Job Application for Human Resources Director at Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Canada

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Location: Toronto (Hybrid – up to 60% remote)
Status: 4-year contract, with possibility of extension
Hours: 37.5 hours per week (full-time)
Salary: $148,353 – $181,320 annually
Reports to: Deputy Executive Director
Start Date: As soon as possible

About Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Canada

MSF Canada is a people-focused global humanitarian organization that provides emergency medical care and support to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from healthcare.

We are proud to offer a diverse, collaborative, and inclusive work environment grounded in our core values of Humanity, Integrity, and Results. We believe that diversity strengthens our impact and are committed to equity in employment and fostering meaningful, lasting work relationships with all our staff.

Our Values

Our work is guided by the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence, rooted in universal medical ethics.

We bring these principles to life through the way we treat each other, work, and relate to the global MSF movement:

Respect, Integrity, Inclusion – fostering a workplace grounded in equity and belonging
Discovery, Learning, Boldness – embracing curiosity, innovation, and courageous action
Impact, Transformation, Shared Responsibility – driving meaningful change and collective accountability

These values shape our culture and guide everything we do to uphold MSF’s social mission.

Position Summary

The Human Resources Director (HRD) plays a pivotal leadership role in achieving MSF Canada’s strategic objectives. As a member of the Management Team, the HRD defines and drives HR strategy across all areas of the organization, including talent, change management, employee relations, workforce planning, total rewards, learning and development, and culture.

The ideal candidate is a strategic, change-driven HR leader who demonstrates:

Commitment to MSF’s principles and a values-based approach to leadership
Cross-cultural awareness and the ability to foster inclusion across diverse teams
Resilience and composure under pressure, supporting the well-being of others
Results and quality orientation, ensuring excellence in all HR practices
Service orientation, balancing organizational needs with long-term staff development
Initiative and innovation, bringing forward new ideas and continuous improvements
Teamwork and cooperation, building strong, trust-based relationships across the organization
People management and development, leading by example and empowering others to grow and perform

This role leads a team of dedicated HR professionals, fosters a high-performing, inclusive, and people-first culture, and ensures compliance with all relevant employment laws and internal policies.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Leadership

- Develop and execute MSF Canada’s HR strategy aligned with organizational goals.
- Lead change-management initiatives that support transformation and growth.
- Use HR analytics and workforce data to inform strategic decision-making.
- Provide proactive leadership and counsel on employee relations, compliance, and HR best practices.
- Partner with the Executive Director’s Office, Management Team, and EDI Strategic Advisor to steward MSF Canada’s Employment Philosophy and HR vision.

2. Workforce & Talent Development

- Lead workforce planning, performance management, and talent-optimization strategies.
- Design and manage recruitment, retention, mobility, and career-development programs.
- Oversee total rewards, compensation, and benefits practices aligned with evolving workforce needs.
- Advance initiatives supporting employee engagement, health, and wellness across all mental, physical, social, financial, and organizational dimensions.
- Ensure a strong duty-of-care framework and robust learning and development programs.

3. People Leadership

- Lead, mentor, and develop the HR team, promoting a collaborative, high-performance culture.
- Manage departmental budgets and resources effectively.
- Coach managers and leaders through organizational transitions and change.
- Identify and implement HR best practices and mitigate HR-related risks.
- Lead or support investigations and critical-incident response.

4. Partnership & Representation

- Serve as a key member of the Management Team and represent HR to MSF’s Board, HR Committee, and international HR networks.
- Collaborate across MSF’s international movement to align HR priorities and practices globally.
- Build and maintain relationships with external partners, NGOs, government bodies, and professional HR networks.
- May travel domestically or internationally to support field operations and HR collaboration.

