Director - People & Culture Operations (Canada)

Role Overview

We are seeking a strategic Director, People & Culture Operations to lead our Canadian P&C Operations team. Reporting to the VP, Total Rewards & Technology, you will oversee a large global team of professionals responsible for delivery of our Canadian team member life cycle journey, including payroll and accounting functions, benefits administration and tool, time management  and support of our contact centre. Leveraging SAP Human Capital Management (HCM) and SuccessFactors (SF) cloud solutions, your team plays a critical role in the end-to-end lifecycle of the team member experience across our organization. 

This role requires a unique blend of operational excellence, deep payroll expertise, technological & AI acumen, and strategic vision to ensure seamless delivery of people services while driving continuous improvement and innovation. You will be accountable for ensuring accurate, compliant, and efficient operations with an immediate focus on optimizing Canadian operations. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in HR operations, Payroll, technology and service delivery transformation, with proven ability to scale operations in complex, multi-system environments while maintaining exceptional team member experience.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and optimize end-to-end People & Culture operations for Canada, utilizing SAP, Success Factors and Workday systems

• Oversee a large team of operations professionals in the HR, Payroll and Benefits areas of expertise, while fostering a culture of service excellence and continuous improvement

• Ensure accurate, timely, and compliant payroll services for Canadian team members including all related government reporting for a national federal and provincially regulated payroll; this also includes managing complex scenarios in equity, executive compensation and  benefits 

• Lead the AskP&C team member support function, ensuring exceptional service delivery for team members where timely, accurate information is provided via a variety of intake channels 

• Develop and monitor operational metrics, SLAs, and KPIs to measure effectiveness, identify trends, and drive data-informed decision-making

• Partner with cross-functional teams including Pension & Benefits, Compensation, Talent Acquisition, Learning & Development, Systems, Analytics and Business Partners to ensure seamless operational support

• Ensure compliance with federal and provincial employment legislation, privacy laws, employee tax regulations, and internal and external audit requirements, across operational processes

• Lead vendor management for payroll providers, HRIS platforms, and service delivery partners, ensuring optimal performance and value

• Design and implement process improvements, automation initiatives, and self-service capabilities to enhance efficiency of the team, including laser focus on leader and team member experience

• Lead change management initiatives for system implementations, process transformations, and organizational transitions that impact team members

• Develop business continuity and disaster recovery plans for critical P&C operations systems and processes

• Provide strategic insights and reporting to senior leadership on operational performance, risks, and opportunities

Qualifications

Key abilities required:

• Operational Excellence: Proven ability to design, implement, and optimize complex HR operations at scale with focus on accuracy, efficiency, experience and compliance

• Technology Leadership: Deep expertise in HR technology platforms with ability to drive digital transformation and leverage technology for operational improvement. Experience in multi-system environments is optimal

• Strategic Vision: Ability to balance day-to-day operational demands with long-term strategic planning and global scalability

• Service Orientation: Commitment to exceptional team member experience with customer-centric mindset and service delivery excellence

• Analytical Thinking: Advanced analytical and problem-solving abilities with comfort using data to drive decisions and measure outcomes

• Stakeholder Management: Exceptional ability to collaborate across functions and influence stakeholders at all organizational levels

• Change Leadership: Proven success leading large-scale transformations, system implementations, and organizational change initiatives

• Communication Skills: Outstanding written and verbal communication with ability to translate complex operational concepts for diverse audiences

• Vendor Management: Strong negotiation and relationship management skills with external service providers

Key values:

• Leadership courage to try new ideas, have difficult conversations, make tough decisions and identify and action on key opportunities 

• Embrace change with the ability to adapt quickly to evolving dynamics and thrive in ambiguity

• A passion for growth demonstrating the agility required to respond to market conditions with speed and enthusiasm

• Spirited teamwork including the ability to listen to, empathize with, connect with and inspire all levels across the organization  

• Smart collaborator consistently identifying the most effective approach to engage the right people to drive the best outcomes for our business 

Required professional designation/certification:

• University Degree 

• Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) or Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) designation

• Payroll Compliance Practitioner (PCP) or Payroll Leadership Professional (PLP) from National Payroll Institute (strongly preferred)

• HRIS certification (e.g., Workday, SuccessFactors certification) relevant to organization's technology stack (strongly preferred)

Required Experience:

• Minimum 12-15 years of progressive experience in HR operations, with at least 5-7 years in senior leadership roles

• Extensive experience leading large-scale HR and payroll operations with multiple platforms 

• Proven track record implementing and optimizing enterprise HRIS platforms (Workday, SuccessFactors or similar)

• Deep expertise in Canadian payroll compliance including multi-provincial requirements, CRA regulations, and statutory reporting

• Demonstrated success building and leading large operations teams with focus on service delivery excellence

• Strong background in HR service delivery, case management systems, team member support operations, and team member experience

• Proven experience with process automation, digital transformation, and self-service technology implementation

• Track record of successful vendor management including RFP processes, contract negotiation, and performance management

• Experience with data analytics, reporting tools, and operational dashboards (PowerBI, Tableau, or similar)

• Background in change management and large-scale organizational transformation initiatives

Advanced knowledge of English is required, because you will most of the time interact in English with external parties (clients, suppliers, candidates, external partners, etc.), interact in English with internal parties (colleagues, internal partners, stakeholders, etc.), as part of this position's main responsibilities, given its national scope.