Associate Director, Organization Design

Join a Challenger Being a traditional bank just isn’t our thing, so we challenge ourselves to get creative in providing innovative banking solutions for Canadians. How do we get there? With a talented team of inquisitive and agile challengers that break through the status quo. So, if you’re passionate about redefining the future of banking—while having fun—this could be your next big opportunity. Our company continues to grow, and today we serve more than 670,000 people across Canada through Equitable Bank, Canada's Challenger Bank™, and have been around for more than 50 years. Equitable Bank’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Concentra Bank, supports credit unions across Canada that serve more than six million members. Together we have over $125 billion in combined assets under management and administration, with a clear mandate to drive change in Canadian banking to enrich people’s lives. Our customers have named our EQ Bank digital platform (eqbank.ca) one of the top banks in Canada on the Forbes World’s Best Banks list since 2021. The Work We are looking for an Associate Director, Organization Design to shape EQ’s organizational architecture required to enable growth and our evolution of Canada’s Challenger Bank. This is an exciting opportunity for a strategic, systems‑thinking HR leader to design the organizational structures, operating models, and workforce capabilities that support both immediate transformation priorities and long‑term scalability. Reporting to the VP, Talent, the successful candidate will lead enterprise‑wide organization design initiatives that enhance organizational effectiveness, unlock value from integration and transformation programs, and establish a scalable foundation for the future. A key focus will be leading organization design components of a business integration, such as synergy assessment, operating model harmonization, workforce transitions, and alignment of job architecture and governance across both organizations. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in complex transformations and is motivated by the opportunity to influence the next chapter of our organization’s evolution. In addition to strategic organization design, the Associate Director also leads job evaluation and organization audits—systematic assessments of structure, roles, and workforce composition—to identify opportunities for optimization and recommend evidence‑based improvements. This role is both strategic and operational, requiring a ‘roll up your sleeves’ approach to be successful. Organization Design & Integration Leadership Lead the end‑to‑end organization design work for M&A integration, including structural alignment, role design, workforce planning, and operating model harmonization Develop and execute design principles and frameworks that support a cohesive, future‑ready organization Partner with senior leaders across M&A entities to ensure organizational structures enable strategic priorities, customer outcomes, and operational effectiveness Lead job evaluation methodology, processes, outcomes and related process improvements Drive integration‑specific organization design deliverables including Day 1 readiness, interim‑state structures, end‑state design, and cross‑functional decision‑making Lead workforce and structure harmonization between EQ and PC Financial, including role mapping, leveling alignment, and compensation/job architecture integration Operating Model & Workforce Planning Assess and redesign operating models to support both integration requirements and long‑term business growth Facilitate workforce planning discussions that identify synergies, capability gaps, and resourcing needs for the combined organization Translate strategy into clear organizational implications, providing expert recommendations based on data, benchmarking, and scenario modelling Develop financial and structural models to support synergy identification, cost implications, and headcount scenarios Change Enablement & Stakeholder Engagement Collaborate closely with Change Management, HR Business Partners, Communications, and business leaders to ensure organization design decisions are well‑understood, adopted, and supported Advise executives on implications of design choices, guiding them through trade‑offs, risk, and impact analysis Prepare and deliver executive‑level materials, including org design options, integration updates, and decision‑support documents Act as a key advisor to integration governance forums, supporting timely, cross‑enterprise decision making and issue escalation Facilitate design workshops, alignment sessions, and executive discussions during the transition Governance, Processes & Tools Establish effective governance for organization design and integration decision‑making Implement best‑practice methodologies, processes, and tools to ensure consistency and rigour in how the organization approaches structural and workforce decisions Monitor organizational health and effectiveness metrics, providing insights and recommendations for continuous improvement Develop and maintain integrated job architecture, leveling frameworks, and evaluation governance to support harmonization across EQ and PC Financial Future‑Focused Growth Enablement Contribute to the broader talent and organizational strategy that will support the Bank’s evolution as Canada’s Challenger Bank Identify opportunities to simplify structures, increase agility, and strengthen cross‑functional collaboration Serve as a trusted advisor on organization design for ongoing transformation initiatives beyond the integration Support the development of a scalable, enterprise‑wide design methodology that can support future acquisitions and transformation programs Let’s Talk About You 5-7 years’ experience in financial services, consulting or a related field preferred Experience in assessing, developing, and deploying organizational design and workforce planning strategies Post‑Secondary Education in Human Resources or related field Solid knowledge of organization design, change management and workforce planning practices You have strong financial acumen and can analyze the cost implications of workforce planning initiatives and translating talent strategies into clear budgetary recommendations You can apply your expertise to ensure that organizational design decisions are fiscally responsible, align with financial objectives, and support long‑term business sustainability You are a team player who works well independently and collaboratively as part of a dynamic team environment You are innovative and pride yourself on your ability to think outside of the box to deliver best in class learning solutions You are a dedicated self‑starter who is passionate about delivering results and continuous learning You have an intellectual curiosity and are dedicated to continuous learning and improvement You have exceptional verbal and written communication skills and are comfortable translating ideas clearly in written and visual materials You have strong organizational skills and are able to successfully manage multiple competing priorities You have strong relationship building skills and thrive in consultative environment Excellent time management and organizational skills Strives under pressure and enjoys working towards ambitious targets Proven ability to navigate high‑intensity integration timelines and adjust quickly to shifting priorities Ability to balance enterprise trade‑offs, manage stakeholder alignment, and drive decisions through structured governance Strong attention to detail and never satisfied with the status quo What we offer (For full‑time permanent roles) Competitive discretionary bonus ✨ Market leading RRSP match program