Specialist, Human Resources
Ontario Dental Association (ODA)
Location: Toronto | Hybrid
Reports to: Senior Director, Human Resources
Salary Range: $72,000 – $102,000
Application Deadline: Sept 28, 2026
The Opportunity:
The Ontario Dental Association (ODA) is seeking a proactive, hands-on HR professional to help advance HR priorities into practical, working programs that strengthen organizational effectiveness across the ODA.
Reporting to the Senior Director, Human Resources, the role contributes to the design, coordination, and implementation of practical HR solutions that are sustainable within ODA’s culture, operating environment, and organizational capacity. It supports HR priorities by managing defined projects, analyzing workforce and survey data, identifying patterns, or emerging issues, and preparing recommendations for consideration by the Senior Director.
This is a hands-on role for an HR professional ready to contribute from day one while helping shape how the function evolves over time. You will work closely with the Senior Director and collaborate with HR and business colleagues across the organization to bring HR priorities to life.
This is more than program administration. It is an opportunity to help build practical HR programs, improve processes, and contribute thoughtful analysis in a small HR team where your work will be visible and useful. You will bring ideas and fresh thinking to evolving processes, while working closely with the Senior Director to ensure changes fit ODA’s culture, capacity, and priorities.
Who We Are:
The Ontario Dental Association represents over 90% of the dentists in Ontario. We advocate for our members, promote optimal oral health, and support successful professional lives and general well-being.
To achieve this, we:
· Promote the highest standards of dental care.
· Work with governments, the private sector, and other health-care professionals.
· Advocate on public policies that affect the practice of dentistry and the oral health of people in Ontario.
· Raise public awareness of how important oral hygiene is and its connection to overall health.
· Provide our member dentists with programs, services, and products to support their role as leaders of the oral health care team.
The ODA is committed to excellence, community impact, and continuous improvement. Our team values collaboration, integrity, and innovation as we strive to advance dental care and support our members' needs.
Behind that work is a close-knit team also committed to excellence, service, collaboration, and continuous improvement. This HR role helps strengthen the programs, tools, and people practices that support that team.
What You Will Do:
As the Specialist, Human Resources, you will take on program development, workforce analytics, and compensation support from day one. As the role develops, contribute to talent and employee experience programs, including competency frameworks, engagement, recognition, learning, development, and recruitment tools.
Program and Project Development
· Manage defined HR projects and program components from planning through implementation and evaluation, working closely with the Senior Director along the way.
· Spot potential problems early and bring practical recommendations, rather than waiting for issues to surface on their own.
· Introduce new programs at a pace that fits ODA's culture, building support and buy-in gradually rather than pushing for a big-bang rollout.
Workforce Analytics
· Turn workforce data and survey results into clear, practical recommendations for the Senior Director.
· Use AI-enabled tools to work efficiently, while applying your own judgment, checking outputs carefully, and handling people-related information with care
Compensation Support
· Analyze market compensation data and contribute to ODA's compensation review process.
· Coordinate ODA's participation in market reviews and liaise with our external compensation consultants.
· Support role documentation, compensation review, and job levelling activities by gathering information, preparing materials, and contributing thoughtful analysis.
Talent, Employee Experience, and Recruitment Support
· Help bring talent and employee experience programs to life, from competency frameworks to engagement and recognition initiatives.
· Support learning and development initiatives and help hiring managers with recruitment tools and interview design. Participate in recruitment campaigns as needed.
What We Are Looking For:
You are a curious, hands-on HR professional who is comfortable taking a defined program or project from idea to implementation, with enough judgment to know when to move forward, when to ask questions, and when to bring recommendations back for discussion with appropriate guidance and clear judgment. You bring:
· University degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field; CHRP designation (or working toward it) preferred.
· 5+ years of progressive HR experience, ideally including experience in a Generalist, Advisor, Specialist, or similarly broad-based HR role
· Experience taking an HR program or project from concept through execution.
· Genuine curiosity and creativity; you naturally explore “why do we do it this way?” and enjoy finding new ways to pull ideas together.
· Good instincts for pacing change; you understand how much a small, evolving organization can take on at once.
· Comfortable working with data and turning it into a clear, practical recommendation.
Assets
· Not-for-profit or association experience.
· Experience using AI-enabled tools responsibly for analysis, drafting, research, or process improvement.
What Success Looks Like (First 12–18 Months):
After 12 to 18 months in the role, you will be recognized for:
· Building a strong understanding of how ODA’s HR processes work today, including the employee experience, internal decision-making, and the organization’s governance context.
· Delivering a few early, visible wins (for example, helping launch ODA's employee volunteer program).
· Contributing to meaningful progress on longer-term priorities from ODA’s HR strategy.
· Bringing curiosity and fresh thinking to existing processes, at a pace that respects ODA's culture and capacity for change.
· Becoming a trusted, hands-on partner to the Senior Director, Human Resources.
Working at the ODA:
This is a full-time, permanent position. In addition to a competitive salary, you will have access to a comprehensive benefits plan that includes a defined-benefit (DB) pension, health care spending account, dental coverage, life insurance, and AD&D coverage; plus, three weeks' vacation to start, six paid sick days, and five personal days.
The position is ideally suited for those living within commuting distance of our downtown Toronto offices. The ODA offers flexible work arrangements, combining remote and onsite work (hybrid). Located in the heart of Yorkville, close to parks, transit, and everything downtown Toronto has to offer. The role is hybrid, with a mix of remote and onsite work based on ODA’s operating needs and team priorities.
The ODA is proud to be one of the GTA's Top Employers 2026 and we think that says a lot about the culture and work environment we have built over the last 150+ years. We are committed to growth and learning: every position in our organization presents both challenges and opportunities, and we encourage all our staff to develop themselves within and beyond their individual roles. Through our employee recognition program, we ensure that support and opportunities are always within reach.
To Apply:
Please take the time to tell us about yourself in a cover letter as we want to hear your story, your background, your accomplishments, and why this role is suitable for you based on the skills/competencies we have described. To help keep things organized, please submit your cover letter and résumé together in one PDF document to [email protected] by the end of day Monday, September 28, 2026.
All applications will be acknowledged, and selected candidates will be contacted for a preliminary discovery interview, typically within seven (7) business days of applying. We know that suitability for a role goes both ways. You may have other questions, so feel free to connect with us at [email protected] before applying. The posting will remain active on our website until our search process is complete. We anticipate scheduling the first round of formal interviews the week of October 5, 2026.
The ODA confirms that AI tools are not used to screen or assess applications. Every application is reviewed by a member of our HR team, because we know how much time and care goes into an application.
The Ontario Dental Association is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive work environment. Accommodation is available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.
We strive to build a team that reflects the diversity of the community we serve and encourage applications from traditionally underrepresented groups such as Indigenous peoples, visible minorities, people identifying as 2SLGBTQI+, veterans, women, and people with disabilities. If we can make this easier through accommodation in the recruitment process, please contact us at [email protected].
