

Job description

Interim Executive Advisor, People & Culture

Reports to: Chief Human Resources Officer

Location: Downtown Toronto, ON

Duration: 4-6 Months (Part Time - 3 days a week)

Hybrid

Our client is a highly respected and nationally recognized Canadian not-for-profit organization undergoing a period of significant organizational evolution. With a newly appointed CEO, the organization is advancing a number of strategic priorities focused on organizational effectiveness, culture, workforce modernization, and long-term sustainability.

To support this agenda, the organization is seeking an experienced Interim Executive Advisor, People & Culture to provide additional senior-level capacity and subject matter expertise to the Chief Human Resources Officer and People & Culture team.

The Opportunity

This assignment is focused on bringing seasoned executive-level expertise into the organization to help accelerate a portfolio of strategic people, culture, and organizational change initiatives. The successful interim will act as a trusted advisor and hands‑on project leader, helping to shape, initiate, and advance key projects during an important period of organizational transformation.

Working closely with the CHRO, senior leadership team, and executive stakeholders, the interim will provide leadership during the early and critical phases of major initiatives, ensuring strong foundations, practical recommendations, and sustainable change approaches are established.

The ideal candidate will be equally comfortable operating at both a strategic and executional level, moving seamlessly between advisory work, organizational design, stakeholder engagement, project leadership, and change implementation planning.

Key Areas of Focus

Strategic Advisor to the CHRO

• Serve as a senior advisor and thought partner to the CHRO on organizational and workforce transformation priorities.
• Provide expertise and perspective on complex organizational challenges and emerging people strategies.
• Help build momentum and capacity within the People & Culture function during a period of increased activity and change.

Organizational Design & Effectiveness

• Assess current organizational structures and identify opportunities to improve effectiveness, alignment, and accountability.
• Develop organizational design options and future‑state models.
• Support workforce planning and role design initiatives.
• Prepare recommendations and supporting business cases for executive review and decision‑making.

Organizational & Cultural Change

• Lead and support strategic change initiatives aligned to the organization’s evolving priorities.
• Design practical change management approaches and implementation plans.
• Identify potential organizational impacts, risks, and mitigation strategies.
• Help shape and reinforce a desired future culture while respecting the organization’s mission and values.

Strategic Project Leadership

• Own and lead the initial phases of priority People & Culture projects.
• Establish project scope, governance structures, stakeholder engagement plans, and success measures.
• Develop project roadmaps, deliverables, and implementation strategies.
• Ensure initiatives are positioned for successful transition into longer‑term execution.
• Provide informed guidance within a highly unionized environment.
• Ensure organizational design and change initiatives are developed with appropriate consideration of labour relations implications.
• Support constructive engagement with internal stakeholders while maintaining alignment with collective agreement obligations and organizational objectives.

Desired Background

The successful candidate will likely possess:

• Previous experience serving as a senior human resources leader.
• Deep expertise in organizational design, workforce transformation, and change management.
• Strong track record leading complex strategic initiatives within large, multi‑stakeholder organizations.
• Experience operating effectively within unionized environments.
• Demonstrated success supporting executive teams through organizational change.
• Exceptional stakeholder management, facilitation, and influencing skills.
• Experience in the not-for‑profit, healthcare, broader public sector, government, education, or other mission‑driven environments would be considered an asset.

Critical Success Factors

The successful interim will:

• Quickly establish credibility with the CHRO and executive leadership team.
• Bring additional strategic capacity and practical expertise to priority initiatives.
• Create structure, momentum, and clarity around organizational change projects.
• Build stakeholder confidence in the organization’s transformation agenda.
• Leave behind practical frameworks, recommendations, and implementation plans that enable sustainable progress beyond the assignment.

Lee Hecht Harrison Knightsbridge Corp. is committed to providing equitable treatment and accommodation to ensure a barrier‑free recruitment process. In accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and our AODA policy, a request for accommodation will be accepted as part of the hiring process. If you require accommodation to apply or if selected to participate in an assessment process, please provide your accommodation needs in advance to the Recruitment Lead for this opportunity.

We thank all interested candidates in advance; however, only individuals selected for interviews will be contacted.