Director, People Strategy HR - Operation

Canadian National Railway Company•Edmonton, AB

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The incumbent is responsible for bridging enterprise Human Resources strategy with business-unit outcomes, ensuring people initiatives are tailored to the needs of business portfolios and delivered with operational rigor. The role acts as a senior advisor to executive leaders across multiple functions, partnering closely with HR Centers of Expertise to deliver integrated, data-driven talent, organization, and workforce solutions. The incumbent provides leadership and oversight for the People Strategy Partnership team supporting multiple departments. The role may also provide matrix leadership to project teams, and cross-functional initiatives aligned with enterprise priorities.

Requirements

Between 10 to 15+ years of progressive experience in Human Resources, including senior-level advisory roles supporting executive leaders across diverse corporate functions.
Demonstrated experience leading organization design, workforce planning, and talent strategies within complex and unionized environments.
Proven people leadership experience, including leading and developing senior HR professionals in a matrixed environment.
Strong background in change management, culture evolution, and large-scale business or HR transformation initiatives.
Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field
Master’s Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field
Professional Human Resources designation such as CPHR
Strong capability in HR analytics, workforce planning tools, and executive-level reporting.

Nice To Haves

Any designation for these above would be considered as an asset

Responsibilities

Serve as a strategic advisor to executive leaders, co-creating people's strategies aligned with business priorities, operating plans, and enterprise objectives.
Lead Functional Organizational Change management initiatives to ensure successful program / change implementation on a variety of projects.
Provide coaching and guidance on people strategy, including success profiles, talent reviews, succession planning, and leadership development, leveraging Centers of Expertise frameworks and tools.
Lead organization design and position management activities, including the review and approval of new roles and organizational changes, ensuring alignment with job architecture and enterprise governance standards.
Provide thought leadership on organizational change management, supporting leaders in planning, executing, and sustaining change initiatives.
Translate workforce analytics and labor market insights into actionable recommendations that address talent risks and enable business outcomes.
Partner with leaders to drive employee engagement strategies and ensure measurable improvements in participation, experience, and outcomes.
Lead enterprise-aligned workforce planning in partnership with Finance and business leaders, aligning headcount, capabilities, skills, and cost to strategic priorities.
Provide oversight and resolution for escalated people, performance, and employee relations matters, ensuring consistent, timely, and risk-informed outcomes.
Oversee governance and effective operation of the Business Support Community across assigned portfolios.
Strengthen policy application, compliance, and risk management practices in partnership with Legal, Employee Relations, and Safety functions, including oversight of investigations.
Drive service excellence and continuous improvement by standardizing HR processes, monitoring service performance, and enabling process optimization and automation.
Set strategic direction, priorities, and performance expectations for Business HR resources supporting corporate departments, ensuring alignment with the enterprise HR strategy and operating model.
Provide ongoing leadership, coaching, and performance management to enable strong delivery, collaboration, and accountability.
Build organizational capability within the People Strategy Partnership team through targeted development in areas such as data-driven consulting, change leadership, and organization design.
Foster an inclusive, high-performing culture and optimize resource deployment based on business demand, risk, and strategic priorities.