Lead HR Specialist (Fixed Term)

Stryker Canada ULC; Hamilton; Hybrid; CAD 76,000 - 101,000; Full time

Job summary

Stryker is seeking a Lead HR Specialist to guide Canadian HR programs, provide expert legislative guidance, and ensure compliance, business continuity, and a great employee experience across Canada.

You will own Canada's leave management, accommodations, benefits and mobility, develop policy governance, and partner with global HR centers of excellence and external providers to deliver coordinated programs that meet local requirements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or 6+ years of equivalent HR experience.
• Minimum 4 years of HR work experience.
• Experience as HR business partner with a client group preferred.
• Canadian HR program experience and managing external partners.
• Experience in a mid-sized to large organization (1,000+ employees).

Responsibilities

• Serve as Canada's HR subject matter expert for global programs and projects.
• Own Canada's leave management program with documentation and vendor coordination.
• Lead accommodation and return-to-work cases with compliant solutions.
• Oversee Canadian group benefits and retirement plan administration.
• Develop, implement, and govern HR policies and frameworks.
• Drive improvements across HR programs to improve compliance and service.
• Partner with global centers of excellence and external providers to deliver programs.
• Coordinate Canadian global mobility activities with immigration and relocation.

Skills

HR leadership

Policy governance

Risk management

Employee relations

Education

Bachelor's degree or 6+ years experience

Job description

Work Flexibility: Hybrid. Join Stryker’s Human Resources team as a Lead HR Specialist, responsible for leading key Canadian HR programs, providing expert guidance, and driving improvements that support compliance, business continuity, and the employee experience. In this role, you will combine program ownership, complex case management, policy governance, and workforce insights to address business needs and manage risk. You will partner closely with leaders, global HR centers of excellence, and external service providers to coordinate and deliver HR programs and initiatives within Canada, including leave, benefits, retirement, and mobility. As the Canadian HR subject matter expert for global programs and projects, you will provide legislative guidance, risk assessments, and local market insights to inform implementation and ensure Canadian requirements are effectively reflected in program and process design.

What You Will Do

• Serve as the Canadian HR subject matter expert for global programs and projects, providing legislative guidance, risk assessments, and market insights to enable compliant implementation and ensure Canadian requirements are appropriately reflected in program and process design.
• Own Canada’s leave management program, ensuring effective case management, appropriate documentation, vendor coordination, and a positive employee and leader experience.
• Lead complex accommodation and return-to-work cases, exercising sound judgment to deliver compliant, sustainable solutions that support employee well-being and business continuity.
• Oversee Canadian group benefits and retirement plan administration, including contract management, interpretation of plan provisions, vendor coordination, and resolution of complex escalations, in partnership with the Benefits Administration team.
• Lead the development, implementation, and ongoing management of HR policies and governance frameworks, ensuring consistent application, audit readiness, and alignment with evolving business and regulatory requirements.
• Drive continuous improvement across HR programs and processes, identifying gaps, dependencies, and opportunities to strengthen alignment, compliance, operational effectiveness, and service delivery.
• Partner with global HR centers of excellence and external providers to coordinate the implementation and ongoing delivery of programs and initiatives within Canada, managing stakeholder requirements, dependencies, competing priorities, timelines, and budgets.
• Coordinate Canadian global mobility activities, including immigration, work authorization, relocation, and cross-border talent activities, with attention to compliance, employee experience, and cost management.

What You Will Need

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or 6+ equivalent experience
• Minimum 4 years of work experience

Preferred Qualifications

• 2+ years business-facing HR, HR COE, HR Operations, or role-related experience
• Minimum 4 years of HR experience including at least two years as an HR business partner with responsibility for an assigned client group.
• Canadian HR Experience: Experience supporting Canadian HR programs and employment requirements, managing external partners, and resolving complex HR program or policy issues across areas such as benefits, leave, retirement, immigration, or global mobility.
• Experience working within a mid-sized to large organization (1,000+ employees)

Canada Pay Ranges: Canada: $76,100 - $101,450 CAD

Annual Travel Percentage: 10%

Stryker is one of the world’s leading medical technology companies and, together with its customers, is driven to make healthcare better. We offer innovative products and services in Orthopaedics, Medical and Surgical, and Neurotechnology and Spine that help improve patient and hospital outcomes. We are proud to be named one of the World’s Best Workplaces! For more information, visit: www.stryker.com

Work Flexibility

• Remote Role allows you to work the majority to 100% of time from an alternate workplace. These roles could have travel expectations, and you must work within the country of the job requisition location.
• Field-based You can expect to regularly work a majority to 100% of time at customer facilities and has a set territory or expectation to travel within a set boundary. Almost all sales roles would likely be qualified as field-based.
• Onsite Role is 100% located at a Stryker facility. Some ad hoc flexibility may be available depending on role, level, and job requirements. Manufacturing roles and any role that requires physical presence at the office would qualify under this category.
• Hybrid Role can expect to regularly work in both an alternate workplace and a Stryker facility. Roles that are partially remote or co-located would qualify as hybrid, and the expectation to be onsite would be defined and agreed upon by your manager/supervisor.