Director, People

Toronto, ON, Canada

Contracted

People

Senior Executive

We are looking for the visionaries, the change-makers, and the self-starters who are seeking more from their career. Change begins with the small decisions we make, each day, to support each other, and strive to create inspiring, incredible educational experiences for all students, no matter where they are, or how they learn. In choosing a career with Yorkville University, you will have the opportunity to push boundaries, flex your creativity, and inspire positive change for so many people.

Our core values put the student experience at the center of what we do, reflecting who we are, and aspire to be. If you want to shine a light on academic excellence, be empowered to make an impact on the transformation of the Canadian post-secondary education landscape, and work collaboratively beyond levels, join us.

Who we need

Reporting to the Chief People Officer, we are looking for a Director, People to join us at Yorkville University and Toronto Film School for a 12-month contract with the possibility of a permanent appointment upon successful completion. As a senior ambassador for People programs and strategies, you will be pivotal in overseeing key people and culture initiatives and daily operations. You will develop trusting relationships and foster collaboration across the university, working closely with academic and business leaders. You will identify priorities, set direction, deliver solutions, and remove barriers so faculty and employees can do their best work in service to our students. You will serve as a strategic advisor for people and culture initiatives at both the regional and national levels.

This is a full-time role, currently following a hybrid model working both on-site at our downtown location and remotely.

Who you are

You may be a Senior HR Business Partner ready to step into broader leadership, or a Director seeking expanded ownership and decision-making authority across a diverse portfolio. Either way, you want to join an innovative, inclusive, and rapidly evolving private university as an individual contributor on an influential, enthusiastic national People Team. You bring extensive experience partnering with leadership and an exceptional ability to build relationships at all levels. You thrive in a matrixed organization, either in the corporate or public sector, and work confidently with knowledge workers to drive results.

What's in it for you

Strategic influence. You want to shape how a national, multi-campus university optimizes its people practices. In this role, you will lead an entire portfolio with full strategic and operational ownership. You will partner directly with the C-suite, academic leaders, and campus operations to advance institution-wide priorities. You will elevate workflows, strengthen decision-making frameworks, and enhance cross-campus alignment, advancing a more efficient, connected, and future-ready organization.

Meaningful impact. You are energized by the complexity and purpose-driven mission of higher education. You will serve as a trusted advisor who balances institutional priorities with an engaged and supported employee experience. You will guide leaders through people decisions grounded in data, insight, and sound judgment and influence outcomes at scale across multiple campuses. You will work on complex initiatives that expand your strategic, operational, and change leadership capabilities.

Career growth and professional stretch. Yorkville University and Toronto Film School are progressive institutions committed to reimagining post-secondary learning. Reporting directly to the Chief People Officer, you will gain unparalleled exposure, strategic insight, and mentorship. If you are coming from the public sector, this role provides meaningful exposure to the private post-secondary environment with the opportunity to see impact quickly within an agile, outcomes-driven environment. Joining us now means contributing to work that matters, building advanced competencies, and accelerating your career within a dynamic and evolving university.

As our new Director, People, you will focus on:

Leadership alignment. You will partner with academic and business leaders to proactively co-create and implement people and culture strategies aligned with the university’s mission, values, and goals. You will serve as a strategic advisor for people and culture initiatives at the regional and national levels. You will lead enterprise-level change management initiatives and strategic communications, supporting leaders and employees in navigating organizational change with minimal disruption.
Talent management. You will collaborate with academic and business leaders to understand hiring needs, identify diverse talent, and drive recruitment, retention, and workforce planning strategies. You will coach leaders to develop, recognize, and advance top talent, promoting a culture of continuous learning. You will oversee succession planning and career development programs to ensure a robust pipeline of future leaders.
Employee relations and engagement. You will be a trusted advisor to faculty, employees, and leaders, guiding them on HR-related matters and conflict resolution. You will elevate faculty and staff experiences through proactive, solutions-focused employee relations leadership, leveraging data from engagement surveys, exit interviews, and turnover trends to shape meaningful action plans.
Culture and inclusion. You will ensure People practices in hiring, performance evaluation, and compensation reflect equitable, inclusive standards while meeting regional and national regulatory requirements. You will partner with leaders to design and implement initiatives that support cultural transformation and alignment with core values. You will lead new leader orientation sessions to ensure alignment with the university’s mission, values, and strategic goals.
Performance management. You will equip leaders with meaningful, forward-focused performance management practices that enable a high-performing, highly engaged workforce. You will oversee performance systems that support continuous feedback and employee growth and ensure performance evaluations are fair, consistent, and aligned with institutional goals and academic excellence.

