Director, Human Resources & Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO)

Position Summary

Cambridge Memorial Hospital (CMH) is seeking a dynamic and strategic human resources senior leader to serve as Director, Human Resources & Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO). This role provides both strategic and operational leadership and is the most senior position accountable for all human resources matters at CMH.

Reporting to the Vice President, People and Strategy, the CHRO is a key strategic partner to the Senior Leadership Team, ensuring alignment between CMH’s people strategies and organizational priorities. The successful candidate will shape and execute a comprehensive HR strategy that supports a high-performance culture, advances workforce engagement, and enables the delivery of exceptional patient care.

The CHRO provides strategic and operational leadership across the full spectrum of human resources functions including recruitment and talent acquisition, compensation and benefits, labour and employee relations, occupational health, safety and wellness, workforce planning and organizational scheduling services that support effective staffing and patient care delivery.

This role plays a central leadership function in supporting major organizational transformation initiatives, including digital and systems modernization (EHR and ERP implementation), ensuring workforce readiness, effective change management, and sustained employee engagement.

As the Hospital’s senior human resources leader, the CHRO is accountable for fostering a culture of performance, inclusion, accountability and continuous improvement across the organization.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Human Resources Leadership

• Develop and execute an integrated HR strategy aligned with CMH’s clinical, operational, and digital transformation objectives.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on organizational design, workforce planning, engagement and culture.
• Represent the HR function in enterprise-wide decision-making, service redesign and organizational change initiatives.
• Provide strategic leadership across all HR programs and services, ensuring alignment between workforce strategies and organizational priorities.
• Lead enterprise workforce planning aligned with current and future service delivery models.

Talent Management & Workforce Planning

• Lead innovative talent acquisition, recruitment branding and onboarding strategies to attract high-quality candidates.
• Oversee performance management frameworks that promote accountability, engagement and continuous improvement.
• Design and oversee competitive and equitable compensation and benefits programs aligned with legislation and collective agreements.
• Implement retention, recognition, and wellness initiatives to support workforce sustainability.
• Oversee workforce planning and staffing strategies, including collaboration with operational leaders to ensure appropriate staffing levels that support safe, high-quality patient care and effective patient flow.
• Strengthen workforce analytics capabilities to inform staffing models, forecasting and strategic planning.

Labour & Employee Relations

• Provide oversight of employee and labour relations in a highly unionized environment.
• Lead collective bargaining for five local collective agreements and participate in central bargaining processes through the Ontario Hospital Association.
• Oversee grievance management, mediation, arbitration, and related legal proceedings.
• Ensure compliance with employment legislation, collective agreements and hospital policies.
• Administer the Hospital’s Whistleblower Policy and conduct investigations as required.
• Represent the Hospital in proceedings before the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, Ontario Labour Relations Board, and other regulatory bodies as required.

HR Operations & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with all applicable employment legislation and regulatory requirements.
• Oversee HR systems and data analytics to drive effectiveness and accountability.
• Manage the HR operating budget and financial forecasting.
• Provide leadership oversight for Occupational Health and Safety programs.
• Provide oversight for programs that support employee health, safety, disability management and workplace wellness.
• Support an organization of approximately 1400+ employees, 80% of whom are unionized.

Leadership & Organizational Support

• Lead, mentor and develop a multidisciplinary HR team.
• Provide coaching and guidance to leaders and managers across the organization.
• Represent the Hospital in matters before regulatory bodies including the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, Employment Standards, Labour Board and Ministry of Labour.

Education & Experience

Required

• Undergraduate degree in Business, Human Resources Management, Psychology or a related field.
• CHRP, CHRL or CHRE designation.
• Progressive senior HR leadership experience in a complex, unionized environment.
• Deep knowledge of Ontario employment and labour legislation, including but not limited to:
  • Employment Standards Act
  • Labour Relations Act
  • Human Rights Code
  • Occupational Health and Safety Act
  • Pay Equity Act
  • Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act
  • Hospital Labour Disputes Arbitration Act
• Demonstrated experience in collective bargaining, arbitration and complex labour relations matters.
• Deep knowledge and experience in the complexity of healthcare or public sector environments.
• Proven leadership experience supporting large-scale organizational change initiatives.

Preferred

• Master’s degree.
• Certification or training in mediation, alternative dispute resolution, change management or negotiations.

Skills & Competencies

• Strategic thinker with the ability to align people strategies with organizational transformation.
• Advanced labour relations expertise and skilled negotiator.
• Strong business and financial acumen, including budgeting and variance analysis.
• Expertise in change management and culture transformation.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present effectively at senior leadership and Board levels.
• High emotional intelligence with strong coaching and interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency in HR systems and workforce analytics (e.g., UKG, HRIS platforms).
• Ability to navigate complexity, manage competing priorities, and operate effectively in a high-accountability environment.
  
  

As part of our commitment to the health and safety of our patients, staff and community from COVID-19, subject to any accommodation required by applicable human rights legislation, Cambridge Memorial Hospital requires that all staff have received all required doses of a COVID-19 vaccine approved by Health Canada.

The successful external applicant is required to provide the applicable criminal record check, as requested by Human Resources, in accordance with federal and provincial legislation. Valid criminal record checks are in original format and dated with two months from date of conditional offer from CMH.

CMH Inclusion Statement

At Cambridge Memorial Hospital (CMH), community matters to us. We acknowledge and are grateful for the opportunity to meet, work and offer healthcare on what is the traditional territories for the Anishinaabe, the Haudenosaunee and the Chinnonton.

We are committed to providing and fostering a respectful, caring, and inclusive workplace; one that generates belonging.  We want a work culture where people are free to express their authentic selves and are able to bring their best daily. That includes a workplace that is free from violence, harassment and discrimination of any kind.

We welcome all applicants and encourage members of equity-deserving groups including Indigenous and LGBTQ2SIA+ communities regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, lifestyle, age, educational background, national origin, religion, neurodiversity or physical ability.  We promise to ask if needed, and to provide reasonable accommodation to you during the recruitment and selection process to ensure an equitable experience.

To support all of us in this journey, Cambridge Memorial Hospital is an employee partner with the Canadian Centre for Diversity & Inclusion (CCDI) and provides access to all CMH members to CCDI resources and education. We encourage you to reflect upon our inclusive commitment to you as we welcome and encourage you to explore a promising future career at CMH.

Mari Iromoto Executive Champion Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Susan Toth, Director of Human Resources

We thank all those who apply, however only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Cambridge Memorial Hospital (CMH) proudly integrates AI-based technologies into its applicant screening process to enhance recruitment. These tools are designed to reduce bias and uphold fair hiring practices based on skills, education, and experience. CMH’s AI serves to assist, not replace, human decision-making, with results audited to ensure quality and equity. This initiative reinforces the hospital’s  commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, ensuring the best talent is selected while adhering to its core values.