Director, People Operations & Health, Safety & Environment (HSE)

About NordSpace

NordSpace (https://nordspace.com) is a Canadian startup with the mission to advance life on Earth, from space. NordSpace is committed to extremely rapid innovation and development of the most ambitious aerospace projects with the most ambitious team. With divisions spanning everything from space robotics to satellites to rockets, NordSpace is driven to bring space closer to Earth and inspire generations of space explorers.

About the Role

This is a hands-on individual contributor role that owns two of the functions NordSpace depends on as it scales: the Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE) programme across all facilities, and People Operations across the full employee lifecycle.

Operating in a demanding space-systems R&D and manufacturing environment — with energetics, cryogenics, high-pressure systems, and reactive metal powders — this role sets HSE strategy, builds and matures the management system, and holds accountability for regulatory compliance, workplace risk reduction, and the protection of NordSpace’s people. It also owns how people join, grow, and leave the company: candidate experience, onboarding, culture, motivation and performance, and offboarding.

The person in this role brings the experience to advise senior leadership, drives a proactive safety culture and a fast-moving, innovative working culture in equal measure, and is hands-on enough to be on the floor making sure safety measures are always active and followed.

HSE Management

• Own the enterprise HSE management system and set the multi-year HSE strategy, objectives, and roadmap in alignment with company growth.
• Develop, maintain, and mature formal management systems; establish and report on HSE KPIs (leading and lagging indicators) to senior leadership and the board; drive continuous improvement against targets.
• Build, lead, and mentor staff on HSE culture as the organization grows; coach and hold accountable managers and supervisors across the internal responsibility system.
• Serve as the primary HSE point of contact for regulators, insurers, and auditors.
• Direct the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of H&S policies and programs in accordance with OHSA and its regulations (e.g., O. Reg. 851 – Industrial Establishments, O. Reg. 297/13 – JHSC, WHMIS 2015).
• Establish the framework for workplace inspections, job hazard analyses (JHAs), and risk assessments, and oversee their execution.
• Own the incident-management process, leading serious and complex investigations and ensuring OHSA reporting requirements are met, including critical-injury reporting to the MLITSD.
• Oversee injury and illness recordkeeping and WSIB claims management (Form 7 submissions, return-to-work planning) and manage the relationship with WSIB.
• Chair and support the Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC), ensuring certified-member requirements are met.
• Own emergency preparedness: response planning, fire drills, evacuation procedures, and spill response, including scenarios specific to energetics, cryogenics, and high-pressure systems.
• Direct the handling, storage, labelling, and disposal of hazardous materials and waste per federal and provincial regulations. Maintain the integrity of SDS libraries, permits, and compliance documentation.
• Own the HSE training program aligned with Ontario requirements: WHMIS, Lockout/Tagout, Confined Space, Forklift, Health & Safety Awareness training, and others as required.
• Drive a proactive, accountable safety culture through leadership engagement, toolbox talks, JHSC involvement, and visible executive sponsorship.
• Stay ahead of OHSA, MLITSD, MECP, and WSIB regulatory change and ensure organizational readiness. Lead internal audits and manage external MLITSD and MECP inspections and any regulatory findings to closure.

People Operations

• Onboarding — Own the new-hire experience through the first 90 days: pre-start logistics, workspace, equipment and systems readiness in partnership with IT and Operations, safety and WHMIS induction, and structured ramp plans agreed with hiring managers, so new employees are contributing quickly and working safely from day one.
• Culture — Build and protect a fast-paced, innovative culture as headcount grows: company rituals, all-hands and internal communications, recognition, and the working norms that keep a scaling team moving at startup pace. Act as a deliberate check on the process load that growth tends to add.
• Motivation and performance management — Run the performance framework, including goal setting, review cycles, feedback, and calibration, and coach managers through recognition, progression, difficult conversations, and performance improvement. Own engagement measurement and act on what it shows.
• Offboarding — Own both resignations and involuntary exits: exit interviews, final-day logistics, and equipment and access return coordinated with IT and Operations. Run exits so departing employees remain advocates, and feed recurring themes back into retention.
• Employment compliance and records — Maintain HR records, policies, and the employee handbook; ensure practices meet Ontario Employment Standards Act, Human Rights Code, and AODA requirements; own the leave, accommodation, and return-to-work planning in coordination with WSIB claims management.

Qualifications

• Diploma or degree in Occupational Health & Safety, Environmental Science, Engineering, Human Resources, or a related field.
• Five or more years of progressive HSE experience in a heavy-industry environment — oil and gas, aerospace and defence, energetics, chemical, or advanced manufacturing — including experience at a lead, supervisory, or managerial level with accountability for a full program or site.
• Deep working knowledge of Ontario OHSA, WHMIS 2015, WSIB processes, and environmental legislation (EPA, O. Reg. 347, CEPA). Proven track record leading incident investigations, risk assessments, and audits.
• Experience building or maturing formal HSE management systems strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ownership of People Operations or HR generalist responsibilities across the employee lifecycle — recruitment, onboarding, performance, and exits — ideally in an organization scaling headcount quickly. CHRP or CHRL designation is an asset.
• Working knowledge of Ontario Employment Standards Act, Human Rights Code, and AODA requirements, and practical command of HRIS and applicant tracking tooling.
• Demonstrated leadership: able to influence at all levels, coach supervisors and executives alike, and manage multiple compliance and people programs concurrently. Comfortable engaging with regulatory bodies.
• Split between office and on-the-floor presence in a manufacturing environment. Occasional travel between sites may be required.

This posting is for an existing vacancy. Thank you to all who apply. Candidates who are successfully selected for an interview will be notified by email.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in Canada and able to obtain and maintain a security assessment under the Controlled Goods Program (Defence Production Act) as a condition of their employment.

Compensation will be determined at the Company’s discretion, based on job-related factors, which may include, but are not limited to, relevant knowledge, skills, experience, and education and/or training. NordSpace encourages all qualified applicants to apply, even if the posted salary range does not align with their expectations.

NordSpace is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates; all hiring decisions are based on merit and job-related qualifications, without discrimination on any ground protected by the Ontario Human Rights Code. Accommodations are available on request at any stage of the selection process — please contact careers@nordspace.com.