People Leader

Maple Leaf Foods; Hamilton; Hybrid; CAD 96,000 - 141,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Pension plan

Tuition reimbursement

Volunteer days

Job summary

Maple Leaf Foods in Hamilton seeks a People Leader to act as the strategic HR partner to the Site Operations Leader. You will lead enterprise HR programs and support business strategy through workforce planning, salaried succession, performance management, and compliance to enable operational excellence.

In a unionized manufacturing environment, you will provide strategic and operational leadership, strengthen leadership capability, and drive an aligned people strategy to achieve sustainable

Qualifications

• Proven track record as a strategic HR business partner.
• Experience leading HR programs in a unionized manufacturing/site environment.
• Strong capability in talent and succession planning and analytics.
• Experience with labour-management relationships and collective bargaining is a plus.
• Ability to drive change and improve engagement and retention.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Site Operations Leader to develop people strategies aligned with priorities.
• Lead HR policies and initiatives across the site.
• Manage talent reviews, succession planning and leadership development.
• Coach site leaders on performance management and regulatory compliance.
• Oversee labour relations strategy and bargaining preparation.
• Drive organizational development and change management initiatives.

Skills

Strategic HR partner

Labour relations

Leadership coaching

Talent & succession

HR analytics

Change management

Education

Post-secondary degree in HR/Business Admin

CHRL designation preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office

SAP

Job description

The Opportunity:

The People Leader, Hamilton serves as the strategic HR partner to the Site Operations Leader and salaried team. This role leads the execution of enterprise HR programs, supports business strategy through workforce planning, salaried succession, performance management, organizational effectiveness, change management, engagement, and HR compliance while enabling operational excellence.

Working in a unionized manufacturing environment, the People Leader provides strategic and operational leadership across the site, builds leadership capability, strengthens the team member experience, and enables sustainable business performance through an aligned and effective people strategy.

Any MLF team member interested in being considered for this role are encouraged to apply online by September 24. Applications received beyond that date are not guaranteed consideration.

Reason for vacancy: Existing Headcount

Compensation:$96,000 - $141,000 CAD base pay annually plus annual short-term incentive

The above compensation reflects the target compensation for the position at the time of posting. The base salary offered may vary based on a variety of factors including skills, experience, education, training, job- related knowledge, and other organizational requirements. For part-time roles, salaries are adjusted according to scheduled hours. In addition to base salary, this role is eligible to participate in Maple Leaf's annual short-term incentive plan.

Snapshot of a Day-in-the-Life:

• Strategic HR Partnership: Partner with the Site Operations Leader to develop and execute people strategies that align with operational priorities and the Enterprise People strategy.
• Site HR Strategy & Execution: Provide leadership and support to business leaders to ensure the effective execution and delivery of enterprise HR programs, policies, and initiatives across the site.
• Talent & Succession Management: Lead talent review and succession planning to build a strong leadership pipeline through identification, development, and capability building.
• Performance Management: Coach people leaders to drive effective salaried performance management, including goal setting, development, and succession readiness.
• Employee Engagement & Culture: Lead employee engagement initiatives with leaders to strengthen culture, improve retention, and enhance the team member experience.
• Labour Relations Oversight: Own the site's labour relations strategy, serve as the escalation point for grievances, and act as site bargaining lead, while the LR & ER Supervisor leads day-to-day execution.
• Influence key stakeholders to ensure alignment, support and delivery of all people initiatives and programs.
• Deliver HR advisory services, direction and support to leaders, management and staff in areas such as employee development, performance management, human rights, employment law, policy interpretation and conflict resolution.
• Provide advice and guidance on complex labour relations matters, including grievance and dispute resolution, interpretation and application of the collective bargaining agreement, and disciplinary matters.
• Lead bargaining preparation, including pre-bargaining risk assessment and proposal development, and serve as a key member of the bargaining team.
• Provide coaching and leadership to the site Human Resources team, including the LR & ER Supervisor.
• Facilitate organizational development and change management initiatives that strengthen culture, capability, and operational effectiveness.
• Develop and drive the annual HR plan for the facility, aligned with site priorities and enterprise HR initiatives.
• Ensure key HR performance indicators, including attendance, turnover, retention, engagement, succession strength, and workforce plan accuracy, are tracked, monitored, and used to inform action.
• Drive continuous improvement across Human Resources practices, processes, and service delivery.

