Executive Director, People & Culture | OCAD University

OCAD University acknowledges the ancestral territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabeg and the Huron-Wendat, who are the original owners and custodians of the land on which we live, work, and create.

OCAD University, Canada’s largest and oldest art and design university, is a vibrant community of bold, curious, and compassionate artists, designers and scholars who are imagining and creating a joyful, equitable, and sustainable world. The University, based in downtown Toronto, is an internationally renowned hub for art, design, digital media, research, innovation and creativity, and arts administration.

The People & Culture department at OCAD U is key to ensuring the University’s people and culture strategy aligns with the institution’s values and strategic direction. In partnership with academic and administrative teams across the institution, People & Culture strives to provide best-of-class services in areas such as: organizational development; talent acquisition and retention; employee wellness; compensation; performance management & employee recognition; training & development; succession planning; and employee/faculty relations. In doing so, we endeavour to nurture high performance teams by fostering positive employee experience and ensuring the equitable treatment of all employees. Reporting to the President and Vice-Chancellor, the Executive Director, People & Culture is accountable for establishing the department’s operational plan, budget and assessment of team performance. This role represents People & Culture in various internal and external forums, including Senate and the Board of Governors. The Executive Director, People & Culture will oversee all HR policies, programs, and data-driven practices, including talent management, organizational development, compensation and benefits, organizational structure, employee wellness, and labour relations. 

As the ideal Executive Director, People & Culture, you have deep experience advancing work culture and enhancing employee engagement. You have experience leading organizational transformation, budget planning, dispute resolution and equity initiatives. You have superior knowledge of HR policies and practices and understand collective agreements and relevant employment legislation. You inspire your team through your sound grasp of leading practices that marry high performance team development with equity, decolonization, and inclusivity ideally in a post- secondary environment. You are a transformational leader who enjoys leading a dynamic and complex team. Your thoughtful and experienced communication skills promise to ensure buy- in, respect and cooperation. As a mentor, team player, and leader of the department, you support those around you to achieve the University’s mission through respectful decision making.

If you are interested in this important role with OCAD University, please email any questions to Leslie Feldman (lfeldman@boyden.com). To apply, please visit boyden.thriveapp.ly/job/2398.

As an institution committed to art, design, digital media and related scholarship, OCAD University (OCAD U) recognizes the profound and essential value that diversity brings to the creation, reception and circulation of creative practices and discourse. OCAD U understands that valuing diverse creative practices and forms of knowledge are essential to and enrich the institution’s core mission and vision as an art and design university with a local and global scope.

As an employer committed to employment equity, we encourage applications from members of equity-deserving communities including women, racialized and Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, and persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities/expressions. We encourage members of designated equity-deserving groups to self-identify within the voluntary Applicant Questionnaire.

In order to alleviate the under-representation of racialized and Indigenous administrators, priority in hiring will be given to qualified racialized and Indigenous persons who self-identify as such in the application process. This initiative is a special program under the Ontario Human Rights Code.  

OCAD U is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier free experience to applicants with accessibility needs. Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage during the recruitment process. Please contact People & Culture for more information or refer to OCAD U’s Policy of Accommodation in Employment for Persons with Disabilities.

All qualified persons are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority. While we thank all candidates for their interest, only those short-listed will be contacted.