We're looking for a strategic, hands-on Director, People & Culture to lead our growing People & Culture function through the next chapter of EBT's growth. Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer and leading a small team, you'll own the people pillar of our EBT Strategic Plan. You'll set direction on talent, culture, and capability, coach principals through complex people decisions, and build a P&C function that other firms want to poach from.
This isn't a traditional HR Director role. You'll sit at the leadership table as a peer, not a support function. You'll partner with the C Suite and Principal group to shape the firm's future while your team runs the day-to-day HR operations under your direction. If you're ready to lead the people strategy of a firm where culture matters, and be trusted to own the outcome, you'll thrive here.
EBT is a full-service accounting firm, with locations in Medicine Hat, Alberta and Swift Current, Saskatchewan. EBT has been in public accounting for more than 50 years! Our commitment to client service has contributed to substantial growth, from a staff of 8 in 2000 to a complement of over 140 staff today.
You'll be joining an established, well-respected, and growing practice with an energetic, fast-paced, positive work environment that supports you to learn, grow, and achieve your full potential.
Reports to: Chief Operating Officer Direct Reports: People & Culture team Location: Medicine Hat, AB Type: Permanent, FT
Six clear areas of accountability. Each is yours end-to-end.
HR Strategy & Alignment
- Own the People pillar of EBT's Strategic Plan, including talent, culture, and capability
- Translate firm strategy into a rolling three-year people plan with clear milestones and measurable outcomes
- Bring quarterly people insights and trend analysis to the COO
- Represent P&C on the leadership team as a peer
- Set compensation philosophy, own market benchmarking, and lead firm-wide compensation reviews
Talent Strategy & Workforce Planning
- Design and lead EBT's talent acquisition strategy across both offices, including CPA candidate pipeline planning and principal-track development
- Build succession plans for critical roles and coach principals through candidate development
- Approve final compensation offers for senior roles and framework changes across the firm
- Partner with principals on principal-track candidate development and progression
Final Authority on High-Risk Decisions
- Approve all separations, severance packages, and legal-risk communications
- Review PIPs, written warnings, and complex employee relations matters for legal defensibility before delivery
- Own the relationship with external employment counsel and other HR legal vendors
- Ensure firm-wide compliance with Alberta Employment Standards Code, Saskatchewan Employment Standards Act, Human Rights, Occupational Health & Safety, and privacy legislation
Principal Group Liaison & Executive Reporting
- Be the bridge between P&C and the Principal group. Translate Principal feedback into P&C action items
- Present HR data (turnover, capacity, engagement, comp) at leadership meetings with insight and recommendations
- Coach principals through people decisions and act as trusted advisor on complex team matters
- Own firm-level people communications that require executive-level relationship management
Culture, Engagement & Employee Experience
- Steward EBT to the CORE values across everything from performance management to promotion decisions
- Drive an intentional employee experience across the full lifecycle: attract, hire, develop, promote, offboard
- Own the employee engagement survey, act on the results, and hold leaders accountable for their team scores
- Champion firm-wide culture initiatives and set the direction for staff events, recognition programs, and community engagement
People & Culture Team Leadership
- Coach and develop the People & Culture team
- Set clear KPIs and accountabilities for the P&C team
- Hold weekly 1:1s focused on outcomes, not task-level check-ins
The metrics that matter, and the outcomes behind them:
People-First Outcomes
- The C-Suite and Principal group view P&C as a strategic function that adds real value, not a compliance one
- Zero surprises at the leadership table. You always know the people risks and the plan
- Every critical role has a documented successor
- Culture is measurably strong. Engagement, retention, and staff sentiment reflect a firm people actively choose to join and stay with
- Your team operates with clarity and confidence.
By the Numbers
- Voluntary turnover held below industry benchmark
- Employee engagement scores in the top quartile of professional services
- CPA candidate pipeline consistently full and on track for principal development
- Open positions across the firm filled within 30 days on average
- Performance management framework fully embedded with EBT to the CORE
- Time on HR execution (not strategy) below 10% of your week
- Strategic - You lead with data, three-year thinking, and firm-level impact
- Confident – you excel in the hard conversations. You coach principals through complex decisions and take the tough calls yourself when they land at your desk
- Trusted - Principals rely on you. Staff trust you. You've earned a reputation for telling the truth and following through
- Legally sharp – You know employment law and use it to protect the firm and support employees
- Culture-forward - You believe culture is the competitive edge and lead like it
- Culturally aligned - You live and steward EBT to the CORE: Client First, Craft Excellence, Credibility Counts, Continuous Growth, Culture Champions
Required
- Post-secondary education in Human Resources, Business, or a related field
- Minimum 10 years of progressive HR experience, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role
- Demonstrated experience building or transforming an HR function
- Deep working knowledge of the employment law
- Proven experience leading complex employee relations, PIPs, separations, and legal risk mitigation
- Experience with modern HRIS platforms and AI tools
Preferred
- CPHR designation, or actively working toward it
- Experience in professional services, public practice, or another regulated environment
- Experience in a multi-office firm
- Experience with Karbon, SharePoint, and AI-enabled HR tools
The EBT Difference Call us a show-off, but we're proud of our unbeatable employee culture. From casual water cooler chats to one of our three major employee events per year, we have a tight-knit, outgoing, and inclusive group of people. We offer regular opportunities for staff to interact, including paid lunches in tax season, staff intramurals, social committee, and more. If we haven't impressed you yet, we also offer a comprehensive benefits program, RRSP matching, and annual salary and bonus reviews.
