Director, People & Culture

About Us

For over 90 years, Healthcare & Municipal Employees' Credit Union (HMECU) has proudly served healthcare, municipal, fire, and police communities across Ontario. We are committed to helping our members achieve financial wellbeing through trusted advice, exceptional service, and meaningful relationships.

At HMECU, our people are at the heart of everything we do. Guided by our purpose — We care for the financial needs and wellbeing of our members so you can focus on what matters most — we are building a culture focused on growth, innovation, accountability, and member impact.

Position Summary

The Director, People & Culture is responsible for leading HMECU's People & Culture strategy and operations, partnering with leaders across the organization to build a high-performing, engaged, and future-ready workforce.

Reporting to the President & CEO, this role provides strategic leadership while ensuring the effective delivery of People & Culture programs and services across the organization. As HMECU's senior People & Culture leader, the Director will partner with the President & CEO to strengthen leadership capability, enhance employee experience, support organizational effectiveness, and advance HMECU's strategic priorities and modernization objectives.

This role balances strategic leadership with operational accountability across the full employee lifecycle, including talent acquisition, leadership development, employee and labour relations, organizational development, workforce planning, compensation, employee engagement, governance, health and safety, and People & Culture operations.

Job Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Business Partnership

• Partner with the President & CEO to develop and execute People & Culture strategies aligned with HMECU's strategic plan and organizational priorities.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to leaders on organizational effectiveness, workforce planning, leadership development, organizational design, and change management.
• Participate as a member of the HMECU Leadership Team, contributing to strategic planning and organizational decision-making.
• Develop and monitor People & Culture metrics, dashboards, and workforce insights to support informed business decisions.
• Lead the People & Culture operating budget while identifying opportunities to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

Talent Management & Leadership Development

• Lead the full employee lifecycle, including workforce planning, recruitment, onboarding, performance management, succession planning, employee development, and offboarding.
• Develop strategies to attract, retain, and develop high-performing employees aligned with HMECU's culture and values.
• Coach leaders on performance management, talent development, employee engagement, succession planning, and leadership effectiveness.
• Design and implement learning and leadership development programs that build organizational capability.
• Support workforce planning initiatives that strengthen organizational resilience and future leadership capacity.

Employee Relations & Culture

• Foster a respectful, inclusive, and high-performing workplace culture that promotes accountability, collaboration, and employee wellbeing.
• Provide expert advice to leaders on employee relations, attendance management, accommodations, workplace investigations, conflict resolution, and progressive discipline.
• Lead collective bargaining preparation, negotiations, and collective agreement administration while maintaining positive labour-management relationships.
• Develop and implement employee engagement and employee experience strategies, including engagement surveys, action planning, recognition initiatives, and continuous improvement.
• Champion organizational culture and change management initiatives that support successful organizational transformation.

HR Operations, Governance & Compliance

• Provide leadership for payroll, benefits, pension, HR systems, employee records, policies, and core People & Culture operations.
• Ensure compliance with employment legislation, privacy requirements, organizational policies, and the collective agreement.
• Lead HMECU's Health & Safety Program, supporting legislative compliance and fostering a culture of workplace safety.
• Identify and proactively manage organizational people risks, including succession risk, workforce capacity, legislative compliance, leadership continuity, and key-person dependency.
• Maintain governance practices, reporting, and documentation that support organizational accountability and business continuity.

Organizational Effectiveness & Modernization

• Lead initiatives that improve organizational effectiveness, employee experience, and leadership capability.
• Champion continuous improvement through technology, automation, AI-enabled tools, and process modernization.
• Evaluate People & Culture programs using employee feedback, operational metrics, and organizational data to improve effectiveness and service delivery.
• Support strategic organizational initiatives that strengthen culture, operational excellence, and long-term sustainability.
• Represent HMECU within the credit union system, professional associations, and community networks.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, Commerce, or a related discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• CHRP or CHRL designation is preferred.
• Eight (8) or more years of progressive leadership experience in Human Resources or People & Culture, including several years in a leadership role.
• Demonstrated experience leading labour relations within a unionized environment, including collective bargaining, grievance management, and collective agreement administration.
• Experience developing and implementing People & Culture strategies that support organizational performance and business objectives.
• Strong knowledge of employment legislation, human resources best practices, and organizational governance.
• Experience leading organizational change, workforce planning, succession planning, and leadership development initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to coach leaders, influence decision-making, and build trusted relationships across all levels of an organization.
• Strong business acumen, communication, problem-solving, and relationship management skills.
• Experience leveraging technology, automation, HR systems, and AI-enabled tools to improve operational effectiveness and employee experience.

Preferred Requirements

• CHRL designation.
• Experience working within the credit union or financial services sector.
• Experience presenting to Executive Leadership Teams and Boards of Directors.
• Experience leading organizational transformation or modernization initiatives.
• Certified Human Resources Executive (CHRE), Prosci Change Management, CPHR, or other leadership or organizational development certifications would be considered an asset.

Please note: Healthcare & Municipal Employees' Credit Union has an accommodation process in place and provides accommodations for employees with disabilities. If you require a specific accommodation because of a disability or medical need, please contact Human Resources so arrangements can be made.

HMECU uses AI-assisted tools to support our recruitment process, such as screening and organizing application information. All hiring decisions are made by our People & Culture team and hiring managers. A human will always review your application before any decisions are made.

Job Title: Director, People & Culture

Job Status: Permanent, Full-Time (One Existing Vacancy)

Primary Location: Hamilton, ON

Hybrid Work Available – Travel between branch locations, as required

Compensation Range: $112,000 - $127,000

Benefits: YES. 100% Employer Paid Benefits including STD, LTD, Life Insurance, Extended Health, Dental Coverage, and Employee Family Assistance Program

Pension: 7% Employer Contribution to our Defined Contribution Pension Plan

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