We are banking at another level.

Choosing BDC as your employer means working in a healthy, inclusive, and skilled workplace that puts forward the best conditions to bring together unique teams where employees are empowered to act. It also means being at the centre of ambitious economic and financial projects to see further and to do things differently, to fuel the success of Canadian entrepreneurs.

Choosing BDC as your employer also means:

• Flexible and competitive benefits, including an Employee Savings and Investment Plan where BDC matches part of your voluntary contributions, a Defined Benefit Pension Plan, a $750 wellness and health care spending account, to name a few
• In addition to paid vacation each year, five personal days, sick days as necessary, and our offices are closed from December 25 to January 1
• A hybrid work model that truly balances work and personal life
• Opportunities for learning, training and development, and much more...

Explore the BDC Way in our Culture Book

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Senior Business Advisor, Leadership and People, BDC Advisory Services delivers standard and customized advisory mandates that help Canadian SMEs strengthen leadership effectiveness, management practices, and organizational performance. The role focuses on supporting entrepreneurs, executives, and management teams in addressing practical people and leadership challenges that directly impact attraction, retention, engagement, and execution.

Operating in diverse SME environments, the Senior Business Advisor rapidly diagnoses leadership, management, and organizational issues - such as unclear roles, leadership gaps, and inconsistent people practices - and applies pragmatic, proven management frameworks to drive tangible improvement.

In a context of ongoing business, workforce, and digital change, the role also supports leaders in thoughtfully integrating enabling tools, including artificial intelligence (AI), into management and HR practices, while reinforcing accountability, sound judgment, and people‑centred leadership.

The Senior Business Advisor leads advisory mandates end‑to‑end, provides subject matter expertise, supports sales efforts, and contributes to the evolution of BDC Advisory Services’ leadership and human capital offering.

CHALLENGES TO BE MET

• Conduct executive‑level diagnostics to identify challenges related to talent attraction and retention, leadership capability, organizational structure, and management effectiveness, and translate them into clear, actionable advisory mandates.
• Coach entrepreneurs, executives, and managers through one‑on‑one and team‑based engagements to strengthen leadership behaviours, communication, and people management practices.
• Support organizations in defining and communicating a compelling employee value proposition aligned with their business strategy, culture, and growth objectives.
• Help equip managers with practical tools for effective communication, feedback, performance management, and team engagement.
• Lead advisory projects focused on clarifying roles and responsibilities, redesigning organizational structures, and improving management routines to reduce inefficiencies and duplication.
• Provide advice and hands‑on support to leaders navigating organizational change (e.g., growth, restructuring, process or technology adoption) by defining the change approach, engaging stakeholders, strengthening change communications, and supporting implementation to drive adoption and sustain results.
• Support the implementation or refinement of performance management practices that reinforce accountability, engagement, and productivity.
• Manage project delivery by overseeing scope, budget, timelines, and outcomes, ensuring high‑quality deliverables that are realistic, adopted, and sustained by client leadership teams.
• Work closely with Client Partners to support needs assessment, proposal development, project delivery, and the identification of follow‑on mandates.
• Bring a pragmatic perspective on how digital tools and AI can support leadership and HR practices (e.g., recruitment, workforce planning, performance tracking), without displacing managerial accountability.
• Contribute to the continuous evolution and visibility of the advisory services offering through content development, tools, and knowledge sharing related to leadership and people management best practices.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Human Resources, Industrial Relations, or a related field.
• CRHA / CRIA designation considered an asset.
• More than 10 years of experience in consulting or senior roles within SMEs, including significant experience in leadership advisory, talent management, and executive or management coaching.
• Demonstrated ability to support leaders in addressing real‑world challenges related to recruitment, retention, engagement, and leadership effectiveness.
• Strong grounding in practical leadership and management frameworks, including performance management, role clarity, accountability, decision‑making, and organizational design.
• Ability to translate complex organizational and people issues into pragmatic and actionable solutions tailored to SME realities.
• Strong business development capabilities and the ability to quickly establish credibility with entrepreneurs, executives, and management teams.
• Interest in digital tools and AI as enablers of management and HR practices, with the ability to discuss their implications in a clear, non‑technical manner.
• Proven ability to manage and deliver both standardized and customized advisory mandates in a professional services environment.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and influencing skills, with the ability to drive engagement and behavioural change.
• Strong teamwork skills.
• Bilingualism in French is a strong asset.

Proudly one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers and one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers, we are committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, inclusive and accessible environment where all employees can thrive and feel empowered to bring their whole selves to work. If you require an accommodation to complete your application, please do not hesitate to contact us at accessibility@bdc.ca.

While we appreciate all applications, we advise that only the candidates selected to participate in the recruitment process will be contacted.