Senior Director, People Business Partner

IMAX Enhanced | Streaming & Consumer Technology; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 175,000 - 214,000; Full time

Job summary

IMAX, a global leader in entertainment technology, seeks the most senior People Partner in our Los Angeles office. You will collaborate with executives across the Entertainment business and corporate functions to design teams, develop talent, and ensure the organization can execute its strategy.

This role is strategic and hands-on, shaping organizational design, workforce planning, leadership development, and employee experience.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of progressive HR experience.
• Experience partnering with senior leaders in fast-paced environments.
• Strong business judgment connecting people strategy to outcomes.
• Proven ability to coach, challenge, and influence leaders.
• Experience with organizational design, succession planning, and change management.
• Shaping People strategies across inclusion, culture, and development.

Responsibilities

• Partner with senior leaders to design organizational structures and leadership depth.
• Lead workforce planning and partner with Talent Acquisition on hiring plans.
• Advise on compensation and total rewards in line with policy.
• Coach leaders and guide organizational change and transitions.
• Shape employee experience and foster a high-performing, creative culture.

Skills

Executive coaching

Organizational design

Talent development

Workforce planning

Leadership development

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor’s degree

HR certification (PHR)

Job description

Be Part Of The IMAX Experience.

For more than 50 years, IMAX has been a global leader in entertainment technology, redefining how stories are experienced on the world’s biggest screens. Our mission is to power awe-inspiring experiences for audiences around the world.

Our people make everything we do possible. We’re curious, creative, and driven by the belief that great work happens when people are trusted, heard, and supported. At IMAX, you’ll collaborate with purpose in an environment that values innovation, diverse perspectives, and learning at every stage.

We invest in people and empower them to thrive. Our culture is grounded in trust and shaped by a shared belief that our best work happens together. By championing curiosity and encouraging courageous thinking, we push the limits of imagination and create experiences that redefine what’s possible. Careers here are shaped with intention, achievements are shared, and people always come first.

With our global team spanning North America, Europe, and Asia, IMAX brings together proprietary software, world‑class architecture, and cutting‑edge technology with deep industry expertise. Together, we partner with leading filmmakers and studios, advance entertainment technology, and connect audiences around the world to The IMAX Experience.

Come explore IMAX and create what inspires.

Ignite your future with IMAX.

About The Role

This is the most senior People Partner in our Los Angeles office, collaborating directly with executives across IMAX’s Entertainment business and corporate functions. You’ll work closely with leaders to design and build strong teams, develop high‑performing talent, and ensure the organization is set up to deliver on its strategy.

This role is both strategic and hands‑on. You’ll help leaders think through how to structure their teams, plan for future talent needs, and build the leadership depth required to scale the business, while also driving day‑to‑day execution across the employee lifecycle. You’ll also play a key role in shaping the employee experience and ensuring our people practices support a high‑performing, creative environment.

What You’ll Do

Strategic Partnership

• Serve as the primary People Partner to IMAX’s Entertainment division, partnering directly with senior leaders including the Chief Content Officer, CMO, and heads of Distribution and Post Production, as well as corporate functions including Legal and Corporate Communications.
• Build trusted, influential relationships with leaders and develop a deep understanding of their businesses, strategies, and priorities to anticipate people and organizational needs and proactively identify opportunities and risks.
• Translate business strategy into clear, actionable people and organizational priorities that strengthen performance, enable growth, and position teams for long‑term success.
• Advise leaders on organizational design, workforce and talent decisions, team effectiveness, and change, ensuring organizational structures and capabilities evolve with the needs of the business.
• Serve as a trusted coach and thought partner to senior leaders, providing candid guidance and perspective that strengthens leadership effectiveness, decision‑making, and accountability.
• Leverage people insights, organizational trends, and business context to inform decisions and recommend strategies that strengthen talent, organizational effectiveness, and business outcomes.

