Director HR

Company: ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems, Direct Business – Canada

Department: Human Resources

Reports To: Vice President, Human Resources

Location: Oakville, ON (4 days/week on-site, flexible day-to-day)

Travel: Approximately 20%–30% across Canadian regional branches

Reporting to the Vice President, Human Resources, the Director, Human Resources – Canada leads the national delivery of core HR programs and people operations across a multi-site, multi-province organization. Leading a regional team of HR Managers, this role acts as the national anchor for complex employee relations, legal compliance, compensation and benefits, workforce planning, and M&A integration. This role is built for a grounded, technically deep HR leader who thrives in a collaborative, mid-to-large corporate environment, balances sound risk management with operational realities, and takes genuine pride in team coaching and functional execution.

Key Accountabilities

HR Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, mentor, and coach a team of three Regional HR Managers supporting branch operations across Canada;
• Foster high team cohesion, accountability, and operational consistency across provinces while respecting regional nuances;
• Act as a trusted sounding board and escalation partner for regional team members facing high-stakes operational issues;
• Drive a collaborative, service-oriented culture that partners seamlessly with field operations.

Employee Relations, Employment Law & Compliance

• Serve as the national subject-matter expert on complex employee relations, workplace investigations, human rights matters, and accommodations across Canadian jurisdictions;
• Provide pragmatic, legally sound guidance to senior leaders and regional teams on disciplinary actions, performance management, and separations;
• Assess workforce issues through a clear risk-and-probability lens, balancing statutory obligations with business goals; and
• Standardize workplace practices and documentation to mitigate organizational liability across growing branch operations.

M&A Integration & Change Management

• Direct the HR integration workstreams for newly acquired businesses across Canada;
• Partner closely with operational leaders to align workforce structures, cultural transitions, and people processes;
• Lead the harmonization and rollout of national HR policies, compensation bands, benefits programs, and onboarding for acquired teams;
• Monitor integration milestones, proactively mitigating friction to ensure a stable and positive employee experience throughout transitions.

Compensation, Benefits & Workforce Planning

• Direct annual compensation reviews, salary band administration, and market benchmarking;
• Oversee national benefits programs and vendor relationships, evaluating plan performance and cost effectiveness;
• Collaborate with executive and operational leadership on workforce planning, headcount budgeting, and structural design;
• Prepare data-grounded business cases and executive recommendations regarding organizational investments and restructuring.

HR Operations & Continuous Improvement

• Leverage workforce analytics, retention metrics, and turnover trends to inform people strategies;
• Partner collaboratively with Talent Acquisition, Payroll, Health & Safety, and Training teams to streamline operational workflows;
• Continuously evaluate and modernize HR service delivery to reduce administrative drag across field operations.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management, Industrial Relations, Business Administration, or a related field;
• 8+ years of progressive HR experience, including multi-site or national operational support in Canada;
• 3+ years in a people-leadership capacity directly managing HR Business Partners or HR Managers;
• Deep technical mastery of Canadian employment standards, human rights legislation, and employee relations practices across multiple provinces (Ontario, Quebec, and Western Canada);
• Demonstrated hands‑on experience leading HR integration activities for mergers and acquisitions;
• CHRL, CPHR, or equivalent professional designation is strongly preferred.

Key Behavioural Competencies

• Capable of balancing statutory compliance with commercial reality, evaluating issues on probability and business impact.
• Approaches operational leaders as a true problem-solving partner rather than a rigid policy gatekeeper.
• Results-driven and self-directed, with a strong focus on functional delivery, cross-regional impact, and high-quality operational support.
• Demonstrated operational ownership, thriving in h