Human Resources Manager, Architecture

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TITLE

HR Manager, Architecture

SALARY RANGE

$80,000 – $110,000

CASH BONUS

Strictly discretionary, tied to individual and company performance

THE PERKS

• Standard Health Benefits
• RRSP
• Flexible Hours

LOCATION

Toronto, ON

THE OFFICE

Hybrid (2 to 3 days in office)

TEAM SIZE

Approximately 50 people (firm-wide)

THE ROLE

A hands-on, standalone HR manager and key contributor who runs the people function for a growing multi-office architecture firm, manages its office support, and acts as a steady point between staff and the partners.

• People & Culture Management (40%)
• Performance, Recruitment & HR Cycle (20%)
• Office & Operations Management (20%)
• New Initiatives & Strategic Partnering (20%)

THE TASKS

People & Culture Management

• Handle day-to-day people and performance issues, interpersonal conflicts, and employee questions, and be the person staff feel heard by
• Make decisions and give direction even when they are not popular, instead of avoiding conflict or pushing every call back to the partners
• Enforce company policies consistently, including time-off and sick-day use, and address misuse promptly
• Make sensible judgment calls on time off, accommodations, and individual situations without escalating routine matters
• Run employee recognition for onboarding, birthdays, and work anniversaries
• Communicate HR-related updates to the team via Teams
• Provide light coaching to junior staff on communication and writing, as an extension of onboarding
• Give practical HR guidance that fits a mid-sized firm rather than a large-corporate benchmark

Performance, Recruitment & HR Cycle

• Maintain and run the annual performance review cycle and semi-annual mid-year reflection, improving consistency and efficiency rather than rebuilding them
• Maintain and run the new employee probation program
• Maintain the existing compensation matrix and pay bands
• Help hire around six people a year, including screening and first-round interviews, once familiar with the culture
• Manage onboarding and offboarding for new and departing staff

Office & Operations Management

• Support the office manager and regional leads in the procurement and management of supplies and costs across all four offices
• Coordinate IT and equipment logistics such as computers, chairs, and seating for new hires, without taking on the technical IT work
• Administer benefits and insurance, including enrolment, forms, staff questions, semi-annual plan updates, and year-end renewals, reviewing market options with the broker when the plan goes to market (payments and accounting stay with the finance team)
• Update the office manual and define new policies when needed

New Initiatives & Strategic Partnering

• Run one or two improvement projects a year, such as refining an existing process
• Work alongside the controller and marketing director on shared initiatives
• Partner with the leadership team on strategic items, including planning for the annual budget cycle
• Get full use out of the firm’s existing HR software (Humi), making sure contracts are executed and the tool is used well
• Support the firm’s move toward an employee ownership program by helping manage the questions and concerns it raises

THE COMPANY

A full-service architecture firm that focuses on community-based work in areas like residential care and aging, healthcare, life sciences, education, and wellness. It runs several offices, is unifying into a single practice, and pairs the depth of a larger firm with the hands-on, partner-led service of a boutique studio, built on a friendly culture of listening, consensus, and practical design.

THE OPPORTUNITY

This is a standalone role with the room to own the entire people function and shape how it runs, at a firm that is bringing its offices together and aiming to double in size over the next five years. It suits an experienced, hands-on HR generalist with a small-business or entrepreneurial streak who wants to become a senior leader on the team, with a real path toward equity ownership as the firm grows.

THE EXPECTATIONS TIMELINE PREVIEW

By Month 1

• Get to know the team, the people, and the culture deeply across all four offices
• Take ownership of existing HR documentation, processes, and the current software
• Learn how each office runs day to day, including its regular cycle
• Focus on discovery rather than projects, and become the contact staff trust to listen

By Month 3

• Plan and begin running the annual performance review process, reporting progress instead of asking for decisions
• Work with the controller and marketing director on shared initiatives and event logistics
• Review the office assistant role for workload and fit, and take over managing it
• Handle routine people questions and issues without escalating to the partners each time

By Month 6

• Deliver the performance review cycle with staff satisfied with how it ran
• Take over recruiting, including screening and first-round interviews
• Take over maintaining the pay bands and compensation matrix

By Month 12

• Run the people function with little partner involvement, sending short regular updates and flagging only the decisions that need them
• Make culture-aligned judgment calls independently and raise recommendations proactively, including when to bring in the firm’s lawyer
• Own the operating cycle, working with leadership on the annual budget and on office, facilities, and IT coordination
• Be ready to manage a small team and help onboard and integrate new staff as the firm grows

THE SKILL SET

• A minimum of 5 years’ experience in a full-cycle HR role, with a hands-on, operational approach rather than a purely strategic one
• Demonstrated, hands-on experience with Humi
• Able to work in person from the downtown office 2 to 3 days per week; this is not a remote role
• Experience within the architecture, engineering, or construction sector, or a comparable professional-services firm, is a strong asset.

ONLY QUALIFIED CANDIDATES WILL BE CONTACTED.

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