Korn Ferry International Looking for Manger, Human Resources at Castlegar, BC Full Time

COMPANY BACKGROUND/CULTURE

Mercer International Inc. (NASDAQ: MERC) is a publicly traded forest products company that produces high quality softwood pulp, sawn lumber products, renewable electricity, and bio-chemicals. They have world class manufacturing facilities in British Columbia, The United States, Australia and Germany. As a dynamic company with a track record of successful project execution, they dedicate substantial resources to business development, continuous improvement, and strategic growth.

Mercer is dedicated to maximizing value for their stakeholders by being responsive to market needs as the preferred provider of bio-based products from renewable sources produced sustainably in a safe, efficient environment. Above all, Mercer values:

Health and Safety

Trust, Integrity, and Transparency

Boldness

Pursuit of Excellence

Accountability

Sustainability

Innovation & Technology; and

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

More information about Mercer International can be found on their website at www.mercerint.com.

Celgar Operations

Mercer’s Celgar operation is situated near Castlegar, British Columbia, Canada, approximately 600 kilometers east of the port city of Vancouver. The mill produces approximately 520,000 ADMTs annually and employs approximately 400 people. It is one of the largest and most modern single line kraft pulp mills in North America; and is well-situated with respect to fiber supply and the growing Asian and North American pulp markets. Celgar is a modern and efficient ISO 9001 (2015) and 14001 (2015) certified Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft (NBSK) pulp mill.

In the early 1990’s, a C$850 million modernization transformed Celgar into a large scale, quality producer with modern power generation and environmental treatment facilities. When Mercer International acquired Celgar in 2005, the mill had an annual pulp production capacity of 430,000 ADMT/year. Soon after completing the acquisition, Mercer’s “Blue Goose” project initiative increased the mill’s annual production capacity to approximately 500,000 ADMTs. In 2010, the “Celgar Green Energy” project transformed the mill into a power exporter giving it the capability to sell a significant amount of “green power” to BC Hydro under a 10-year Electricity Purchase Agreement, thus creating a second important source of revenue for the operation. Today, the mill has an installed power generation capacity of 100 MW.

Celgar promotes operational discipline as a core driver of its business and has established the following Operating Principles:

Appropriate standards are essential and must be adhered to.

Highly developed and engaged employees are critical to success.

Prevention and early detection/control of failures are vital.

Root causes of failure must be determined and effectively addressed.

Work must be prioritized and followed through to completion.

Celgar embraces world class safety values and is one of the main employers in the region and a significant economic contributor and community partner. More information about Mercer International’s Celgar Pulp operations can be found on their website at www.celgar.com.

About Castlegar

Castlegar is in the West Kootenay region of British Columbia, approximately 45 kilometers from Nelson, British Columbia and midway between Vancouver, British Columbia and Calgary, Alberta.

The city is the main commercial service center for the region and includes the West Kootenay Regional Airport and Selkirk College’s main campus. In Castlegar, business is important, but lifestyle is equally so. The area combines grapevines and vivid backcountry in a contrast to hot summers and snowy, warm winters.

Castlegar is a hub for outdoor activity: camping, hiking, mountain biking, back country skiing, golfing, fishing, and other outdoor adventure activities.

More information on the City of Castlegar can be found at their website www.castlegar.ca.

The Opportunity

Mercer’s Celgar operations are a key contributor to the Company’s portfolio and growing success. The Celgar operation is a highly entrepreneurial, collegial, and collaborative environment. They promote a culture of trust and transparency where each employee strives to help others thrive and grow. The team at Celgar acts like a family and is guided and inspired by a collective vision and values of which they are justifiably proud.

They are seeking to appoint, in this role, a highly qualified human resources leader with a successful track-record in labour relations, total rewards and talent management, with a focus on developing talent and increasing employee performance. The ideal candidate is an inclusive collaborative leader who understands how to mentor and coach individuals, support their development and partner with leaders across the business whilst retaining a focus on the business priorities and cultural context of a complex and multifaceted business.

Based in Castlegar, British Columbia, and reporting to the Director, Human Resources the Manager, Human Resources will be involved across the full range of talent functions spanning recruitment, employee and labour relations, total rewards, talent management, and learning & development. The Manager, Human Resources will be working closely alongside various cross-functional teams at the mill and adding bench strength to the existing Human Resources. This position is an excellent opportunity for a business-oriented Human Resources leader who enjoys working across the full spectrum of Human Resources practices within a progressive mill enjoying high degrees of local autonomy. This opportunity will appeal to human resource leader who have a passion for labour and employee relations with extensive experience and exemplary competencies with stakeholder engagement, union negotiations, and relationship building.

Specific Areas of responsibility

Uphold Organizational Principles and Values: Champion Mercer’s Mission Statement, Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, Zellstoff Celgar’s world class safety values and leadership’s commitment to safety, union / management relationship principles, reliability principles, and common purpose.

Collaborative Approach: Partner with stakeholders to maximize human capital potential at the mill. Communicate and engage employees about Zellstoff Celgar’s business.

Mentorship: Foster effective relationships with the Human Resources team, creating development opportunities where possible.

Recruitment: Work with line managers to establish recruitment requirements and manage and participate in the full cycle of the recruitment process, from developing job descriptions, person specifications, advising and designing appropriate selection methods, and participating in interviews as require.

Employee and Labour Relations: Provide a dedicated Human Resources advisory service in relation to absence and health issues, performance management, grievance issues, labour agreement negotiations, interpretation and administration assistance, organizational change and the range of employment and employee relations matters.

Total Rewards: Ensure that all compensation strategy is properly implemented and managed and that a balance between external competitiveness, internal alignment and employee contribution is maintained.

Talent Management: Work with the senior manager team to identify critical competencies needed to improve operational performance, assess existing capabilities, and design interventions and develop plans to close the competency gaps.

Learning and Development: Working with the Learning & Development Specialist, and alongside line managers, to conduct detailed and accurate development needs analyses and recommend appropriate development plans for employees.

Human Resources Projects: To lead on people projects within the department by researching, designing, implementing, and delivering best practices.

Lead the execution and implementation of the HR strategies that drive business results and promote a high-performance organizational culture.

Perform all other duties as required.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE/QUALIFICATIONS

Eight plus years’ experience in a human resource leadership role with an emphasis on process and policy creation, and employee and labour relations.

Excellent leadership and interpersonal skills combined with high-level business acumen.

Five plus years’ experience in manufacturing is preferred.

Five plus years’ experience negotiation collective bargaining agreements, with preference given to those with the Public and Private Workers of Canada (PPWC).

EDUCATION

The successful candidate will have an undergraduate degree in business, finance, or related discipline with a formal designation in HR such as Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) would be preferred.

COMPENSATION

A competitive compensation package consisting of base and bonus, commensurate with the level of the role and related responsibilities, will be paid to the successful candidate.

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