Role Overview

We are seeking an experienced, hands-on Human Resources Business Partner to support the department in delivering practical, day-to-day HR support across a multi-site business. This is an operationally focused HR leadership role for a professional who can work independently, build credibility with managers and employees, and bring practical, consistent HR support across a multi-site business.

This role is best described as a hands-on HR Business Partner who can independently run day-to-day HR operations, while escalating higher-risk, more strategic, or more sensitive matters to the VP for collaboration.

The successful candidate will balance sound judgment and autonomy in routine HR matters with a willingness to seek feedback, mentoring, and direction from the VP and company resources when navigating more complex, sensitive, or higher-risk issues. The role requires a professional who is comfortable operating in both retail and lean manufacturing environments, and who can support a workforce that includes both a core year-round employee base and a significant seasonal peak staffing model. The broader organization has approximately 125 full-time year-round employees, growing to nearly 400 employees during peak spring season.

About the Organization

Founded in 1961 as F. Ferragine & Sons, Bradford Greenhouses Ltd. is a proudly Canadian-owned and operated business that has grown from a family farming operation into a respected multi-channel enterprise serving retail and wholesale customers. The business is in an important phase of evolution, with a focus on long-term sustainability, leadership continuity, and organizational clarity. The HR function currently operates in a lean structure and supports both a permanent workforce and a large seasonal workforce during peak periods.

Summary:

The Human Resources Business Partner, under the direction of the Vice President of Finance, is responsible for delivering practical, day-to-day HR support across a multi-site organization. This is an operational HR leadership position, requiring strong independence, credibility with managers and employees, and consistent application of HR practices. The incumbent manages routine and moderately complex HR matters independently while collaborating with the Vice President on higher-risk, strategic, or sensitive issues. This role supports both retail and lean manufacturing environments and a workforce that scales from a core year-round team to a large seasonal employee population.

Job Duties:

HR Business Partnering & Employee Relations

• Support the department in delivering the day-to-day HR needs of the business.
• Serve as a trusted HR partner to managers and employees across assigned client groups.
• Independently manage routine and moderately complex HR matters, while escalating higher-risk, more sensitive, or more corporate-impacting matters to the VP for guidance and collaboration.
• Coach managers on employee relations issues including attendance, conduct, conflict, communication concerns, investigations, performance concerns, and workplace expectations.
• Help facilitate and document performance improvement plans, performance reviews, coaching conversations, and progressive discipline.

People & Culture

• Help strengthen people and culture practices by reinforcing standards, expectations, and leadership behaviours across the business.
• Support the development of a fair, respectful, accountable, and performance-oriented workplace culture.
• Work with managers to improve leadership effectiveness, employee communication, team engagement, and consistency in people practices.
• Partner with the VP to support initiatives that improve organizational clarity, leadership capability, accountability, and employee experience.

Recruitment & Talent Acquisition

• Lead recruitment across the organization for all roles except executive positions.
• Partner with hiring managers to define hiring needs, draft and refine job postings, screen candidates, coordinate interviews, support selection, and help manage offers.
• Build stronger recruitment discipline and consistency through better hiring processes, tools, and manager support.
• Support onboarding and early employee integration to improve readiness, fit, and retention.

Policy, Compliance & Organizational Support

• Review, update, draft, and maintain HR policies, procedures, and employee documentation.
• Develop and maintain job descriptions across departments and levels.
• Help research and roll out clear roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities across the organization.
• Coordinate WSIB claims, return-to-work planning, accommodations, modified duties, and related case documentation.
• Maintain accurate employee records, case files, and HR documentation, and support compliance with employment legislation and internal standards.

HRIS & Team Support

• Act as the primary day-to-day HR lead for the UKG Ready HRIS.
• Support data integrity, workflow discipline, HR process administration, and effective system usage.
• Work collaboratively with Finance, recognizing that Finance retains accountability for payroll accounting, financial controls, and compliance, while HR owns people policy, workforce planning, leadership capability, and organizational risk.
• Work closely with the HR team to maintain site coverage through a rotational schedule across Barrie and Bradford, including vacation coverage as needed.

Scope of Authority

• This role is designed with a balanced level of authority:
• Independent ownership of routine day-to-day HR operations and standard employee relations matters
• Consultation, feedback, and mentoring from the VP or external sources on more complex matters
• VP sign-off required for larger decisions, higher-risk employee matters, precedent-setting issues, and situations carrying greater corporate, legal, reputational, or organizational risk

Requirements:

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development, Business, or a related discipline
• 10+ years of progressive HR experience, demonstrating growth in scope, responsibility, and capability
• CHRP required
• CHRL considered a strong asset
• Strong hands-on experience in recruitment and talent acquisition, including high-volume seasonal hiring; employee relations; policy development; performance management; progressive discipline; investigations; WSIB and return-to-work coordination; job description development; manager coaching; and HR systems administration
• Experience in retail, lean manufacturing, or other operational, multi-site environments
• Strong knowledge of Ontario HR and employment practices
• Strong written communication, documentation, and interpersonal skills
• Sound judgment, professionalism, confidentiality, and the ability to balance empathy with accountability

Assets / Preferred Experience

• Experience supporting a seasonal workforce
• Experience in a family-owned or entrepreneurial business environment
• Exposure to both front-line hourly workforces and management coaching
• Strong comfort working in a role that is both hands-on and strategic enough to influence people and culture
• Experience using UKG Ready or similar HRIS platforms
• Experience supporting organizational structure, role clarity, or management capability initiatives

Compensation & What We Offer

• Competitive salary
• Performance bonus eligibility
• Full benefits
• RRSP matching
• Competitive vacation
• Growth and development opportunities

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Why This Role Matters

This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact in a growing, evolving business by helping strengthen manager capability, improve employee relations practices, and bring greater structure, consistency, and accountability to day-to-day people operations.