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About the Company

Publicly traded, our client provides design, engineering, construction and maintenance services to government entities, telecommunication firms as well as power and utilities businesses. Our client’s offerings include underground and aerial construction, inventory management, and technical services including fibre to the building and home.

Headquartered in the Greater Toronto Area our client has operations in Ontario and western Canada and is well poised to continue its impressive growth throughout Canada and beyond.

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Scope of Position

The VP Human Resources will be responsible for establishing and cultivating a work environment that attracts, motivates and retains the Company’s human capital. This will include guiding and supporting the corporate and regional operating businesses on all HR matters to meet the Company’s strategic goals for profitability and growth.

Reporting to the CEO, the VP Human Resources will act as a strategic HR business partner to the Company’s senior leadership team. Working closely with other senior stakeholders, the VP, Human Resources will lead the development and implementation of best-in-class HR policies, programs and procedures, HR templates and related documentation to serve the business.

The VP Human Resources will assume responsibility for human capital strategies, plans and policies to position the company as a “Best in Class” employer of choice.

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Key Responsibilities

Partner with the CEO and senior management to identify and address the critical HR needs of the organization, create an effective long-term HR strategy, and deliver results. Key responsibilities include:

 

(1) Drive a Best in Class HR Organization

• Lead and inspire best-in-class corporate and regional HR teams to support the successful delivery of the Company’s strategic growth plans, vision and mission
• Establish benchmarks for organizational effectiveness, employee performance, training and career development, health and benefits, employee relations
• Lead the development of, effectively manage and integrate HR policies and programs including performance reviews, succession planning, career development, performance management, goal setting and reviews, training and mentoring, employee benefits, employee handbook etc.
• Work with the Compensation Committee on executive compensation and employment agreements, employee incentive programs, succession planning and related projects
• Manage compensation and other HR Programs, processes and initiatives in a timely manner
• Work with senior leadership team and Compensation Committee to establish corporate compensation plans; oversee HR reporting to the Board as may be required

(2) Change Management

• Drive initiatives to accelerate assimilation of new employees, align workforce around goals and priorities, and instil a “one company” culture; monitor and measure compliance and engagement
• Establish an HR culture of continuous improvement
• Work with the CEO to define and effectively communicate Company values to drive culture of service, professionalism and performance excellence

(3) Talent and Performance Management

• Develop HR strategies to identify and address competency, knowledge, talent and performance gaps
• Develop recruitment and retention strategies to attract and retain top talent
• Establish employee performance metrics, career development and succession plans
• Assess and upgrade current training programs; launch management mentoring initiative to support employee growth and development
• Identify and stretch high potential talent working with management teams
• Report periodically to the CEO on high potentials, key talent management metrics and deliverables
• Develop and manage a broadly-based talent management and development program, focusing on career development and succession planning; benchmark talent against external competition
• Create performance evaluation standards; establish and drive compliance for timely annualized performance reviews
• Oversee compensation, performance incentives, benefits and pension plans

(4) Employee Engagement and Labour Relations

• Develop and lead an employee engagement plan including, field employee surveys to assess and monitor employee engagement on key initiatives, e.g. safety, and culture
• Create and manage employee recognition and awards programs
• Develop, as required, strategies and processes for unionized contract negotiations with realistic decisions on strategies, plans and timelines
• Manage employee relations from onboarding, disputes, terminations, health and safety, employee training, and employee related legal compliance

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Qualifications and Experience

• 12-18 years of strategic HR business partnering; Bachelor’s degree required with a focus on OD, or HR preferred
• Proven track-record and experience partnering with the business and senior leadership team to influence and effect change
• Experience working in founder-led, fast-paced, entrepreneurial and growth oriented environments; Industrial services or manufacturing experience a strong preference
• Experience with the judicious introduction of talent management and HR processes to help businesses scale and mature
• Experience planning and leading integration efforts pre and post M&A transactions
• The ideal candidate will exhibit a ‘can-do’ attitude and a bias for action contributing both as a strategic and operational partner
• A strong business orientation and business enabler with record of building and nurturing strong cross-functional working relationships
• Builds effective teams and fosters collaboration, trust and transparency, bringing diverse perspectives to achieve common goals
• Skilled in organization design and demonstrated experience leading culture and organizational change initiatives
• Prior experience negotiating with unions and with Canadian labour relations laws a definite asset

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