Overview

Director of People & Culture (Full-time, Permanent) 

Location: Our office is located in Toronto, Ontario.  This position can be located anywhere in the Greater Toronto Area with flexible/hybrid work arrangements available

Reports to: Chief Operations Officer

Job Posting Closing Date: Aug 5, 2025

About the position:

CFCC is seeking a strategic, compassionate, and detail-oriented Director of People and Culture to lead our people-focused strategies and champion an inclusive, values-driven workplace. Reporting to the COO, this role is both visionary and hands-on—responsible for aligning people strategy with CFCC’s mission, strategic priorities, and embedding our values, Equity, Inclusion, Reconciliation and Anti-Oppression Framework (EIRA) and Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). You’ll guide our culture, people strategy, talent development, and operational excellence in all areas of HR.

Key Responsibilities:

Organizational Culture & Engagement

– Champion and model CFCC’s values  and EIRA in all aspects of our people and HR strategy.
– Guide and influence a strong, cohesive workplace culture that centers equity, care, and collaboration.
– Lead cross-organizational efforts to foster a respectful, psychologically safe, inclusive, and engaging work environment.
– Oversee staff engagement initiatives, including surveys and recognition strategies, and translate insights into meaningful action.
– Create a thorough organizational orientation plan for onboarding new staff
– Support culture-building structures such as the Culture, Community, and Belonging Committee and EIRA Committee

People Strategy & HR Operations

– Develop and implement integrated HR strategies that align with CFCC’s organizational priorities and growth.
– Optimize HR systems, policies, and workflows for equity, collaboration, efficiency, and legal compliance.
– Serve as a trusted advisor to leadership and people managers, providing guidance on people strategy, change management, and conflict resolution.
– Lead continuous improvement initiatives to enhance HR service delivery and the employee experience.
– Lead and provide support and consultation to managers during hiring process
– Develop and manage the budget for the HR department.
– Develop and report on HR strategic objectives and related goals within the strategic plan and risk management plan.

Talent Strategy & Development

– Provide strategic oversight of a values-aligned, equity-informed talent strategy—from inclusive hiring to leadership development and succession planning.
– Collaborate with leadership to identify workforce needs and support long-term planning across departments.
– Guide and facilitate learning and development initiatives that build capacity, strengthen teams, and promote career progression.
– Design and manage an annual training plan and organization-wide training calendar, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities, EIRA Framework,  legislative requirements, and organizational  development goals.
– Design and sustain a performance development framework grounded in ongoing feedback, coaching, and alignment with organizational values
– Provide coaching, guidance and practical tools to managers to effectively lead, develop and manage their teams

Compensation & Benefits

– Provide strategic leadership in updating and enhancing CFCC’s compensation framework to ensure equity, competitiveness, and alignment with organizational goals.
– Ensure consistent and legally compliant compensation practices across multiple provinces, supporting national pay equity and internal fairness.
– Oversee salary reviews, pay transparency practices, and the broader total rewards strategy—including benefits, wellness, and recognition initiatives—to support engagement and retention.

Policy & Compliance

– Ensure HR policies, procedures, and practices reflect best practices, are legally compliant, up to date,  and promote equity and consistency.
– Monitor and adapt to legislative and regulatory changes across jurisdictions.
– Lead sensitive employee relations matters, including investigations and resolutions, with fairness, transparency, and care.
– Coach and support staff and leaders in understanding and applying policies and procedures.

Team Leadership & Development

– Lead and mentor the HR team, building internal capacity and fostering a high-performing, collaborative environment.
– Support professional development and role clarity within the HR team, aligning with strategic goals.
– Oversee student placements, internships, and government-funded employment programs, maintaining external partnerships as needed.

Qualifications & Skills:

Required

– 8+ years of progressive HR experience, including 4+ years in leadership roles leading organizational people strategy.
– Experience in the nonprofit, public, or social impact sectors.
– Strong knowledge of employment law and HR best practices across Canadian jurisdictions.
– Proven ability to embed equity, inclusion, reconciliation  and anti-oppression  into all facets of HR.
– Strong conflict resolution skills with ability to utilize a restorative approach
– Demonstrated success in developing HR strategies that support organizational growth, engagement, and cultural alignment.
– Skilled in coaching leaders, managing change, and resolving complex HR matters with discretion and care.
– Proficiency in Google Workspace and HRIS platforms, with a strong data and systems orientation.
– Must be digitally savvy with the ability to navigate and adapt to evolving technology in a fast-paced digital environment
– Strong administrative skills including developing contracts, documentation, written correspondence
– Excellent interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building skills.
– Commitment to reconciliation, equity, and social justice.

Preferred

– Experience in HR leadership within a national, multi-jurisdictional organization, in the social impact, non profit sector, or public sector.
– CHRP or CHRL designation.

