Associate Director, People & Culture

Grand Challenges Canada backs Bold Ideas with Big Impact®. We are a global innovation platform and one of the world’s leading impact-first investors, working toward a future where innovation helps everyone thrive. With support from the Government of Canada and other partners, we use a Grand Challenges approach to identify, invest in, and help scale bold, locally led solutions that advance health, equity, and resilience in low- and middle-income countries and Canada. We back bold ideas from seed to scale—combining capital, advisory support, and strategic partnerships to help them grow and succeed. We look for innovations that combine science, social insight, and business strategy—what we call Integrated Innovation®—to drive real-world change. Learn more at www.grandchallenges.ca. POSITION OVERVIEW AND KEY RESPONSIBILITES A critical role in the organization, the Associate Director, People & Culture is a strategic and hands-on leader who is passionate about enabling a healthy and thriving high-performance culture, while driving employee engagement, and ensuring that the organization's values are embedded in how we work. As a key advisor to the Senior Director, People & Culture and the rest of the leadership team, the Associate Director will spearhead initiatives related to performance management, total compensation, a new Human Resources Management System (HRMS), skills/career development and training, HR administration/compliance and importantly, inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility (IDEA). This role reflects our belief that caring for people is central to an organization’s success. The Associate Director champions this philosophy by cultivating an environment where individuals feel valued, supported, and empowered to bring their best selves to work, every day. Organizational People Management and Leadership • Lead the operationalization of a high-performance culture by helping to implement a new approach to performance management, growth pathways and career development at GCC. • Support the assessment, design, and optimization of the total compensation model, ensuring we stay market competitive and properly incentivize a high-performance and accountable culture. • Develop a perspective on career growth within GCC and partner with leaders to create promotion pathways and talent retention strategies that directly contribute to organizational effectiveness and positive outcomes. • Help oversee the smooth and thoughtful transition to, and on-going management of, a new HRMS with the support of the team and in partnership with UHN. • Support a new centralized approach to training and development, by assessing skills and needs across the organization and developing a feasible plan for implementation. HR Operations, Compliance and Systems • Ensure compliance with employment and accessibility legislation in addition to worker’s insurance across Canada (Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec, New Brunswick etc.). • Help educate leaders and employees on applicable legislation, policies, procedures and industry best practices to ensure understanding, consistency, and alignment with organizational values. • Support the development and refinement of HR policies, programs, and best practices to comply with legislative requirements. • Lead the onboarding, integration with and training for the new UHN-owned HRMS system or lead the requirements gathering, procurement process, implementation, training and management for a new GCC-owned platform, if required. • Drive adoption and optimize the use of HRMS for data-driven decision-making. • Lead benefits provider negotiations to maintain competitive offerings, if/when required. • Foster a culture of continuous improvement, innovation and service by evaluating and enhancing all HR processes (i.e. onboarding, recruitment), tools, and practices to drive measurable results and impact. Ensure that process improvements contribute to efficiency, optimal employee/candidate experience, and align with strategic goals. • Volunteer as a fire and safety warden and ensure staff are trained on the necessary procedures and regulations for when in office. Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) • Oversee the implementation, updating and application of the GCC IDEA Policy. • Conduct training for employees, Board, and other committees on topics including inclusion, allyship, cultural humility/awareness and belonging. • Identify opportunities for our leadership team to integrate IDEA as a core value throughout all aspects of our team, culture, programs and business practices. • Support the Senior Director, People & Culture and the HR team on infusing IDEA into HR processes (i.e. recruitment, onboarding, performance management, programming/training, etc.) • Develop and implement strategies for improving employee sense of belonging across the organization. Mentoring a high-performing team and supporting a thriving culture • Provide leadership and mentorship to the HR/Ops team (and beyond), fostering a culture of kindness, collaboration, accountability, continuous learning and service. • Model work behaviours that support personal and team wellness and are aligned with GCC’s values and passion for boldness. • Lead or support the recruitment and onboarding of new staff. • Input into clear performance objectives with dedicated time to touch base on deliverables, challenges, potential supports and strategies. • Coach team members by providing consistent feedback, mentoring and identifying opportunities for growth. • Foster a team culture of resourcefulness, proactive problem-solving, and passion for service/UX along with productive dialogue and constructive communication. • Be a positive role model for the team and culture – always showing up, being visible and actively engaging and participating in a positive and energizing way. Qualifications • 10+ years of relevant work experience. • At least 4 years of team leadership and people management experience. • A university degree in a related or relevant discipline. • CHRL/CHRE (Certified Human Resources Leader or Executive) designation preferred or equivalent experience in people and culture leadership. • Demonstrated excellence and experience in performance management, incentivization and compensation strategy. • Advanced knowledge and understanding of relevant legislation (e.g., Employment Standards Act, Ontario Human Rights Code, Occupational Health and Safety Act, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, etc.) and a strong working knowledge of employment laws across Canada. • Experience assessing, onboarding and maximizing best-in-class HRMS/HRIS systems. Deep and hands-on knowledge of Workday would be especially helpful. • Experience successfully leading complex systems changes, a bonus. • Demonstrated commitment and experience developing and implementing IDEA strategies. • Compelling written and verbal communication skills along with impeccable presentation skills. • Unparalleled attention to detail and organizational skills. • Excellent emotional intelligence and the ability to manage, motivate and collaborate through kindness with people from diverse professional and lived experience backgrounds. • Digitally and technologically savvy with advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint), Monday.com and various platforms or applications. • Excellent at working under pressure with sound judgement and decision-making abilities. • Super resourceful, can excel despite constraints and a contagious belief in the possible. • A culture champion with passion and a knack for people, a bias for service and action, a sense of humour, the natural ability to unpack complex problems, keep a level head and thrive in the grey. Don’t meet every requirement? At Grand Challenges Canada, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, authentic, and accountable workplace, so if you are excited about this role but your experience does not align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply, as you may be the ideal candidate we are looking for. Location and Work Requirements: • We are currently working in a hybrid model with time in office and working from home. With rare, approved exceptions, GCC staff are to live in or near the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and available to travel to, and work from the Toronto main office, as business operational needs require. Any expenses related to travel and or relocating to Toronto are the sole responsibility of the employee and will not be reimbursed by GCC. • Applicants must be eligible to work in Canada. Permanent Full-Time Benefits • Health and Dental provided by Sunlife Canada effective on start date. • Enrolment in the Healthcare of Ontario (HOOPP) Defined-Benefit Pension Plan. • Four (4) weeks of paid vacation per calendar year (prorated). • Four (4) day work week (with Friday as a flex/off day), excluding weeks with Statutory holiday (program reviewed annually). • Access to Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and UHN added value benefits such as fitness, spas and wellbeing, hotels and travel services, and retail discounts. • International SOS (ISOS) travel safety and supports around the world. • Bring-your-own-device (BYOD) cell phone allowance. • Growth and wellness fund. • New Temporary Work Relocation – work remotely for up to 90 days, almost anywhere in the world. AI Use in Application Processing Please be advised that Grand Challenges Canada may use artificial intelligence tools to assist in the processing and evaluation of applications submitted for this position. All hiring decisions are made by qualified personnel who review AI-assisted outputs before any determination is made regarding a candidate's application. Grand Challenges Canada is committed to ensuring that its use of AI in recruitment is fair, transparent, and free from unlawful discrimination, in accordance with applicable federal and provincial human rights and privacy legislation.

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