Interim Director, Human Resources

IMMEDIATE INTERIM OPPORTUNITY

Interim Director, Human Resources

Reports To: Chief Executive Officer

Duration: 6 months

Location: Greater Toronto Area (Hybrid)

Our client, a Canadian health services not-for-profit organization, is seeking an experienced Interim Director of Human Resources to provide leadership during a sensitive period of transition and change.

This is a critical mandate. The organization requires a seasoned HR leader who can step in quickly, stabilize and lead the HR function operationally, while also conducting a thoughtful assessment of the people strategy, structure, policies, and practices. The interim will act as a trusted advisor to the CEO and leadership team, bringing a pragmatic, credible perspective on how to modernize and strengthen the HR function.

Given the nature of the organization’s services, experience working in complex, regulated environments—ideally within hospitals, community health organizations, or broader healthcare—is strongly preferred.

Mandate

This is a classic “player-coach” interim assignment—leading the team day-to-day while simultaneously driving a forward-looking HR agenda.

Key components include:

• Providing stability and leadership to the HR team through a period of organizational sensitivity
• Assessing the current state of HR (structure, capability, policies, processes, service delivery)
• Identifying priorities and implementing practical improvements
• Supporting and advising the CEO and senior leadership team on people, culture, and risk-related matters
• Ensuring the organization is appropriately positioned for potential unionization activity

Key Responsibilities

1. HR Leadership & Team Oversight

• Lead, coach, and stabilize a small to mid-sized HR team through a demanding period
• Foster a credible, service-oriented HR function that supports leaders and staff effectively
• Establish clarity of roles, accountability, and service delivery expectations
• Build trust quickly across clinical and non-clinical teams

2. Operational HR Management

• Oversee all core HR functions including:
• Employee and labour relations
• Recruitment and onboarding
• Compensation and benefits
• Health, safety, and wellness
• Policy interpretation and compliance
• Ensure continuity of operations while identifying opportunities to streamline and improve delivery

3. Organizational Assessment & Modernization

• Conduct an objective, enterprise-wide assessment of HR policies, processes, and practices
• Identify gaps, inefficiencies, and areas of risk (including documentation, governance, and consistency)
• Develop and begin to implement a pragmatic roadmap to modernize HR policies, procedures, and tools
• Align HR practices with the needs of a healthcare service delivery environment

4. Strategic Advisory to CEO & Leadership

• Act as a trusted advisor to the CEO on all people-related matters
• Provide insight on organizational design, leadership capability, and culture
• Support the leadership team through change, helping them navigate complexity and uncertainty
• Bring a practical, commercially grounded perspective to decision-making

5. Labour Relations & Unionization Readiness

• Provide experienced labour relations counsel despite the organization currently being non-unionized
• Assess organizational readiness and risk related to potential unionization
• Support leadership in managing employee relations issues in a thoughtful, consistent manner
• Ensure policies, practices, and manager capability are aligned with best practice and risk mitigation

6. Compensation & Total Rewards

• Leverage recent compensation assessment work and ensure appropriate interpretation and application
• Validate compensation structures, internal equity, and alignment with market
• Provide guidance on compensation-related decisions and future-state design

7. Change Management

• Lead HR-driven change initiatives with a practical, execution-focused mindset.
• Support leaders in embedding change across teams and functions.
• Balance pace of change with organizational capacity and sensitivity.

Ideal Candidate Profile

Experience & Background

• 10+ years of progressive HR leadership experience, including time at the Director or senior leadership level
• Experience in healthcare, hospitals, or community-based health service organizations strongly preferred
• Proven track record in interim, transformation, or turnaround environments
• Deep operational HR experience combined with strategic capability

Functional Expertise

• Strong labour relations experience, ideally including unionized environments or union avoidance strategies
• Demonstrated experience in modernizing HR policies, processes, and service delivery models
• Solid background in compensation and total rewards
• Broad HR generalist capability across all core functions

Leadership Style

• Credible, calm, and pragmatic under pressure
• Able to build trust quickly in sensitive and ambiguous situations
• Hands-on and delivery-focused—comfortable operating both strategically and “in the detail”
• Strong stakeholder management skills, particularly with senior leadership and clinical professionals

Success Measures

• Stabilization and effective leadership of the HR team
• Clear assessment of current HR state with prioritized recommendations
• Measurable improvements in HR processes, policies, and service delivery
• Strengthened leadership confidence in HR
• Readiness and risk mitigation in relation to potential unionization

PLEASE SEND YOUR CV (AS A WORD DOC) TO: Interim.Applications@LHHknightsbridge.com (Subject: Job Title)

LHH Knightsbridge Interim Management is a service to help our clients address a wide range of scenarios including leadership support due to sudden departures, driving key change initiatives or leading transformation projects. Our interim executives step in with minimal downtime to meet specific objectives and deliver results. All have held senior positions in the past and have now chosen to offer their unique depth and breadth of experience to organizations on a limited engagement basis.

Follow the LHH Knightsbridge LinkedIn page and set up a job alert to learn about new Executive Interim opportunities.

Lee Hecht Harrison Knightsbridge Corp. is committed to providing equitable treatment and accommodation to ensure a barrier-free recruitment process. In accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and our AODA policy, a request for accommodation will be accepted as part of the hiring process. If you require accommodation to apply or if selected to participate in an assessment process, please provide your accommodation needs in advance to the Recruitment Lead for this opportunity.

We thank all interested candidates in advance; however, only individuals selected for interviews will be contacted.

June 2026