People & Culture Country Manager

Employment Type: Full-Time

Location: Ajax, ON (Hybrid, 3 days on-site)

Occasional Travel to Vancouver, BC

Industry: Industrial Machinery Manufacturing

Position Type: New Role

About the Opportunity

Our client is a global industrial group listed on a major European exchange, operating in more than 20 countries. The group runs five customer-focused divisions, each with a worldwide footprint and well-established People & Culture processes.

The Canadian business is growing. The group recently completed a significant Canadian acquisition and is bringing its operations together at a new Ajax facility. This newly created role is the most senior People & Culture leader in Canada. It covers about 250 employees across Ajax and Vancouver, spanning two divisions.

You’ll report to the North American Managing Director, sit on the local management team and partner closely with the divisional P&C leaders. You’ll lead the people side of the integration: putting proven group processes in place at the acquired business, harmonizing benefits and policies across two legacy companies, and building a consistent P&C culture.

Key Responsibilities

Integration & Organizational Effectiveness

• Execute the P&C integration plan for the acquired Ajax business, bringing teams onto group processes, cycles and standards
• Lead harmonization of benefits, retirement plans, policies and P&C practices across both legacy organizations
• Adapt group P&C processes to Canadian employment legislation and local culture
• Advise senior leaders on organizational design, change management and the people implications of business decisions

Employee & Labour Relations

• Lead complex employee relations matters, including investigations, discipline, grievances and terminations
• Advise managers on employment standards, human rights, pay equity and employment equity obligations
• Manage the union relationship for the manufacturing team and work with legal advisors as needed
• Own the Employee Handbook and local policies, keeping them aligned with Canadian law and group requirements

Talent, Performance & Development

• Run the annual performance review cycle in Canada, including manager training and completion tracking
• Lead the Canadian rollout of new HRIS modules, starting with performance and year-end review, and train managers and employees
• Facilitate talent reviews and succession planning with leadership
• Lead recruitment for key roles, manage agency partners and drive onboarding with hiring managers
• Coordinate learning and development and manager capability programs

Reward, Engagement & People Operations

• Advise leaders on compensation, benefits and salary reviews in line with group governance
• Lead the employee engagement survey, action planning and culture initiatives across both sites
• Lead, coach and develop a small P&C team (payroll and HR administration)
• Keep employee data accurate and complete across HR systems, with a focus on the acquired business
• Build workforce metrics and dashboards for leadership decisions

What You Bring

• About 10 years of progressive HR experience, including time as a site HR lead or HR Manager with broad generalist accountability
• Experience managing direct reports
• Strong working knowledge of Ontario employment and labour law
• Proven experience leading complex employee relations cases, including investigations and terminations
• Hands-on experience running performance review cycles, talent reviews and succession planning
• Experience leading or overseeing recruitment and onboarding, including agency partnerships
• A practical, hands-on approach: you implement and adapt processes yourself, not only advise
• Willingness to travel to Vancouver about twice per quarter

Nice to Have

• Experience in a unionized environment
• P&C integration experience after an acquisition or merger
• Background in industrial, construction or manufacturing settings with field-based workforces
• Knowledge of BC employment law
• CHRP, CHRL or equivalent HR designation

Next Steps

We do appreciate all interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Clarity Recruitment is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible recruitment process and workplace. If you require accommodation, please let us know in advance and we will work with you to meet your needs.

Please note: We use AI-assisted tools for notetaking during the screening process.

JOB ID # 3692233

About Clarity Recruitment

Clarity is an executive search and recruitment firm specializing in Finance & Accounting talent across Canada - from accountants to CFOs. Additionally, Clarity partners with organizations to hire exceptional talent in HR, Operations, and IT, helping build the teams that power business success. Our process is designed to minimize risk, maximize alignment, and move quickly. With dedicated practices in Executive Search, Full-Time Search, and Project & Interim Consulting, we help organizations grow with confidence. Visit findingclarity.ca to learn more!