Sr. Specialist, Early Careers

Maple-Leaf-Foods-3d9889c; Mississauga; On-site; CAD 71,000 - 103,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Wellness benefits

Pension plan

Tuition reimbursement

Volunteer days

Job summary

Maple Leaf Foods is seeking a Sr. Specialist, Early Careers, to design and execute a comprehensive early careers strategy across campus recruitment, internships, co-ops, and Leadership Track rotations.

You will collaborate with stakeholders to ensure high engagement and strong career progression for early talent. The role reports to the Director of Talent Acquisition and includes budget responsibility and participation in Maple Leaf’s incentive plans.

Qualifications

• Strategic thinking to optimize early careers strategy aligned with business needs.
• Strong change leadership to manage evolving priorities in talent programs.
• Commitment to growth, learning, and improving program outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute a comprehensive early careers strategy for campus programs, internships, co-ops, and LT rotations.
• Lead end-to-end recruitment activities and build relationships with universities and career centers.
• Oversee Leadership Track and intern development to ensure engagement and progression.
• Collaborate with Talent Development to create onboarding, mentorship, and learning programs.
• Enhance employer branding for early talent through events and partnerships.
• Track hiring, retention, engagement, and performance metrics to drive improvements.
• Manage the end-to-end lifecycle of early career hires and ensure an inclusive experience.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Agility & change leadership

Growth mindset

Executional excellence

Emotional intelligence

Collaboration

Performance management

Facilitation skills

Innovation

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

CRM tools

Job description

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

We use Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of our recruitment process. AI does not make hiring decisions; all decisions are made by human reviewers.

Job Description

The Opportunity: As the Sr. Specialist, Early Careers, you'll play a key role in designing and executing a comprehensive early careers strategy that aligns with our business needs. Reporting to Director, Talent Acquisition, you'll manage our campus recruitment, internships, apprenticeships, co-ops, and our renowned Leadership Track (LT) rotational program. In this role, you will collaborate with various stakeholders to ensure high engagement and strong career progression for early talent. And while Maple Leaf was recently recognized as a Top Employer for Young Professionals, we are committed to continually elevating and enhancing our early careers programs under your leadership. Reason for vacancy: Existing Headcount Compensation:$71,000 - $103,000 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:

• Support the Early Career Strategy: In partnership with Director, Talent Acquisition, design and execute a comprehensive early careers strategy aligned with business needs, covering campus recruitment, internships, co‑ops, and our Leadership Track rotational program.
• Lead Recruitment & Campus Engagement: Manage end‑to‑end recruitment for early career roles, including sourcing, interviewing, and offer management, while building strong relationships with universities, student organizations, and career centres.
• Manage Leadership Track and Internship Development Programs: Oversee structured developmental experiences for interns, co‑ops, and Leadership Track participants, ensuring high engagement and strong career progression.
• Collaborate with Talent Development: Partner with Talent Development to design onboarding, mentorship, and learning programs, ensuring early talent receives structured and impactful growth opportunities.
• Enhance Employer Branding for Early Talent: Strengthen our campus presence and employer brand through career fairs, partnerships, and targeted marketing efforts.
• Measure Success & Optimize Programs: Track key hiring, retention, engagement, and performance metrics to improve program effectiveness and drive continuous innovation.
• Ensure a Seamless Employee Experience: Manage the end‑to‑end lifecycle of early career hires, delivering a structured, inclusive, and engaging experience from recruitment through to long‑term career progression.
• Professional Development Programs: In partnership with Learning & Development, support the design and implementation of creative learning solutions that resonate with Early Careers talent, ensuring these programs align with our organizational goals, L&D strategy, and future leadership needs.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborate with senior stakeholders, including LT Executive Sponsor, to achieve alignment and support for early careers initiatives.
• Budget Management: Manage the Early Careers budget, including costs related to branding and events.
• Data‑Driven Decision Making: Utilize data and analytics to measure the effectiveness of Early Careers programs and drive continuous improvement. Implement dashboards and KPIs to amplify the Early Careers story and champion our initiatives across the business.

Qualifications

What You’ll Bring:

• Strategic Thinking: Previous success in optimizing and executing a comprehensive early careers strategy that aligns with business needs.
• Agility and Change Leadership: Adaptability to manage evolving priorities and lead change effectively.
• Growth Mindset: Commitment to continuous learning and development, with a focus on innovation and best practices.
• Executional Excellence: Strong project management skills to deliver high‑quality outcomes on time.
• Emotional Intelligence: Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to build strong relationships and engage diverse stakeholders.
• Collaboration: Ability to work collaboratively with senior leadership, HR, and cross‑functional teams.
• Performance Management: Expertise in tracking and measuring early careers program effectiveness using data and metrics.
• Facilitation Skills: Strong presentation skills to facilitate onboarding, mentorship, and learning programs.
• Innovation: A creative mindset to develop and implement innovative early careers programs and solutions.
• Stakeholder Management: Ability to build strong relationships with key stakeholders across the organization.

Additional Information

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.

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 at [e-mail]: 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.