Vice President, Senior Manager, Human Resources (1-year fixed term contract)

Role Description

Ensure HR operational service and delivery activities are continuously maintained and improved. Manage core HR data systems, platforms, software, etc. to maintain employment info, data processing and other HR operational workflows that span the employee lifecycle. Maintain employee file systems, immigration and work permit files, and other core HR data and processing information.

The Vice President, Human Resources will:

• Maintain deep relationships with the business line(s) to influence strategic HR priorities and to ensure the business owns and co-drives people-related initiatives. Partner with the business to provide credible advice and analysis to drive overall HR initiatives / people strategy for assigned businesses / divisions. Partner with broader HR teams (across business line(s), geographies, etc.) and across the entire division of HR to leverage universal best practices, remain aligned / have a shared understanding regarding cross-functional dependencies.
• Play a vital role in enabling business growth and profitability by overseeing key HR processes like Year End compensation, annual performance review cycles, talent development & succession planning etc.
• Maintain consultative and relationship building skills, and credibility. Apply overall HR acumen of workforce planning, org design, talent planning, etc. to help drive the best outcomes.
• Translate internal HR data and analysis into key trends and areas of focus to help lower attrition, increase retention, develop talent, advance diversity efforts, etc.
• Build consensus, credibility and to effectively influence business line leaders.
• Understand and confidently convey key industry trends (i.e., career pathing, virtual workforce, employee engagement etc.) and competitive firm benchmarks (i.e., spans of control, levels, senior title promotion rates, etc.) in order to accurately advise business lines and to ensure the branch remains competitive across critical areas of HR.
• Payroll processing and management.
• Administer the hiring process including recruitment, interviewing, testing and selection.
• Assists in the annual update and maintenance of HR Policy and Procedure Manuals.
• Demonstrate knowledge of financial industry related regulations to better manage and influence business priorities.
• Provide timely, professional, and accurate resolution to the business line / internal clients regarding operational inquiries and/or standard HR policy and HR system questions. Develop a rapport with and understanding of the various business lines. Collaborate with peers and partners across HR operations to identify innovative processing / execution opportunities and to help meet or exceed performance standards.
• Vacation back-up for team members as required

Role Objectives

Delivery
Ensure HR operational service and delivery activities are continuously maintained and improved. Manage core HR data systems, platforms, software, etc. to maintain employment info (i.e., hires, transfers, terminations, etc.), data processing (i.e., data feeds) and other HR operational workflows that span across the entire employee lifecycle. Maintain employee file systems (paper and/or digital), immigration / work permit files and other core HR data / processing information. Scope / manage operational HR projects and budgets. Regulate statement of work (SOWs) and contractor agreements for HR and/or the organization more broadly. Perform frequent audits related to HR policies, procedures, systems / platforms, shared drives, etc. Maintain the highest level of client satisfaction.

Interpersonal
Demonstrate connectivity with the business line / internal clients to effectively drive operational change, transformation efforts and/or new processes. Partner across the HR division to leverage best practices and better understand overall HR requirements / priorities to maximize the alignment of HR operational-specific imperatives, delivery and implementation. Build and strengthen relationships with other control functions to better understand any cross-functional or firm-wide dependencies related to delivery. Host user-experience feedback sessions, solicit specific and authentic feedback during meetings (peer, partner, client, etc.) to inform and fulfill continuous improvement.

Expertise
Utilize experience, training, credentials, certifications and/or education (i.e. CHRP) to help support the HR function and the general workforce. Expand and/or deepen knowledge of the latest and most continuous improvement tools, methodologies and HRIS systems to improve operational effectiveness and user experience. Advance technical acumen (Microsoft Excel, Adobe, etc.) to increase efficiencies and automation. Contribute to full cycle implementation (HRIS) initiatives and/or HR ops projects by understanding the broader HR division and the various lines of business to advance the firm's overall objectives. Demonstrate an understanding of employment / labor laws, regulators and internal security and privacy requirements to ensure proper and current compliance across team / function. Share research trends and/or ideas related to HR operations (and HR broadly), tech & ops advancements, and/or business insights to take on stretch assignments and/or exceed performance standards.

Competencies

Customer Focus
Forges relationships with customers and uses knowledge about their needs as the basis of problem-solving, decision-making, and departmental action. Promotes a strong customer-centric culture within the department and enhancement of internal processes to improve satisfaction. Displays a passion for excellence that energizes others to deliver high levels of service to internal and external clients without creating unrealistic expectations or pressure on teams/colleagues. Promotes SMBC Americas’ reputation positively to customers. Communicates customer needs across SMBC Americas and seeks collaborative efforts to best leverage all offerings, making cross-business introductions as appropriate.

Driving Change
Draws on their expertise and external inputs to propose solutions to improve current processes. Synthesizes the views and perspectives of their stakeholders. Builds engagement through continuous consultation and involvement with others from across SMBC Group Americas to promote the benefits of new ideas and changes. Demonstrates patience and composure under pressure to make change happens, and champions timely adoption of improvements to processes.