You have:

The experience. You have the consultative, strategic, people-centric expertise of a seasoned HR Business Partner. You develop nuanced, evidence-based insights into leader–employee dynamics, understand business and talent impacts, and identify effective people-focused solutions. You build and nurture trusting relationships with leaders and staff, creating an environment of cooperation and influential partnership. You are a highly effective coach who demonstrates integrity, empathy, and respect.
The leadership. You can influence C-Suite leaders, academic decision-makers, and operational executives. You have experience developing and implementing people and culture strategies across performance management, employee relations, talent development, and engagement. You can navigate complexity, remove barriers, and build momentum across a matrixed, multi-campus institution.
The initiative. You are passionate about playing an influential role that supports and inspires leaders and employees. You have a decisive, proactive, get-it-done style. You identify areas of accountability within a matrixed environment and work in partnership to drive strategic outcomes. You thrive in a collaborative environment while working independently and taking ownership of your deliverables. You are a creative problem solver who anticipates issues and pivots effectively in a fast-paced environment.
The interpersonal skills. You build trusted relationships at every level of the institution. You have exceptional communication skills and the executive presence to guide and influence leaders. You excel at creating clear internal messaging, performance reports, and formal recommendations. You are responsive and open to the needs of leaders, faculty, and employees. You respect and value diverse experiences and opinions and are comfortable using a wide range of communication tools.

Why work at Yorkville University and Toronto Film School?

An atmosphere that successfully blends an entrepreneurial culture with education. We value innovation and continuously look towards expanding our programming, working with the latest research, tools and solutions.
The chance to accelerate your career and disrupt education by responding to the needs you see and purposefully challenging the status quo. Everything we do here is about delighting and engaging our employees - and ultimately our students - from mentorship to teaching, from creative outlets to analytical ones.
A place where all individuals feel welcomed in the academic and workplace environments and can bring their authentic selves to the educational and work spheres. We celebrate the full range of human diversity and we acknowledge that equal access to opportunities and services may require the removal of barriers that equity-seeking communities experience in trying to obtain this access.
The opportunity to grow with access to free courses, certifications and programs - right up to our Masters' offerings.
An appreciation for the insights and skills you bring to work with a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits, including a wide breadth of wellness services and a work-life balance.

Join us

We welcome and appreciate candidates with a range of backgrounds and experiences. If you have 70% of the qualifications we are looking for, express your interest.

What you can expect from our hiring process:

A virtual interview with a Talent Advisor discussing your interest in the role and the company. The conversation will be recorded using BrightHire, an AI-powered video interview tool. More details will be shared when you are invited to interview.
A virtual interview with two of the Directors, People, to gain insights into the day-to-day and overarching responsibilities of the role and to answer questions about your experience.
An in-person interview with the Chief People Officer to learn more about how the role aligns with the People growth strategy and offering the opportunity to discuss your approach and professional experience in greater detail.
A virtual interview with 2-3 key members of the business during which you will have the opportunity to share your experience and learn more about their employee relations and talent management needs.

Diversity, equity and inclusion are a critical component of life at Yorkville University and Toronto Film School and we are committed to making these values an integral part of our culture. We encourage applications from all qualified applicants, including women, persons with disabilities, Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC), people from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Transsexual, Queer, Questioning, Two-Spirit, Intersex, Asexual + (LGBTQ2SIA+) community and other equity-seeking groups.

Yorkville University is committed to providing accessible employment practices that are in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act ('AODA'). If you require accommodation for disability, please notify Human Resources at 1-877-429-4029.

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