Organizational Competencies:

– Thinks analytically and from a systems perspective: Strong analytical skills and the ability to connect the dots across the organization to leverage opportunities and integrations.
– Has an open and positive mindset: Is solutions-oriented and approaches challenges and opportunities with an open and positive mindset.
– Committed to equity and inclusion: Experience and commitment to working in an organization that values and embeds Equity, Inclusion, Reconciliation and Anti-Oppression/Access into its organizational culture, policies and practices. Demonstrated through continuous development, modeling inclusive behaviors, and proactively managing bias
– Seeks continuous learning and improvement: Consistently seeks to strengthen individual, team and organizational learning through both professional development and attuning to change and innovation within the specific field of the role.
– Inspires courage & innovation: Models and enables creative thinking, curiosity, and calculated risk taking to create, suggest, and inspire new solutions.
– Cultivates strong relationships: Builds strong and trusting relationships and brings a community-centric mindset and focus to all elements of the organization.
– Drives operational excellence: Leverages organizational insights, financial acumen, and operational rigor to maximize productivity and build long-term, sustainable success.
– Contributes to leadership & culture: Brings authenticity, emotional intelligence and accountability to help develop leadership effectiveness in individuals, teams, and organizational culture.
– Values alignment: Align with CFCC values and contribute to the evolution of our culture, and a work environment that is grounded in equity, courage, integrity and that is relationship-focused.

You don’t think you meet all the criteria? Still apply. Research shows that women and people from equity deserving groups,  often do not apply until all the boxes are ticked.

Why work for us?

We offer:
➔ Comprehensive benefits package including extended health, dental, life insurance, short and long-term disability insurance, membership in a defined benefit pension plan, 15 paid vacation days in your first year, increasing to 20 paid vacation days in your second year of employment, a December break (usually a week) to recharge, wellness days, access to an Employee Assistance Program and professional development opportunities
➔ a culture of mutual support where staff are committed to creating an equitable and inclusive Canada
➔ an opportunity to be part of a movement building health, belonging and social justice in marginalized neighbourhoods across Canada through the power of food

Compensation

Hiring Range: $120,000 - $127,000 annually, including a comprehensive benefits plan, pension plan, 3 weeks paid vacation, increasing to 4 weeks paid vacation in your second year of employment, a December break (usually a week) to recharge, wellness days, access to an Employee Assistance Program and professional development opportunities

How to Apply

To apply, please click here. Please attach your resume and cover letter. In your cover letter, please share what you think makes you an ideal candidate for this role. Only those applicants being considered will be contacted. If you require any accommodations or technical support, please email work@cfccanada.ca (please do not email your application to this email). Thank you for your interest in CFCC.

About Community Food Centres Canada

About us: 

At the heart of Community Food Centre Canada’s work is the belief that food is a basic right. We bring people together around good food so communities can thrive. With more than 400 partners across the country, we build inclusive, culturally responsive Community Food Centres, share knowledge, create health-focused programs, and advocate for equitable policy change.

At Community Food Centres Canada (CFCC), we work on behalf of good food for all. Our collective approach at CFCC is founded on dignity and respect, equity and empathy. These values are core to our mission and outlined in our Good Food Principles.

CFCC is strongly committed to equity and inclusion within its community. We especially welcome applications from members of racialized groups, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, persons of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities, people with lived and living experience similar to the communities they serve and others with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities. We are committed to an equitable and inclusive selection process and work environment.

We are committed to creating a supportive and inclusive work environment, and welcome candidates to speak about how their experience has demonstrated a commitment to Equity, Inclusion, Reconciliation and Anti-Oppression.

This year, Community Food Centres Canada is proud to introduce Sumac Community Food Centre (CFC) – a vibrant, welcoming space in Toronto’s Downtown East where people come together to grow, cook, share, and advocate. Located at 340 Gerrard St E, Sumac CFC will offer a variety of food-focused programs to support individuals and families living on low incomes. The Centre will help improve access to nourishing, culturally appropriate food, build food skills, and create pathways for personal and community transformation.

Sumac CFC will join a network of 15 Community Food Centres across Canada, with two additional CFC’s launching in Fall 2025. A Community Food Centre (CFC) is more than just a place to eat – it’s a hub where people connect, learn, and advocate for change. It’s a space that values community and uses food to build it. At Sumac CFC, we aim to remove barriers to accessing resources and support, while empowering individuals to thrive in a space that fosters community, dignity, equity, and inclusion.

Our approach centres CFCC’s Good Food Principles, and the three pillars of the Community Food Centre model: food access, food skills, education and engagement. We believe food is a basic need, right, and a basis of good health. Our approach recognizes that food is part of our identities, its offering is a way of showing care, it connects us to land, it’s a source of joy and wellbeing, and it brings us together.

As a member of the Sumac CFC team, you’ll play a key role in launching this exciting new Centre, whether that’s community outreach and getting the physical space ready, to finalizing program plans and welcoming the first participants in late Summer 2025. Many of our programs will be offered during regular working hours (9 AM to 5 PM, Monday to Friday), but some will take place outside of these hours, including early mornings, evenings, or occasional weekends. We are committed to staff wellbeing, striving to balance program needs with personal schedules. Please note, this is an in-person position.