Driving Results
Initiates work to maximize the value their team or function can bring to meeting business challenges. Strikes a good balance between responding to the needs of stakeholders and ensuring a continued and relentless focus on the timely delivery of high-priority projects. Holds self and others accountable, supporting team members and ensuring they have the appropriate skills for delivering high-quality results on time and within budget. Proactively addresses and reports problems.

Embraces Diversity
Proactively seeks to include diverse perspectives and backgrounds in network, adapting communication style to build effective relationships. Encourages others to collaborate across teams. Incorporates inclusion and diversity initiatives into unit communications. Supports, through action, inclusion and diversity initiatives.

Enterprise Leadership
Upholds team values and facilitates the development of expertise. Builds effective relationships and has a positive, persuasive, and constructive negotiating style which creates alignment across stakeholders. Works effectively across the team, ensuring the appropriate stakeholders are consulted on decisions for which they are accountable. Influences team direction and implements a clear set of deliverables. Develops and maintains relationships with counterparts across the bank to ensure strong channels of communications.

Judgment and Decision Making

Views the problem from all angles, including external best practices to inform their thinking. Objectively examines the benefits and drawbacks of potential decisions based on all available data. Reaches an informed judgment in an appropriate timeframe. Considers the extent to which their decisions can impact the work of other team members. Collaborates with all stakeholders to gain their commitment. Is comfortable adapting their approach, considering new information and making decisions with ambiguous or incomplete data when necessary.

Risk Management
Within their functional area, conducts ‘due diligence,’ understands potential sources of risk, investigates them thoroughly, and acts on their findings, in line with agreed controls and regulatory requirements. Thinks broadly and across their functional area, uses common sense and expert judgment to promptly investigate issues. Maintains discipline in adherence to risk standards when pressured by stakeholders for delivery. Attends compliance training and integrates the learning and requirements into their functional area. Ensures adherence to policies and procedures.

Strategic and Innovative
Proposes challenging but realistic objectives within their functional area that align with the long-term success of the overall business strategy. Thinks strategically to anticipate challenges in their area and is willing to adapt current processes to address them. Provides inspiring guidance and input, maintaining regular communication with colleagues across teams.

Trust and Integrity
Maintains oversight and takes prompt responsibility and accountability for results within their functional area; appropriately flags problems or potential variance from expectations. Is open and cooperates fully with our regulators. Observes SMBC’s Code of Conduct rules and standards and maintains high standards of ethics, honesty, and integrity. Manages with and nurtures a climate of mutual respect, addressing poor behavior in others. Is fair, consistent, open, and honest, gaining people's confidence and trust. Builds trusted relationships and develops a network of internal and external contacts through reliable and professional delivery of tasks.

Inclusion & Belonging
Responsible for fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion, holding leaders accountable for creating an inclusive environment through awareness and practice of equity in recruiting, developing, and promoting diverse talent.

Job Qualifications

Education:
Bachelor’s degree. CHRP designation preferred.

Experience:
Minimum 8 – 10 years of progressive experience in a HR role with a financial institution (preferably federally regulated).

Skills:
Knowledge and experience in the operation of a Schedule III foreign bank branch preferred. Knowledge of the legislation, regulations and guidelines governing the Canadian banking sector preferable.
Good communicator with a high level of written and oral communication skills.
Excellent organizational skills and an ability to manage multiple projects at once, making sure you meet the quality, resources and time constraints. Enthusiasm and drive for delivering results.

Employees participate in a hybrid workforce model (3 - 4 on-site working days /week) which provides them with an opportunity to work from home as well as Canada Branch’s Toronto downtown office. SMBC requires that employees live within a reasonable commuting distance of their office location.

About SMBC

SMBC Group is a top-tier global financial group. Headquartered in Tokyo and with a 400-year history, SMBC Group offers a diverse range of financial services, including banking, leasing, securities, credit cards, and consumer finance. The Group has more than 130 offices and 80,000 employees worldwide in nearly 40 countries. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. (SMFG) is the holding company of SMBC Group, which is one of the three largest banking groups in Japan. SMFG’s shares trade on the Tokyo, Nagoya, and New York (NYSE: SMFG) stock exchanges. In the Americas, SMBC Group has a presence in the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Peru. Backed by the capital strength of SMBC Group and the value of its relationships in Asia, the Group offers a range of commercial and investment banking services to its corporate, institutional, and municipal clients. It connects a diverse client base to local markets and the organization’s extensive global network. The Group’s operating companies in the Americas include Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. (SMBC), SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc., SMBC Capital Markets, Inc., SMBC Rail Services LLC, Manufacturers Bank, JRI America, Inc., SMBC Leasing and Finance, Inc., Banco Sumitomo Mitsui Brasileiro S.A., and Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Co., Ltd. SMBC provides reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities consisted with applicable law. If you need reasonable accommodation during the application process, please let us know as SMBCCB_Accessibility_Canada@smbcgroup.com. SMBC is an EO employer – M/F/Disability