People Partner

Summary

Location: Montreal or Toronto. Novartis is unable to offer relocation support for this role: please only apply if this location is accessible for you.

About the role: We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced People Partner to join our team. In this role, you will serve as a trusted advisor, driving HR initiatives, promoting diversity and inclusion, and providing guidance on all people-related matters. From talent onboarding to performance management and compliance, you will play a vital role in fostering a positive and inclusive work environment while supporting our organization's purpose of Reimagining the Medicine.

This role will work directly with the cross-functional People & Organization team and reports to the Country Head & VP, People & Organization.

Key responsibilities:

• Provide guidance and support to stakeholders (leaders, managers, and associates) on P&O matters to ensure informed decision-making and strategic alignment.
• Implement P&O initiatives, supporting the overall strategy, and ensure alignment with the global P&O strategy (such as initiatives related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, including gender representation, LGBTI, and pay equity).
• Champion culture and support the implementation of corporate initiatives while coaching and guiding people managers on role evaluations in accordance with local governance and guidelines (performance improvement plans, goals and objective-setting, development toolkit, etc.).
• Design onboarding initiatives that emphasize diversity, equity, inclusion, and psychological safety for new hires.
• Leverage data and analytics to identify risks, trends, and business insights.
• Seek and use customer & stakeholder feedback to drive continuous improvements.
• Serve as the first point of escalation for leaders and managers regarding day-to-day P&O topics.
• Lead and manage country-level transformations and provide expert consultations with local employee groups.
• Manage external certifications (e.g., Great Place to Work, Top Employer) in alignment with country strategy.
• Seek employment law advice as needed, represent the company in external employee relations cases (as appropriate), investigate complaints, and follow up on remediation/sanctions while ensuring compliance with local regulations and local equity and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) regulations.

What you’ll bring to the role:

Essential:

• A minimum of 2 years experience in a human resources role (pharmaceutical experience a strong asset);
• University degree in human resources or relevant field of study (CHRP an asset);
• Bilingualism, both oral and written, in French and English.
• Demonstrated ability to represent the organization and collaborate across boundaries.
• Strong functional breadth in Human Resources.
• Strict respect for the confidentiality of sensitive information, with a high level of discretion.
• Strong sense of urgency, with the ability to respond quickly to organizational needs and manage unforeseen situations.
• Ability to work autonomously, taking initiative to resolve complex situations effectively.

Desirable:

• Experience leading large and/or diverse multi-functional teams.
• Strong project management skills and ability to manage stakeholder relationships effectively.

Join our team as a People Partner and contribute to our mission of reimagining medicine.

Why Novartis:

Helping people with disease and their families takes more than innovative science. It takes a community of smart, passionate people like you. Collaborating, supporting, and inspiring each other to achieve breakthroughs that change patients’ lives. Ready to create a brighter future together?

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Benefits and Rewards:

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