As a Director of Staffing and Resourcing, you will lead the strategic human resources planning and recruitment functions for the Department of National Defence. You will manage staffing initiatives, oversee recruitment campaigns, and ensure the department attracts, selects, and places qualified personnel across civilian positions. This role involves developing staffing strategies aligned with departmental priorities, managing stakeholder relationships, and ensuring compliance with Treasury Board and Public Service Commission policies.
Your responsibilities include directing staffing operations, managing recruitment timelines, overseeing assessment processes, and mentoring a team of HR professionals. You will work with senior leadership to forecast human resource needs, implement staffing solutions, and maintain talent pipelines for critical positions. You will also ensure equitable and inclusive recruitment practices that reflect the diversity of Canada.
This position is typically located at National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa, though you may oversee staffing operations across multiple DND locations. You will work in a dynamic federal environment where strategic planning and operational execution are essential to supporting Canada's defence objectives.
Key Responsibilities
Plan and manage the delivery of staffing and resourcing services and programs, Supervise and develop staff within the staffing and resourcing team, Monitor performance metrics and report on results, Develop and implement operational plans and procedures, Manage stakeholder relationships and ensure service quality
Required Skills
HR policy interpretation, Interpersonal skills, Staffing and classification, Conflict resolution, Labour relations knowledge, Team leadership, Operational planning, Stakeholder engagement, Results management
Typical Education
Bachelor's degree or equivalent; significant experience in the relevant discipline with demonstrated leadership
Training
To succeed in this role, you should have a bachelor's degree in human resources, business administration, or a related field. Professional certifications such as CHRP (Certified Human Resources Professional) through the Canadian HR Council are highly valued. Knowledge of federal staffing legislation, including the Public Service Employment Act and Treasury Board policies, is essential.
Continuing professional development is encouraged and may include specialized training in human resources management, strategic planning, labour relations, and equity and inclusion practices. DND supports staff in pursuing relevant certifications and advanced education through tuition reimbursement programs where available. You should remain current with federal HR best practices and changes to public service policies.
Entry Plans
Most positions at the Director level are filled through federal public service competitions open to Canadian citizens. You typically enter this career through a competitive staffing process managed by the Public Service Commission. Entry often occurs through lateral moves from intermediate HR roles (such as HR Advisor or Staffing Officer positions) within the federal public service, where you would have demonstrated increasing responsibility and expertise in human resources management.
The federal government also uses staffing pools and collective recruitment processes for management positions. If you are already employed in the Public Service, you may be appointed to this role through an internal appointment process. External candidates with significant private or public sector HR management experience may compete in open competitions. Some candidates enter management roles after participating in formal federal management development programs.
Part-Time Options
Director-level positions are typically full-time roles due to the strategic and supervisory nature of the work. However, the federal government is increasingly flexible with work arrangements. Hybrid work models—combining office and remote work—are available for many Director positions, allowing you to work from home for a portion of the week while maintaining collaborative presence at headquarters.
Special arrangements may be considered on a case-by-case basis for experienced candidates, such as job sharing with another director-level professional, though this is less common at this level. Part-time directorship is rare in the federal public service, as the position requires full leadership capacity. The department prioritizes work-life balance and may offer flexible scheduling where operationally feasible. Eligibility for flexible arrangements is discussed during the hiring process and depends on operational requirements and departmental needs.
Related Careers
No related military careers on file for this position.