What You'll Bring:

• Proven and recurring success leading a broad HR portfolio at a comparable level of scope, complexity, and accountability within a unionized manufacturing or site-operations environment.
• Demonstrated strength as a strategic HR business partner, with the capability to translate operational priorities and enterprise people strategy into clear, executable site plans.
• Advanced capability in talent and succession planning, leadership coaching, performance management, workforce planning, HR analytics, organizational effectiveness, and change leadership.
• A proven track record of proactively managing labour-management relationships, resolving complex issues, leading grievance escalation, and contributing to or leading collective bargaining.
• Successful and consistent delivery of enterprise HR programs, policies, and initiatives in a fast-paced, demanding operational environment.
• Strong business and operational acumen, with the judgment to connect people decisions to safety, quality, service, cost, and overall site performance.
• Proven ability to build leadership capability, strengthen succession pipelines, improve performance management quality, and enable measurable improvements in engagement and retention.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, influencing, and relationship-management skills, with the ability to navigate complex and sensitive situations with discretion.
• Highly developed planning, prioritization, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and make sound decisions under pressure.
• Post-secondary degree with a concentration in Human Resources, Commerce, Business Administration, or a related discipline. CHRL designation is preferred.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office and HR information systems. Experience with SAP is an asset.
• Clear alignment with the Maple Leaf Foods Leadership Values, demonstrating sound judgment, accountability, curiosity, transparency, humility, and a commitment to building diverse and inclusive teams.

What We Offer at Maple Leaf Foods:

• Being part of a high-performance, people-focused company that has an inspiring and unique vision to become the most sustainable protein company on earth, and a deep commitment to sustainable protein across North America.
• An inclusive company culture and a work environment that keeps our people safe, rewards excellence, and empowers everyone to learn and contribute their best.
• Competitive Health and Wellness benefits that offer flexibility to meet your individual or family needs, including programs focused on improving mental health and wellbeing. These benefits start on your first day of employment.
• Defined Contribution Pension Plan with company matching that starts on your first day of employment.
• Learning and development opportunities, including workshops, "speaker series" events, and resources that allow you to develop your skills and progress your career.
• Comprehensive tuition reimbursement program that supports continuous learning and development of our team members through investment in eligible degrees, diplomas, professional certification, or trades programs.
• Supporting our deep commitment to community impact, we offer up to two paid days annually to volunteer at a cause of your choice.

About Us:

We're a carbon neutral food company on a purposeful journey to Raise the Good in Food through better nutrition, safer food and workplaces, more humane animal care, and environmental sustainability efforts that protect our planet. We care about our communities and commit to reducing food insecurity in Canada. Join us on the journey. Let's build a better future, together.

We're passionate about food. For more than 100 years, we've made delicious, healthy protein that Canadians love under iconic national and regional brands, like Maple Leaf®, Schneiders®, and Greenfield Natural Meat Co®. We're on a journey to become the most sustainable protein company - not just in Canada - but on earth.

We're a global food company with approximately 10,000 team members. We operate sites in 20+ locations across Canada. We also have locations in the U.S. and Mexico, and do business in Asia.

• We are carbon neutral.
• We are one of the only food companies in Canada to set science-based targets.

A diverse and inclusive work environment

Championing diversity and inclusion is a critical component to advancing our collective purpose and vision and living the Maple Leaf Leadership Values. We believe in building, investing in, recognizing, and rewarding remarkable people who value an inclusive workplace, embrace all forms of diversity, and commit to including every voice in our collaborative environment. We're so much stronger when we know we're accepted and valued for who we are and what we each bring to the workplace.

We embrace a strong, values-based culture

Our eight Leadership Values are our north star. They guide the decisions we make for all our stakeholders: our consumers, our customers, our people, our communities, our shareholders, and the environment.

• Doing What's Right
• Shared Value
• High Performance
• Diverse and Inclusive Teams
• Disciplined Decision Making
• Our Accountability
• Intense Curiosity
• Transparency and Humility

We thank all applicants for their interest in exploring employment opportunities with Maple Leaf Foods; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. Applicants may be subject to a background check and must meet the security criteria designated for the position. Championing diversity and inclusion is a critical component to advancing our collective purpose and vision, living the Maple Leaf Leadership Values, and delivering winning results. Accommodation is available upon request for applicants with disabilities in the recruitment and assessment process and when hired; please contact our Talent Attraction Team [e-mail] . Disclaimer: Please note that salaries posted on sites other than the MLF Careers Page are not a reflection of Maple Leaf Foods and are an estimated salary range provided by that particular job board. Maple Leaf Foods offers competitive wages and an attractive total rewards package, which will be discussed during an interview with our Talent Team.

Our 13,500 team members work in 20+ locations across Canada and the U.S. Find out where our plants and offices are located.

There's no limit to how far you can take your career at Maple Leaf Foods. We're a team of people with diverse backgrounds and a wide range of skills who challenge each other every day to learn and grow. When you join our team, your opportunities for growth are endless.