Business Partner, People & Culture in Toronto

CNIB is a mission driven organization where your work creates real impact through delivering innovative programs and powerful advocacy that empower people impacted by blindness to live their dreams and tear down barriers to inclusion. At CNIB, we’re committed to building an inclusive and collaborative workplace where your growth is supported and your achievements are celebrated.

The People & Culture Business Partner (HRBP) serves as a trusted advisor to assigned client groups, providing practical guidance on employee and labour relations, performance management, talent management, and workforce needs. The role partners with leaders to strengthen organizational effectiveness, ensure compliance with policies, collective agreements, and employment legislation, and support the implementation of P&C initiatives across CNIB and Deafblind Community Services (DBCS). The HRBP also maintains the ability to provide operational P&C support across functions.

The position includes, but is not limited to, the following general responsibilities:

• Act as a key P&C partner to assigned client groups, providing guidance and support to managers and employees on employee and labour relations matters.
• Independently manage routine to moderately complex employee relations matters, including attendance, performance concerns, corrective action, conflict resolution, and workplace issues, escalating complex matters as appropriate.
• Interpret and apply organizational policies, collective agreements, and employment legislation, providing guidance on grievances, investigations, accommodations, disciplinary processes, and terminations.
• Coach leaders on employee relations, performance management, and the consistent application of policies and procedures.
• Support talent management, succession planning, and employee development processes, including talent reviews and identification of development opportunities.
• Partner with leaders and Talent Acquisition to address workforce planning, recruitment, onboarding, and retention needs.
• Collaborate with Learning and Development to identify leadership development needs and support learning initiatives.
• Partner with leaders to interpret employee engagement results, strengthen workplace culture, and develop action plans to improve team effectiveness and employee experience.
• Provide guidance and support on organizational changes, employee communications, and change management initiatives.
• Analyze workforce metrics, including turnover, absenteeism, and engagement, to identify trends, risks, and opportunities for improvement.
• Collaborate with P&C specialist teams, including Total Rewards, Payroll, Talent Acquisition, Learning and Development, and Health and Safety, to deliver integrated P&C support.
• Support employee lifecycle processes, including onboarding, employee changes, leaves of absence, accommodations, and offboarding, ensuring accurate documentation, confidentiality, and compliance.
• Maintain working knowledge of core P&C operations and systems, providing hands on backup support across functions, including recruitment, benefits administration, HRIS transactions, and employee documentation, as required.
• Contribute to the development and continuous improvement of P&C policies, processes, projects, and initiatives to enhance operational effectiveness and employee experience.
• Other duties assigned.

Qualifications Knowledge and Skill Requirements

• Strong knowledge of Canadian employment legislation, HR practices, employee and labour relations, including interpretation of collective agreements.
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage employee relations matters, assess risks, and provide practical recommendations.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and coaching skills, with ability to build relationships, influence stakeholders, and support managers.
• Effective analytical, problem solving, organizational, and decision making skills, with ability to manage competing priorities.
• Working knowledge of core P&C operations, with flexibility to provide operational support across functions as required.
• High level of professionalism, integrity, and discretion when handling sensitive and confidential matters.
• Proficiency in HRIS and Microsoft Office applications, with proactive, adaptable, and solutions focused approach.
• Fluency in English and French, written and spoken, is an asset.

Experience and Education

• Post secondary degree or diploma in Human Resources Management, Business Administration, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of experience.
• Minimum of three years of progressive P&C experience, including demonstrated responsibility for employee relations and performance management.
• Experience providing guidance and support to managers on P&C matters.
• Experience working in a unionized environment and interpreting collective agreements is an asset.
• Experience supporting P&C initiatives in an organization with multiple sites or a geographically dispersed organization is an asset.
• Regularly works with confidential, sensitive, and legally protected employee information.
• Works in a dynamic environment with competing priorities and ongoing client group needs.
• Works collaboratively across various business units and P&C functions.

At CNIB, we believe in creating a fulfilling and enriching work environment that supports our employee's personal and professional growth. Our diversity is our strength – we take pride in our inclusive workplace. We are committed to recruiting and selecting candidates through fair, transparent, and accessible practices. We strongly encourage applications from members of groups that have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including but not limited to Indigenous peoples, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, people who are blind, partially sighted, or Deafblind, and those who identify as women and/or 2SLGBTQ+. CNIB is committed to accommodating applicants with disabilities and will work with applicants requesting accommodations at any stage of the hiring process.