People Operations Manager, Open Farm
CA$85-120k
4+ days a week in office
Ethically sourced & humanely raised pet food
Be an early applicant
Ethically sourced & humanely raised pet food
101-200 employees
Be an early applicant
CA$85-120k
4+ days a week in office
101-200 employees
Company mission
To empower pet parents with high quality nutrition for pets, crafted from humanely raised and sustainable sourced ingredients.
Role
Who you are
- A genuine love of pets and belief in our mission to Do Some Good®
- 4–6 years of progressive HR experience (CPG experience is an asset)
- 1–2+ years of people leadership experience, with comfort balancing coaching and hands-on execution
- Proven experience managing and optimizing HRIS platforms (BambooHR experience is a plus), including system implementations or migrations
- Strong knowledge of employment law, compliance requirements, and compensation practices
- A systems thinker with a project management mindset — able to juggle multiple priorities and drive initiatives to completion
- Exceptional communication skills — you can simplify complex topics like benefits and compensation for diverse audiences
- Strong analytical capabilities, translating data into insights and action
- Intellectual curiosity, resilience, and a continuous improvement mindset
- You approach HR as an enabler of the business — creating the conditions for individuals and teams to do their best work
- You lead with trust, integrity, and fairness, fostering psychological safety while holding a high bar for accountability
- You see policy and process not as control mechanisms, but as tools to empower clarity, consistency, and growth
- You care deeply about the employee experience and believe that supporting people well drives meaningful business outcomes
What the job involves
- Reporting to the Chief People Officer, you’ll serve as a player-coach and trusted advisor across the organization
- You’ll blend strategy with execution — leading key People programs, optimizing systems and processes, and ensuring our infrastructure is compliant, scalable, and aligned with our values
- You’ll lead one direct report to start and partner closely with Talent Acquisition, Communications & PR, Legal, and Finance to build a People Operations function that supports our next stage of growth
- Lead and continuously evolve core People programs including Reward & Recognition, Performance Management, Talent Planning, and Engagement
- Champion Learning & Development initiatives — launching mentorship programs, leadership development, and coaching that unlock potential at every level
- Leverage engagement survey insights to partner with leaders on meaningful, department-level action planning
- Own the full employee lifecycle — from welcoming new hires to supporting thoughtful transitions — ensuring every touchpoint reflects our culture and care
- Bring creativity and forward-thinking ideas to policies, programs, and processes that enhance our people offering as we scale
- Lead our annual internship program, creating a high-performance, high-support experience for emerging talent
- Continuously iterate and improve People & Culture initiatives with a mindset of excellence and impact
- Serve as the primary system administrator and subject matter expert for our People platforms (including BambooHR and Culture Amp), ensuring data integrity, security, and insightful reporting
- Build analytics and dashboards that translate People data into meaningful insights and strategic recommendations
- Identify opportunities to modernize, automate, and streamline People Operations processes for efficiency and scale
- Manage vendor relationships (benefits brokers, HRIS, engagement platforms), including renewals, optimizations, and strategic improvements
- Train managers and employees to confidently and effectively use our systems
- Partner closely with Finance and Payroll to ensure seamless and accurate processes
- Develop and maintain clear, thoughtful HR policies and processes that reflect our values and support our teams
- Proactively monitor employment law changes across jurisdictions and ensure ongoing compliance as we grow globally
- Partner with leaders on compliance matters, policy interpretation, and best practices
- Oversee processes for all employee types (full-time, part-time, contractors), including leaves of absence and employment-related matters
- Support global expansion efforts with scalable, compliant People frameworks
- Own and evolve Open Farm’s benefits programs, including health & welfare, RRSP/401(k), wellness initiatives, and leave policies
- Lead annual benefits renewals and open enrollment with clear, engaging communication and smooth system execution
- Serve as a trusted resource for complex employee benefits questions
- Continuously assess competitiveness and alignment of offerings to ensure we support our team in meaningful ways
- Partner with brokers and providers to optimize plans and resolve escalated matters
- Foster a positive, high-performance culture by providing thoughtful guidance on employee relations matters
- Innovate and elevate People Operations communications that inform, engage, and inspire our team
- Oversee our HR SharePoint and ensure easy access to resources and information
- Support employer branding efforts through creative external communications that showcase Open Farm as a purpose-driven, high-performance workplace
- Partner with Communications & PR on award applications and recognition opportunities
Our take
Much like humans, eating a balanced and nutritious diet is important to ensure a pet is happy and healthy. On top of this, owners are usually keen to purchase products that meet the same ethical and sustainability standards of goods they would buy for themselves - but big pet food brands often do not cater for any of these requirements.
Open Farm sells nutrition-focused pet food for dogs and cats at online and retail stores, with ingredients obtained from sources with excellent animal welfare standards and low carbon footprints. From its recipes to its packaging, the company displays a strong focus on ethics and environmental responsibility, and stands out for its transparency.
As consumer sentiment trends towards more conscious purchasing, there is a widening market for products such as Open Farm's. The company has been steadily growing its presence in the expanding pet food sector, and introduced an online carbon footprint tool that allows consumers to see the carbon footprint of all its products.
Freddie
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
26% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (1 round)
Jan 2021
$65m
GROWTH EQUITY VC
Total funding: $65m
Company benefits
- Health, Medical & Dental Benefits
- Wellness Days & Summer Hours
- Mental Health Support
- Wellness Stipend
- Slack Interest Groups
- Pet Feeding Program
- RRSP and 401(k)
- Hybrid & Remote Work
Company HQ
Little Italy, Toronto, ON
Leadership
Isaac Langleben
(Co-Founder & CEO)Experience as Investor and Board Member of Canada Pooch from 2011 to 2019. Co-founder and Board Member of Diggs Pet since 2016.
Jacqueline Prehogan
(Co-Founder & CBO)Experience as Senior Associate of PricewaterhouseCoopers and RSM Richter. Founder and CEO of Canada Pooch since 2011.
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