The Vice President, People and Culture & Equity is a key member of the executive leadership team, responsible for the organization’s People and Culture portfolio, shaping and advancing organizational culture, and people-related systems across the organization. The role holds enterprise-wide responsibility for human resources, organizational development, occupational health and safety, volunteer services, culture and equity initiatives. 

A visionary and compassionate / relational leader, the VP oversees a team of committed professionals to achieve organizational goals, fostering a safe, inclusive, and welcoming culture, and driving strategies to support a high-performance workforce and align with YWCA BC’s vision, mission, values and commitments. Accountable for strategic, operational, and transformational initiatives, the VP is a trusted advisor who builds strong relationships to ensure alignment between people strategies and organizational priorities

What you’ll be doing:  

Strategic Leadership & Culture Development

• Provide executive leadership across the People, Culture and Equity portfolios in the development and execution of organizational people strategies aligned with vision, mission, values and strategic direction.

• Champion a safe, welcoming and inclusive culture grounded in equity, inclusion, learning, and performance excellence.

• Foster strong employee and labour relations while promoting consistent, values aligned organizational practices.

• Champion strategic integration across programs and departments, ensuring HR programs, initiatives, systems and total rewards are coordinated and aligned with strategic priorities.

• Leading P&C Operations and Systems including policy and process development, data reporting and continuous improvement. 

People & Culture Leadership

• Lead the delivery of a full range of People and Culture functions, including talent acquisition, onboarding, and retention, leadership development, succession planning, organizational development and training, performance management, health and safety, employee relations, labour relations, and compensation and benefits. 

• Ensure regulatory compliance with relevant HR legislation, labour agreements, employment practices, equity frameworks and human-rights regulations.

• Provide strategic oversight for conflict resolution, employee coaching and development and complex HR matters, including workplace investigations and grievances

• Guide HR team, managers and leaders on organizational change, culture building, employee motivation and effective team leadership.

• Ensure HR policies and organizational practices remain compliant, trauma-informed, culturally safe and supportive of employee well-being.

• Oversee our equity initiatives including ensuring that equity principles are embedded into organizational systems, structures, policies and culture, through our IDEA Plan and support of our equity committees.

• Provide strategic oversight for health, safety and wellness, ensuring that the organization has a culture of safety and psychological wellness and supporting people with disability management, return-to-work, absence management etc.

Strategic Planning & Organizational Effectiveness

• Support the CEO and senior leadership team in developing multi-year organizational strategies.

• Lead cross departmental initiatives related to organizational change, business process improvements, and culture transformation—consistent with leadership expectations found within strategic planning materials ‑departmental initiatives related to organizational change, business process improvements, and culture transformation—consistent with leadership expectations found within strategic planning materials

• Provide guidance on workforce trends, organizational health, and future-readiness needs.

Governance, Reporting and Compliance

• Act as a trusted advisor to the CEO and leadership team on people related matters.

• Contribute to governance-level responsibilities and support the CEO in board and Board HR Committee (HRCC) engagement.

• Prepare reports, briefings and strategic updates on strategic workforce risks and mitigations, workforce trends, culture transformation, strategic workforce risks, leadership development and succession planning and supports the process on CEO performance management.

What you’ll need:

Leadership & Executive Competencies

• Proven leadership experience at a senior management or executive level within complex, multiservice or mission driven or non-profit organizations.

• Strategic thinker with the ability to align the people strategy with organizational goals and translate long-term goals into actionable plans.

People & Culture Expertise

• Demonstrated 10 years + experience in HR leadership, organizational development, change management, and cultivating inclusive cultures.

• Strong understanding of employment legislation, HR best practices, labour relations, and equity centered HR strategies, with previous experience leading collective bargaining. 

• Demonstrated commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility (IDEA).

Operational and Strategic Planning Skills

• Experience leading organizational planning cycles and executing cross-functional initiatives, such as those referenced in strategic planning work

• Ability to evaluate systems, identify improvements, and drive organizational effectiveness.

Interpersonal & Communication Skills

• Exceptional communication, relationship-building, and stakeholder engagement skills.

• Ability to influence without authority and lead collaboratively.

• High integrity, sound judgment, and strong ethical decision making.

• Ability to lead through complexity, ambiguity, and organizational change.

Education & Designations

• Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Leadership, or related field.

• Professional HR designation (e.g., CPHR) considered an asset.

• A valid clear criminal record check (including working with vulnerable populations) is required. 

What we offer:

We offer our eligible employees the following benefits as part of their total rewards package:

• Extended medical and dental benefits    

• A defined benefit pension plan (MPP)

• Pregnancy, parental and adoption leave top up

• Flexible working arrangements for applicable positions 

• Employee Family Assistance Program, a confidential and voluntary support service for employees and their eligible family members 

• A workplace that prioritizes employee health, safety and well-being, including many learning and growth opportunities such as our employee mentorship program and three equity committees that help to support our goals towards achieving meaningful equity and inclusion.

• Free staff membership to our Health + Fitness Centre

• Discounts at our YWCA Hotel 

• Priority in YWCA Child Care centres 

Pay: $ $146,671.10 annually