Qualifications

Required

Education: Post-secondary education in Human Resources, Organizational Development, Business Administration, or a related field
Minimum 10 years of progressive HR leadership experience, including at least 5 years in a senior HR Director-level role
Proven success in strategic HR leadership, including workforce planning, change management, and organizational design
Deep knowledge of core HR functions: recruitment, compensation, benefits, employee relations, and employment legislation
Demonstrated experience applying Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) and Anti-Oppression / Anti-Racism (AOAR) principles
Strong ability to analyze HR data and metrics to inform strategy and decision-making
Exceptional communication, coaching, and influencing skills
Fluency in English (verbal and written) and functional proficiency in French

Preferred

Professional HR certification (e.g., CHRP, CHRL, CPHR, SPHR, SPHRi)
Experience in the non-profit, NGO, or international development sectors
Knowledge of Canadian employment law across multiple provinces
Background in total rewards, succession planning, or HR systems implementation
Experience working within unionized environments or international matrix organizations
Familiarity with MSF’s humanitarian principles and global HR frameworks

Working Conditions

Hybrid model: up to 60% remote work, with a minimum 40% presence in the Toronto office per week.
Regular hours Monday to Friday (9 a.m.–5 p.m., core hours 10 a.m.–3 p.m.); occasional evenings or weekends.
Domestic travel (~10%) and occasional international travel.
Open-concept office with ergonomic equipment and modern workspace.

Compensation & Benefits

Salary: $148,353
Benefits include:

Comprehensive group insurance (health, dental, life, AD&D, Peace of Mind plan)
5% RRSP contribution (no matching required)
4 weeks’ vacation annually
Health & Lifestyle Spending Accounts
Flexible work hours and hybrid model
Annual Professional Development budget
Employee & Family Assistance Program (EFAP)
Access to internal Psychosocial Care Unit Services

Join Us

We'd love to hear from you if you are a strategic, people-centred HR leader passionate about fostering inclusive workplaces and advancing humanitarian impact.

👉 Apply now to help shape the future of MSF Canada’s workforce and contribute to our global mission.

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Our salary for this role is $148,353 annually, and we publish our compensation ranges transparently. The salary is not negotiable. Are you comfortable proceeding with that compensation level?

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Demographic Questions (Optional) / Questionnaire démographique (participation volontaire)

MSF Canada is a people-focused humanitarian organization that is proud to offer a diverse, collaborative, and inclusive work environment. We strongly believe this approach enhances our work and we’re committed to equity in employment. The organization seeks to attract and engage the best professionals to join and maintain meaningful, productive and lasting work relationships. We embrace diverse motivations and backgrounds of people working together to exhibit their passion in action for the social mission of MSF. / Organisation humanitaire se préoccupant des êtres humains, MSF Canada est fière d’offrir un milieu de travail diversifié, collaboratif et inclusif. Nous croyons fermement que cette approche valorise notre travail. Nous souscrivons aussi au principe de l’équité en matière d’emploi. L’organisation cherche à attirer et à embaucher les professionnels les plus compétents et à entretenir avec eux des relations de travail fructueuses, productives et durables. Nous favorisons les motivations et expériences différentes des personnes qui, en collaborant, expriment leur passion dans l’action en faveur de la mission sociale de MSF.

MSF Canada acknowledges the existence of systemic racism and oppression and is committed to sustaining and strengthening its anti-racism and anti-oppression (AOAR) efforts. / MSF Canada reconnaît l'existence de l'oppression et du racisme systémiques, et s'engage à maintenir et à intensifier ses efforts de lutte contre le racisme et l'oppression.

As MSF Canada continues to grow and strive to remove barriers in its offices in Canada and in MSF work environments abroad, we welcome applications from individuals with unique experiences of intersectional oppression on the basis of their social markers such as their ethno-racial identity, age, gender identity, education, socio-economic status or place of origin. / Alors que MSF Canada continue de grandir et de travailler à l'élimination des barrières dans ses bureaux ici au pays et les projets MSF à l'étranger, nous encourageons les individus ayant des expériences uniques d'oppression intersectionnelle sur la base de leurs marqueurs sociaux, tels que l'identité ethnoraciale, l'âge, l'identité de genre, l'éducation, le statut socio-économique ou le lieu d

Responses to the below questions are completely voluntary and are not associated with your individual application and has no impact, in any way, in the hiring decision. The data collected will be used in aggregate only to help us identify areas of improvement in our recruitment process. / Les réponses aux questions ci-dessous sont entièrement volontaires, ne sont pas associées à votre candidature individuelle et n'ont aucune incidence, de quelque manière que ce soit, sur la décision d'embauche. Les données collectées seront seulement utilisées sous une forme agrégée afin nous aider à identifier les domaines d'amélioration à l'intérieur de notre processus de recrutement.

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Human Resources Director

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Demographic Questions (Optional) / Questionnaire démographique (participation volontaire)