Summit Search Group is pleased to partner with Second Harvest in their search for a Director, Human Resources.

About Our Client:

Second Harvest is Canada’s largest food rescue organization and is a global thought leader on perishable food redistribution. They operate at the intersection of hunger relief and environmental protection, tackling food loss and waste through food redistribution, research, awareness, and education, continually innovating, and collaborating to ensure a more sustainable planet. They work with thousands of food businesses from across the supply chain utilizing logistics and technology to reduce the amount of edible food going to waste, thereby diverting unnecessary greenhouse gasses from entering the environment.

Position Scope:

The Director, Human Resources is responsible for providing strategic HR leadership to the organization and in planning, developing, implementing, and evaluating Second Harvest’s Human Resources services. This position oversees all aspects of HR and provides subject matter expertise in: recruitment, talent optimization, employee engagement, employee relations, succession planning, training and development, health and safety, compensation, benefits and pension, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, HR guidelines, and HRIS.

Responsibilities:

• Act as a business partner to the CFOO and leadership team to provide timely and value-adding advice, counsel, and decisions that contribute to Second Harvest’s ongoing business success.
• Develop and implement the HR People Strategy that includes succession planning, workforce development, attraction and retention, equity, diversity and inclusion, organization design that aligns and supports Second Harvest's operational and strategic objectives.
• Proactively informs the Senior leadership team of potential risks that may impact the achievement of business performance.
• Coaches and develops HR Team.
• Establish strong routines with the HR team to ensure that HR initiatives are delivered on time and implement plans to mitigate risks.
• Acts as a champion for equity, diversity and inclusion to foster a culture of belonging and respect.
• Ensure regulatory compliance and partner with legal as necessary to introduce/ adapt policies accordingly.
• Develop program metrics to monitor and evaluate progress against People Strategy initiatives and create action plans to close gaps.
• Leads compensation and benefit review process to ensure that Second Harvest is offering a competitive Total Rewards package and reviews budget requirements with the CFOO.
• Lead the development and cascade of the Performance Management process (e.g. goals, objectives, and systems).
• Prioritize high value company-wide initiatives that will drive performance and measurable improvement in the overall employee experience.
• Coaches leaders on change management and activities, identifying best practices.
• Anticipates and mitigates obstacles, risks, and business disruptions caused by change initiatives.
• Oversee/participate in complex employee relations matters and workplace investigations and engage in conflict resolution processes as necessary.
• Foster a culture of empowerment and trust to facilitate effective problem solving and decision making.
• Ensure HR team members address client issues and concerns on a timely basis.
• Review, guide, and approve management recommendations for employment hires and terminations.
• Establish strong routines with the HR team to ensure that HR initiatives are delivered on time and implement plans to mitigate risks.
• Direct the preparation and maintenance of various HR reports to track strategic goal accomplishment.

Required Skills and Knowledge:

• Strategic Thinker: You can motivate and lead a team in an agile and fast-paced environment. You have a vision for HR that aligns with and contributes to our organization’s success, brand, and values.
• HR Leadership: You are a center of excellence for HR knowledge. You lead by example in representing and preserving the values of Second Harvest. You have strong technical HR knowledge.
• Passionate: You are inspired by the work of Second Harvest and are excited at the opportunity to build and lead a trusted, value-adding HR and Volunteer Services team. People-focused: You put people at the heart of your work and understand the power of effective connection and communication to cultivate strong, long-term relationships.
• Communicator: You have exceptional communication and diplomacy skills coupled with extensive success in cross-functional collaboration and managing relationships at all levels of an organization.
• Analytical and critical thinking: You are a strategic thinker and can analyze business processes for continuous improvement.
• Agile: You can work in a fast-paced environment, are flexible and can pivot and adapt to evolving and emerging needs.
• Change Management: You apply change management principles when introducing new initiatives and measure outcomes.
• Project Management: You have strong organizational skills and demonstrated ability to deliver projects on time and on budget.
• Financially and business savvy.

Education and Experience:

• CHRL/CHRP designation and 7-10 years of success in Human Resources with prior experience working in a non-profit environment.
• Technical expertise in a variety of HR functional areas (e.g. compensation and benefits, talent acquisition, succession planning, employee engagement, employee relations, policy and procedure development).
• Previous experience working for a pan-Canadian organization with broad knowledge of relevant provincial and federal legislation (i.e., employment standards, human rights codes, occupational health and safety, workers’ compensation).
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite, HR technologies, and possessing strong digital literacy.
• Bilingualism (French/English) is an asset.

Application Instructions:

To apply, please send a resume to Allison Dwyer at

Summit Search Group is a fair and equitable search firm. We welcome and encourage applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the recruitment and selection process.