People & Culture Specialist | Poppy & Peonies

The Role:

As the People & Culture Specialist, you’ll lead the day-to-day people function at Poppy & Peonies while helping us build the programs, practices, and infrastructure required for our next stage of growth.

This is a broad, hands-on HR and Generalist role. You’ll be responsible for the core employee lifecycle, including onboarding, performance management, benefits, employee relations, engagement, learning and development, policy administration, and offboarding. You’ll also oversee the culture and employee experience work that helps our remote-first team feel connected, supported, and part of something meaningful.

You’ll partner closely with our founder and leadership team to translate business priorities into practical people plans. You’ll help leaders anticipate what the team will need, identify gaps before they become larger problems, and scale the strong HR programs and systems already in place.

This is an intermediate-level opportunity for someone who can operate independently and provide trusted guidance while remaining willing to roll up their sleeves. You won’t be joining a large HR department with highly specialized roles. You’ll need to move comfortably between planning, advising, problem-solving, program management, and detailed execution.

Success in this role requires an understanding of how founder-led companies operate. You’ll know how to build a trusted partnership with a founder, introduce the right level of structure without creating unnecessary bureaucracy, and support a growing team through change while remaining grounded in thoughtful, consistent HR practices.

The Opportunity:

HR Partnership and People Planning

Partner with the founder and leadership team to understand business priorities and translate them into practical people plans.

Develop short- and longer-term workforce plans that consider organizational growth, team capacity, critical roles, succession needs, and emerging skill gaps.

Provide leaders with clear, thoughtful HR guidance grounded in company values, employment practices, and business realities.

Use employee feedback, workforce data, and organizational observations to identify risks, patterns, and opportunities.

Support organizational design, role clarity, reporting relationships, and evolving team structures.

Help leaders assess the people impact of business decisions and plan effectively for periods of growth or change.

Establish meaningful people metrics and provide leadership with useful insights and recommendations.

Partner with external HR and legal advisors when specialized guidance is required.

Manager Support and Performance

Lead and continually improve the company’s performance management approach, including goal setting, feedback, performance reviews, development planning, and performance improvement.

Coach managers through performance concerns, difficult conversations, team dynamics, role clarity, and employee development.

Equip new and existing managers with practical tools, resources, and training to lead effectively.

Help managers establish clear expectations, address concerns promptly, and document performance matters appropriately.

Support the development of high-performing teams by strengthening accountability, communication, and feedback practices.

Identify recurring manager needs and develop scalable programming, resources, or training in response.

Guide leaders through promotions, compensation decisions, internal transitions, and role changes.

Employee Relations and HR Operations

Serve as a trusted point of contact for employees and managers seeking HR guidance or support.

Manage employee relations matters with care, discretion, consistency, and sound judgment.

Lead workplace investigations or coordinate external support when appropriate.

Manage accommodations, leaves, attendance concerns, performance matters, and other employee-related processes.

Maintain accurate employee records, documentation, templates, and HR systems.

Develop, review, and administer workplace policies and procedures.

Monitor evolving employment standards and HR requirements, escalating complex legal matters when necessary.

Support compensation administration and help maintain equitable and consistent compensation practices.

Manage employee benefits administration, including enrolment, employee questions, renewals, and relationships with external providers.

Lead respectful and well-organized offboarding processes, including terminations, resignations, documentation, and exit feedback.

Protect employee confidentiality while maintaining appropriate communication and documentation across the organization.

Culture and Employee Experience

Own and continually evaluate the employee experience across the full employee lifecycle.

Oversee onboarding so every new employee feels welcomed, informed, prepared, and connected from the beginning.

Develop and coordinate culture-building programs, team rituals, recognition initiatives, virtual events, celebrations, and opportunities for meaningful connection.

Translate Poppy & Peonies’ values into clear and consistent employee experiences, programs, and leadership practices.

Lead employee listening initiatives, including surveys, check-ins, focus groups, and other feedback channels.

Turn employee feedback into practical recommendations and ensure agreed-upon actions are followed through.

Support internal communications related to people programs, organizational changes, company initiatives, and team milestones.

Develop learning and development programming for employees and managers.

