People, Safety and Compliance Lead

People, Safety and Compliance Lead

About Progressive Industrial Fluids

Progressive Industrial Fluids is a locally owned, family-operated Canadian manufacturing company based in Southwestern Ontario. We design, manufacture, and distribute industrial fluids and specialty chemical products that support critical industries across Canada.

Built from the ground up, Progressive has grown through a strong focus on process, quality, and doing things the right way. We take pride in producing true Canadian-made products, supporting local jobs, and maintaining hands-on ownership involvement in the business.

Over the past several years, we’ve intentionally invested in building a process-driven organization. From documented procedures and quality controls to ERP integration through Odoo, our systems are designed to support scale, consistency, and continuous improvement. These foundations give us significant room to grow — and we are now poised for the next phase of expansion.

We believe great companies are built by great people. As we grow, we are focused on surrounding ourselves with high-calibre team members who care about their work, take ownership, and want to help build something lasting. We value accountability, safety, respect, and collaboration, and we believe strong leadership and clear processes allow people to do their best work.

Joining Progressive Industrial Fluids means becoming part of a team that is building for the long term — where contributions matter, improvements are encouraged, and success is shared.

The Role

This is a senior, hands-on leadership role responsible for the end-to-end ownership of Human Resources, Health & Safety, and Compliance at Progressive Industrial Fluids.

The successful candidate will act as the central point of accountability for all people-related processes and safety initiatives across the organization. This includes not only maintaining existing systems and policies, but actively improving them so they work effectively within our ERP (Odoo) and our day-to-day manufacturing environment.

We are looking for someone who is approachable, fair, and supportive — while also being confident setting expectations, enforcing standards, and addressing issues directly and professionally when required. This role requires sound judgment, discretion, and the ability to make decisions independently within established policies and legal frameworks.

This position is designed to fully remove HR, safety, and compliance from ownership involvement in day-to-day matters. The role requires someone who can manage employee issues, training needs, documentation, and compliance requirements proactively, escalating only when appropriate and with clear recommendations.

This is not a desk-only HR role. Time spent on the production floor, in the warehouse, and with teams is essential. Understanding how work is actually performed is critical to building effective onboarding, training, safety, and performance programs that are practical and sustainable.

The People, Health & Safety, and Compliance Lead is also expected to play a key role in shaping company culture — reinforcing accountability, respect, consistency, and continuous improvement — while supporting both employees and leadership through clear processes and open communication.

Key ResponsibilitiesHuman Resources & People Operations

• Own HR operations end-to-end, including onboarding, offboarding, documentation, and employee relations
• Effectively handle employee concerns and complaints in a professional, timely, and documented manner
• Support managers with performance management and disciplinary processes, including creating and maintaining the tools used to write up employees
• Monitor employee attendance and clock-in/clock-out activity to support accurate payroll for hourly and salaried staff
• Provide clear guidance on payroll questions, benefits, RRSPs, and employee programs
• Improve organization and accessibility of HR documentation
• Actively participate in recruitment by screening candidates, coordinating interviews, and providing hiring recommendations

Health & Safety in a Chemical Manufacturing Environment

• Lead and enforce health & safety practices throughout the plant
• Ensure employees have appropriate PPE and are using it correctly
• Track licenses, certifications, and training requirements; proactively schedule renewals and retraining
• Coordinate and support JHSC activities, including prompt follow-up on items raised in meetings
• Take health and safety concerns seriously and ensure corrective actions are completed
• Support incident reporting, investigations, and continuous improvement initiatives

Training, Onboarding & Performance

• Build and maintain structured onboarding programs for new hires
• Schedule and coordinate regular training for employees based on role requirements
• Create and administer performance appraisal programs and ensure they are completed consistently
• Work with leadership to identify training gaps and development opportunities
• Encourage accountability, engagement, and continuous improvement across teams

Systems, Compliance & Odoo

• Own HR, training, and compliance workflows within Odoo
• Improve or redesign HR processes to work effectively within the ERP while remaining legally compliant
• Ensure compliance with Ontario labour laws and workplace safety regulations
• Maintain organized, auditable records to support compliance and reporting

Who You Are

You are someone who:

• Is trusted by employees but comfortable setting boundaries
• Follows through on commitments and closes loops
• Is confident in making decisions and escalating issues when required
• Can balance empathy with accountability
• Enjoys building structures and improving how things work
• Understands manufacturing environments and the importance of safety and compliance

Qualifications & Experience

• 5+ years of experience in HR, Health & Safety, Compliance, or People Operations
• Manufacturing or industrial experience strongly preferred
• Strong understanding of Ontario labour and safety requirements
• Demonstrated experience implementing and improving HR processes
• Strong organizational, communication, and time-management skills
• ERP experience is an asset (Odoo experience is a strong asset)

Core Skills & Competencies

Accountability • Conflict Resolution • Attention to Detail • Written & Verbal Communication • Compliance & Safety Awareness • Decision-Making • Ethical Conduct & Integrity • Initiative & Proactivity • Organizational Skills • Problem-Solving • Productivity & Efficiency • Teamwork & Collaboration • Time Management

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: $70,000.00-$80,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Casual dress
• Company events
• Dental care
• On-site parking
• Paid time off
• RRSP match
• Vision care

Work Location: In person

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