Senior Director, Human Resources & Labor Relations

Ford Motor Company; Oakville; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Senior Director for Canada HR Business Partner to provide strategic HR leadership across operations. This pivotal role involves overseeing HR initiatives, fostering partnerships with key leaders, and ensuring effective employee relations within a dynamic manufacturing environment. You will leverage your extensive experience in HR management to drive performance, enhance employee engagement, and implement best practices across multiple locations. If you are passionate about shaping a positive workplace culture and have a proven track record in HR leadership, this opportunity is your chance to make a significant impact.

Qualifications

• 8-10 years of HR experience, with 3-5 years in a leadership role.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s in Human Resources or related field.

Responsibilities

• Oversee HR operations and employee relations for Canada.
• Build strategic partnerships with manufacturing leaders.
• Utilize data analytics to drive HR decisions and improvements.

Skills

Human Resources Management

Employee Relations

Conflict Resolution

Strategic Leadership

Data Analytics

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources

Master’s Degree in Human Resources

Tools

People Analytics

Job description

The Senior Director, Canada HR Business partner provides strategic HR leadership and serves as the central point of contact for Canada operations. They oversee all aspects of HR operations, including salaried and labour-related issues, to ensure seamless day-to-day execution and alignment with business objectives. The Senior Director, Canada HR fosters a strategic partnership with the President & CEO, Ford Canada and the Canada Operating Committee to execute key HR initiatives related to the hourly and salary employee life cycle.

Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree or Master’s Degree (preferred) in Human Resources, Organizational Development, or any other related discipline or commensurate work experience.

Experience:

• 8-10 years of progressive experience in Human Resources, with at least 3-5 years in a leadership role focused on HR operations and strategic HR leadership in a manufacturing or industrial setting.

Licenses and Certifications:

• Senior Professional in Human Resources (CHRL) (Preferred)

Work Requirements:

• The working conditions for this role involve a combination of some travel, ranging from 5% to 15% of the time, to various locations in Canada and the United States, with occasional overnight stays. During visits, the role may require walking a manufacturing plant floor and active engagement with manufacturing operations. When not traveling, work is primarily performed in a seated position, with good use of the hands and fingers for repetitive hand-finger actions, within low to moderate noise levels related to the use of standard office or classroom equipment. Involves occasional (defined as one-third or less of the time) lifting of no more than 10 pounds at a time.

This description outlines the general nature and scope of work typically performed in this job. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, knowledge, skills, work requirements, etc. It may vary slightly based on business or geographic needs and is subject to being reviewed and updated periodically.

We thank all applicants for their interest, but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Ford of Canada is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to a culturally diverse workforce. Accommodations for applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment, selection and / or assessment processes, where needed, are available upon request. Please inform Human Resources of the nature of any accommodation(s) that you may require.

Candidates for this position must be legally entitled to work in Canada. Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited does not sponsor work permit applications.

Successful candidates will be required to provide proof of degree completion for the highest level of education attained. If the degree was obtained from a school outside of Canada, an Education Credential Assessment report showing Canadian equivalency is also required.

Responsibilities

Employee Relations and Conflict Resolution

• Oversee the delivery of Labour COE initiatives implemented by plant human resources.
• Oversee the resolution of employee and union relations issues (Unifor), and triage to the Labour Affairs COE as necessary for resolution.
• Leads the action planning process for Employee Voice Surveys in partnership with the Labour Affairs COE and People Analytics.
• Collaborate with the plant HR Director/Manager to gain a comprehensive understanding of the entire internal employee relations landscape, including but not limited to: grievance load, safety, investigations, local negotiations, general relationship with the union, and root causes. Identify trends, recommend solutions, and share best practices to address employee and union relations issues effectively.
• Address escalated union issues and coach team how to resolve union issues.
• Required to conduct regular plant Gemba visits in accordance with the plant master schedule.
• Responsible for managing and having oversight of the following Labour Affairs topics at the plant level: adverse impact / act of God, graffiti, Employee Relations cases and Office of General Counsel investigations.
• Responsible for arbitration and Wage Administration Wages, seniority, discipline and grievance process in partnership with the Labour Affairs COE.
• Leads assessments involving hourly pay Accuracy, wages, OT, Premiums, alternative work schedules, bonus, and COLA, in partnership with the Labour Affairs COE.