Talent & Organization

• Partner with leaders to assess organizational capability and build strong teams by identifying critical talent, succession needs, development priorities, and opportunities to strengthen leadership depth.
• Partner closely with Talent Acquisition and business leaders on workforce and headcount planning, ensuring hiring strategies and priorities align with approved plans and evolving business needs; support recruiting and selection efforts and help ensure a thoughtful, effective onboarding experience for new hires.
• Partner closely with Total Rewards to advise leaders on compensation and benefit decisions, ensuring alignment with IMAX’s philosophy, internal equity, business needs, and consistent program application across supported client groups.
• Advise and partner with leaders on organizational changes, offering thoughtful insight on leadership and team design and guiding effective transition planning and change management.
• Ensure all company‑wide people programs are implemented effectively and tailored to the needs of the Entertainment business.

Culture & Employee Experience

• Champion IMAX’s Mission, Vision, and Values, partnering with leaders to foster a connected, inclusive, and high‑performing culture across the Los Angeles office and supported client groups.
• Maintain a strong pulse on the organization by building trusted relationships across all levels, leveraging employee sentiment and organizational insights to identify emerging themes, opportunities, and actions that strengthen engagement and the employee experience.
• Partner closely with Talent Development to translate business needs and employee insights into meaningful talent, leadership, and employee engagement strategies that strengthen organizational effectiveness and support a high‑performing culture.
• Partner closely with Internal Communications to shape employee communications that reinforce IMAX’s Mission, Vision, and Values, support business and people priorities, and strengthen employee understanding, connection, and engagement.

Employee Relations & Compliance

• Serve as a trusted advisor to leaders on complex and sensitive employee relations matters, providing thoughtful guidance and coaching that balances employee experience, business needs, sound judgment, and appropriate risk management.
• Lead and oversee the resolution of employee relations matters, including workplace concerns, investigations, performance issues, and conflict, ensuring issues are addressed consistently, fairly, and with appropriate discretion.
• Partner with leaders to reinforce accountability for effective people management and proactively identify and address employee or organizational issues that could impact team effectiveness, culture, or performance.
• Ensure consistent application of IMAX’s Code of Conduct, People policies, and applicable employment laws, partnering with internal subject matter experts as appropriate to maintain compliance and effectively manage employment‑related risk.

What You’ll Bring

• 12+ years of progressive HR experience, including significant experience in a senior HR/People Business Partner role supporting senior leaders and complex business organizations; experience in a global or matrixed environment is preferred.
• Experience partnering and advising senior leaders, ideally within creative, media, or other fast‑paced environments.
• Strong business judgment and the ability to connect people strategy to business outcomes
• Proven ability to coach, challenge, and influence leaders at all levels.
• Experience with organizational design, workforce and talent planning, succession planning, leadership development and organizational change.
• Experience shaping and delivering People strategies and programs across areas such as inclusion, culture, talent development, talent acquisition, and total rewards
• A hands‑on approach — comfortable moving between strategy and execution
• Strong communication skills and the ability to build trust quickly
• Experience working across international teams is a plus
• Bachelor’s degree required; HR certification (e.g., PHR) is a plus
• This role

Why This Role Matters

This role is critical to the success of our Entertainment business. You’ll help shape how we build teams, develop leaders, and scale the organization — all while supporting a business that sits at the intersection of content, technology, and global distribution.

Work Location

Work Location: This position requires working onsite at the office 5 days a week. Remote or hybrid work arrangements are not available for this role.

Position Status

Existing Vacancy

Hiring Range

$175,051 - $213,951 (per year) Final pay within this range will be determined based on experience, skills, internal equity, and the geographic location of the role. Additional non-discretionary compensation may apply where eligible.

At IMAX, you will be part of a culture built on respect – we are committed to creating a welcoming and diverse atmosphere across our organization.

IMAX will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, or arrest or conviction records, in a manner consistent with applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Change Initiative For Hiring Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the California Fair Chance Act, where applicable.

In accordance with Ontario’s pay transparency requirements, candidates will be informed when they are no longer under consideration for this position. Communication regarding application status may be provided through email or through your online applicant profile (if applicable).

As part of our recruitment process, we may use technology-assisted tools, including automated systems, to support the review and assessment of applications. These tools do not make final hiring decisions. All decisions related to screening, interviewing, and selection are made by our Talent Acquisition and hiring teams.