Description

HR & People Operations Manager (2 year contract)

Location: Toronto, ON – hybrid, 3 days in office

Salary: $90K – $110K + Benefits + Paid Time Off

Contract Duration: June 2026 – May 2028 (extension potential based on performance)

Company:

Our client is an innovative organization operating at the intersection of education, technology, and social impact. Through a combination of digital learning solutions, immersive technologies, and community-focused programming, they are helping organizations create more engaging, accessible, and future-focused learning experiences. As they continue to grow, they are seeking a people-focused leader to help build and scale their internal operations and culture.

Description:

Our client is seeking an experienced HR & People Operations Manager to lead and develop the organization’s people function. This is a highly visible role that combines strategic HR leadership with hands-on execution, supporting a growing team while building scalable systems, processes, and programs that foster employee engagement, operational excellence, and long-term growth.

• Manage the full employee lifecycle including recruitment, onboarding, offboarding, contracts, payroll coordination, employee relations, and HR administration.

• Build and enhance HR infrastructure by developing policies, procedures, systems, employee handbooks, and operational frameworks that support organizational growth and compliance.

• Lead full-cycle recruitment efforts, partnering with leadership to identify hiring needs, improve hiring processes, strengthen candidate experience, and develop talent pipelines.

• Design and implement performance management programs, goal-setting frameworks, employee development initiatives, and ongoing feedback processes.

• Drive employee engagement, culture-building initiatives, recognition programs, team events, and retention strategies that support a positive and inclusive workplace.

• Act as a trusted advisor to leadership on people-related matters including organizational design, workforce planning, employee relations, conflict resolution, and change management.

• Support broader organizational initiatives by contributing to operational improvements, strategic planning, workforce forecasting, and cross-functional projects.

Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience in Human Resources, People Operations, or a related function, with exposure to both strategic and operational HR responsibilities.

• Demonstrated experience building HR programs, systems, and processes from the ground up, ideally within a startup, scaling organization, or high-growth environment.

• Strong experience managing full-cycle recruitment, employee relations, performance management, and organizational development initiatives.

• Solid understanding of employment legislation, HR best practices, and handling confidential employee matters with professionalism and discretion.

• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build trust across all levels of an organization.

• Highly organized, proactive, self-directed, and comfortable working in a dynamic environment with evolving priorities.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience serving as the sole HR or People Operations professional within an organization.

• Experience implementing performance management frameworks, employee engagement initiatives, or culture development programs.

• Previous experience supporting rapidly growing organizations through periods of scale and transformation.