Hr Manager, Specialized Functions

About SNDL

SNDL is the largest private sector liquor and cannabis retailer in Canada with retail banners that include Ace Liquor, Wine and Beyond, Liquor Depot, Value Buds, and Spiritleaf. As a licensed cannabis producer, SNDL also has indoor state-of-the-art grow-op facilities to supply wholesale and retail customers under a cannabis brand portfolio that includes Top Leaf, Sundial, Palmetto, Spiritleaf Selects, and Grasslands. SNDL's investment portfolio seeks to deploy strategic capital through direct and indirect investments and partnerships throughout the global cannabis industry.

About the Role

Reporting to the Vice President of Human Resources, we are looking for a HR Manager, Specialized Functions to join our HR team in the Edmonton, AB corporate office. The HR Manager will liaise regularly with business leaders and will manage a team of HR Specialists who support Total Rewards, HR Analytics, Training and Development, as well as alignment and integration efforts on HR Policies, Processes, Procedures, Programs, and Materials. Our HR team is a true partner to the business, with a focus on producing quality solutions that are compliant and follow best practice, while ensuring the needs of our core operations are top-of-mind. In this role, you will work alongside a Director, HR Operations who oversees the HR Business Partners and Talent Acquisition teams, and a Payroll Manager who leads a team of payroll practitioners.

The ideal candidate will possess 6+ years of HR managerial experience with a proven track record in fast-paced, matrixed, and highly dynamic organizations. Embracing and supporting change management is an absolute must. They’ll showcase a strong understanding of best practice in specialized HR functions and project management, will act on opportunities for cross-training and efficiency, and are skilled in establishing close, trusting and influential relationships.

Importantly, our HR team thrives on a commitment to shared learning and growth, peer support, flexibility, adaptability, and a good ole’ sense of humor! The right individual for this role will be very competent, confident and isn’t afraid to ask questions or be ‘in the trenches’ when it comes to ensuring team success. We require a strategic, results-oriented leader who models the importance of a strong culture and relationships, displays a motivating ‘can-do’ attitude, provides and receives constructive feedback with grace, and helps forge the path to success!

Role and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Partner with the Director, HR Operations and Payroll Manager to build effective project teams and foster collaboration within your teams to act as strategic partners in the fulfillment of business objectives.
• Responsible for coaching and performance management of a growing team of up to 5 (approximate) HR Specialists located across multiple provinces.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable existing and proposed federal and provincial legislation, SOX audit compliance, and awareness of regulatory restrictions applicable to our business operations in the controlled substances industry.
• Provide direction to the HR team and leaders on the design, goal development, and execution of the performance review process as it ties into Total Rewards, Learning, and our Succession Strategy.
• Ensure HR proposals and work output is professional, well thought-out, comprehensive and meets business objectives in an efficient and sustainable way, while also mitigating risk.
• Build relationships and partner with leaders to align HR practices and initiatives to business needs.
• Learn and help direct staff to appropriate resources related to HR Ops or Payroll as needed.
• Proven ability to oversee a Compensation Strategy, including management and maintenance of compensation process, philosophy, STIP, LTIP and job design.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills.
• Identify and act on opportunities for improvement in our approach, practices, processes, programs, policies, SOP’s, HR materials, etc. to ensure HR Operations is managed in the most relevant, efficient, and effective manner.
• Establish clear responsibilities and expectations on tasks and projects, with planned follow-up on your teams’ deliverables, including your own, by using a project management mindset to foster accountability and high-quality output.
• Provide Vice President HR with regular project status updates and measures of success, including presenting them to senior leaders, as requested.
• Assist the Vice President, HR with departmental budgeting, where requested.
• Provide leadership to the HR Specialist team and facilitate activities that will build and enhance employee trust, communication, engagement, growth, and retention.
• Maintain professional and technical knowledge of HR by attending educational workshops, reviewing professional publications, establishing personal networks and participating in professional associations. Encouraging and finding suitable opportunities for the HR team to do the same by setting a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
• Support the HR Specialist team and business leaders, directly or indirectly, by providing information, best practice, and assistance with the communication, facilitation, or change management of difficult or complex projects, programs, policy, process, or materials, etc.
• Collect and analyze statistical data, metrics, trends and reports. Ability to consolidate and present this information to senior leaders in a simplified, yet informative way.
• In collaboration with internal or external legal counsel, participate in the strategic planning and execution of steps, for successful integration following the close of business transactions.
• Learn and understand the similarities and nuances within the industry and overall business operations across our retail, warehousing/facility, and the corporate offices to help instill consistent practices across the HR team where needed, while also building your awareness of when different strategy and approach is necessary.
• Foster team building, open-door communication, and keep your team informed of large-scale business changes and the impacts on their work.

Experience and Qualifications

• Strong business acumen and ability to understand business needs and strategy at a high-level, while also translating the vision into actionable objectives in order to mentor and coach your team.
• CPHR designation strongly preferred.
• Have a strong understanding of relevant employment legislation and laws (in most Canadian Provinces – currently BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, and NB).
• Change management experience with mergers and acquisitions an asset.
• Focused experience in Human Resources with 10+ years of HR experience, including 6+ years in a HR managerial role where you were responsible for leading a HR team of several skilled HR employees.
• Experienced in various functions of HR, with a strong focus in total rewards, HR analytics, training and development, policy/process, and change management.
• Post-secondary degree or diploma in Human Resources or Business Administration is required.
• Intermediate to advanced skills in Microsoft Office and HRIS systems (Workday).
• Experience in retail and/or a manufacturing facility strongly desired, particularly in the liquor and/or cannabis industry.

Personal Characteristics and Requirements

• Uphold confidentiality, ethics, and demonstrate a high level of discretion at all times.
• Demonstrate leadership skills by developing employees to their greatest potential.
• Highly organized and able to manage a high volume of work in a high energy and constantly evolving environment.
• Strong time management skills and ability to manage conflicting priorities to meet deadlines, able to take a step back to understand how best to direct the team throughout conflicting priorities.
• Results-oriented professional with a high degree of initiative and autonomy.
• Model professionalism and true HR leadership in how they show-up for the HR team and business, as well as how they communicate with, and approach, others.
• Able to help navigate large-scale business changes positively, proactively, effectively, and with diplomacy.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to work with a high level of accuracy.
• Ability to delegate and follow-up on team accountabilities to ensure completion.
• Ability to partner with leaders in the organization to move HR initiatives forward.
• Valid driver’s license or reliable transportation, business travel is not frequent but may be necessary at times (up to 20%) in this role.
• Aware and respectful of the history and unique challenges of the business, derived from years of several mergers, acquisitions, and sales of business units. An understanding that our business is comprised of employee groups who once identified as separate companies and are currently experiencing the effects of integration efforts to become one united group under SNDL.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to build and maintain rapport with all levels of the organization quickly.
• Must pass a basic security clearance.
• Agile, flexible, and able to deal with a level of ambiguity.
• Ability to gather input, negotiate, obtain buy-in, and work through new challenges effectively.
• Proactive in recognizing and identifying needs and opportunities for improvement.

We are grateful for the interest in this role from all candidates, however, we will be contacting only those that are selected for next steps in the hiring process.

Our Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion:

SNDL is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a welcoming, inclusive, diverse and safe workplace where all of our team members have equal opportunity to succeed. We know this begins with recruitment. To honor our commitment, SNDL encourages applications from individuals of all backgrounds, sexual orientation, gender identity, ancestry, ages and abilities.