Vice President

Aquent; Toronto; On-site; CAD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous benefits package

Unlimited PTO

Free use of company beach houses

401(k)

FSA

Tuition reimbursement

Paid sick time

Paid vacation time

Unlimited PTO

Beach houses access

Job summary

A leading staffing firm is seeking a VP of Retail & Lifestyle in Toronto. This strategic role involves leading a team, fostering client relationships, and managing P&L for profitable growth. The ideal candidate will blend people leadership with AI fluency to drive innovative recruiting solutions. Join a company known for its tech-driven approach and commitment to employee well-being, including generous benefits and a flexible vacation policy.

Qualifications

• Strong people leadership and coaching capability.
• AI fluency and a mindset for technology‑enabled ways of working.
• Proven ability to grow client relationships and drive new business.
• Comfort operating with P&L ownership and financial accountability.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a great team with a culture of trust and autonomy.
• Grow client relationships and win new business through strategic partnerships.
• Own the financial performance with accountability for P&L.

Skills

People leadership

AI fluency

Client relationship management

Financial accountability

Job description

We aren’t your typical staffing firm, and this isn't a typical VP role. We started in 1986 as Aquent, growing into the world’s largest marketing and design staffing firm. But beneath that recruiting foundation beats the heart of a tech company.

With over 80 patents in UX and a 15-year track record running a global SaaS platform for 10,000 enterprise leaders, our technical DNA is undisputed. We’ve channeled that expertise over the last three years into 'cracking the code' on AI for talent acquisition, building proprietary engines that render standard tools obsolete.

About the Role

We are looking for a VP of Retail & Lifestyle who lives at the intersection of human intuition and technical disruption. You won't just be managing a book of business; you’ll be the architect of how the world's most recognized retail and lifestyle brands hire in the age of AI.

This is a general manager role with full business ownership. You’ll lead recruiting and sales with an owner’s mindset—building a strong team, growing client relationships, and driving profitable growth.

At Aquent, people make the difference. This role is about creating an environment where talented people thrive, grow and do their best work while delivering exceptional outcomes for clients.

What You’ll Do

Lead and Develop a Great Team

Create an environment where people feel comfortable speaking up, sharing ideas, and contributing to how the business improves.

You’ll lead with trust and autonomy, empowering individuals and teams to take ownership of their work and results. Through coaching and feedback, you’ll help people grow their skills, expand their capabilities, and take on greater responsibility.

You’ll build a team culture where the work is interesting, meaningful, and connected to real outcomes for clients. Success is recognized, contributions are valued, and great work is celebrated.

You’ll lead and coach a team of recruiters who use Aquent’s AI-enabled recruiting technology to dramatically increase the impact and efficiency of how talent is identified and delivered.

You’ll challenge the team to experiment, learn quickly, and continuously improve how recruiting gets done. Data and insights are used to measure progress, identify opportunities, and inform product improvements.

Grow Client Relationships and Win New Business

You’ll lead Client Partners in building trusted, peer-level relationships with senior leaders at some of the world’s largest brands.

You’ll help the team clearly articulate the value of Aquent’s technology-enabled staffing and talent solutions, pursue complex opportunities, and expand long-term partnerships.

This role requires a balance of strategic client development and disciplined pursuit of new opportunities.

Own the Financial Performance

You will own the P&L for the business, with accountability for profitable growth and long‑term client value.

You’ll use data to understand the health of the business and make informed decisions that improve revenue, margins, and productivity while ensuring strong financial discipline across the team.

Our Culture

Our culture is simple and direct:

• We reflect reality at all times — good or bad
• We identify problems and take action early
• We use plain speak and call it how it is
• We use data we can trust to guide our decisions

What Makes Someone Successful in This Role

• Strong people leadership and coaching capability
• AI fluency and a mindset for technology‑enabled ways of working
• Proven ability to grow client relationships and drive new business
• Comfort operating with P&L ownership and financial accountab

Why Aquent? We offer…

Work/life balance: we say it, we mean it!

Generous benefits package: medical, vision and dental benefits, generous 401(k), FSA, tuition reimbursement, paid sick/vacation time, and more

An unusually generous and flexible vacation - AKA unlimited PTO

Free use of our Hawaii and Florida beach houses

Individualistic approach: we encourage a personal touch to your work; we don't believe in a "one-size-fits-all" approach

Industry reputation: we are the world's largest creative staffing firm

ABOUT AQUENT

We are the leading global work solutions company. Through a range of brands, we help guide businesses toward the talent, technology, and services they need to excel. From specialty recruiting and talent experience to creative strategy and project management, we’re making the future of work better for everyone. Our brands include Aquent Talent, Aquent Studios, Aquent RoboHead, Aquent Scout, Aquent Employer of Record, and Aquent Gymnasium. To learn more, visit aquent.com.

Aquent is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics.