About the roleProject North PES is Pangeo's new aluminum die casting and machining plant in Vaughan, Ontario. The HR & Admin Manager builds and leads the HR and administration function for the site, standing up the organization, the talent team, and the policies and processes the plant needs to ramp and succeed.
This is a hands-on, build from scratch leadership role. You'll own the full employee lifecycle, put the HR foundation in place, and partner with the Plant Manager to shape a culture people want to belong to. It suits someone comfortable creating structure in a new operation and moving between strategic HR and practical, day-to-day execution.
ResponsibilitiesBuild the organization and talent team- Build the talent team the plant's structure requires, getting the right people into the right roles as the site scales.
- Lead full-cycle recruitment for the plant, including compliant job postings, candidate assessment, interviewing, and onboarding.
- Support work permit and immigration processes for incoming technical staff, coordinating with external counsel where needed.
Set up HR policies, processes, and compliance- Define, refine, and implement HR's department and role responsibilities and the processes and policies that run alongside them.
- Keep all HR practices compliant with the Ontario Employment Standards Act, Occupational Health and Safety Act, Human Rights Code, and AODA.
- Own WSIB claims and return to work, employee relations and investigations, and accurate, confidential employee records; support the Joint Health and Safety Committee and WHMIS training.
Compensation, benefits, and performance- Administer payroll, group benefits, and compensation programs in line with Ontario requirements.
- Run fair, consistent performance, salary review, and development processes.
Build the team, culture, and workplace- Inspire a cohesive, mutually trusting, and entrepreneurial team of diverse individuals to deliver market leading solutions for our customers.
- Partner with the Plant Manager to strengthen cultural alignment, belonging, and team cohesion.
- Oversee office administration and manage vendors for outsourced services such as janitorial and security.
What we're looking for- Builder. You create HR structure, policy, and process from scratch and make it stick.
- Employment law fluency. You know Ontario ESA, OHSA, Human Rights Code, and WSIB, and you apply them day to day.
- Judgment and discretion. You handle sensitive employee matters with fairness and confidentiality.
- People leadership. You coach managers and build a culture of belonging and trust.
- Practical range. You move between strategic HR and hands-on administration without dropping either.
Qualifications- 5+ years of progressive HR management experience, ideally in a manufacturing or automotive supplier environment.
- Bachelor's in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field; CHRL preferred, CHRP an asset.
- Strong, applied knowledge of Ontario ESA, OHSA, Human Rights Code, AODA, and WSIB processes.
- Experience building HR programs and processes in a new or scaling operation.
- HRIS, payroll systems, and Microsoft 365 proficiency; familiarity with IATF 16949 HR documentation an asset.
- Awareness of ISO 14001 environmental management an asset.
- Immigration and LMIA or work permit experience an asset; English required.
Illustrative KPIsExamples of how success is measured in this role:
- Recruitment: time to fill against the ramp plan and key-role fill rate.
- Compliance: clean ESA, OHSA, AODA, and WSIB audit findings.
- Retention: voluntary turnover for a startup manufacturing environment.
- Training: completion of mandatory WHMIS and OHSA training.
- Engagement: employee engagement and belonging measures.
Working conditions- Primarily office-based at the Vaughan, Ontario plant, with regular time on the production floor.
- Standard business hours, with flexibility to support plant operations.
- Occasional travel.