Relationship Building and Strategic Partnership

• Build and maintain strong coaching style relationships with Ford of Canada leaders including Directors of Manufacturing, Plant Managers, and staff (MP&L, FPS, etc.) to understand their needs, goals, and challenges effectively.
• Identify systemic issues and partner with Labour Affairs COE and HRBO leads to test, drive, and deliver key business solutions. Ensure work standardization across Canada and all manufacturing plants and establish a feedback loop to evaluate the effectiveness of processes.

Compliance

• Participate in the Manufacturing HR OCM as needed to support the development of manufacturing SOPs. Ensure work standardization across Canada and all manufacturing plants and establish a feedback loop to evaluate the effectiveness of processes.
• Ensures fair and consistent employee discipline that is corrective, not punitive across Canada.
• Responsible for the administration of all hourly contractual subject matter Org Development
• Leads change management planning, communication, and activities to improve individual team and organizational performance.
• Coaches, trains and develops HR direct reports.

Talent Management

• Lead and manage the working relationship with the Unifor union leadership. Complete a minimum of quarterly business reviews with Unifor.
• Lead spokesperson for Ford of Canada national negotiations with Unifor. Work closely with the corporate Labour Affairs COE and Manufacturing leadership to develop the negotiations priorities and strategy.
• Leverage lean methodology in collaboration with internal departments, external vendors, auditors, and consultants to make decisions, problem solve and drive effective change management programs.
• Conduct People Leader activities for the Canada HR team ranging from HR Business Partners to Manufacturing Plant HR Directors/Managers, such as coaching, mentoring, development, and performance evaluations. Support Canada HR Directors/Managers, ensure HR talent pipeline and planning, and provide upskilling/training across key HR development gaps.
• Own the selection and development of Canada HR leadership, including identifying key talent, succession planning, and specific examples of performance management and learning and development initiatives. Align with HRBO and Labour Affairs COE on the talent process to deliver and cascade. Partner with Learning and Development to provide specific examples of upskilling and training programs.
• Drive accountability for talent management responsibilities, including conducting performance reviews, implementing disciplinary actions, making pay recommendations, and engaging the right stakeholders. Be actively involved in decision making and communicate the process clearly.
• Participate in the selection of candidates for senior operations positions (i.e. Plant Managers) and collaborate with operations leaders to drive performance management, learning and development, and key HR process development. Partner with HRBO to align on the process, cascade, and execute at the plant for manufacturing leadership. Actively involved with OCM LL5+ talent processes, including providing specific examples of hiring, selection, and development initiatives.
• Coach Directors of Manufacturing, Plant Managers, and Assistant Plant Managers to solve people and culture issues and advise on talent growth and development strategies, leveraging Lean Methodology.
• Support driving a robust employee experience and positive Ford of Canada culture with a deep emphasis on manufacturing plant culture.
• Facilitate and support the execution of the annual compensation planning and IBI process for operations customer groups.
• Responsible for conducting performance evaluations of their direct report teams and executing the performance management process designed by the HR Business Partner team.
• Facilitate the cascade and implementation of People Strategic Action Plan objectives to ensure alignment and execution across Ford of Canada.
• Leads hourly and salaried workforce and retirement planning for Canada, including HR.

Data Analytics

• Utilize data to drive key business decisions, taking ownership of people metrics for areas of responsibility. Identify and track HR metrics and proactively recommend strategic intervention tactics when KPIs indicate underperformance. Take accountability and ownership for driving metrics towards success and collaborate with Labour and HRBO on strategic planning and implementation.
• Fosters a positive and inclusive hourly and salary employee experience through proactive initiatives based on feedback through employee opinion surveys, suggestions, and open-door policies to boost engagement and address areas for improvement.