Vice President, People & Culture

Recruiting In Motion - Eastern Ontario; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Recruiting In Motion - Eastern Ontario is assisting a mission-focused nonprofit to fill the Vice President, People & Culture role. This senior leader reports to the Executive Director and directs HR, labour relations, total compensation, health & safety, and organizational effectiveness in a hybrid work model with remote emphasis and purposeful in-person collaboration.

The ideal candidate brings 10+ years of HR leadership in both unionized and non-unionized settings, a CHRL designation,

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive HR experience, including significant senior leadership responsibility in both unionized and non-unionized environments.
• Post-secondary education in Human Resources, along with a recognized HR leadership designation (e.g., CHRL or equivalent).
• Demonstrated experience in collective bargaining, labour relations, and collective agreement interpretation and implementation.
• Broad HR generalist expertise encompassing employee relations, benefits and pension administration, total compensation, policy development, legislative compliance, and risk management.
• Experience in strategic planning, budgeting, organizational restructuring, change management, and leadership development.
• Proven ability to advise executive leadership and present recommendations to senior leaders and boards.
• Strong knowledge of employment standards, human rights, occupational health and safety, and accessibility legislation.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, organizational, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience in the not-for-profit sector is an asset.
• Familiarity with HR information systems, such as Dayforce, is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: Lead people strategy, departmental planning, budgeting, and continuous improvement initiatives aligned with organizational objectives.
• People & Culture: Strengthen employee engagement, promote inclusion and collaboration, develop leadership capabilities, and support succession planning and talent development.
• Labour Relations: Lead union relations and participate in collective bargaining, negotiations, and the implementation of collective agreements.
• Human Resources & Compliance: Oversee HR policies, employee relations, organizational change, and compliance with employment standards, human rights legislation, occupational health and safety requirements, and collective agreements.
• Executive Partnership: Advise the Executive Director and senior leadership on workforce planning, emerging HR trends, organizational priorities, and risk management.
• Health, Safety & Accessibility: Oversee workplace health and safety programs, incident reporting, training, accessibility compliance, emergency preparedness, and related initiatives.
• Benefits & Total Compensation: Oversee employee benefits and pension plans, annual renewals, utilization reviews, and communication of plan changes in collaboration with Finance and HR.
• Operational Effectiveness: Manage departmental resources, support cross-functional initiatives, and ensure HR practices and processes remain effective, compliant, and responsive to organizational needs.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Employee engagement

Labor relations

Collective bargaining

HR generalist

Change management

Leadership development

Stakeholder management

Communication

Not-for-profit sector experience

Education

HR leadership designation (CHRL)

Post-secondary education in Human Resources

Tools

Dayforce

Job description

About Our Client

About Our Client Our client is a mission-driven non-profit organization committed to making a meaningful impact in the community. With a strong focus on people, collaboration, and continuous improvement, the organization is dedicated to fostering an inclusive workplace where employees feel supported, valued, and empowered to succeed. The Role Reporting to the Executive Director, the Vice President, People & Culture will provide strategic leadership across human resources, labour relations, employee engagement, total compensation, health and safety, and organizational effectiveness. This senior leadership position balances strategic planning with hands-on operational oversight, ensuring people practices align with organizational priorities, legislative requirements, and employee needs. The successful candidate will work closely with executive leadership and cross-functional teams to strengthen workplace culture, develop leaders, manage organizational change, and support a positive employee experience. The role operates within a hybrid work model, combining primarily remote work with purposeful in-person collaboration.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: Lead people strategy, departmental planning, budgeting, and continuous improvement initiatives aligned with organizational objectives.
• People & Culture: Strengthen employee engagement, promote inclusion and collaboration, develop leadership capabilities, and support succession planning and talent development.
• Labour Relations: Lead union relations and participate in collective bargaining, negotiations, and the implementation of collective agreements.
• Human Resources & Compliance: Oversee HR policies, employee relations, organizational change, and compliance with employment standards, human rights legislation, occupational health and safety requirements, and collective agreements.
• Executive Partnership: Advise the Executive Director and senior leadership on workforce planning, emerging HR trends, organizational priorities, and risk management.
• Health, Safety & Accessibility: Oversee workplace health and safety programs, incident reporting, training, accessibility compliance, emergency preparedness, and related initiatives.
• Benefits & Total Compensation: Oversee employee benefits and pension plans, annual renewals, utilization reviews, and communication of plan changes in collaboration with Finance and HR.
• Operational Effectiveness: Manage departmental resources, support cross-functional initiatives, and ensure HR practices and processes remain effective, compliant, and responsive to organizational needs.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive HR experience, including significant senior leadership responsibility in both unionized and non-unionized environments.
• Post-secondary education in Human Resources, along with a recognized HR leadership designation (e.g., CHRL or equivalent).
• Demonstrated experience in collective bargaining, labour relations, and collective agreement interpretation and implementation.
• Broad HR generalist expertise encompassing employee relations, benefits and pension administration, total compensation, policy development, legislative compliance, and risk management.
• Experience in strategic planning, budgeting, organizational restructuring, change management, and leadership development.
• Proven ability to advise executive leadership and present recommendations to senior leaders and boards.
• Strong knowledge of employment standards, human rights, occupational health and safety, and accessibility legislation.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, organizational, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience in the not-for-profit sector is an asset.
• Familiarity with HR information systems, such as Dayforce, is preferred.

What We're Looking For

We are looking for a strategic, approachable, and people-centred leader who combines big-picture thinking with strong operational judgment. You build trust, foster meaningful relationships, and navigate complex employee and organizational matters with diplomacy and discretion. You are passionate about developing others, strengthening workplace culture, and creating an environment where employees feel supported and can thrive. You bring a collaborative leadership style, a commitment to continuous improvement, and the ability to balance employee advocacy with organizational effectiveness. If you are an experienced HR leader who wants to make a meaningful impact on people, culture, and organizational success, we invite you to explore this opportunity.

AI may be used to support certain administrative aspects of our recruitment process. However, all applications and resumes are reviewed by qualified human reviewers, and all screening and hiring decisions are made solely by the hiring team.

The posted salary range reflects expected compensation for this role in accordance with Ontario pay transparency requirements. Actual compensation will be determined based on the successful candidate’s experience, skills, and qualifications and may fall anywhere within the range.