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Salary: CAD 95,000 - 110,000 / annual
Poppy & Peonies, a vegan leather accessories brand founded in 2015, is seeking an HR People & Culture Specialist to lead the day-to-day people function and build scalable HR programs for their next growth phase. This is a broad, hands-on generalist role requiring someone who can operate independently while partnering closely with the founder and leadership team.
Key Responsibilities:
HR Partnership & People Planning: Translate business priorities into practical people plans. Develop short- and longer-term workforce plans considering organizational growth, team capacity, critical roles, and succession needs. Provide thoughtful HR guidance grounded in company values and employment practices. Use employee feedback and workforce data to identify risks and opportunities. Support organizational design and role clarity. Help leaders assess people impact of business decisions. Establish meaningful people metrics and provide leadership insights. Partner with external HR and legal advisors when needed.
Manager Support & Performance: Lead and improve the company's performance management approach including goal setting, feedback, reviews, and development planning. Coach managers through performance concerns, difficult conversations, and team dynamics. Equip managers with practical tools and training. Help establish clear expectations and address concerns promptly. Support development of high-performing teams. Identify recurring manager needs and develop scalable programming. Guide leaders through promotions, compensation decisions, and role changes.
Employee Relations & HR Operations: Serve as trusted point of contact for HR guidance. Manage employee relations matters with care, discretion, and sound judgment. Lead workplace investigations or coordinate external support. Manage accommodations, leaves, attendance, and performance matters. Maintain accurate employee records and HR systems. Develop and administer workplace policies. Monitor evolving employment standards and escalate complex legal matters. Support compensation administration and benefits management. Lead respectful offboarding processes.
Culture & Employee Experience: Own and evaluate the employee experience across the full lifecycle. Oversee onboarding to ensure new employees feel welcomed and prepared. Develop and coordinate culture-building programs, team rituals, recognition initiatives, and virtual events. Translate company values into clear employee experiences. Lead employee listening initiatives including surveys and focus groups. Turn feedback into practical recommendations. Support internal communications. Develop learning and development programming. Oversee the Culture Specialist role.
Recruitment & Workforce Growth: Partner with leaders to define hiring priorities and workforce needs. Manage relationships with external recruitment partners. Review and improve job descriptions, hiring processes, and candidate communications. Support managers in making consistent, evidence-based hiring decisions. Ensure recruitment practices are equitable and aligned with company values. Monitor recruitment progress and vendor performance. Lead transition from recruitment into onboarding.
Programs, Systems & Scale: Assess existing HR programs and systems. Build sustainable processes appropriate for a small but growing company. Create clear workflows, templates, and playbooks. Ensure consistency while allowing flexibility. Lead implementation or improvement of HR technology. Maintain organized annual people calendar. Balance immediate needs with longer-term people function strengthening.
Requirements:
- Approximately 5–7 years of progressive HR experience with meaningful generalist responsibility
- Experience operating at HR Manager, Senior HR Generalist, People Operations Manager, or comparable intermediate level
- Experience supporting a small but scaling company where priorities and processes evolve
- Experience working directly with a founder and senior leaders in a founder-led business
- Strong generalist knowledge across performance management, employee relations, benefits, policies, onboarding, employee experience, learning and development, and offboarding
- Experience coaching managers through performance concerns, feedback conversations, and team challenges
- Experience developing, improving, and scaling people programs, processes, and systems
- Ability to move between strategic planning and detailed execution
- Strong judgment distinguishing between issues manageable independently versus those requiring legal or specialized guidance
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including ability to clarify complex or sensitive information
- Strong relationship-building skills and confidence providing candid, respectful guidance to founders and leaders
- Excellent organization, project management, and follow-through
- Comfort handling confidential and sensitive employee information
- Experience supporting remote-first or distributed teams
- Working knowledge of applicable Canadian employment standards and HR practices; experience across multiple provinces or jurisdictions is an asset
- Relevant post-secondary qualification or HR designation is an asset but not required with equivalent experience
- Experience in e-commerce, retail, consumer goods, fashion, or fast-moving customer-focused environment is a bonus
