People & Culture Employee Experience Specialist

People & Culture Employee Experience Specialist 

Hybrid, Downtown Toronto 

Permanent, Full Time 

Level 7

$57,000.00 - $70,000.00 per year 

About Covenant House Toronto 

Covenant House helps youth ignite their potential and reclaim their lives. As Canada’s largest agency serving youth who are homeless, trafficked or at risk, we offer the widest range of services to hundreds of young people every day.  

More than a place to stay, we provide life-changing care with unconditional love and respect. We meet youth’s immediate needs and then we work together to achieve their future goals. We offer 24/7 crisis shelter transitional housing options on-site and, in the community, health and well-being support, training and skill development, and ongoing care once youth move into the community.         
For over 40 years, Covenant House has been dedicated to its mission of serving youth on the street and to protect and safeguard all youth with absolute respect and unconditional love. Since 1982, Covenant House has supported more than 100,000 young people. 

Purpose of Position:
The People & Culture (P&C) Employee Experience Specialist is the primary point of contact for employees and managers, delivering an exceptional employee experience. This role focuses on leading employee relations, engagement, communication, and support across the employee lifecycle including organizing and implementing EDI (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) Initiatives.
This role works collaboratively with P&C Employee Operations specialist to ensure all areas such as training, policy communications, systems support and KPIs are effective and efficient. This role prioritizes employee engagement, relations, EDI, coaching, workplace culture and training.  

Key Responsibilities:
Employee Experience & Engagement
•    Lead and support employee engagement initiatives (e.g., EDI, wellness programs, events)
•    Act as the visible and approachable representative of P&C
•    Develop and execute action plans based on employee engagement survey results
•    Track KPIs and provide input and recommendations on improvements 
EDI Initiatives 
•    Lead and support in agency strategic initiatives regarding EDI
•    Lead and coordinate EDI initiatives, events and awareness activities
•    Facilitate trainings on EDI initiatives such as ABR, CABR, anti-oppression, inclusion, equity and city mandated required trainings
HR Administration & Training
•    Deliver policy rollouts and training sessions
•    Facilitate training on systems such as Payworks and internal tools
•    Ensure all mandatory training is completed in partnership with the Onboarding and Training Coordinators 
Compliance & Policy
•    Communicate policies clearly to employees and managers
•    Guide leaders in applying policies consistently and effectively
•    Conduct annual audits and updates of policy and procedure manuals
HR Systems Support
•    Assist employees with navigating HR systems (e.g., self-service tools, time-off requests)
•    Promote adoption and effective use of HR technology
•    Conduct quarterly systems training in coordination with P&C Operations Specialist 
Employee Relations
•    Serve as the first point of contact for employee concerns
•    Support investigations and fact-finding support
•    Document issues and collaborate with the P&C Manager on resolution
•    Support workplace accommodations in partnership with leadership
•    Lead conflict resolution strategies (preventative and during conflict)
Performance Management
•    Coach managers on providing feedback and addressing performance issues
•    Support development planning and annual evaluation processes
Offboarding
•    Conduct exit interviews and provide insights to leadership
•    Support managers in offboarding processes

Qualifications:
Education & Experience
•    Post-secondary education in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field
•    Strong understanding of EDI initiatives specifically in Anti-Black Racism and Anti-Oppressive knowledge. Not for profit experience considered an asset. 
•    Strong understanding of the Human Rights Code, Shelter Standards knowledge an asset 
•    CHRP/CHRL designation (or working toward) is considered an asset
•    3–5+ years of HR experience, with a strong focus on EDI, Employee Relations and Employee Wellness
•    Demonstrated experience in employee relations, engagement, and coaching leaders
•    2+ years in training delivery and facilitation  

Core Competencies
•    Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills
•    High emotional intelligence and conflict resolution ability
•    Excellent verbal and written communication skills
•    Ability to influence and coach leaders at multiple levels
•    Strong facilitation and presentation skills
•    Proficient technology and HRIS knowledge 
Additional Strengths
•    Passion for employee experience, culture, and inclusion
•    Proactive, approachable, and solutions-oriented mindset
•    Ability to manage sensitive situations with professionalism and empathy

What we offer: 

•    Meaningful work. 

•    Competitive compensation. 

•    Benefits such as Health, Dental, Vision, Personal Days, Employee Assistance Program, Tuition Reimbursement and more.  

•    Employee perks which include discounts on gym membership, city bike rentals and more. 

Interested candidates are welcome to apply directly to this posting on or by June 5, 2026. Only those selected to move forward in our recruitment process will be contacted. No agencies or phone calls please. 

At Covenant House Toronto we believe in a workplace culture of inclusion that is welcoming, respectful and safe for all staff. It is critical to Covenant House Toronto success to eliminate barriers and promote the inclusion of equity groups. Equity groups have been, and continue to be, underrepresented and marginalized in the workforce, leadership roles, and in some specific occupations. Equity groups include but may not be limited to Indigenous persons, racialized people, gender diverse people, 2SLGBTQIA+ people, and people with disabilities. 

 In accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and Covenant House Policy on Accommodation, a request for accommodation will be accepted as part of the Covenant House recruitment process 

Please visit our careers page to see more job opportunities. 

Please visit our careers page to see more job opportunities.