People & Culture Manager

Hilton Foods; Brantford; On-site; CAD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading food manufacturing company is seeking a People & Culture Manager for its new facility in Brantford, Canada. This strategic role will lead HR initiatives, including workforce planning, employee relations, and diversity efforts. The ideal candidate will have a strong manufacturing HR background and be passionate about enhancing workplace culture and engagement. This position offers an engaging opportunity to shape the people agenda in a fast-growing environment.

Qualifications

• Proven track record of delivering business change.
• Strong influencing skills at all levels.

Responsibilities

• Lead the People & Culture function during start-up phase.
• Establish HR systems, policies, and processes.
• Partner with leaders for workforce planning.
• Shape overall strategy through People Plan.
• Champion inclusion and diversity within practices.

Skills

HR leadership within manufacturing

Fluency in written and verbal English

Employee relations

Organisational capability building

Relationship management

Education

Graduate level capability

Postgraduate HR qualifications (ideally)

Job description

We’re working towards an ambitious future, one we want to build together with all our colleagues. This is why we are looking for an exceptional People & Culture Manager to join and lead our evolving People & Culture team.

As a key member of the Canadian Leadership Team, the Head of People & Culture will lead the strategic and operational development of the People & Culture function during the start-up and ramp-up of Hilton Foods Canada. This role is critical in building a high-performing, engaged, and inclusive workforce that supports the company’s growth and operational excellence.

This role is at the heart of driving our business capability and building a fantastic environment for all our colleagues.

Through your team you will drive exceptional results and improvements. You will also enable the implementation of the Hilton Foods People & Culture Strategy.

This is a role in which you can influence, bring new ideas and develop the People agenda in our organisation. You will bring a passion for continually improving the operational performance and people capability on our brand new site in Canada.

Purpose of the role:

To be a strategic partner and change agent, building and delivering the people capability we need to meet the needs of our customers, our people and our business

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Lead the People & Culture function during the start-up phase of the Hilton Foods Canada plant, ensuring all HR systems, policies, and processes are in place to support operational readiness.
• Partner with cross-functional leaders to develop and execute a ramp-up workforce plan, including recruitment, onboarding, training, and organizational design.
• Establish and embed a People & Culture operating model that supports a fast-paced, high-growth manufacturing environment.
• As part of the Canadian Leadership Team, play a lead role in the day-to-day management and strategic development of Hilton Foods Canada.
• Contribute to the People & Culture leadership team by shaping the overall strategy and delivering a business unit-aligned People Plan.
• Lead and develop the People & Culture team, fostering a high-performance, service-oriented culture.
• Coach and mentor subject matter experts and leaders to strengthen people leadership capabilities.
• Lead all aspects of employee relations, ensuring fair, consistent, and legally compliant practices that protect the business’s reputation.
• Champion inclusion and diversity, embedding these principles into all people practices and translating Group and Regional initiatives locally.
• Support the Manufacturing Excellence programs, embedding them into the plant’s operating model.
• Oversee performance management to drive a high-performance culture from the outset.
• Collaborate with business unit, regional, and group stakeholders to manage pay, benefits, and P&C budgets effectively.
• Liaise with Group to ensure resourcing, L&D, and HR systems meet local needs.
• Drive capability development, succession planning, and talent retention strategies.
• Partner with Health & Safety to demonstrate visible leadership in building a strong safety culture.
• Lead the development and delivery of wellbeing programs, occupational health, and return-to-work initiatives.
• Utilise the global HR system and shared services to drive data-informed decisions and continuous improvement.
• Champion compliance with people-related ESG goals, including modern-day slavery prevention.

KEY EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

• Experience of HR leadership within manufacturing
• High level fluency in written and verbal English
• Graduate level capability (ideally with postgraduate HR qualifications)
• Broad generalist HR background with good grounding in employee relations and engagement
• Proven track record of delivering business change and building organisational capability
• Strong influencing skills and relationship management at all levels internally and externally

Hilton Foods Canada is committed to building a culture of diversity and inclusion and are committed to providing equal opportunities to all employees. At Hilton Foods Canada, we welcome and encourage applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. If you require an accommodation during the recruitment process, please advise the HR representative. All requests for an accommodation and the accommodation measures will be handled in a confidential manner at all times.