HR Director

Company Description

Repeatedly voted one of Montreal’s Top Employers and Employer of the Year for the 2022 Mercuriades Awards, Rodeo FX is a high-end creative company offering services in visual effects, advertising, animation, and experiential.

Nominated for multiple Emmy® Awards for its work on the series  Stranger Things season 4,  Avatar: The Last Airbender  and  The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power,  the independent, Oscar®-winning company boasts close to 800 artists crafting from studios in Montreal, Québec City, Toronto, Los Angeles and Paris.

Rodeo FX is a creative partner to the world’s best storytellers including Netflix, HBO, Disney, Marvel, Amazon Studios, Warner Bros. and Sony, and has collaborated on ads for YouTube, NBC and Apple. Current projects include  Dune: Prophecy, Silo  Season 2  and  Sonic 3 . Recently released projects include The Rings of Power S eason 2 , Venom: The Last Dance,  Taika Waitit's Time Bandits, and  House of the Dragon Season 2.

Job Description

The HR Director leads the day-to-day HR support and service delivery function at Rodeo FX. Reporting to the Chief Human Resources Officer, this role oversees a team of HR Department Managers and HR Department Coordinator and ensures that employees, managers and studio leaders receive consistent, timely and high-quality HR support across the employee lifecycle.

This role is responsible for the effective execution of HR programs, practices and processes, including employee relations, onboarding, performance management, compensation changes, employee movement, HR administration, policy application, workforce planning support and operational HR governance.

Acting as a key partner to managers and senior leaders, the HR Director provides practical guidance on people-related matters, while working closely with global HR teams, supports the implementation of global HR initiatives, ensures alignment and consistency across practices, and continuously improves HR processes to meet the needs of a fast-paced, creative, project-based studio environment.

The role requires strong judgment, operational discipline, people leadership, business acumen and the ability to balance employee experience, manager support, compliance, internal equity and organizational priorities.

Main responsibilities:

HR Operations & Employee Lifecycle

• Lead the day-to-day operational management of the HR support function, ensuring effective, consistent and values-aligned service delivery to employees and managers.
• Oversee employee lifecycle processes, including onboarding, role changes, promotions, transfers, leaves of absence, contract changes, departures and terminations.
• Ensure employee movements and changes are properly documented, communicated to the relevant stakeholders and accurately reflected in the HRIS.
• Ensure HR policies, procedures and operational practices are applied consistently and in compliance with applicable legislation and internal governance.
• Identify opportunities to improve, simplify or standardize HR processes, tools and workflows.
• Support the planning and rollout of HR programs, including onboarding, performance reviews, salary reviews, policy updates and employee experience initiatives.
• Partner with Payroll, Finance, Talent Acquisition, Training and other internal teams to ensure smooth execution of HR processes.

Manager Advisory & Employee Relations

• Act as a trusted advisor to managers on employee relations, performance management, conflict resolution, team dynamics, attendance, discipline and other people-related matters.
• Support managers in applying sound HR practices while balancing business needs, employee experience, internal equity and risk management.
• Monitor the work climate across teams and recommend appropriate actions to support engagement, retention and a healthy studio environment.
• Guide managers through complex or sensitive employee situations, escalating matters to the CHRO or other stakeholders when required.
• Provide direct support to senior leaders on staffing, scheduling, organizational or employee-related issues requiring HR guidance.
• Ensure employee relations matters are handled with fairness, consistency, discretion and appropriate documentation.
• Provide recommendations on organizational needs, role alignment, resourcing options and HR best practices and ensure that changes are cleary communicated to stakeholders
• Contribute to discussions on team structures, succession needs, internal mobility and workforce risks.

Performance, Development & Compensation

• Lead the operational execution of the annual performance review process, ensuring managers complete reviews, feedback discussions and related actions on time.
• Advise managers on performance management practices, development planning and appropriate follow-up actions.
• Support the annual salary review process in collaboration with the CHRO and Finance. Review and recommend compensation changes related to promotions, internal moves, adjustments or employment condition changes while maintaining internal equity and budget parameters
• Approve or review employment contracts, addenda and related documentation within the scope of delegated authority.
• Identify recurring development or training needs and collaborate with the Training team to support appropriate solutions.
• Provide HR-related training or manager education as required.

HR Governance, Compliance & Continuous Improvement

• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of applicable labour laws, employment standards, HR trends and best practices.
• Ensure HR practices are compliant with applicable requirements in Québec and other relevant jurisdictions, in collaboration with internal or external experts when needed.
• Support international mobility matters when required, in collaboration with the relevant HR, legal, immigration and studio teams, including coordination with our other studios.
• Contribute to the development, review and implementation of HR policies, guidelines and procedures.
• Ensure HR documentation, employee records and process controls are accurate, complete and audit-ready.
• Use HR data, recurring issues and process feedback to identify risks, gaps and improvement opportunities.
• Promote a culture of operational excellence, accountability, consistency and continuous improvement within the HR function.

Team Leadership

• Lead, coach and support a team of HR Department Managers and HR Department Coordinators.
• Ensure the team has clear priorities, strong work methods, appropriate tools and the right level of guidance to deliver high-quality HR support.
• Hold regular team meetings to share updates, align priorities, review ongoing files and encourage knowledge sharing.
• Identify training and development needs within the team and implement development plans to strengthen capabilities.
• Review team performance, provide regular feedback and conduct annual performance reviews.
• Ensure the HR support team is staffed with the appropriate balance of skills, experience and capacity to meet current and future business needs.
• Actively monitor the work climate within the team and take steps to maintain a positive, collaborative and values-aligned work environment.

Qualifications

• 12 to 15+ years of progressive experience in human resources, including at least 7 years in a people management or senior HR leadership role.
• Experience in VFX, animation, gaming, entertainment, technology, creative services or another fast-paced, project-based environment strongly preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management, Industrial Relations, Business Administration or a related field.
• CRHA/CPHR designation considered a strong asset.
• Strong knowledge of Québec labour standards and employment-related legislation; working knowledge of Canadian HR practices considered an asset.
• Strong experience in employee relations, performance management, manager coaching, HR operations, compensation processes and employee lifecycle management.
• Proven ability to lead HR teams, structure work, improve processes and maintain a high level of service delivery.
• Strong judgment, discretion and ability to manage sensitive and complex employee situations.
• Strong interpersonal, coaching, communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, creative and constantly evolving environment.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Comfortable working with HRIS, ATS, collaboration tools and HR reporting. Experience with HiBob, SmartRecruiters, Google Workspace, Microsoft Office and production tracking tools such as Flow Production Tracking / ShotGrid is an asset.
• Fluency in French and English, both oral and written, in order to collaborate with local and international teams and partners.*

* The person in this position will need to collaborate daily with our teams located outside of Quebec, particularly in Los Angeles and Toronto, where the working language is primarily English. They will also be called upon to communicate regularly with external non-French-speaking international stakeholders. Proficiency in English is therefore essential to ensure fluid and effective communication in an international work environment and to represent the creative and technical capabilities of Rodeo FX on a global scale.

Additional Information

• Full-time, Permanent Contract;
• 5 paid sick/personal days;
• 2 additional statutory holidays in the winter holidays;
• Group Insurance, access to Dialogue online support and to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP);
• RRSP with employer contribution;
• Discounts on public transports, several spas, sports classes, art center, cafes, furniture and several other local businesses.

Diversity : At Rodeo FX, diversity is a core value. We’re committed to creating an inclusive, equitable workplace where different perspectives are embraced. Every team member brings unique insight that strengthens our creativity, challenges our thinking, and helps us deliver better work.

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