Director of People and Culture

**ABOUT SKILLS FOR CHANGE**

With 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, and language and settlement programs and services throughout the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Areas.

Skills for Changes work is guided by a set of values that reflect our strong commitment to providing holistic support to a growing community of newcomers and underserved clients. These values inform our work and ensure that our methods that are empathetic, inclusive, and respectful. We lean on the interconnectedness of the communities in which we work and value the strength that comes from meaningful collaboration.

**WHY JOIN **SKILLS FOR CHANGE**
- ** Excellence**: We deliver quality and excellence in all that we do.
- ** Transparency**: We hold ourselves accountable to transparently communicating and demonstrating our progress and outcomes.
- **Empathy**:We treat all individuals with empathy, compassion, and understanding to ensure that clients are supported holistically and feel respected through their journey.
- **Inclusivity and Diversity**: We recognize the value of inclusivity and diversity as essential for creating an effective and supportive environment where everyone can feel comfortable to express their whole selves.

**ABOUT THE ROLE**

The Director of People and Culture will assume a dynamic and hands-on role, taking the lead in managing labor relations and human resources functions, and playing a pivotal role in creating and sustaining 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 of People and Culture will actively cultivate a high-functioning, collaborative, and innovative culture that prioritizes diversity and inclusion. Responsibilities include overseeing the creation, updating, communication, implementation, and adherence to Human Resources, Labor Relations, and Operations policies, procedures, and processes to stay current and compliant with employment laws, industry standards, regulations, and our collective agreement. The Director also spearheads the development and facilitation of all human resource initiatives, offering organizational development support across all departments.

**KEY RESPONSIBILITIES**

**Human Resources Management**:
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- Maintain deep knowledge of HR-related legal requirements to minimize risks and ensure regulatory compliance.
- Stay informed about industry trends, recommending improvements to organizational policies, procedures, and practices on personnel matters, ensuring agreed-upon recommendations are implemented.
- Develop and maintain metrics for strategic workforce planning, analyzing trends in turnover, hiring, promotion, and separation to implement preventative actions.
- Drive recruitment efforts, including sourcing top-quality, diverse talent, meeting diversity goals, managing offers, and overseeing the orientation and onboarding process.
- Collaborate with department heads and hiring managers to align staffing strategies with organizational needs, compensation, and business goals.
- Enhance employee retention and attract diverse talent through engagement programs, including effective tools for assessment and goal support.
- Research, implement, and manage all company benefit plans.
- Oversee talent management, including the performance appraisal process, professional development, and coaching on consistency and equity in decision-making.
- Identify and address training needs across departments and the organization, providing necessary training, including management and organizational development interventions.
- Lead internal committees, including quarterly staff meetings, diversity initiatives, and employee engagement efforts.

**Labour Relations**:

- Coordinate and support the grievance process, ensuring compliance with contractual timelines and works with union and management to resolve grievances at an early stage.
- Conduct grievance investigations, monitor grievance activity, and work to resolve underlying issues.
- Advise and support managers during the grievance process, including making presentations on behalf of management when required.
- Assist in preparing evidence for arbitration, labor board, and human rights tribunals; instruct legal counsel as needed.
- Coordinate the Labour Management Committee, including agenda development and ensuring proper documentation of discussions.
- Lead contract negotiations for the Skills for Change (SfC) collective agreement and oversee its interpretation and implementation.

**REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS**:

- A bachelor's degree in business, labor relations, human resources, or related studie