Director People and Culture

DEPARTMENT: Human Resources

COMPANY: Skills for Change

LOCATION: 791 St. Clair Ave West, Toronto ON

REPORTS TO: Chief Executive Officer

CONTRACT TYPE: Management, Permanent (Non-Unionized)

HOURS: 35 hours per week

START DATE: Immediately

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Open until filled

GENERAL ACCOUNTABILITY:

With over 39 years of operations, Skills for Change is a highly respected non-profit with a province wide reputation for pioneering programs that respond to shifting immigration and workplace trends and lead to employment. Skills for Change provides multi-sited employment, job skills, career exploration through mentoring and entrepreneurship, job development, mental health and wellness, language and settlement programs and services throughout the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Areas.

PROGRAM NATURE AND SCOPE:

This is a very hands-on role handling the labour relations and human resources functions.This role is instrumental in maintaining a positive, efficient and solutions-oriented working environment to assist Skills for Change (SfC) in reaching its mission of serving immigrants and refugees. The  Director, People and Culture will foster a high functioning, collaborative and innovative culture that embraces diversity and inclusion. Drives the creation, updating, communication, implementation, and adherence of Human Resources, Labour Relations and Operations policies, procedures, and processes to remain current and in compliance with employment laws, industry standards and regulations and our collective agreement. Develop and facilitate all human resource initiatives and provide organizational development support to all departments.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Labour Relations

• Coordinates and supports the grievance handling process, ensuring compliance with contractual time-lines. Works with union and management to resolve grievances at an early stage
• Conducts grievance investigations and monitors grievance activity to identify underlying issues and works to resolve those issues.
• Advises and supports managers during the grievance process. Where required, makes presentations on behalf of management during grievance meetings.
• Assists in preparing documentary evidence for presentation at arbitration, labour board and human rights tribunals. Instructs legal counsel as required.
• Co-ordinates the operation of the Labour Management Committee, including development of the agenda on behalf of management and ensuring discussions are properly documented.
• Lead contract negotiations for SfC collective agreement and the interpretation and implementation of the collective agreement

Human Resources Management

• Maintain in-depth knowledge of legal requirements related to HR, reducing legal risks and ensuring regulatory compliance.
• Maintain knowledge of industry trends and make recommendations to the Management Team for improvement of organization’s policies, procedures and practices on personnel matters and ensure agreed upon recommendations are fulfilled.
• Create, implement, and maintain metrics to build strategic workforce planning models. Analyze trends in turnover, hiring, promotion, separation, etc. to determine and implement preventative actions needed to adjust unfavorable trends.
• Ensure employee retention while attracting and recruiting qualified and diverse talent to fill vacant and new positions. Specifically, develop and establish programs to enhance employee retention, including but not limited to identifying and implementing effective tools to assess engagement and support goals
• Work with department heads and hiring managers to develop staffing strategies, ensuring strategic alignment between staffing, compensation and business needs.
• Drive recruitment efforts including identify and cultivate effective sources for top quality, diverse talent; ensure workforce planning, recruiting and hiring strategies are met including diversity goals; manage offers, prepare documents, facilitate the offer, and oversee orientation and onboarding process.
• Maintain all personnel files, policies and procedures and provide guidance and interpretation to staff.
• Research, implement and administer all company benefit plans.
• Consult with line management providing HR guidance when appropriate and act as point person for all staff regarding employee relations and HR matters.
• Oversee talent management including but not limited to the performance appraisal process, professional development, coaching management on issues of consistency and equity in process and decision making consistent with Skills for Change values.
• Oversee the hiring, orientation, probationary and annual performance evaluations, supervision and discipline of staff members.
• Identify training needs within individual departments as well as organization wide needs. Develop, facilitate and/or provide training to the workforce, including management training, content training and organizational development interventions as needed.
• Lead internal committees including quarterly staff meetings, diversity, and employee engagement.

Requirements and Qualifications:

• Minimum a bachelor degree in business, labour relations, human resources, psychology related studies. Master degree preferred. CHRP/CHRL required.
• 5+ years in Human Resources, People and Culture Management and Labour Relations Management with experience in collective bargaining negotiations and managing the labour process
• A clear vulnerable sector check is required

SKILLS & ATTRIBUTES:

• Passion about the mission and vision of the organization.
• Strong desire and ability to work as a compassionate, action, and process oriented team player, role model and inspirational leader within the organization and as a representative of Skills for Change Highly effective strategic planning and analytical skills.
• Excellent leadership, facilitation, communication, supervisory and management coaching skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, specifically the ability to effectively communicate with all organizational levels.
• Excellent presentation skills including expertise in advising, influencing, coaching and negotiating with organizational leaders.
• Experience with Quality Improvement, including data and measurement is strongly desired
• Consistently sound judgment and an ability to work successfully under pressure.

WORK WITH US AND ENJOY:

• 100% employer paid comprehensive health, dental & wellness benefits
• Generous paid sick days and attractive vacation package
• Employer matched RRSP contributions
• Professional development workshops, training & development opportunities
• Company wide wellness initiatives, staff awards and retreats.

PLEASE SEND YOUR APPLICATION TO:hr@skillsforchange.org

Skills for Change provides learning and training opportunities for immigrants, refugees and equity seeking groups to access and fully participate in the workplace and wider community to persons with disabilities to newcomers to Canada (including refugees) to Indigenous peoples to members of a visible minority to children or youth to seniors to the LGBTQ2 community. Skills for Change offers accommodation for applicants with disabilities in each stage of the hiring process. If you are contacted regarding a job opportunity, please advise if you require accommodation. This document is available in alternate format on request.

We thank all applicants for their interest in this position, however only those selected for an interview will be contacted