Director, People & Culture (Contract)

Welcome to Daiya Foods, where we are reimagining comfort foods that are irresistible and better for you. Today, as dairy-free food grows in popularity, that spirit of innovation continues to inspire our team. Our diverse portfolio of great tasting foods invites everyone to the table. 

Our dedication to minimizing environmental impact extends across our operations. We operate in a manufacturing facility and office that is LEED certified, embodying our commitment to sustainability through the leadership in energy and environmental design principles.

Join our team of food-loving Daiyans, where our shared passion, vision, and ability to bring smiles to each other's faces fuel our journey of dairy-free exploration.

Your Future Job

The People & Culture (P&C) Director is a strategic partner and key leader within our P&C function, supporting both Corporate and Production teams. This role leads a team delivering day-to-day business partner support while also driving high-impact people initiatives across the employee lifecycle, including talent management, culture and engagement, compensation and benefits, learning and development, and more.

Operating at both a strategic and hands-on level, the P&C Director acts as a trusted thought partner to business leaders, providing guidance, coaching, and mentorship to their team. They navigate complex people challenges with creativity, sound judgment, and a strong execution mindset, ensuring cohesive and high-quality people practices across the organization.

This role reports to the Senior Director of P&C and works closely with the broader P&C team, as well as cross-functionally with other departments.

This is a 14–16 month contract position covering a maternity leave.

What You Will Do:

Team Leadership & Operational Excellence

• Lead and inspire a high-performing P&C team, fostering collaboration, innovation, and accountability.
• Set clear priorities, workflows, and standards to ensure responsive, consistent, high-quality outcomes.
• Build team capability through coaching, mentorship, and professional development.
• Oversee HRIS processes and operational improvements to maintain efficiency and data integrity.

People Programs, Compliance & Employee Experience

• Drive programs across talent management, compensation, benefits, and engagement to align with business goals.
• Help shape and evolve our Employee Value Proposition to attract, retain, and engage top talent.
• Ensure compliance with labor laws and policies, providing guidance and mitigating risk.
• Deliver exceptional employee experiences from recruitment through offboarding, including performance, recognition, and development initiatives.
• Own and implement innovative P&C strategies that align with our organizational goals, making sure every step is practical and purposeful.
• Champion and drive employee engagement activities, both organizationally and functionally, to make sure our employees are connected, motivated and feel like they belong.

Strategic Business Partnership

• Act as a trusted advisor to leaders, offering insights, coaching, and data-driven recommendations.
• Identify talent risks and opportunities, co-designing solutions that strengthen team performance and engagement.
• Support leaders through change, growth, and complex people initiatives.
• Facilitate leadership sessions, town halls, and cross-functional projects to enhance alignment and leadership capability.

Talent Development & Organizational Growth

• Partner on strategic projects that advance organizational goals and foster inclusion, innovation, and learning.
• Support design and delivery of training for employees and managers to strengthen skills, career growth, and succession planning.
• Collaborate with leaders to implement strategies that attract, retain, engage, and motivate employees across the organization.

What You Bring

• 5 to 7 years’ experience of progressive HR experience with team leadership responsibilities.
• Experience advising and coaching people leaders up to Director and VP level.
• Experience supporting and executing on employee talent lifecycles.
• The skills to collaborate strategically with cross-functional partners in the pursuit of shared business outcomes.
• Experience working with HRIS (Ceridian Dayforce and/or Workday is an asset).
• Experience providing P&C guidance and support to hourly production teams in the CPG industry would be an asset but not mandatory.
• The ability to set clear objectives and design a strategy that inspires the team.
• Legally entitled to work in Canada (Permanent Resident or Canadian Citizen).

Related Skills, Knowledge & Abilities

• Emotional Intelligence – you possess the ability to manage emotions, as well as seek to understand the emotions of others around you.
• Growth Mindset – you find opportunities and possibilities when challenged, embrace continuous learning, and constantly strive to grow and improve.
• Driving Results – you take the initiative to find solutions, deliver results, maintain focus, and drive accountability.
• Building High Performance Team – you are proven in your ability to build, manage and empower diverse and high performing teams.
• Organizational Mindset – you approach your work with the ability to consider the overall vision, strategy, and goals of the business.
• Inspire & Influence – you engage with others to inspire immediacy, create connection to purpose and generate positive results for the business.

Compensation, Benefits & Perks

Daiya’s compensation offerings are based on a pay-for-performance philosophy. The pay range for this position is from $120,000 - $150,000 annually; the base pay offered is based on market location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and internal equity. Permanent team members may be eligible for our competitive annual bonus program, subject to program eligibility requirements.  

At Daiya, investing in our people is a top priority. We believe in building a flexible, hybrid model to make work-life harmony a reality. We strive to build diverse and high performing teams and empower continuous learning to grow and improve ourselves.

• Competitive compensation
• 3 weeks’ vacation
• Flex days
• Fun and creative environment
• Inspiring and innovative work
• Smart and passionate teams
• Making people and the planet a healthier place

At Daiya Foods, we are committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable work environment, one in which employees can bring their whole selves to work everyday.  We welcome and celebrate differences because we believe a multitude of perspectives fosters innovation and will help us achieve our vision.

Daiya Foods is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) and prohibits discrimination of any kind.  We are committed to building a representative workforce and encourage applications reflecting diversity of sex, sexual orientation, gender identify or expression, racialization or ancestry, disability, religion, marital or family status, age and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person.  We endeavor to recruit, develop, and retain the best talent from a diverse candidate pool and truly believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion among our team members is vital to our success as a company.  We trust that in applying for a role with us you value this as well!

Daiya Foods humbly acknowledges that the land on which we work, live, and play is the unceded traditional territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish, and Musqueam Nations. This connection to the land is not only a source of inspiration but also a guiding force in our journey towards greater environmental stewardship and community engagement.