DIRECTOR, PEOPLE, CULTURE & INCLUSION (FTE)

INVEST OTTAWA – BAYVIEW YARDS

The Director, People, Culture & Inclusion is a leadership role responsible for both the strategy and day-to-day execution of people, culture, and inclusion practices across the organization. This role plays a key part in sustaining and evolving Invest Ottawa’s recognized Employer of Choice culture, ensuring people operations are effective, compliant, and aligned with organizational values, while supporting meaningful community and economic impact.

• Corporate Pay Band F: $104,000-$156,000
• Hiring Salary Range: $106,000-$156,000
• Reason for opening: Backfilling a position
• This position will be required to work onsite at Bayview Yards, minimum 10 days a month.

Reporting directly to the President and CEO, the Director, People, Culture & Inclusion provides hands-on leadership across the full employee lifecycle. The role is accountable for translating organizational strategy into practical, well-executed people policies, programs, and processes that support workforce effectiveness, employee engagement, and organizational sustainability. The Director leads the development, implementation, and ongoing management of people and culture initiatives, ensuring compliance with employment legislation and alignment with the organization’s mission, mandate, and strategic priorities.

Key areas of responsibility include:

• People and workplace policies, governance, and operational best practices
• Talent acquisition, retention, performance management, and workforce planning
• Professional development and succession planning
• Employee relations, wellbeing, compensation, and total rewards
• Inclusion, equity, and belonging strategies and their day-to-day application

The Director serves as a trusted advisor and operational partner to the President and CEO, leaders, and staff, fostering an inclusive and engaged workplace where people are supported to do their best work in service of the community.

WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING:

Talent, Culture, and Employer Brand

• Lead talent attraction, retention, and workforce strategies that:
  • Support Invest Ottawa’s strategic objectives
  • Build on and strengthen our recognized Employer of Choice culture across Invest Ottawa, Bayview Yards, and Area X.O
  • Continue to attract high-quality, diverse talent aligned with our mission and economic development mandate
• Sustain and continuously improve a values-driven workplace culture rooted in inclusion, accountability, collaboration, and learning

People Operations and Leadership

• Own and oversee the full HR lifecycle, leading the HR team and directly supporting core people processes including recruitment, onboarding, performance management, development, and employee transitions
• Ensure people operations are efficient, well-documented, and consistently applied across the organization
• Provide practical, timely advice to leaders and managers on employee relations, performance, and inclusion matters

Engagement, Performance, and Development

• Plan and deliver the bi-annual employee engagement survey (eNPS), using insights to reinforce what is working well, address priority areas, and continuously improve the employee experience
• Implement and manage an equitable, transparent performance management framework and support leaders in applying it effectively
• Deliver learning, leadership development, and succession initiatives that address both current operational needs and future capability requirements

Insights, Rewards, and Governance

• Maintain and actively use people metrics and dashboards to monitor trends, identify risks, and inform decision-making
• Manage total rewards and compensation processes, including annual salary reviews and pay equity considerations
• Provide payroll support and ensure the accuracy of payroll-related inputs, records, and reporting
• Ensure compliance with employment legislation, labour standards, and health and safety requirements through regular review and practical application

Inclusion, Equity, and Belonging

• Lead the implementation and measurement of enterprise-wide inclusion, equity, and belonging initiatives with clear accountability and outcomes
• Embed inclusive practices across daily people operations, including recruitment, performance management, leadership development, engagement, and retention

Collaboration and Organizational Leadership

• Partner with the Vice President, Strategy, Marketing and Communications to support clear, consistent, and engaging employee communications
• Contribute to organizational initiatives and special projects as requested by the President and CEO

WHAT YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED/ GAINED THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER:

The ideal candidate will bring a strong blend of strategic leadership and hands-on people operations experience, along with a commitment to inclusion and community impact. Specifically, we are seeking:

• Director-level experience in Human Resources, People & Culture, or a related function, with accountability for both strategic leadership and operational delivery.
• CHRL designation (or equivalent) in good standing, with strong knowledge of Ontario employment legislation and HR best practices.
• Progressive experience across the full HR lifecycle, including talent acquisition, employee relations, performance management, learning and development, total rewards, and compliance.
• Demonstrated understanding of economic development environments, innovation ecosystems, or mission-driven organizations supporting business growth and community impact.
• Proven experience advancing inclusion, equity, and belonging, including embedding inclusive practices into people processes and workplace culture.
• Strong people leadership and project management experience, with a track record of leading HR initiatives from design through implementation and change adoption.
• Excellent judgment, communication, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to navigate complex and sensitive people matters thoughtfully and pragmatically.

Do you have some of these skills but maybe not all? We still encourage you to apply as we would love to review your unique application and learn more about you!

At Invest Ottawa and Bayview Yards, we know that diversity, inclusion and a sense of belongingness are critical success factors for globally competitive organizations and are required to drive sustainable wealth creation and prosperity across our region. We prioritize the creation of an inclusive culture and infuse diversity into our programs, operations and governance. As an equal opportunity employer that doesn’t simply accept difference but celebrates, support and thrives because of it, we invite all qualified candidates to apply, and especially encourage those who identify as members of underrepresented groups.