Track participation, feedback, and outcomes to understand which programs are working and where improvements are needed.

Oversee the work of the Culture Specialist, providing direction, support, prioritization, and accountability.

Recruitment and Workforce Growth

Partner with leaders to define hiring priorities, workforce needs, role requirements, and realistic recruitment timelines.

Manage relationships with Bloom and other external recruitment partners, ensuring vendors have clear direction and deliver a thoughtful candidate experience.

Review and improve job descriptions, hiring processes, interview practices, and candidate communications.

Support managers in making consistent, evidence-based hiring decisions.

Ensure recruitment and selection practices are equitable, accessible, and aligned with Poppy & Peonies’ values.

Monitor recruitment progress, hiring outcomes, vendor performance, and associated costs.

Lead the transition from recruitment into onboarding so new employees have a consistent experience from offer acceptance through their first months with the company.

Help determine when recruitment should be handled internally and when external support is the best approach.

Programs, Systems, and Scale

Assess existing HR programs and systems to determine what should be strengthened, simplified, or scaled.

Build sustainable processes appropriate for a small but growing company.

Create clear workflows, templates, playbooks, and resources that make it easier for employees and managers to navigate HR processes.

Ensure people programs remain consistent while allowing for the flexibility required in an entrepreneurial environment.

Lead the implementation or improvement of HR technology and people-related tools.

Maintain an organized annual people calendar covering performance, compensation, benefits, engagement, learning, policy reviews, and other recurring priorities.

Balance immediate employee and operational needs with the longer-term work required to strengthen the people function.

What you bring to the table:

Approximately 5–7 years of progressive HR experience, including meaningful generalist responsibility.

Experience operating at an HR Manager, Senior HR Generalist, People Operations Manager, or comparable intermediate level.

Experience supporting a small but scaling company where priorities, roles, and processes continue to evolve.

Experience working directly with a founder and senior leaders in a founder-led business.

Strong generalist knowledge across performance management, employee relations, benefits, policies, onboarding, employee experience, learning and development, and offboarding.

Experience coaching managers through performance concerns, feedback conversations, team challenges, and employee development.

Experience developing, improving, and scaling people programs, processes, and systems.

The ability to move between strategic planning and detailed execution without losing momentum on either.

Strong judgment and the ability to distinguish between issues you can manage independently and those requiring legal or specialized guidance.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to make complex or sensitive information clear.

Strong relationship-building skills and the confidence to provide candid, respectful guidance to founders and leaders.

Excellent organization, project management, and follow-through.

Comfort handling confidential and sensitive employee information.

Experience supporting remote-first or distributed teams.

Working knowledge of applicable Canadian employment standards and HR practices; experience supporting employees across multiple provinces or jurisdictions is an asset.

A relevant post-secondary qualification or HR designation is an asset but not required where equivalent experience is demonstrated.

Experience within e-commerce, retail, consumer goods, fashion, or another fast-moving customer-focused environment is a bonus.

Don’t sweat it if you don’t have everything listed above. We believe in growth and curiosity. If you bring many of these qualities and are excited about the opportunity, we want to hear from you!

The Recruitment Process:

Video screen with Niamh, Talent Advisor at Bloom
Video interview with Nat Bates
Final video interview with Nat Dusome
Reference checks
Offer

Location:

We’re a fully remote team spread across North America, which means you can work from wherever you do your best thinking, collaborating, and problem-solving. While this role is fully remote, there may be opportunities for domestic or international travel for team gatherings, special events, and the occasional chance to connect in person.

Salary and Total Rewards:

Salary range: $95,000–$110,000 CAD annually
15 days of paid vacation
Health benefits coverage
$250 annual period and menstrual budget
$1,000 annual allowance toward Poppy & Peonies products
$400 home office setup allowance
All compensation and benefit amounts are reflected in local currency (CAD/USD where applicable).
 
At Bloom, we see conversations around compensation as a continuous discussion. We encourage you to share your desired compensation early in the interview process, but we also understand that as you learn more about the role and the full benefits package, your expectations might evolve. Don't worry - there will be plenty of opportunities throughout the process to revisit and adjust those conversations if needed.