Senior Director, Human Resources (Unionized)

Reports To: Chief Human Resources Officer

Direct Reports: Regional HR Leaders, HR Managers, HR Business Partners

Location: Mississauga, ON - national travel required 10-20%

About the Organization

Our client is a large, well-established Canadian organization with a national operational footprint spanning every province. With a workforce of thousands of frontline employees and a long-standing presence in communities across the country, the organization combines deep operational scale with a strong, people-first culture. They are known for long-tenured teams, institutional knowledge, and a genuine commitment to their employees.

Having recently completed a significant strategic acquisition and continuing to grow, the organization is in an exciting moment of transformation - modernizing its people practices, investing in technology and infrastructure, and standardizing HR operations to support its expanding national mandate. This is an opportunity to join a respected Canadian employer at an inflection point, where your work will have meaningful, lasting impact.

The Opportunity

This is a newly elevated, senior leadership role created to unify oversight of the field HR function under a single national leader. Reporting to the CHRO and serving as a member of the HR Leadership Team, the Senior Director, Human Resources will be the senior HR partner to national Operations leadership - bridging the gap between field and corporate, and driving consistency, standardization, and modernization across a large, complex, geographically dispersed organization.

This role is ideal for an experienced HR leader who is energized by complexity, thrives in demanding, unionized operational environments, and is ready to make a visible impact at the national level.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic HR Leadership & Business Partnership

• Serve as the senior HR partner to national Operations leadership, translating business priorities into practical, measurable people strategies.
• Provide strategic advice and coaching on organizational effectiveness, talent management, workforce planning, and change management.
• Partner closely with the CHRO, providing proactive updates in a trust-based, autonomy-rewarding environment.
• Represent the field HR perspective as a member of the HR Leadership Team.

National Field HR Team Leadership

• Lead a national field HR team across Western Canada, Ontario/Central, and Quebec/Eastern Canada.
• Build trusted relationships with regional directors and senior managers across the operational network.
• Ensure consistent application of HR policies, programs, and labour relations practices across all regions.
• Support operational leaders in managing employee relations matters: performance management, attendance management, investigations, accommodation, and workplace conflict resolution.

Labour Relations & Unionized Workforce Support

• Own the day-to-day, operational side of labour relations across multiple bargaining units and jurisdictions.
• Apply strong LR knowledge to collective agreement administration, interpretation, grievance management, arbitration preparation, and dispute resolution.
• Support collective bargaining-related activities including preparation, operational planning, implementation, and contingency planning.
• Monitor evolving labour trends, legislation, and legal developments; maintain constructive relationships with union stakeholders.

Continuous Improvement & HR Modernization

• Drive a culture of continuous improvement across field HR and operational people practices.
• Identify opportunities to simplify, standardize, automate, and modernize HR processes and practices nationally.
• Leverage data and analytics to identify workforce trends and support evidence-based decision-making.
• Champion technology adoption and partner with Centres of Excellence to enhance HR programs and tools.

Change Leadership

• Lead complex organizational change initiatives impacting field operations nationally.
• Ensure regional leaders are equipped to successfully implement new programs, structures, and ways of working.
• Provide stakeholder management and change leadership through transformational projects.

Talent & Leadership Development

• Assess organizational capability and build succession plans for critical operational roles.
• Support talent reviews, leadership development, and workforce planning activities.
• Coach senior operational leaders on performance management, employee engagement, and leadership effectiveness.

Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with employment standards, labour legislation, human rights obligations, health and safety requirements, and collective agreements across multiple provinces.
• Provide oversight and guidance on high-risk employee and labour relations matters.
• Minimize organizational risk through proactive management of ER and LR issues.

Qualifications & Experience:

Experience

• 12+ years of progressive HR leadership experience, including significant experience supporting large, unionized workforces.
• Demonstrated experience leading multi-regional HR teams across Canada.
• Strong labour relations knowledge: collective agreement administration, grievance management, arbitration, and dispute resolution.
• Experience supporting collective bargaining processes - preparation, operational planning, implementation, and leader readiness.
• Background in operational, frontline environments such as manufacturing, distribution, transportation, or other large, complex, unionized sectors.
• Proven success leading organizational transformation, change management, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Strong working knowledge of federal and provincial employment and labour legislation.

Education

• Post-secondary education in Human Resources, Industrial Relations, Business Administration, or a related field.
• CHRL, CHRE, CPHR, or equivalent professional designation is an asset.
• Additional studies in labour relations, employment law, organizational development, or change management are an asset.
• Bilingualism (French/English) is a strong asset given the national scope of the role.

What Makes You Right for This Role

• You are hands-on and field-present - you believe the best HR leaders are close to the business, not removed from it.
• You are energized by complexity, not overwhelmed by it. You thrive when things are moving fast and the stakes are high.
• You lead with low ego and high accountability - you get things done without needing the spotlight.
• You are a relationship builder who earns trust quickly across union counterparts, field leaders, and executive teams.
• You bring strong executive presence and can partner credibly at the most senior levels of the organization.
• You are data-driven, tech-forward, and always looking for smarter ways to work.